Chapter 49

The following morning, something felt different from the usual routine.

The breakfast table was set extravagantly—bordering on excessive. As Shaterian picked up a butter roll, she asked if there were guests visiting.

“Well, the Duke said this morning that your stamina is far too poor, Miss. Naturally, I agreed.”

“I’m doing fine, though…”

“No, you’re not. Honestly, how can you tire so quickly just from sitting down and listening to explanations?”

Unable to come up with a retort, she simply chewed on her bread.

“Anyway, he kept scolding the chef and me, saying it was all due to a lack of proper nutrition. You never eat properly, even when we prepare good meals for you.”

Kirin sniffled dramatically, claiming to feel wronged.

“Eched scolding you? That doesn’t sound like him…”

Shaterian glanced at Eched with a skeptical laugh, but his lowered head suggested Kirin wasn’t exaggerating.

Her eyes widened. It was hard to believe that Eched, who rarely spoke harshly to others, had actually scolded Kirin.

“So, from now on, make sure to eat a hearty meal, even just a little. Chew slowly and thoroughly to avoid upsetting your stomach.”

Kirin pushed a steaming bowl of stew toward her. The dish, with its tender vegetables and meat cooked to perfection, was clearly made to suit her appetite.

The savory aroma was enough to stimulate her appetite, but she hesitated to take a bite.

“Eched, did you really say something to Kirin?”

“…I didn’t scold her. I merely pointed out that salad alone isn’t sufficient for a meal.”

So, he did say something.

Shrugging, Shaterian scooped up the stew with a spoon. Her appetite, which had been lacking, soon kicked in.

But just as quickly as her hands moved back and forth, her appetite waned.

Eched couldn’t resist commenting.

“Your appetite is worse than a child’s.”

Why did he always have to phrase things like that?

No one was forcing her to eat more, but his words ignited her stubbornness. She finished the stew, ate the remaining bread, and even forced down a bit more.

Still, it wasn’t enough to call it a satisfying meal.

Her appetite had vanished entirely during her academy days. Skipping meals to study had been common, and even when she did eat, it was simple, easily digestible food. Over time, she had grown averse to heavy meals.

So, it was no surprise that the last piece of bread she forced down refused to digest.

Regret set in too late.

Her stomach felt heavy, and a familiar headache began to throb at her temples.

“Ugh…”

She slumped over her desk, groaning, as Pell clicked his tongue.

“Anyone would think you’d entered an eating contest.”

His criticism, laced with disbelief, was directed at the fact that all this fuss was over a single bowl of stew and a piece of bread.

“I wasn’t always like this…”

Oh, how she missed the days when she could devour two whole chickens by herself. In this life, however, she was painfully weak.

“Instead of lying there, why don’t you visit the infirmary for some medicine or treatment?”

“Using divine power for indigestion? No thanks. I’ll just take some medicine and try to digest it.”

“Alright, then. Take care.”

It took her half a day to finally drag herself to the infirmary.

There, she was given a bitter herbal concoction made from tree roots to aid digestion. It was so unpleasant that she wanted to spit it out immediately.

While waiting for the medicine to take effect, she pressed her fingers into the space between her thumb and index finger, applying acupressure.

‘A back massage would be ideal right now.’

Folk remedies from her past life truly were the best.

The physician watched her with a curious expression as she continued to press on her hand.

Fortunately, the medicine seemed effective. The discomfort in her stomach gradually subsided.

As she was soothing her stomach, Eurell entered the infirmary, supporting an injured knight who was limping badly. The knight’s leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and he appeared barely conscious.

“What happened?”

The physician asked.

“He fell from his horse.”

“Over here.”

The previously relaxed physician sprang into action. Soon, a healer from the temple arrived to administer divine treatment.

“We’ll realign the bone first, then proceed with divine healing.”

Crunch, crack—

“Ugh…!”

“Ah…”

The suppressed groans and the sound of bones being set made Shaterian wince in sympathy.

Thankfully, the divine healing that followed seemed to ease the knight’s pain significantly.

“By the way, Lady Shaterian, why are you here?”

Eurell asked, suddenly standing beside her.

“Oh, I just had some indigestion after breakfast.”

As she continued to press on her hand, she felt his gaze linger on the spot.

“Why are you pressing there?”

“Pressing here helps with indigestion.”

“Hmm… Like this?”

Before she knew it, Eurell had knelt on one knee before her, taking her hand in his. He began massaging it with a firm yet gentle touch.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of such a remedy.”

