Traveling with Unfamiliar Companions (2) Growling
“…Just endure a little. It would be best to hurry today.”
“……It doesn’t matter. I don’t get motion sickness.”
“I see.”
Ruman’s worried tone made me feel awkward.
Wouldn’t it be more comfortable for both of us if we didn’t care? Even if I ask that, all I can do is grumble…. To avoid the awkward atmosphere, I curled up in my seat and leaned my head against the window.
I could feel the rattling vibration of the wheels directly. Holding back the rising nausea, I forced myself to try to sleep.
***
“Ren…. Ren.”
“Mmm?”
“You need to eat.”
“Mmm. Hyung…. Mm!”
Hyung’s face as soon as I wake up! I feel good.
I took hyung’s hand and got off the carriage.
“Wow! It’s a tent?!”
“I borrowed it from the Princess’s carriage.”
Yesterday we slept near the campfire as if taking a short nap, but today there was a tent!
“What about yesterday?”
“Yesterday wasn’t that kind of situation.”
“Mmm.”
Did I ask too childishly?
I looked up at hyung’s face, but still couldn’t tell what he was thinking…….
“You’re awake.”
Ruman, who had been talking with Del for a while, saw me and beckoned.
“Why are you sulking again?”
“Wh-what do you mean.”
It’s because I feel awkward.
As I was touching my face, Ruman patted the seat next to him.
“Sit.”
I wondered where Ruman’s cloak had gone, and it was spread over the log serving as a chair.
“Here. You need to eat this and take your medicine, right?”
“……What medicine? What medicine am I supposed to take?”
“……? Cold medicine. Don’t you still have a fever?”
“Ah…. Not really.”
You startled me! When you suddenly said medicine, I thought for a moment you’d already gone through my bundle! Without realizing it, I looked at the carriage and flinched in alarm. My heart fluttered. Whew.
“Sir Del. Do you have any spare blankets?”
“Yes. Shall I bring one?”
“I would appreciate that.”
Del stood up abruptly and headed to the carriage.
He brought Princess Coco along with the blanket.
It was the Princess who hadn’t shown her face once from when we parted earlier until we regrouped and arrived here. I guess she feels like coming out now?! Hmph. Somehow that Princess rubbed me the wrong way too!
Without realizing it, I glared at her with sharp eyes, and she also glared at me with the same eyes.
As expected, Princess Coco definitely disliked me too.
I’m upset because she took hyung away, but why does Princess Coco dislike me?
Does she dislike sharing soup?
But it can’t be helped! It’s the adults’ decision, so I can’t say no.
I just hung my head low and focused on eating the soup.
But why did she come out wearing a veil? Does she dislike even facing a country bumpkin like me? Princess Coco is a noble after all…… Well, I suppose that could be.
“Hero-nim, won’t you eat?”
“No.”
“I don’t eat during missions.”
Unlike hyung who answered bluntly, Ruman politely declined with a smile.
“But it’s delicious….”
When I muttered without realizing and glanced around, Ruman covered his mouth.
“Keuhup…. Ren. Eat a lot.”
“The soup is that per… person’s, so why is Ruman taking credit??”
“Keuheuup….”
I almost said “that one over there!”
I quickly bit my tongue and changed my words.
Dammit! Playing commoner is hard!! Why is our hyung a Hero but a commoner?! Give him a noble title!! I have to watch what I say…. Our hyung is the one helping.
‘Just because you’re the Hero’s younger brother, does that mean everything? Huuh? You’re going to eat bread without working!! You vermin!’
*Huk*…….
“Ren?”
“……”
“What’s wrong?”
Ruman picked up the spoon I dropped and looked at me.
“Cold sweat…. Your condition is really bad. Don’t you have better medicine? The medicine I gave him yesterday didn’t seem very effective either.”
“That’s the highest grade, so that can’t be. Rather, it would be better to increase the dosage, I’ll give you more. Actually, it might be better to sleep deeply. Is that alright?”
“Ren?”
I couldn’t help but be dazed because a childhood memory suddenly came to mind.
I thought I’d almost forgotten it, so why did it suddenly come to mind again. My appetite completely disappeared. My stomach churned.
That thought just now was my fault. Hyung is the Hero, I’m not the Hero. So I shouldn’t try to enjoy the kindness or… special treatment given to hyung. That’s really bad.
“Ren.”
“Huh? Mmm. Why??”
“What’s wrong? You’re spacing out.”
Hyung’s warm hand massaged my shoulder.
“Ow, it hurts! I’m fine.”
“……! It hurts?”
Hyung pulled his hand away with a surprised face.
“Not a lot, j-just a little! I guess my shoulder was stiff.”
No, fuck, it really hurt! Hyung! Your grip strength is too strong!!
Did I think that deeply?? Deep enough to only belatedly feel the strength of hyung’s grip. I should be careful. What if they look at me strangely! Ack. I made eye contact with Ruman.
