Chapter 4 (Part 3)
Theodore handled many tasks during the day and wrote letters at night, often staying up all night. As he stayed up, his body grew tired, and he lost his appetite.
The butler of the Florence Grand Ducal residence, Venable, felt the seriousness of the situation and began discussing it with Head Maid Hannah.
“He left his meal again today.”
“Yes, Venable. He didn’t eat a single bite, even though it’s his favorite food.”
“It seems he hasn’t been sleeping well either.”
“It looks like he’s been working all night.”
“I’m very worried that His Grace might collapse.”
While Butler Venable and Head Maid Hannah were carefully planning how to get Theodore to eat properly and rest, the healthy Theodore suddenly collapsed, causing an uproar in the Grand Ducal residence.
Physician Worst immediately came to the Grand Ducal residence and began examining Theodore.
He administered fever reducers and all possible medical treatments to Theodore, who was burning with a high fever and hovering between life and death. However, there was no sign of improvement.
“The medicine isn’t working at all.”
Worst spoke seriously, and Hannah and Venable began to cry.
“Why isn’t the medicine working!”
Hemann and Aethon spoke urgently.
“Physician Worst! Please save His Grace.”
Lady Nordic and Lady Jasmine, who rushed over upon hearing the news, also pleaded earnestly.
“Please help him.”
“I’ve given him fever reducers and used artifacts imbued with divine power, but nothing is working. It doesn’t seem to be a simple illness… I’ll do my best to find out why the medicine isn’t working.”
In his dreams, Theodore kept searching for her.
He ran until his heart felt like it would burst. Because just a little further ahead, within reach, was the Meia he missed and loved so much.
Theodore ran across the flower field, waving his hand to Meia, who smiled brightly like a blooming rosebud with her arms raised.
He desperately hoped his fingertips would reach her, even if his heart burst.
After running at full speed, he looked at her lovingly as they faced each other closely.
Holding her hand, he said,
<Finally, I reached you.>
Theodore showed a happy smile and gazed at Meia intently.
She had said his smiling face was more handsome. So he kept smiling charmingly to show her his smile.
<It’s good to see your face.>
Meia only smiled at him without saying anything.
<Theo, did you miss me?>
<Yes, very much.>
Theodore was happy just to look at Meia smiling at him.
He felt so happy, as if flowers were blooming in his heart.
<Meia.>
<Yes? Theo.>
<May I kiss you?>
Physician Worst was sweating profusely as he tended to Theodore.
But something was strange about him as he slept.
“Mei… ah…”
Theodore groaned, repeatedly calling out the name ‘Meia.’
“Me… ia…”
Physician Worst became curious about who Meia was.
So he called Aethon and asked him.
“Aethon.”
“Yes.”
“His Grace keeps calling ‘Meia.'”
Thinking of Theodore searching for Meia even while ill, Aethon felt a pang of sadness.
“She is Lady Meia of the Hatzbellua Ducal family of the Carpen Empire. They met recently on a trip to the Mage Tower.”
Physician Worst finally understood.
Theodore, who wasn’t responding to medicine, with irregular heartbeats and a pained expression.
And even while asleep, calling out a woman’s name. It was undoubtedly that ‘incurable disease.’
“It seems… this is serious. If my diagnosis is correct, this is a very rare disease.”
Aethon, trembling with fear, asked.
“His Grace isn’t afflicted with a serious illness, is he?”
Worst wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“I’ve identified the disease. Please call Butler Venable and Head Maid Hannah.”
As soon as he heard that Worst had identified the disease, Venable sprinted to the room.
Hemann, Venable, and Hannah gathered in the room, anxiously waiting for Worst’s words.
Worst, looking at the people staring at him, spoke seriously.
“This disease does not respond to any medicine. Holy power won’t cure it either. No matter how potent the remedy, it won’t work. This disease… can be considered an incurable disease.”
Aethon, denying what he had heard, shouted at Worst.
“A disease that doesn’t respond to holy power or medicine! There can’t be such a disease!”
“His Grace is healthier than anyone!”
Hearing Worst’s words, Butler Venable and Head Maid Hannah finally burst into tears.
