The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health Chapter 183

I had a very deep dream.

I dreamed of Shione Mom smiling at me in a place filled with brilliant light, and I also dreamed of a grand funeral being held after I died in my previous life.

That’s strange.
I think Mom was crying.

Seeing her stare blankly at nothing but my memorial portrait felt unfamiliar and strange, so I just thought, I must be having another weird dream.

I think I vaguely saw Dad stroking my head with a grave expression as I drifted in and out of sleep, but……

When I opened my eyes, it was already morning, bright sunlight pouring in.

“Just this once.”

What on earth did Cheyen do to me?

All I could do was guess while looking at my status window.

[!WARNING! The body is collapsing]

[Current progress: 82% (Blessings applied)]

[Currently applied blessings:

– Authority of Slumbering Sloth
– Authority of ??? (Temporary)]

「I’ll be back」

Mehen let out a hollow laugh when he saw the note placed atop his office desk.

“That bastard again……”

Just when things seemed to have quieted down, is he pulling this kind of nonsense again?

He crumpled the note, then—feeling uneasy—unfolded it again. His brow creased.

He knew Valer’s last destination had been the Mage Tower. It was somewhere he’d said he was going anyway, so Mehen hadn’t paid much attention to it.

“Did something happen?”

Of all times, this—when Arellin had collapsed and was barely hanging on.

“At least he could’ve said something before leaving.”

Well, at least he hadn’t vanished without a word. That alone was grounds for leniency.

That bastard Valer… just when I thought he’d finally stabilized……

It felt as though the brief peace they’d had was nothing more than an illusion, and with everything suddenly starting to go awry, Mehen felt restless.

“Ha……”

Running a hand through his hair, Mehen decided he should at least check on Arellin’s condition before starting work and stepped out of his office.

“Lord Mehen!”

“What is it, Dylan?”

Dylan came running over in a panic to deliver the news.

“The young lady has woken up!”

 

 

****

 

 

The dining room of the Halbern estate.

The unusually quiet room was filled only with the occasional clink of tableware.

Mehen, the maids of the childcare staff, and even the butler all stood around, watching a single child eat, their eyes full of confusion.

“Are you really all right?”

“Just seeing her eat so well… I don’t know what it is, but it almost seems like a good sign……”

“What in the world happened?”

How many days had it been?

Those who had been worrying endlessly over the frail, sickly Arellin found the sight of her suddenly getting up perfectly fine overnight to be utterly baffling.

What’s more, Arellin looked even more energetic than usual.

“Could it be thanks to the ‘Ancient Holy Water’ Regent Duke Ludwig sent?”

The Ancient Holy Water Ludwig had sent—after disappearing, saying something urgent had come up upon reading the Mage Tower’s report on Arellin’s condition that Mehen had shared.

Holy water said to remove all harmful effects from the body.

Halbern had been thrown into an uproar upon seeing it.

By principle, it wasn’t something that could ever be taken outside the Phytal Imperial Family. How on earth had he managed to send it?

Faced with the appearance of a national treasure they didn’t even dare use, Mehen had frozen—until the communication crystal lit up.

– Give it to her, and let me know what happens.

Ludwig said he’d been caught by the Southern Empire’s emperor and wouldn’t be able to return for a while, and that he’d look for a way to cure Arellin’s illness from there.

– Uncle! You’re emptying out the nation and stuffing it straight into Halbern’s mouth! What on earth are you doing?!
– I’m merely exercising my rightful authority. What’s the problem?
– The national treasury is leaking dry, and that’s what you say?! If this is how it’s going to be, you might as well take up the regency again!
– Why would I?

There seemed to be a reason Ludwig was still called the Regent Duke even after stepping down from the regency.

Listening to his conversation with the Southern Empire’s emperor, Mehen had been left speechless and tried to send the Ancient Holy Water back—but the Regent Duke’s will was firm.

– I’ll take responsibility. Just give it to her.

He then added that he’d likely need to stay there for a while to “take responsibility” and “handle the aftermath,” and ended the call with a casual see you later.

“Honestly, every last one of them……”

Living life without a care. Makes you jealous to death.

Mehen thought that being able to live like that was a kind of talent in itself.

And if Arellin waking up was thanks to it, then it was something to be grateful for, but……

“Hmm? Wut’d you say?”

Arellin looked up, cheeks puffed as she chewed.

She’d been eating porridge since she hadn’t been able to eat properly for days, and seeing her eat so diligently made a smile spread across Mehen’s face without him realizing it.

