Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 90

“G-going to go!”

I moved in a panic. But maybe Ehit thought I was about to slip on the floor, which was soaked with spilled water, because the arm around my waist tightened even more.

From that reaction, my nose bumped into him with a soft thump.

It didn’t really hurt. It just felt hot, embarrassing…… that was all.

Without realizing it, I sucked in a breath. A small hiccup slipped out of my tightly closed lips.

Because I froze like that, the distance between our faces stayed close.

It wasn’t just me—Ehit had stopped too, staring straight at me. Looking into his blue eyes, I couldn’t even blink.

For a brief moment, I couldn’t tell whether I had stopped, or time itself had.

“So anyway, I heard the meal officer Rael and the supply guy Pol are kind of a thing.”

“How’d they find out?”

“Someone saw them kissing right in front of the sink.”

“Who kisses out in the open by the sink like that?”

At the voices coming from around the corner, Ehit and I hurriedly jumped apart.

“Ahem.”

“H-hem!”

We both cleared our throats and quickly scattered in opposite directions.

“…….”

Without looking back, I grabbed my water container and marched straight toward the tent.

‘It’s hot……!’

Was it because the container was heavy, because the weather was hot, or because…….

“…….”

I bit my lip hard at the strange, ticklish feeling.

Still, if someone asked why my face was so red, at least I could blame the heavy water container.

But after walking a bit, Ehit—who had gone the other way—came walking toward me.

“Ehit?”

Before I could say anything, Ehit suddenly snatched the water container out of my hands.

Then, without a word, he strode toward the medical tent and set the container down in front of it.

After that, he walked off toward the other side with the same blank expression.

Watching him leave, my face grew even redder than it had been by the sink, and my heart felt completely flustered.

 

 

*****

 

 

 

“There’s something I’m curious about, Healer.”

Ridel spoke while I was treating her arm, which had a wound—well, more than just a scratch.

Over the past few days, as I got to know Ridel better, I realized she was very curious.

Unlike her charismatic

in the fleet, she became completely girlish when having personal conversations.

“Yes, Admiral.”

“When are you planning to marry Colonel Kloiden?”

I almost spat out water I wasn’t even drinking. Ridel blinked in surprise at my overreaction.

Without realizing it, I even remembered what had happened by the sink earlier, which made me even more flustered.

“I’m sorry. Have I upset you by asking things like this all the time?”

“No, of course not. Me being upset with you, Admiral?”

I waved my hands and continued the treatment.

“It’s not that I’m upset, it’s just… kind of embarrassing. I haven’t really thought that far ahead about marriage.”

Not “not yet”—more like “not at all.”

Seeing that I was uncomfortable, Ridel quickly changed the subject. It soon shifted to the color of the water in the northern strait.

“I think the color of the northern water is much deeper!”

“Right? It feels different from the south.”

“So you noticed too, Healer. Compared to the southern water, it’s kind of… um…….”

“It’s like a color where turtles would crawl around, compared to the south.”

At my harmless comment, Ridel burst out laughing.

“Right? You get what I mean?!”

“Of course. I can picture it.”

“Exactly! A lot of people don’t understand when I say it like that. As expected of you.”

“Yes. I get it right away.”

After laughing for a while, Ridel spoke to me with a bright expression.

“Healer, I think we must have been enemies in our past lives!”

“……?”

Did I say something wrong?

“They say enemies from a past life meet again as family or friends in the next one!”

“Uh…… that’s a good thing, right?”

“It is!”

Only then did I hurriedly laugh and clap along.

“I’m really glad I gained a friend like you, Healer.”

Ridel smiled brightly with a sunlike smile that suited her perfectly.

Even in the harsh life of the north, it felt like a smile that would comfort many people.

 

 

 

****

 

 

A few days passed.

“……Ugh.”

At sea, the sun sank past the horizon in an instant. Today too, it was already setting red.

I had been leaning against the railing post for a moment before straightening myself again.

‘Let’s move again…….’

Coming to the northern subjugation, I had many thoughts and feelings. One of them was finally understanding why the pay was five times higher.

I remembered Oliver asking over and over if I was really sure about coming, saying it wasn’t something to take lightly.

He hadn’t asked for no reason…….

With nonstop battles and a workload that was basically 24-hour shifts.

