Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 53

“Good morning!”

“Good morning, miss! The weather is lovely.”

No matter who I ran into in the hallway, I greeted them cheerfully.

Sleeping and eating in a good place seemed to make fatigue build up less.

‘When my body feels comfortable, my mind somehow feels brighter and more relaxed too.’

And besides, for what comes later, it seemed best to leave as good an impression here as possible.

That way, if something did happen, I’d get scolded a little less.

“Yeah. The weather’s really nice—should we open the hallway windows too? Ugh, cough, cough, khk.”

“Eek, miss!! Are you okay? I’ll open them! Please don’t do it yourself!”

“I-it’s just pollen, khk, cough.”

Thanks to that, the servants of the estate also seemed to think of me fairly kindly.

“Miss Dapflen! Please try this too. It’s the new health bread from Toad Bakery.”

“This is a special health pill that helps restore energy!”

Even though I hadn’t asked, they went out of their way to bring me desserts, healthy drinks, and things like that, so day by day, I was getting healthier and healthier.

‘As expected of an estate with Ehit in it—the servants must also care a lot about sharing good health.’

And as for Ehit…….

“Ah, Ehit, good morni— are you very tired?”

Unlike me, who was getting healthier by the day, the dark circles under Ehit’s eyes somehow seemed to be getting deeper.

“Did you not sleep well?”

“No, not at all. There’s no reason for that.”

But his condition really did seem to be getting worse little by little.

Knowing that he was terminally ill, I couldn’t help but worry.

Last night too, thinking he might need treatment, I’d gone to Ehit’s room.

‘That’s enough.’

‘I don’t think your face is okay.’

‘What’s wrong with my face?’

‘It’s serious.’

I’d persuaded Ehit and at least given him a vitality-restoring treatment. For a whole hour, I’d stayed right by his side and treated only him.

And yet today, he looked like someone who’d barely slept at all.

‘If it’s not lack of sleep like he says… then if fatigue is building up for no reason, is it because of his foresight ability after all?’

I was only human—I couldn’t not worry. It’s not like I wanted him to die early.

“I’m busy. If you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll be on my way.”

But somehow, Ehit seemed to treat me even more coldly than he did from the outside.

‘On the first day, he told me to tell him everything that was hard.’

That very night, he’d given off the impression that it was okay to be a bit warmer.

But once I actually started living here, it wasn’t like that. Every time we crossed paths, Ehit would just pass by with a face that showed no interest in anything about me.

From my perspective, logically speaking, that was a good thing. It felt a little strange emotionally, but in the end, it meant I could more freely do what I needed to do.

Earn money, and look for my brothers.

If there was one gain, it was that I finally got a reply from my third brother, Adlen, whom I hadn’t been able to contact at all until now.

‘If you have something to say, send a telegram.’

It was just one short line, but at least I’d confirmed that Adlen’s post hadn’t changed, so I could make time to go see him.

Over the past few days, I’d also gone to the library several times.

Partly because I liked the calm atmosphere unique to places full of books—but I couldn’t deny that I was also curious whether Ehit might be there.

It’s strange. Even while thinking I should avoid Ehit, I still wondered whether his body was okay, whether he was working without resting.

This contradictory feeling was definitely because of my job as a healer.

You can’t just ignore someone who’s sick. It’s professional ethics!

‘He’s not here again.’

The spot where Ehit had been sleeping when I first came to the Cloyden estate was empty.

I sat down on the floor and leaned against that spot. The sunlight streaming in was warm—perfect for falling asleep.

If it were me, I would’ve brought a pillow here long ago, but Ehit hadn’t. That was impressive in its own way.

‘I feel like I’m going to fall asleep…….’

As I thought that with my eyes closed, someone poked my side.

“…?!”

A small kid—Ehit’s younger sibling, Jaiman—was peeking over at me.

When I let out a little yelp, Jaiman poked my side once more.

“Lady Duchess?”

He was a tiny kid, but also a duke’s daughter. When I spoke politely, Jaiman tilted their head to the side.

Big eyes stared straight at me. Blink, blink. Eyes that looked like Ehit’s, yet didn’t, filled with curiosity.

“I know you, auntie.”

Jaiman said, opening their small mouth wide.

Even after Naya left the estate, Jaiman seemed to have stayed here, but since the estate was so big, this was the first time we’d run into each other in days.

“I’m not your aunt. Just… an older sister, maybe?”