“It’s nothing. Please enjoy your meal.”

“Okay.”

While eating, Arellin glanced around.

“But where are the knight uncles?”

“Oh, Jaren took them all back to the Northern Fortress this morning.”

“……?”

Recalling how the Saren Knight Order had departed for the Northern Fortress at dawn after receiving the Grand Duke of Halbern’s return order, Mehen smiled.

In the meantime, Arellin finished her bowl cleanly and stood up from her seat. Yuni hurriedly followed after her.

“Are you really all right?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“That’s what all the medical staff said too, but……”

Everyone still seemed dazed by the fact that Arellin, who had been on the brink of death just yesterday, was suddenly up and about.

Arellin didn’t bother telling them that her health had only improved temporarily.

She simply looked up at the sky outside—exceptionally beautiful today—and said,

“I want to go for a walk.”

“……?”

It was something no one would have ever imagined the previous Arellin saying.

 

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

Maybe it was because I’d been seriously ill and then gotten back up—but the scenery I’d always passed by without a thought looked strangely different.

“Was our garden always this pretty?”

The sunlight feels especially dazzling today.

“Isn’t she still sick?”
“Have you ever seen her look that happy just walking around?”
“I really think she’s still unwell……”

I could hear the childcare staff murmuring in confusion, but honestly, I found myself unfamiliar too, so I let it be.

“Ah, I want to play.”

At my mutter, Aether—who’d been hiding while pretending to be a button—immediately transformed into a violin. Still, for some reason, today I felt like playing the violin Dad gave me as a gift.

“What should I play?”

Uuuung—

Ignoring Aether, who trembled as if betrayed, I practiced my scales for a bit before falling into thought.

Assigned pieces, practice etudes, recital repertoire—I’d always just played those over and over. Choosing a piece on a whim and playing it felt refreshingly different.

Moments like this really made it feel like I’d been reborn.

“Mm. Nice.”

Today, I’ll try a piece I’ve only ever listened to, never actually played.

A famous OST from an even more famous animation—Merry-Go-Round of Life.

Smooth bowing flowed from détaché into legato, spinning a beautiful melody.

A single-line tune—the singing voice of the violin echoed through the garden.

Piii—

As if it liked my playing, the bluebird On flew around me, then perched atop the violin once the performance ended.

“Do you like music too?”

Pii!

“That’s interesting. Is it because you’re a divine beast?”

I was feeling awkward as On clamped its beak around the bow, clearly asking for more music, when—

I met the eyes of another guest who’d been waiting for my performance to end.

“Chloe!”

“Hi, Arellin.”

Behind Chloe, Ern smiled awkwardly.

“A friend came to visit confirmed you were ill, so I brought her……”

It must’ve looked dangerous to leave me alone, judging by how readily they’d allowed an outsider to visit.

“Welcome, Chloe.”

 

 

*****

 

 

 

“I heard you were really sick. Are you okay now?”

Chloe carefully examined Arellin, who sat across from her.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You do look fine, but……”

Since she’d missed gatherings for nearly a week, all the children had been worried about Arellin.

Arellin, calmly drinking her milk, looked perfectly healthy—but seeing the maid and butler nearby watching her every move, Chloe realized just how ill she must have been.

Such overprotection.

“I really enjoyed your performance.”

“Really? Thanks.”

Arellin smiled brightly.

For someone who’d just delivered such an incredible performance, her response was surprisingly plain. Chloe had only ever heard that piece through a music box—hearing it live was completely different.

Should I learn an instrument too?

For nobles, having at least one instrument as a hobby was basic cultivation, but Chloe had never been particularly interested.

Lately, instrumental performance had suddenly become popular in the Mage Tower as well, and Chloe thought she might try it herself when she returned.

“By the way, Chloe, isn’t today a study day at the Mage Tower?”

At Arellin’s words, Chloe smiled awkwardly.

The truth was, the reason Chloe had come all the way to the Halbern estate today was because of the relentless urging of the star-ranked mages—everyone except her master.

This kind-hearted girl simply couldn’t refuse their plea to please go and check on Arellin’s condition.

“What’s the inside of the Mage Tower like? Outsiders aren’t allowed in, so I’ve always been curious.”

“It’s surprisingly ordinary. There’s just spatial distortion magic layered over it.”

“Really?”

Then, suddenly, Chloe asked,

“Do you want to go sometime?”

As if she’d been waiting for those words, Arellin grabbed Chloe’s hand.

“Let’s go right now.”