Honestly, if I hadn’t been healthy, it would’ve been really hard.

‘So for someone who isn’t healthy, this must be even harder.’

Once again, Ehit seemed amazing to me.

Of course, he’s a soldier, so his basic stamina is better than mine, but still—just maintaining his usual self while having an illness must be exhausting.

That was why, while staying here, I ended up looking for Ehit even more than before.

‘I should at least treat his injuries right away.’

After finishing some extra work, I went to his tent at the ground base in the darkening night.

Standing in front of the tent, I knocked.

“Ehit.”

He had gotten a fairly serious injury again yesterday.

It wasn’t something that could be treated in one go, but since he had to keep going into battle, I needed to treat him whenever I got the chance.

The door opened. Ehit looked down at me, his hair still wet as if he’d just washed.

“Can I come in?”

“When have you ever not come in just because I said no?”

“You’ve never said no.”

“Well?”

“……Have you?”

I hesitated for a moment, then lightly pushed Ehit, who was standing there like a wall.

He moved easily, and once inside his tent, I spread the medical kit out on the table.

“Did you use it? The portable holy-power paper I gave you last time.”

“I didn’t.”

“I told you to use it. It’s really rare—why won’t you?”

“I’ll use it when I want to.”

“Then give it back if you won’t.”

“Are you taking back something you already gave?”

I shot him a look and started treatment. When I pulled his shirt down slightly, I saw a red cut on his shoulder, surrounded by bruising.

The wound was deep enough that my brows furrowed without me realizing.

I placed my hand on the wound, which was still seeping blood. A low, slightly rough breath reached my ears.

“Bear with it even if it hurts.”

“Are you treating me painfully on purpose?”

“Want me to show you what really painful treatment is?!”

A laugh slipped out between Ehit’s rough breaths, though he still looked like he was holding the pain back.

“You knew you’d get hurt like this. So why did you jump into a place like that? Your body isn’t made of iron.”

Without meaning to, my voice carried a hint of resentment.

It was a wound he’d gotten while saving the youngest soldier in the fleet yesterday.

“If I hadn’t stepped in, he would have died. But I wouldn’t.”

“Yes. You came back hurt just enough not to die.”

“And I always have the most capable healer treating me, don’t I?”

Ehit glanced back. Annoyed by his tone, I pushed his head back into place.

“Thanks to that, I’m working five times harder than back in Bellachen. If you keep getting hurt this recklessly, should I just go back?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of answer is that? I’m serious! I can’t treat someone who doesn’t value their life!”

At my sharp words, Ehit smiled faintly and replied.

“I don’t think anyone cares less about their own life than you do, Dapflen.”

“I do care about my life.”

“For someone who says that, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? You collapsed yesterday. If that keeps up, you’ll collapse even faster…….”

Ehit stopped speaking and let out a breath instead.

He wasn’t wrong. Maybe because I’d used too much holy power, I’d gotten dizzy and collapsed yesterday.

I woke up quickly, but until I got some nutrition, I was pretty weak.

“Even if it looks pathetic, I can’t help it. That’s just who I am.”

As if to block any more scolding, I said that and focused harder on treating him.

All the while, Ehit just silently stared at me.

“……What.”

I finally asked, dragging the word out. When I glanced at him, Ehit twitched his fingers as if choosing his words.

“You don’t look pathetic.”

“What?”

“You don’t look pathetic. Not at all.”

Ehit grabbed the hand I’d just pulled away. The rough feel of his hand pressed against my fingers.

I touch people constantly while treating them, but holding hands like this feels different.

Trying not to sound nervous, I spoke in a more playful tone.

“Do you want your hand treated too?”

“Yes.”

“But your hand isn’t hurt.”

“It is.”

He lies like this without even blinking.

Just in case, I asked where and examined his hand, but Ehit lightly caught my fingers with his other hand.

“Here.”

He pointed to an empty palm. When I frowned, he dragged my finger over to the back of his hand.

“Here.”

“Ah, seriously.”

When I was about to say something rude, Ehit let go.

“So your hand really isn’t hurt, right?”

“It’s perfectly fine.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

My expression crumpled. Whether he found it amusing or had something to say, Ehit kept looking at me.

In the candlelight softly lighting the room, a gentle smile flickered across his face.