Chapter 82

But Eched seemed unaware of the truth.  

It wasn’t something he would know even if asked.  

“So how many days has it been?”  

She leaned back against the headboard of the bed as she asked.  

The familiar room was their shared bedroom.  

It seemed she had been moved to the Duke Astrea’s residence after the accident at the square.  

“You woke up after ten days.”  

Ten days?  

She was surprised at how much time had passed, but considering the severity of the accident, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.  

As she stretched her stiff shoulders, she examined her physical condition.  

For someone who had experienced an explosion right behind her, she appeared to be in remarkably good health, without a single visible injury.  

Nothing seemed seriously wrong, either.  

“Does your body feel alright?”  

“Yes, I’m fine.”  

“…”  

Eched silently observed her.  

Meeting his gaze, she felt as though she were locked in a staring contest. Then, out of curiosity, she asked,  

“But that Raccoon Divine Beasts can take animal forms, right? Can’t you transform?”  

“…Is that really what you’re curious about in this situation?”  

Eched asked incredulously, his expression one of disbelief.  

“What’s so special about the situation?”  

“You just…”  

Eched trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.  

His silver eyes seemed to sink deeper, like a still ocean, suggesting that this wasn’t the time for lighthearted banter.  

“Why are you being so serious? Don’t tell me you’ve discovered the identities of the attackers from the square?”  

Was that why he looked so grave?  

But Eched simply shook his head and let out a sigh before answering her question.  

“No, I can’t transform. I’m not fully a Divine Beast.”  

“…Oh…”  

The usual half-joking term “half-blood” suddenly felt like a lump in her throat.  

Her careless words only made things more uncomfortable.  

She felt stifled. If only someone would walk in right now to change the mood…  

“Shaterian. About what you said last time…”  

Just as Eched was about to say something, the door suddenly opened, and Kirin entered with a bucket in hand.  

Her face was clouded with worry, a clear sign that Shaterian’s collapse had caused concern for many.  

When Kirin, who had been looking at the floor, raised her head, their eyes met.  

Startled, Kirin froze in place. Shaterian smiled and gestured to her.  

“I’m thirsty.”  

Eched reacted first.  

He grabbed the pitcher from the bedside table, poured water into a cup, and handed it to her. His movements were swift and efficient, without any unnecessary gestures.  

“Miss.”  

Thud!  

The bucket in Kirin’s hand fell to the floor with a loud clatter.  

Tap, tap.  

Kirin rushed toward her like a bird in flight and wrapped her in a tight hug.  

“Kirin, the water!”  

“Miss!”  

Kirin lifted her head, her face a picture of distress.  

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Oh, I shouldn’t have hugged a patient like this…”  

Kirin, who usually appeared calm and composed, was now flustered and rambling incoherently.  

Her genuine concern was evident, and it left Shaterian feeling oddly touched.  

“I’m fine… Wait, why are you crying?”  

“Hic…”  

Tears began to fall from Kirin’s eyes.  

She tried to wipe them away, but her emotions seemed uncontrollable.  

“Miss.”  

“…Yes?”  

“If you fall ill like this again, I won’t wake you up in the mornings anymore when it’s time for work…”  

“That sounds great…”  

“I also won’t prepare the tea you like so much…”  

“Oh, no, not that…”  

“I’ll burn all the books by Author Rune that you love so much.”  

“That’s…”  

“So please, don’t get sick again.”  

Kirin used Shaterian’s favorite books as leverage to make her promise.  

“But it’s not like I get sick on purpose…”  

“Miss!”  

“Alright…”  

In the end, Shaterian reluctantly promised Kirin that she wouldn’t fall ill again—for the sake of her books.  

“Hic. I’ll just…”  

Unable to finish her sentence through her tears, Kirin raised her head.  

Her gaze fell upon the spilled water and the bucket lying on the floor.  

Saying she would fetch something to clean it up, Kirin wiped her tears and left the room.  

In the meantime, Shaterian took a moment to catch her breath and drank the water Eched had poured for her.  

The door opened again.  

But this time, it wasn’t Kirin who entered—it was her sister and Lord Leheln.  

“Terry…!”  

They must have heard from Kirin that she had woken up.  

“…Terry…!”  

Wait a minute. This was starting to feel ominous.  

And sure enough, her sister burst into tears—loud, wailing tears.  

The second round of emotional outpouring had begun.  

***

Ah, this is exhausting.

She felt like collapsing again right then and there.

After calming her sister down, her remaining energy had completely drained, leaving her body utterly worn out.

