Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? – Chapter 18

Author: Asternkm

It wasn’t exactly wrong. After all, this was the first time I was properly facing another person since discovering the serious problem with my hair.

I had seen Ehit yesterday, but I could count that as not really being in my right mind.

“You did your hair differently. You don’t usually tie it half-up like this.”

“Does it look weird?”

“No, it suits you.”

“Then that’s fine.”

I slid one of the breads I’d bought toward Dellers, and he took it right away as if he’d been waiting for it.

Dellers and I would sometimes buy things like this and share them back and forth. This time, it was my turn to pay him back.

“Why are you here, Dellers? Going to the medical center?”

“I’ve got something to pick up. I’ll be around here all day for work.”

“Mm, okay.”

“What’s with that face? Aren’t you supposed to be the happiest person right now?”

I accepted his teasing question with a forced, painful smile.

If even my closest friend in Bellachen was asking that, it meant there wasn’t a single person here who could truly understand my suffering.

On the way to the medical center, Dellers—who had no idea what was going on inside me—kept throwing playful jokes my way.

Normally I would have laughed, but instead I just replied with things like, “Be quiet,” as we walked.

Then, the moment we arrived in front of the medical center, I froze in surprise.

Under the sunlit wall of the medical center, in the dappled shade where light filtered through leaves, a man in a black naval uniform was standing.

‘No, why… here…?’

He lifted his head.

While I was still frozen, Ehit spoke to Dellers first.

“Major, what brings you here?”

“I came to discuss the supply of goods from the medical center to our infirmary.”

“Wasn’t that something the infirmary handled on its own?”

“The infirmary asked me to accompany them. The person in charge there changed recently, didn’t they? At first, it’s easier to talk when you come with someone you have connections with.”

Dellers smiled lightly and bowed as if to excuse himself. Then he added, pointing at me,

“So you came to see Dapflen, Colonel.”

“No, I just came to get treatment.”

“I see.”

Dellers waved at me and went inside the medical center first. I tried to grab his sleeve in a hurry, but it was already too late.

This was the first time I’d seen Ehit since sending him away like that yesterday. I wanted to delay being alone with him as much as possible!

Ehit, who had been leaning against the wall, stepped forward as if to block my path.

“Ah, hello. It’s a nice morning.”

Standing in the sunlight, he somehow looked even bigger than last night. Maybe it was the light, but the shadows on his face seemed deeper too.

“Um… what brings you here?”

“I came to get treatment. What else would it be?”

It was such an obvious answer that I couldn’t even argue.

But if he really came just for treatment, he could’ve gone to any other healer. There was no need to wait for me right in front like this.

‘Dapflen, you know it!’

‘Have a good time with Colonel Cloyden!’

But then I saw them—people from the medical center staring at us with obvious interest, silently mouthing words in our direction—and suddenly the situation made sense.

“Yes, let’s go inside for now.”

Rather than standing here under all those stares, it might be better to face Ehit one-on-one inside the examination room.

Once inside, I shot a sharp look at the staff and slammed the door shut.

****

Ehit, who had entered first, was calmly looking around the examination room. With him standing there, it almost felt like this was a luxury hotel lobby instead of a clinic.

While he looked around, I sat down and glanced at the mirror. I adjusted the angle slightly so I could always check the side of my head.

Okay, safe.

“You got home safely last night?”

“Yes, Lady Aileta.”

The way he addressed me felt noticeably more distant.

With his arms crossed, he examined me from head to toe. Just as his sharp gaze started making me nervous, Ehit lifted one of my arms.

“Here.”

“Ow.”

“You didn’t notice?”

There was a deep bruise on my left upper arm. The spot I’d hit when rushing into my house last night had turned out like this.

“It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure it’s really nothing?”

“I’m a healer, you know. What about you—what hurts, that you came here?”

Instead of answering, Ehit held out his right hand. Just like the first time he came to the medical center.

That “figure it out yourself” attitude made me put a hand on my hip and shrug.

“Tell me your symptoms directly. Don’t try to train people.”

“Don’t you always emphasize that you’re a healer?”

Honestly. What does that have to do with this?

I grabbed Ehit’s right wrist firmly and, without even looking at it, said while staring straight into his eyes,

“You look completely drained. Like you haven’t been sleeping well. You seem… pretty unwell.”

“Oh?”

“How many hours of sleep do you get?”

