CH 140

Characters in this chapter:

Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge

Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier

Aurora Steinfeld, daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield

Clawis Omnibus Worstitters/Clawis Garcia, Crown Prince of Worstitters

“……I feel like I slept insanely well.”

It was indeed a refreshing awakening. As I sat up and stretched, I remembered my left arm.

There was no pain at all. I rolled up my sleeve and saw that my arm was still as pale as ever, but there were no marks left on it. It’s really beautiful. As expected from Aurora.

Speaking of which, I changed into my nightwear before I knew it…….someone helped me change.

I remember the part where Percival carried me out of the noisy hall, but did I lose consciousness before I could get healed? I guess the wound was deeper than I thought.

“I should get up for now.”

I was just about to get off the bed when Percival came into the room holding a jug of water.

“Sapphiras, is it okay for you to get up?”

“I’m fine, no problem!”

If anything, I feel better than usual. I may have slept well, but it must be the influence of Aurora’s holy magic.

Percival, who had put the water jug on the table, quickly came to my side and looked into my face with concern, then put our foreheads together.

“?”

What’s wrong all of a sudden? Your face is closer than usual.

Even though I’ve gotten used to the morning and evening kisses on the forehead that are part of our greetings, isn’t this too close?

“……Your fever seems to have gone down.”

Percival, who had been forehead to forehead with me for a while, showed a relieved expression as he pulled his face away.

“Eh? I had a fever?”

“Aah. Even if you heal the wound, you can’t remove the burden that your body received.”

That reminds me. When I was Fortis, no matter how badly I got injured, as long as I was healed, everything was normal after that, so I let my guard down. Certainly, with such a frail body, that injury could have been a burden.

“Do you think I can eat something?”

“Of course! I’ll change quickly and we can go to the cafeteria!”

I haven’t eaten anything since last night so I’m really hungry and I need to eat well to recover my strength! I think I can go all out now, even if I get a large serving. When I tried to get out of my bed, for some reason Percival stopped me.

“I’ll bring you some food. I want you to quietly stay in your room for the rest of the day.”

“You’re overreacting. I’m okay, I can go to the cafeteria.”

Although I seem to have gotten a fever, I’m not so weak as to be worried about it. I just need to move around a bit.

“No. You’re not taking a step out of bed today, so keep that in mind.”

Percival said so with an extremely serious face and pushed me back to the bed and put the futon back on.

Ehhh? For real? Isn’t it an overreaction to say that you can’t even take a step?

……I was thinking, but I’m now eating the meal Percival brought me in my bed. I told him I’d get up and eat at the table, but he wouldn’t listen and I’m a total bed dweller.

Then my request for a large plate was rejected. I just felt like I could eat, but my body actually wouldn’t accept it that well.

That Percival peels the pêche for me with a knife. I watch as he cuts the peeled pêche into bite-sized pieces with such deftness.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

After receiving the plate, I eat it immediately. The pêche is smooth on the tongue, sweet and fresh.

The pêche is a gift1お見舞い (omimai): to visit someone who is ill from Aurora. To be able to get pêches this early in the season. As expected of the ducal family!”

“Mmmm, delicious! Have some too, Percival.”

I put the pêche on my fork and held it up to his mouth. It would be a shame if I have to eat such delicious food all by myself. Percival looked a little perplexed, but his expression softened as he opened his well-shaped lips and ate pêche.

“……It sure is delicious.”

Uu……his smile is sweeter than the pêche.

That’s why a good man……isn’t it sly that he can exude sex appeal just by eating pêche?

“Sapphiras, your face looks red, has your fever gone up?”

“No! No! I don’t have a fever, I’m fine!”

If I have a fever, it’s definitely Percival’s fault. I hurriedly sucked in a pêche to cover up the heat on my face.

When I was completely full, I felt somewhat sleepy. I thought I’d slept enough, but my body still wants to sleep.

Percival urges me to lie down, saying that I don’t need to stay awake.

I watched Percival’s back as he left the room with the empty plate and tray, and I closed my eyes.

I was dreaming vaguely, moving back and forth between shallow and deep sleep. It was a dream of my time in the Earl family’s detached house.