Though he seemed skeptical, he continued to massage her hand, even meeting her eyes to ask if it was working.

His slightly disheveled blonde hair, a result of training, softened the sharpness of his long, slanted eyes, giving him a surprisingly gentle appearance.

“It feels nice.”

“Does it?”

Eurell smiled faintly.

‘Oh, this is dangerous.’

Guilty, definitely guilty. Eurell was undeniably guilty.

No wonder noble ladies squealed with delight whenever they saw Eched and Eurell together.

“Eurell, I’m fine, but don’t do this elsewhere. It might lead to misunderstandings.”

“Pardon?”

Feigning sternness, she advised him against being overly kind, saying it could be misleading.

“Giving someone the wrong idea is a sin too. If you don’t have feelings for someone, it’s a gentleman’s virtue not to give them false hope.”

“….”

“Ouch! That hurts!”

She yanked her hand away as Eurell squeezed it, clearly telling her to stop spouting nonsense.

“Look how red it is!”

She held out her hand indignantly, but Eurell stood up, visibly avoiding her gaze.

“Ahem. If you’re returning to the counseling office, I’ll escort you.”

The injured knight was left to rest in the infirmary, while they headed back to the office.

Though she insisted she didn’t need an escort, Eurell followed behind her.

“Apologies for earlier. Your scolding reminded me of, well… the Young Marquis’s wife.”

He trailed off.

The Young Marquis’s wife—Eurell’s sister-in-law.

‘Lucy’s mother.’

She recalled the little girl who had once come running with her golden hair streaming behind her.

“By the way, how’s Lucy? Still as adorable as ever?”

“Yes. Recently, she lost her front teeth, which makes her even cuter.”

Ah, how she wished she had a camera to capture such moments. If she did, she’d have asked for a picture immediately.

Somehow, conversations with Eurell always flowed naturally.

Their exchange was lively, peppered with jokes and laughter.

***

Meanwhile, the Emperor was troubled by the increasing number of monsters.

Despite a large-scale subjugation effort not long ago, the number of monsters was growing at an alarming rate, and no one could figure out why.

He worried that another monster outbreak, like the one two years ago, might occur.

“What about the dark mage you were searching for?”

Orgon shook his head. The latest report that morning had stated there was “no progress.”

“It seems it will take some time.”

The Emperor nodded at Orgon’s report.

“Then, for now, send scouts back to the Haltonea Forest to monitor the situation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As Orgon left the Emperor’s office, he grumbled about the hassle of dealing with the mysteries of dark magic.

Though he appeared carefree, Orgon’s workload rivaled that of the Emperor. Rubbing his nose bridge, he sighed in exhaustion.

“Knight Commander, you must be overwhelmed, planning a wedding amidst all this work.”

Feigning concern, Orgon smirked slyly at Eched.

Eched, ever stoic, simply rubbed the back of his neck.

“I don’t mind.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

Out of nowhere, Taltos appeared and poked Eched in the side.

“Taltos.”

Lutz, who had accompanied him, tried to restrain Taltos, but it was futile.

Even Lutz was curious about their usually emotionless superior’s feelings.

But, as always, Eched remained unreadable.

He stepped back slightly, avoiding Taltos, and offered no comments about his upcoming marriage.

There wasn’t even a hint of excitement in him—a stark contrast to what one might expect from a groom-to-be.

“If you’re asking about the wedding, it’s no different from usual.”

As expected.

Lutz gave Eched a weary look.

But what Eched said next caught everyone off guard.

“However, if you’re asking whether I enjoy being with Shaterian…I do.”

A rare smile graced Eched’s usually stoic face.

“…Quite a lot.”

“…….”

Of course, it wasn’t just Lutz who was shocked.

Orgon, who was privy to Eched’s true identity—something passed down only to those destined to become Emperor—was equally taken aback. Even Taltos, who spent his days scheming ways to tease Eched, was left speechless.

The three men stared blankly at Eched, who was now beaming with an uncharacteristically radiant smile.

But the atmosphere quickly turned icy.

Eched’s gaze had shifted to the infirmary attached to the main palace. Emerging from it was a figure that caught his attention.

They were laughing, chatting, and playfully nudging each other, exuding an air of familiarity.

Lutz swallowed nervously.

Eched’s smile vanished in an instant. Remembering a question he had once asked, Lutz hesitantly voiced it again.

“Are you… jealous?”