“I-I’ve eaten well.”
“You ate well, but you already finished?”
“Please eat more. You’re far from enough to take medicine.”
Del handed me a new spoon and looked after me.
“You don’t have to…. Really, really! I’m full.”
If I eat more, I’ll throw up! If I eat at a time like this, I’ll throw up even the medicine I took last night!
“That won’t do. Eat more. You need to eat to have strength.”
“No….”
I really don’t want to…….
Does hyung want me to eat more too?
I hesitantly took the spoon.
“Enough! What’s the point of groveling when they don’t want to eat? I really don’t like it….”
Princess Coco sharply raised her head.
“What! I said I didn’t need it either!! It’s fine! I said it’s fine!”
Aak! I got angry….
That Princess has a really bad personality too…!! As bad as me! Bad!!
Princess Coco and I glared at each other until Ruman stopped us and we turned our gazes away.
I somehow wanted to grab hyung and make excuses.
Hyung! I’m not the only bad one, I tried to endure but that Princess Coco or whatever provoked me so I got angry! I can be good!
But hyung was on alert surveying the surroundings, so I couldn’t even talk to him.
“Uweeek….”
So the person patting my back after I got indigestion from just eating soup was Ruman.
“You’re really too frail. This is serious. Are ordinary people normally like this?”
“Weeek…. uweeek……”
“No. Anyone can see that kid has a weak constitution? Hmph. Didn’t they catch some disease?”
“Haha. Kids these days all speak so frighteningly.”
Ruman nodded as if he understood.
What kind of creepy thing to say is that! My heart sank.
I covered my mouth and glared at Princess Coco who was watching this way from far away as if spectating. Her violet eyes narrowed mockingly as if laughing at me.
From earlier, glancing constantly! It’s annoying and uncomfortable enough that she keeps looking at hyung and me, but now she’s picking a fight?! When will she remove that veil from her face!
“Uwook… heueu….”
My indigestion is all because of that gaze! It’s uncomfortable!
After the meal, Del had various conversations with Ruman while looking at me sitting quietly. Even when I turned my head because the gaze was uncomfortable, he only withdrew it briefly, and while pretending to look at Ruman kept watching, which was quite uncomfortable!
Princess Coco sitting across from me was worse. Her eyes seemed to be evaluating me. Just because you’re a high noble, does that make it okay?! Even killing my temper as much as possible, I couldn’t help but suddenly get angry.
I’d rather throw up like this!! I don’t want to eat anything they gave me anymore! When I take the medicine I just get sleepy and the fever seems worse than yesterday. Am I blaming them too forcefully? Is my personality too sharp…?
“Here.”
When I didn’t take the handkerchief Ruman held out, he personally wiped my mouth.
“It’s dirty! What are you doing, it’s fine!”
Getting vomit on someone else’s handkerchief, just imagining it makes me want to throw up! Uwook. When I pounded my chest again, Ruman made a troubled face.
“You make a fuss even when I help you. Must be tiring.”
“What?!”
This son of a…! Who asked you to do it?
I threw away the worries I had earlier.
When there’s someone with that kind of personality who says such things in front of a person throwing up! I’m not like that!! Yeah! And Rante said my personality passed! I, I’m pretty! My personality is a hundred points!
When I didn’t back down and glared at the Princess with fierce eyes, she also got heated and started glowering.
Go ahead and try more! Will your eyeballs pop out from that? Huuh?! Let’s do it!!
“Ren, where are you staring so….”
“Princess-nim, why are you….”
“……”
“……”
It felt like a pathetic gaze swept over me. I didn’t have the leisure to examine it. If you blink, you lose.
Physiological tears formed in Princess Coco’s violet eyes and my eyes! Bloodshot veins appeared in her eyes too! Now’s the chance! Huhu. Blink, and I’ll mock you. You pick a fight when you can’t even handle a staring contest?
“Let’s prepare the bedding.”
“Ah! Hyeoong!”
“Hm?”
Hyung intervened and I blinked! The tears that had formed rolled down.
“Ren. Are you crying?”
“Hm? No?”
“What’s this….”
Hyung brushed my cheek. Tears glistened on hyung’s finger.
“No, that’s because I kept my eyes open for a long time.”
“Ah.”
“Where are you going? Hyung!”
“…I’ll take a look around.”
“What….”
He doesn’t answer me.
More than that, why are you suddenly making a disappointed expression?! What did I do wrong? Before I could even ask, hyung always goes somewhere when I get curious.
Dammit…….
“Heuhut….”
Why is Ruman laughing again. Honestly.
What. There were expensive-looking leather shoes right in front of me.
When I raised my gaze, Princess Coco had a confident expression. What’s she trying to do?? Fight? When I raised my eyebrows, she didn’t back down either.
She looked at what I had vomited and frowned as if disgusted, then opened her mouth.