She had even sought help from Eched midway, but he seemed lost in thought and didn’t even glance her way.

Could it be that he deliberately didn’t help me?

But Eched had been silent for a while now, seemingly deep in thought.

He’s handsome, but… she didn’t have the energy to appreciate it.

Lying back down on the bed, she finally looked at her sister, who had calmed down.

“Making an unwell patient do emotional labor, honestly.”

She glared at her sister playfully while giving her a light scolding.

“Miss, please have your meal.”

Kirin, who had said she was going to fetch cleaning supplies, returned late for a reason.

As Kirin entered with a tray, a familiar, savory aroma tickled her nose.

Wait, is this…!

“Nurungji?”

“How did you recognize it just by the smell? It’s my first time seeing this dish.” 

Kirin said curiously as she approached the bed.

If Kirin had brought something like lentil soup, she would have thrown a fit, claiming she couldn’t eat it.

‘But this is irresistible!’

She sprang upright.

Her face brightened at the sight of the food, and her sister looked at her with a curious expression.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you so excited about food since that ham and cheese sandwich.”

“Really?”

Ignoring her sister’s subtle jab at her picky eating habits, she grabbed the spoon Kirin handed her and stirred the steaming bowl.

The nurungji at the bottom mixed with the top layer, releasing an even richer aroma.

“This was brought by the second son of the Arturito Marquis Family.”

“Ser?”

“Yes, he came with the owner of a famous dessert shop recently. What kind of relationship do you have with him?”

“What do you mean, ‘what kind of relationship’?”

She blew on the hot nurungji and popped it into her mouth as she answered.

The savory flavor filled her mouth, and she felt her lost energy returning.

“Well, you know. It’s surprising that you have someone close enough to visit you while you’re sick…”

Her sister’s comment about her lack of social skills made her frown in annoyance, but she couldn’t refute it.

She knew her social skills were lacking.

“If you think about it, it’s quite fitting…”

Her sister said, glancing between her and Eched.

“Eched, my sister says you lack social skills.”

“Do I need them?”

“To some extent, for living.”

“Hmm. If that’s the case, doesn’t Lord Leheln’s wife lack social skills too?”

“Well… I suppose that’s true…”

Both she and Eched turned their gaze to Lord Leheln.

Come to think of it, her sister wasn’t in a position to criticize others either.

Those two were so enamored with each other that they spent most of their time together.

“It must be hereditary.”

“….”

Her sister couldn’t muster a response.

Stirring her nurungji again, she took another bite and asked, 

“Have you investigated the attackers?”

“Why are you, someone who just got out of bed, so curious about that?”

Her sister immediately glared at her and firmly told her not to worry about such things right now.

“I’m the victim, so I should know about the perpetrators.”

“Just be an uninformed victim.”

So adamant.

It seemed unlikely she’d get any information out of her sister.

That left Eched as her only option…

“Where are you going?”

She watched Eched rise from his seat.

At her question, he paused for a moment, looked at her silently, and then left the room without a word.

“Is something wrong with Eched?”

Was he busy? Or was there something troubling him?

Or perhaps what he was about to say before my sister entered was important?

‘Something about what I said last time…’

She tried to recall what she had said before, but it was nearly impossible to pinpoint anything in the countless conversations they’d shared.

“Still, while you were unconscious, Duke Eched stayed by your side the entire time.”

“The Duke did?”

“I don’t know why he stayed by your side so steadfastly, but…”

Her sister frowned slightly as if recalling the situation before smoothing her expression.

“Don’t be too hard on him for acting like this now. To be honest, I thought he might even shed tears when you woke up, but his reaction was a bit unexpected.”

Tears from Eched…?

Her sister’s improbable comment made her chuckle in disbelief.

“So, what’s the deal with this? Bringing something like this over—it doesn’t seem like an ordinary relationship.”

Employer and employee?

She decided to hide the truth and lied.

“What else could it be? He’s just a regular customer. Remember when I delivered rice cakes to the Imperial Palace? That’s when we got acquainted. Stop talking and let me eat.”

She snapped irritably, afraid that saying more might reveal everything.

Meanwhile, she thought of Ser and Jeff.

‘Such thoughtful boys.’

Hearing that she had collapsed, they had even brought nurungji to the ducal residence.

Come to think of it… it might be time to launch a new product.

‘How about nurungji shaved ice this time?’

That could work.

If it were slightly fried and placed on top of shaved ice, it would have a crispy texture and a rich, nutty flavor, unlike rice cakes.