Chapter 35 – A Special Child, A Frightening Illness (Part 1)

Ethea didn’t want to meet a man with a fiancée, not even for a second. The difference in status was overwhelming, and it was burdensome to meet him easily.  

But she had to go see Lyle. She absolutely had to.  

Gin, who had gone on a picnic, returned after just ten minutes because of severe pain. He said all his joints hurt, his head hurt, his stomach hurt, there was nowhere that didn’t hurt, and he rolled on the floor crying. She’d never seen him like this before.  

Solei and Seisil, who had taken the children out for the picnic, were shocked. Lily was crying, worried Gin might be seriously ill, and Ethea felt the same. She didn’t cry like Lily, but her heart felt torn apart.  

She’d never seen such symptoms raising Gin. He was so healthy he barely caught a cold once a year.  

Solei said,  

“Should we call a doctor?”  

Ethea shook her head.  

She’d never sought or accepted a doctor’s help raising Gin. She was afraid someone might notice Gin was born through alchemy. Even if they didn’t figure out the alchemy, if they realized he was born by abnormal means, she feared what might happen. That’s why she kept doctors at a distance, never telling even Solei and Lily about Gin’s origins.  

Suddenly, Seisil told Solei and Lily to go home, saying he’d take care of everything and it would help the patient rest. Solei and her daughter went home.  

Once everyone was gone, Seisil said to Ethea,  

“Hurry to the palace and bring His Majesty. I’ll watch the child until then.”  

At first, Ethea didn’t want to trust Seisil. She couldn’t guarantee what he’d do to Gin.  

But Seisil cast a pain relief spell on Gin, and Gin, sobbing, said he wanted to see His Majesty. After seeing that, Ethea couldn’t just sit still.  

She had to go to Lyle, but she warned Seisil firmly. All she could do was threaten him.  

“If anything happens to Gin, I won’t forgive you.”  

“Just hurry and bring His Majesty.”  

Ethea went straight to the palace. And so, now, she was face-to-face with Lyle.  

She didn’t want to come, didn’t want to meet him privately like this… but with Gin’s problem, she had no choice.  

“Help me, Lyle.”  

“What’s going on? Calm down, tell me slowly. Why? Did something happen to Gin?”  

She nodded. He noticed before she even explained, and she was honestly grateful.  

“What is it? Hm?”  

“Gin is sick.”  

“Sick? Where?”  

“His joints, stomach, head, everywhere. He says there’s nowhere that doesn’t hurt. He’s rolling on the floor in pain, and Lord Lint barely managed to cast a pain relief spell so he could endure it. Help me. There’s nothing I can do. Ugh… Even after learning so much alchemy, there’s nothing I can do for him at a time like this. What should I do? If anything happens to Gin, I won’t be able to… bear it.”  

As she finished speaking, Lyle pulled Ethea into his arms. His embrace was warm. The gentle lavender scent. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help relying on him.  

“Etty.”  

“…Yeah.”  

“I’m going to use a scroll now, so…”  

“Huh?”  

“Hold me tight. We’re going home.”  

Before he even finished speaking, Ethea instinctively hugged him tightly. He muttered a spell, and a scroll appeared in his hand.  

His voice came down over her head.  

“Don’t worry.”  

Soon, she felt her body lift and get pulled somewhere. The scroll was activating.  

-To be continued in the next volume-