Mellian Hernia. The face of Duke Bern’s daughter was as pale as someone who hadn’t seen sunlight in a long time. Her eyes were sharp like a cat’s, and her delicate features were harmoniously arranged on her small face, making her strikingly beautiful at first glance.
However, that beautiful face showed no expression, and no sign of vitality could be felt from it.
“I haven’t heard anything about this, so how are they my guests?”
“Mellian.”
Mellian let out a deep sigh and closed the book she was reading. She, who had kept her gaze fixed only on the book since people entered, slowly raised her head.
“Who are you? You see me yet don’t even offer an introduction?”
Mellian snapped as she alternately looked at Naro and Ray. Perhaps sensing the sharp attitude, Ray’s brow furrowed slightly. Naro, who had been continuously watching Ray, quickly stepped forward.
“Hello, Princess. I’m Naro, and I run an herbal medicine shop in Rodelus Village.”
“Rodelus Village? Was there even such a place in the Empire? Seeing as I don’t know of it, it must be some insignificant countryside village—why would someone from there come to see me?”
“Mellian, that’s rude to say to our guests.”
Bern intervened, but Mellian didn’t hide her displeasure. However, Naro wasn’t particularly fazed.
“Yes, it is an extremely small countryside village. But all the people there have kind and warm hearts. Even if it’s a small village…”
“I don’t need to know about that. Enough, just tell me why you came to see me. Well, if Father brought you, it’s obvious anyway.”
When Mellian cut off Naro’s words, Ray’s face crumpled a bit more. At that moment, a comforting warmth enveloped his hand as if to soothe him. Naro had gently grasped Ray’s hand.
“……”
When Ray looked at Naro, Naro smiled slightly as if to say it was okay and Ray didn’t need to intervene.
“Yes, I came here at Duke Hernia’s request, and I was asked to examine the Princess’s physical condition.”
“As I thought.”
Mellian picked up her book again as if there was nothing more worth hearing.
“How many more times does Father have to replace people before he’ll be satisfied? I told you I was done with herbalists.”
Bern’s heavy sigh reached Naro’s ears. The term “herbalist” was also, in a way, not much different from calling Naro something lesser.
“Um, Princess. I heard that the herbal tea you drank last time had some effect. Those were herbs I personally blended.”
“That was just a coincidence. Who knows if my physical condition was going to improve anyway at that time? Don’t make hasty conclusions unless you’re certain it was definitely because of those herbs.”
“Then all the more reason we should find out whether the herbs were the cause or not, shouldn’t we?”
“Get out. I won’t say it twice.”
“But Princess, if it shows even a little effect…”
“I said get out!”
That’s when it happened. Mellian suddenly closed her book and threw a small cushion sitting beside her at Naro. It happened so suddenly that no one had a chance to stop it.
Naro squeezed his eyes shut as he watched the heavy cushion flying toward him. But he felt no pain. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Ray’s arm. He had precisely caught the cushion Mellian threw before it could reach Naro.
“You…”
Ray’s eyes flashed ominously. At the killing intent rippling in his deep green eyes, Mellian instinctively flinched and trembled.
“Ray, I’m okay. Yeah, thank you for blocking it.”
Naro urgently grabbed Ray’s arm.
“Mellian! What on earth do you think you’re doing! To people who came all this way for your sake!”
Bern rarely raised his voice.
“When did I ever ask you to call people like them? You act according to your own greed, then why do you scold me!”
Hayla approached the fuming Princess and patted her shoulder, telling her to calm down. Mellian coughed repeatedly from the aftermath of shouting.
Bern, thinking this couldn’t continue, left the room with Naro and Ray.
“I’m truly ashamed before you both. You’ve only seen an unseemly display.”
“Not at all. We’re fine, so you don’t need to say that.”
Naro waved his hand saying it was okay, but Ray still had his arms crossed with a sullen expression.
“She’s become increasingly sensitive as she’s been dealing with constant illness. Since she can’t freely do outdoor activities, she must feel even more frustrated. At some point, she went into that room and barely comes out anymore.”
Naro wanted to comfort Bern somehow. But it seemed like no matter what he said now, it wouldn’t be able to dissolve the lump lodged in his heart.
“It wouldn’t make sense to ask you to take care of my daughter after making you go through something like this. So feel free to refuse.”