I’m looking down at the young Sapphiras. Only one young child, in the cold detached house. Sapphiras, who had been severely flogged, was lying on the floor, in pain and fever.

Poor thing……but I can’t do anything about it now. As I looked down with unspeakable thoughts, someone unexpectedly held my hand. It’s a slightly harder palm, a size bigger than mine, with sword calluses.

The hand was not that of my mother, who never looked at me, nor my father, who locked me away and waited for me to die on my own.

A hand I know well, a hand I trust more than anyone else.

I suddenly opened my eyes to find Percival reading a book by my bed, holding my hand. He took his eyes away from the book, perhaps realising I’m watching him.

“……What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?”

No, if anything, I’m feeling very good.

I shake my head loosely at the calm, gentle voice and close my eyes again.

That’s right. Sapphiras is no longer alone. Percival is here. There’s nothing to worry about……

After that, I slept soundly without dreaming.

Percival was by my side all day, taking care of me in every little detail. So, as he had declared, I didn’t have the slightest chance to get off my bed that day.

The day after Percival took care of me and I spent most of the day in bed, I received two letters. One was from Clawis.

He was staying at the royal castle with the ambassadors and was having discussions with Solmontana. Clawis is apparently trying to calm things down, but after all, they were invited to an evening party by a country that was about to form an alliance with them, and they were subjected to the outrageous humiliation of having a beast flute used. It is not difficult to imagine that this had a major impact on the relationship between the kingdoms, even if it was not Solmontana’s intention.

I know that this situation, just before the conclusion of the alliance, cannot be settled simply by me bowing down to Clawis.

Despite this situation, the letter from Clawis was full of apologies to me. So I wrote back saying I was fine and that I would see him when things settled down. Whatever happens between countries, the friendship between me and Clawis and the others will never change. That’s that, this is this.

And the other letter was from His Excellency the Duke. It seems that the Commander of the Order of Magicians wants to hear my side of the story. It was written that I can refuse if I don’t want to, but it’s about time they learned a lot and they’re worried about the details, so naturally refusing isn’t an option.

I agreed without hesitation.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince……?”

When Percival and I visited the castle together, His Excellency the Duke and, for some reason, His Highness the Crown Prince were waiting for us. I bow my head in a hurry at the appearance of an unexpected person. What happened to the Commander of the Order Magicians?

“No need for a formal greeting. Make yourself comfortable. I’m sorry, but the Commander of the Order of Magicians is a bit occupied. I’m sure he’ll be here soon……Is  Sapphiras-kun’ wound better?”

Yes. Thanks to Aurora-jyou’s healing, I’m completely healed.”

“I see. I’m relieved to hear that. First of all, I’d like to thank you for all your help at that evening party. Above all, I am very grateful to you for stopping the Worstitters.

“No, it was a crisis for a dear friend. I did what I had to do.”

Besides, I would have been the only one who could have stopped them there. After all, nobody thought of the existence of the beast flute. There is no slavery system in this country, and it is a magical tool that is more taboo than magical collars that block magic, so it can’t be helped if they aren’t familiar with them.

“I see. Our country was saved by virtue of Clawis-dono……anyway, the two of you averted the worst. But I suppose it would be better not to offer a reward here.”

“It was only for the sake of my friends. I won’t accept any rewards.”

He thought I would say that, His Highness the Crown Prince smiled wryly. Well it would be so. Even if it was only once, I was almost given an outrageous reward2if you remember, Melchior wanted Sapphiras to marry his dumb brother..

“That’s all I have to say. I am sorry, but I need your cooperation in the investigation of the Commander of the Order of Magicians. I’m forbidden to interfere in any way by His Majesty’s will. However, even though it was my brother who did it, I cannot overlook what has happened. If the truth about the disturbances comes to light, he will be punished accordingly. They have really done a foolish thing.”

His Highness the Crown Prince said this with a stern expression and left with his escort knights. His Highness is probably busy too. And for once, he doesn’t seem to have any intention of defending that foolish prince.

At an evening party hosted by His Majesty the King, to which the ambassadors of various countries have also been invited, he caused a commotion that could be taken as an insult to the Kingdom of Worstitters. The ringleader is probably the Marquess of Fargerson, but a prince who would be carried away by such a man would be nothing but poison to the country.And of course, the Earl as well.