CH 30

Chapter 30

One morning in the middle of November, I found myself at the entrance of the girls’ dormitory.

“His Highness isn’t here.”

As a matter of fact, it has been my routine lately to hear the yellow voices of the female students as I eat breakfast and head for the entrance of the dormitory, until I see His Highness’ eyes soften when he spots me. It’s no wonder that the atmosphere in the girls’ dormitory is not so good this morning.

I stood there, contemplating whether I should go to the boys’ dormitory or not. His Highness might have had some urgent business that kept him from coming this morning. But he smiled and said “See you tomorrow” when he returned yesterday.

Keeping a promise is something that should be taken for granted, especially when the other person is your fiancé… I thought about this while calmly observing myself.

I’ll admit it, I’m lonely.

“Ugh.”

I held my stomach and walked to the boys’ dormitory, but when I got there, I saw a large crow and let out an odd sound.

It was about three times larger than a normal crow. Its black feathers shone in the sun. Its beak was sharp enough to kill me. But at the same time, it seemed incredibly rational.

It was probably a Phantom Beast. But whose?

I flipped through the strategy book in my head and thought, “Oh.” Then I approached the crow. Its black eyes were looking at me. I looked back, trying not to show any fear.

While ignoring the suspicious glances of the boys walking by, after about ten seconds, the crow took out a piece of paper and flew away.

[Miss Rebecca

Please take care of His Highness’s cold.

Fried Neher]

I let out a sigh as I looked at the short letter from Fried, or rather, the paper.

“[Seasonal change and cold nursing event]!”

***

The Cold Nursing Event——that’s when a cold outbreak occurs at the Academy. You can hear coughing from one side, someone sneezing from the other side, and someone collapsing from fever on the other side. The person who wants to collapse the most right now is definitely the school’s nurse.

With the help of such a troublesome school nurse, the main character, who is a healing magic user, ends up taking care of the target of the conquest. I completely forgot about it because I was too focused on [Winter]. Rebecca was not supposed to appear at all, so that was good, but I’m already used to developments that don’t go according to the scenario.

I asked the dormitory staff where His Highness’s room was. I stopped in front of the door once. I took a deep breath. Exhaled. Breathed in. Exhaled. I turned the doorknob.

“Excuse me, this is Rebecca.”

I noticed that the door was not locked. His silent servant must have been concerned about his master. When I entered the room, there was no answer. But I could feel the presence of someone.

I took off my shoes calmly and went upstairs. When I opened the door to the bedroom in the back, there was a faint smell of His Highness——maybe, but I decided not to remember. I didn’t remember the time when His Highness hugged me. I definitely don’t miss it. Ah, um, definitely not.

His Highness was asleep in bed. His eyes and mouth were tightly closed. His forehead was slightly sweaty. Although the bedding was neatly arranged, his breath seemed a little short and his chest seemed to hurt, so I grabbed it and calmed myself down.

I closed the door quietly so as not to look too much and went into the kitchen. I came here because I was asked to, so it should probably be okay to use it as I pleased.

I started looking for ingredients and was relieved to find something that could be made into porridge. I started cooking skillfully. My cooking skills, which are not like those of a noble lady, are from my mother teaching me from a young age.

According to the strategy book, the protagonist uses healing magic on the target of the strategy and spends the whole day holding his hand and staying by his side in the [sweet event].

When it was time for nursing, I remembered that the book said that the event was one with a high degree of affection and a low occurrence rate.

In other words, the favorability of His Highness towards me may be quite high, but let’s leave that for now. After all, I am an engaged person, so serving at a time like this is also one of my duties. This is a duty, just a job. Whisper it in my mind and calm my feelings. Take a deep breath again. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Anyway, since I am not Emilia, I can only treat him normally instead of using healing magic.

But there is one thing I am thinking about. Since this is an event in the game and His Highness is the target of the conquest, if I follow the strategy book and proceed with the conversation, will the favorability increase? That is what I am thinking. If it can be increased, I want to increase it, that is my true feeling.

I took the strategy book out of my pocket. I have been carrying it around lately. I just glanced through it for this event, so I want to check it properly. Refer to the [Cold Nursing Event] in the table of contents and follow the choice that increases the favorability the most with my eyes.

[Emilia?]

[I was asked by the school nurse and came to treat you. Uh, sorry for being presumptuous.]

[N-No… thank you]

[You’re welcome! How are you feeling, Your Highness?]

“… Ugh.”

I already felt sick, even though I just started reading. It is not good for my mental health to read the intimate conversation of my fiancé and best friend.

I put away my strategy book and took the porridge off the fire, seasoning it.

I tasted the finished porridge and couldn’t help but smile,

“Yeah, it’s delicious.”

“Is this a dream?”

I literally jumped up.

“Y-Your highness!”

I held back my racing heart and looked towards the entrance of the kitchen. Somehow, he was standing there firmly, looking at me. He looked normal.

Maybe his condition wasn’t as bad as I thought. That’s good, I felt relieved.