“I get enough.”

For someone with brilliant tactical ability, he also seemed extremely skilled at irritating people.

Yes, that expression.

That completely unbothered, my-way-only look!

He probably didn’t mean it, but there was something about him that pulled people in.

But… wait.

As I studied his face, I noticed something and called out in alarm.

“Wait, Ehit! What’s wrong with your face?”

“What about it?”

The area under his eyes was dark. Like someone who hadn’t slept at all, or someone whose exhaustion and worries had piled up there.

‘This is…’

It was a sign that his body wasn’t doing well.

And it reminded me of something I’d almost forgotten.

That in the novel, Ehit was terminally ill.

‘I heard the side effects of precognition show up… no way.’

His final scene had been him saying he was going to die soon anyway, then taking a blade meant for the heroine.

As if he’d noticed the worry in my gaze, Ehit turned his head away, looking dismissive.

“Wait. Look.”

I turned his head back and examined his face again. He didn’t even resist, just stood there with his arms crossed, as if it wasn’t worth the effort.

While I examined him, Ehit stared straight at me. His blue eyes looked deep in thought—or maybe he was simply watching what was in front of him.

Either way, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Feeling oddly uncomfortable under his gaze, I cleared my throat and leaned back.

“You need rest. Rest is the answer here.”

“And you?”

“Me? What about me?”

“Don’t you think this is a waste of your time?”

When I looked at him as if asking what he meant, Ehit spoke in a probing, meaningful tone.

“You don’t have much time left, do you?”

His eyes sharpened, as if pressing me for an answer.

“Do you know what I mean?”

“No, not at all. What are you talking about?”

“Well.”

I answered calmly on the outside, but cold sweat seemed to trickle down my back.

Does he… know something?

I slowly withdrew my hand from under his darkened eyes.

‘No. If he’s talking like that, he doesn’t actually know anything for sure yet.’

Nothing decisive had happened yet, either.

It was true my brothers had used the Cloyden name a few times, but no repayment demand had officially gone to Cloyden, and nothing worse had happened yet.

Besides, Ehit was good at probing and leading interrogations. I’d already experienced that once at Salon Ohastein.

I’d gotten flustered and caught in his test back then, so this time I decided to play dumb and shameless.

“Don’t say strange things. Anyway, your face is screaming for rest. If this gets worse, it won’t fade easily. Health works like that… so rest now, before you regret it later.”

“You seem to know a lot.”

“Of course. I’m a healer.”

My gaze lingered again on the dark shadows under Ehit’s eyes.

After a brief pause, I asked casually, as if testing the waters,

“Does it hurt?”

No matter how skilled the healer, the person themselves knows their symptoms best. And if he really was terminally ill, there was no way he wouldn’t know.

I didn’t know when he’d been diagnosed in the original story. Maybe not yet.

Which meant… I might be the one to diagnose him.

“Give me your hand again.”

“What are you doing today?”

“Huh? I said give me your hand.”

As I reached for him again, Ehit pulled his arm back sharply. My hands grasped at empty air.

“……”

The fact that he moved so calmly somehow irritated me even more.

Ignoring my openly dissatisfied look, Ehit asked,

“Do you have plans today?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Am I not allowed to be curious? According to documents and public records, we are engaged, after all.”

There he went again, questioning me under the excuse of being my fiancé.

Watching him, I could really feel how important reputation and public image were to a family like the ducal house.

The things he asked weren’t about me personally—they felt more like he was assessing the public risk of someone who would become Cloyden’s in-law.

No wonder the ducal house had lost so much face in the original story when the fiancée’s family caused trouble.

“So you do think of me as your fiancée.”

“Answer the question first.”

“I’m going home to rest after work.”

That wasn’t true. I was planning to go back to Regen.

I needed to hear directly why Elzers had borrowed such a huge sum, and why he’d used the Cloyden name. I couldn’t understand why someone so timid would do something like that.

Paying off the money he’d borrowed was also necessary—and if it came down to it, as much as I hated it, I might even have to lend him my own money.

“Straight home?”

“Yes. Straight home.”

“What time?”

“Around seven… Why do you ask?”

“Rest properly.”

With that, Ehit stood up as if everything he needed was done.

“Wait. At least get a prescription. Something good for fatigue—”

“I don’t need it.”

“…At least the medicine…”

Bang. The door shut.

Truly an unreadable and annoying man.