“Physician Worst, please save His Grace, sob sob.”
“I, Butler Venable, will atone for the sin of not serving His Grace properly with my life.”
Worst began to calm the grieving people.
“Now, now, calm down. Although it’s an incurable disease, there is a treatment.”
At the mention of a treatment, Venable stopped crying and shook Worst’s shoulders, urging him to speak quickly.
“What is the treatment!”
“Calm down, Venable. Let go of Physician Worst’s shoulders.”
Worst, whose shoulders were being shaken by Venable, wiped his cold sweat once more.
“Everyone, hush! Let’s listen to what Physician Worst has to say.”
“Ahem, first, let me tell you the name and symptoms of the disease.”
Everyone tensed up, eager to hear the name of Theodore’s illness.
“This disease makes it hard to eat and sleep well. The mood swings between good and bad repeatedly. It can lead to depression, making it very dangerous. If the symptoms worsen, one might fall into alcoholism. It’s a very dangerous disease.”
“That’s right. Recently, he hasn’t been eating well…”
“He hasn’t been sleeping, writing letters all night.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Worst’s words.
“So, what is the name of the disease?”
“This disease is called lovesickness.”
Venable and Hannah, who had been sobbing, stopped crying.
“Lovesickness?”
“Lovesickness is a very frightening disease. Yes, it’s terrifying. To get His Grace out of bed, you must bring him to meet this Meia.”
The room was engulfed in silence.
Then, Theodore, lying on the bed and groaning, began desperately calling out to Meia with his arms reaching out to the air.
“Meia… Lady Meia.”
“Calling out the name of a loved one even while asleep is a symptom of lovesickness progressing from mid to late stage. This is serious. It’s not a disease to be taken lightly, everyone.”
* * *
Meia was guided by Puring to the most luxurious room in the Mage Tower.
And every morning, she read the letters that arrived daily.
There were so many that she spent the entire morning just reading them.
Letters from Theodore, who had returned to Florence, arrived daily.
The content of his letters was ordinary, starting with talks about the weather and food, mentioning that he was working hard and not neglecting his swordsmanship training.
His simple daily stories were enough to make Meia smile.
It wasn’t because his stories were amusing.
It was because of Theodore’s handwriting in the letters.
‘Your handwriting is quite smooth. You must have put a lot of effort into writing, Grand Duke Theodore.’
People who wield swords tend to grip quills with force.
A quill can easily break if held too tightly.
For those who handle thin and fragile quills, writing neatly is difficult.
Therefore, most of them have poor handwriting.
However, there was none of that in Theodore’s letters.
His handwriting was neat and gentle. It showed how much care he put into writing.
“He’s indeed cute.”
Puring, hearing Meia’s murmuring, asked.
“What do you find cute?”
“Grand Duke Theodore’s letters are really cute.”
“He sends letters every day without fail.”
“Thinking of Grand Duke Theodore feels like having a cute puppy by my side.”
“Do you really think of him as a puppy? Think about his appearance. He’s a big, dark man.”
“He feels like a puppy. He subtly checks my mood and smiles sweetly. And when he blushes while looking at me, well… he just seems really cute, Master.”
“Your expression brightens when you talk about the Grand Duke.”
“No one frowns when they see something cute, Master.”
Meia smiled as she folded Theodore’s letters and placed them in her magical bag.
“Shall I write a reply then?”
Meia wrote a response to Theodore.
[I’ll be working at Mage Tower for a while, so even if you send me a letter, I won’t be able to reply right away].
She wondered what kind of expression Theodore would make reading this letter and what kind of face he would show if she suddenly appeared.
‘Why am I curious about such expressions from Grand Duke Theodore?’
The corners of her mouth twitched upward as she watched his cold, frosty demeanor quickly turn to restlessness.
Meia mischievously laughed and began packing her things to depart for Florence.
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Lady Anastasia
wth lovesickness HAHAHAHAHAHA pleaseee i’ve laughing so hard. why dehel the whole grand duchy people so funny?! they’re so unserious!! 🤣🤣 i love ML so much i want to smack his back he so funny af! istg meia would be so loved in Florence ❤