“I came here to check on you as Neher-sama asked. I’m sorry for being presumptuous.”

I recited each word without a mistake. My heart was pounding. This was the first time I used my strategy book for this purpose.

But there was no response. [It’s just a——] No, I was getting anxious and my mother’s inexplicable phrase came out.

His highness continued to stare at me without moving. I tilted my head. Being looked at like that made me feel like something was wrong.

“Um, your highness…?”

Above all, his highness’s appearance was… I felt like my cheeks were getting red and I looked away. His hair that was usually neat but now looked disheveled, his rough shirt that was open to the third button, the sturdy body that could be seen from there, the sweat that flowed like a waterfall——sweat?

His Highness never says [N-No…thank you.] no matter how long it takes. Instead, he casually took a step forward and reached out to me.

And then, the next moment, he made a loud noise and fell to the floor with a thud.

Fell to the floor, wait, no this is wrong, he collapsed?!

“Your Highness! Are you the type to not show it on your face?!”

I hurriedly lend him my shoulder to help him stand. My arm that touched him is too hot, and I feel dizzy. He has a cold. He really has a cold. I wish he would have looked more like he had a cold from the beginning!

Carrying the tall man who is weak like me is difficult, but finally, I was able to move His Highness to the bed. Or rather, more accurately, we collapsed onto the bed together.

Phew, I did it. I even feel a sense of accomplishment as I tried to get out of the bed, but my stomach was held down by an arm, preventing me from moving.

“?!”

I was embraced from behind as if being pulled closer. My face is hot. Even though I desperately try to escape, my stomach is held down and I can’t move my legs.

This is bad. This is bad. This is bad!

At that moment, the emotions that I had been desperately trying to suppress exploded within me.

Ha, haaaaaaaaaaa! This is embarrassing!

I’m just his fiancé, so why am I taking care of him? This is the first time I’m entering the prince’s room. Taking care of the person you like, alone in their room, what kind of face am I supposed to have?”

I couldn’t understand the situation because it was too difficult, so I even tried to imitate the main character. I thought if I followed the scenario, it would work out. But even then, it’s amazing! Nothing is going according to the strategy book!

I was about to scream in embarrassment and my head was full. But suddenly, I was brought back to reality.

Hot breath was applied to my ears from behind.

I shivered with further embarrassment. I couldn’t speak and held my ears, and then turned around in confusion. And then I realized it was a mistake.

He turned me over on my back with a flowing movement, and sewed my wrists to the bed and covered me. I looked up at him from the bottom and saw something sparkling in his eyes like a hungry beast.

“Rebecca.”

My lips were blocked by his.

“Rebecca.”

Hot. His breath and eyes were, more than his body temperature, as if they were burning.

“Rebecca.”

He kissed me carefully on my cheek, eyelid, and forehead, while still covering me, and called me warmly again,

“Rebecca.”

And laughed.

The most beloved in this world. I wondered if that’s what he was saying.

Your Highness.

My reply disappeared into his mouth.

When I received the kiss that fell again clumsily, his hands were released from my wrists and instead I was tightly embraced. My whole body was wrapped in his scent and I felt dizzy.

His Highness supported the back of my head with one hand and kept kissing me repeatedly, closing all the gaps between me and him.

“Rebecca, you look lovely (cute).”

At that moment, my cheeks became hot and my heart beat loudly.

——What did he just say?

But when he parted his lips and something hot broke through my lips and entered my mouth——

“Chris Chris Chris, Christina, Christina————!”

My Phantom Beast that was sleeping in my pocket. Responding to its master’s call, it emitted light from all over its body.

His Highness groaned at the dazzlingly bright light and took advantage of the opportunity to roll off the bed and run away. I continued to run until I left the boys’ dormitory and reached my room in the girls’ dormitory.

I entered my room and closed the door. Christina was the only one who worried about me as I slumped down. My rough breathing and hot face wouldn’t calm down for a while.

***

Even though it was still early in the morning, the door of my room was being knocked on without any hesitation.

“Rebecca-sama, it’s Emilia. Please open the door.”

I’m sorry, but I can’t. I don’t want to open it, but I can’t. I don’t want to reply, but I can’t.

The only thing I can do is just hope that my brainy friend will come back before I talk about something with my muscle-brain) friend. (Alt: talked into something by her muscle-brain friend)

“I heard that you took care of His Highness yesterday. Actually, I caught a cold too. I came to have Rebecca-sama take care of me.”

Really, go home. Anyone who comes all the way here and only causes a commotion like this definitely doesn’t have a cold.

The true cold is much more terrifying.

“Hm…? Rebecca-sama, you’re not collapsed inside, right? I’m getting worried, I’ll go check it out.”

I heard a loud noise(crack) and a clattering sound while lying in bed. Emilia peeked her head out, took off her mask and thick coat with a smile,

“Once I saw Rebecca-sama’s face, my cold blew away. I’ll put healing magic on you and hold your hand all day, so please relax.”

She said that to me, who was coughing and hoarse, lying in bed.