Was that shameless to say to a kid about twenty years younger?

Still, Ehit would be an older brother, not an uncle, so it worked out.

“Then, sister!”

“Yes. I’m your sister.”

“Are you going to marry my brother?”

“Huh?”

A completely dumb reply slipped out of my mouth.

The child who had said such an old-fashioned word like “marry” stared at me with even more sparkling eyes.

“No?”

“……Yes.”

For a little kid, it was probably better to say yes.

‘No, not because they’re a kid. I should act as favorably as possible toward people of Cloyden.’

Of course, up until now, I hadn’t been especially friendly to Ehit or Naya……

But there was no reason to increase unnecessary wariness.

‘At least with Jaymon, I’ll be as friendly as possible!’

While I was solemnly thinking about how to deal with this young lady, Jaiman suddenly raised both arms out to the sides.

“I like you!”

“Whoa—Lady Duchess?!”

Jaiman suddenly started climbing up the bookshelf.

“…?”

The tiny kid scurried up as if their hands had hooks, reaching the very top in no time.

“I can see it!”

I had no idea what Jaiman was seeing. I could only stare at the strange sight they were creating.

“Sister!”

And at the end of that strange scene, Jaiman dropped straight toward me.

“Aaah!”

I hurriedly caught Jaiman in my arms.

What was that? What just happened?

“What are you doing?!”

“Sister! A sprout came out!”

“A sprout?”

What sprout? Do they grow plants in the library? An interior design with greenery… is that it?

“A sprout!”

“Where?”

Jaiman jumped out of my arms, and I crouched down to match their eye level.

Where is this sprout? Where did it come from? Is it a weed? Guess it’s got strong vitality.

While I was searching seriously, Jaiman poked the back of my head.

“Sprout!”

“…?”

Here. The place Jaiman poked.

Just by sensation alone, I knew exactly where it was. It was a spot I’d touched thousands of times already.

‘…Wow.’

I raised my hand and touched the back of my head.

Something thin but rough was growing out of a spot that had been smoothly empty.

“This really is… a sprout…….”

“A sprout, right?”

“…Yes.”

At last, the hair I’d lost had started to grow back.

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

Why, exactly?

‘Why does he keep coming to mind?’

Ehit pressed his aching temples.

It was getting to the point of interfering with his daily life. There was definitely something about Dapflen.

Sometimes, Dapflen would come to Ehit’s room and insist on giving him treatment. She didn’t seem to have even the slightest thought of being cautious around him.

She would suddenly show up in comfortable sleepwear, ask, “How are you today?” and freely touch his face with her fingertips.

Of course he knew it was for treatment. Still, the afterimage of where she touched lingered and tormented him all night.

After that, he could never fall asleep. He hadn’t been a deep sleeper to begin with, but spending the night awake in strange turmoil meant greeting the morning with tired eyes was inevitable.

It was enough to make him suspect that she might be doing something to him with holy power, disguised as treatment.

‘I could just tell her firmly not to come.’

Yes. That was all it would take. Dapflen was stubborn, but she didn’t seem like the type to force unwanted kindness on someone.

And yet, why hadn’t he done that over the past few days?

Not being able to understand himself—this was an extremely unfamiliar sensation for him.

“…Ha.”

Letting out an irritated sigh, Ehit closed his eyes. He tried to erase the lingering sensations left on his cheeks as he drifted into sleep.

The next morning, after he finally managed to fall asleep.

As Ehit headed toward the dining room, voices from the lower-floor hallway reached him.

“Ugh, cough, cough, ugh.”

“Miss, are you okay?”

“It’s pollen, cough, cough.”

The moment he heard Dapflen’s voice, Ehit’s steps quickened.

She was coughing like she might collapse at any moment! He had to go check on her—.

But just before turning the corner by the stairs, Ehit stopped.

‘Why am I hurrying like this?’

What was he even going to do? Just watch Dapflen coughing?

Or feel it all over again—ah, this woman really doesn’t have long to live?

Ehit’s feet passed right by the floor where Dapflen was.

“Young master, good morning. Where are you headed?”

“Mind your business.”

With annoyance thick in his steps, he wandered through various parts of the estate.

It had been only a few days since Dapflen started living here.

Wherever a person passes through, their traces inevitably remain.

And the fact that Dapflen’s traces were already piling up in this estate after just a few days strangely irritated Ehit.