“No. I’ll do it.”
Naro answered without a moment’s hesitation.
The Duke was quite surprised, as he couldn’t respond immediately. With his eyes wide open, he slowly spoke.
“Is that really true?”
“Yes.”
Naro nodded. In truth, he didn’t have the confidence that he could do well. He wasn’t accepting this task because he was confident he could cure the Princess.
The request from someone with the status of Duke was still burdensome, and he was confused at being entrusted with an unexpected task. Moreover, the target—the Princess—had considerable wariness, so honestly, he couldn’t guarantee whether he could achieve what was desired, but still, he wanted to accept it.
“Thank you. In fact, I thought you would naturally refuse.”
Of course she had shown aggressive behavior, and Naro had almost been hit by a cushion.
Bern hadn’t commanded Naro as a Duke, but had requested it. If he had forced it like giving an order by using his status, Naro might have had no choice but to take on this task. But even with that tremendous power, the reason Bern didn’t use such a convenient method was probably because of his desperation as a father.
“I want to help the Princess as well.”
“I’m relieved you say that.”
Bern grasped both of Naro’s hands and nodded.
Having roughly finished their conversation, Naro and Ray left the ducal residence. There wasn’t really anything they could do today. The first meeting with the Princess had been nearly the worst, and for Naro to blend herbs and make medicine, he needed to know her condition in more detail.
For that, conversation with Mellian was essential. No matter how much of a father he was, Bern couldn’t know every detail of his daughter’s physical condition. In any case, since meeting with the Princess was important, Naro had no choice but to arrange the next appointment.
“Ray, why do you look like that?”
What caught Naro’s eye as he boarded the carriage leaving the ducal residence was none other than Ray’s sullen face. Originally, Ray had a rather cool impression, so sometimes when he was expressionless, Naro would wonder if his mood wasn’t very good, but Naro knew well.
When Ray was really in a bad mood, the angle of his eyebrows changed subtly. The crossed arms were a bonus.
“I don’t like that female human. I don’t approve of her.”
Naro laughed awkwardly. Actually, he had vaguely expected Ray to say that.
“She got angry at Naro even though you did nothing wrong. She threw things too. The bad personalities of humans are truly diverse.”
“Not everyone in this world is a good human. Still, the Princess probably isn’t a bad person.”
The carriage jolted heavily once. It seemed they had completely exited the ducal residence’s grounds.
“How does Naro know that? She threw things.”
“That’s true, but… The Princess is probably like that because her body is weak, because she’s sick, so her personality has become sensitive.”
Born into a renowned noble family and living as the daughter of a father respected by all, because her body was weak, many restrictions must have been placed on her. Though he hadn’t heard the story directly, Naro could tell. Because he too had a past of helplessly staying in a hospital due to illness.
The fact that you couldn’t do what you wanted because your body was sick drove people crazy. Because you couldn’t grasp that ordinariness that others naturally enjoyed. Like sand slipping through the gaps between tightly clenched fingers, Naro too had envied the ordinary daily life that couldn’t be possessed.
There were times when he was so helpless he didn’t want to do anything, when he hated everything. He cried because he was sick, and cried when he briefly got better. Those were lumps that gnawed at a person’s spirit. Those things must be spreading through Mellian’s heart as well.
“I don’t understand why Naro accepted this task.”
Naro smiled softly. Even Bern had said something like that earlier. Naro’s acceptance of this task might have been for personal reasons, in a way.
When he entered the room, the sight of Mellian sitting leaning against the bed overlapped with the image of himself sitting quietly in a corner of a hospital room.
Naro knew the heart of a sick person best. Because he had experienced being sick. Knowing that, he started the herbal medicine shop. Even if he realistically couldn’t become a doctor like Wooter, if he could support people’s health with herbs, that alone was joyful and satisfying.
So he couldn’t turn away from that Princess who overlapped with his past self, a person who needed help.
“Still, since it’s Naro’s choice, I’ll follow it. Of course, when we go to meet that human female, I’ll definitely stick close by your side.”
“Yeah, thank you for understanding.”
Naro grinned. Even if Ray said that, he knew well that in the end Ray would respect his decision.
Watching Naro smile, Ray also relaxed his sullen expression.
