# Chapter 51
I returned home and collapsed onto the bed. I woke up intermittently, but after that, I had no clear memories.
My whole body ached as if being stabbed by countless needles. It made sense to have body aches after being caught in the rain while having a fever.
When I regained my senses, albeit weakly, it was the middle of the night. I couldn’t tell the exact time, but I vaguely knew it was night because I couldn’t sense any bright light. It felt like a long time had passed, but the sun of the next day hadn’t risen yet.
My eyelids were too heavy to open, but I could sense someone beside me. It was obvious who it was. Only Rite and I lived in this house. I wanted to tell him to go to his room and sleep, but my body felt as heavy as water-soaked cotton, making it difficult to even move my lips. Then, something cold touched my forehead.
The cool sensation on my hot forehead felt so good that I just accepted it without knowing what it was, only realizing belatedly that it was a hand. The hand covering my forehead moved away briefly, then pushed aside the hair stuck to my skin with sweat. When the cool hand left, a small groan escaped me out of regret. It was a very faint sound, but at that sound, the hand that had been stroking my hair came back to rest on my forehead. The touch was affectionate, alternating between the back and palm of the hand to cool my fever.
A pitiful yet lovable being who only looks at me, living trapped in a narrow world.
“Let’s go live in the Summer Forest.”
Rite’s voice was lower and more gentle than usual. Even though he knew well that I couldn’t leave, he kept saying such things.
“Let’s go to a warm place. Let’s go to a place where it’s not this cold and where we won’t get sick.”
It’s about time for this cold to end.
Let’s go to a place that isn’t cold, Arden.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, it wasn’t morning but late evening. I could see the setting sun through the window. It seemed I had spent a whole day in bed. I was worried about Rite, who must have been watching over me. He wasn’t in the room, but there were traces left on the bedside table.
A water glass and a torn medicine packet were on the table. Seeing that there was no medicine left in the small packet, I must have taken it, though I had no memory of doing so. How did he give medicine to someone who was asleep? I couldn’t know, but it wasn’t an important issue, so I gulped down the small amount of water left in the glass and carried the empty glass and medicine packet out.
“…You’re awake.”
As soon as I opened the door, I came face to face with Rite, who was holding a tray at close distance. It seemed he was on his way to my room when I opened the door first.
Rite stared at my lips for a moment. Then he approached me, took the cup and trash from my hand, placed them on the tray, and touched my forehead.
“You don’t seem to have a fever anymore.”
“I’m fi-, ahem. I’m fine.”
My voice came out hoarse, as if my throat was submerged. I didn’t have any symptoms of a sore throat. As I frowned and rubbed my throat with my palm, Rite moved my hand away and gently stroked my throat with his own palm. The warm palm felt nice, but not knowing how to react, I stepped back slightly.
“I made fruit wine and chicken soup. Want some?”
Only then did I notice what was on the tray. Fruit wine, made by boiling various fruits in alcohol, was a drink frequently consumed by the people of Winterishe, said to help with fatigue recovery and immunity.
I didn’t have much appetite, but since he had already prepared it and brought it before me, I felt awkward refusing, so I nodded.
At my nod, Rite took the tray and headed into the room first. At that sight, I grabbed Rite’s wrist.
“Why are you going there?”
My voice was quite bad, making me inwardly startled every time I spoke, but Rite remained calm.
“You said you’d eat.”
“We should eat at the table.”
“You’re not completely recovered yet…”
“No. I’m fine.”
I shook my head and pulled Rite’s wrist, causing him to sigh.
“At times like this, it’s okay to stay in bed.”
Pretending not to hear Rite’s words, I headed to the dining table first. I wasn’t some young master from a noble family. I didn’t want to eat in bed under Rite’s gaze. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps.
“Drink this first, all of it.”
As I sat at the table, Rite handed me a cup of fruit wine first. After I obediently drank half as instructed, he placed the soup and a spoon in front of me.
“Keep eating.”
After saying that, Rite disappeared into the kitchen with the tray. The clear broth was nicely filled with vegetables and chicken. Taking a spoonful of soup, I tasted its mild flavor. It was less salty than usual, which made it easier to eat. The feeling of warm food going down my throat was pleasant, so I continued to scoop up the soup.
“You’re eating well.”
Rite, who had come out of the kitchen, sat across from me. I expected him to bring his own meal, but his hands were empty. I looked at the empty table across from me and opened my mouth.
“What about you?”
“I ate earlier.”
I see. I silently accepted this and continued eating my soup. Although I could smell the fruit wine, I couldn’t detect any other food smells, but my foggy mind refused to think about it more deeply.
Rite, are you okay? I wanted to ask that, but the words wouldn’t come easily. Rite couldn’t possibly be okay.
The atmosphere was no different from usual. As if confessing my past and shouting in the rain yesterday felt like a dream.
Glancing up, I saw no particular displeasure or awkwardness on Rite’s face. Would it really be okay for him to know what kind of person I am? Would it not bother him to know that the person who raised him was such a person? Wouldn’t he feel betrayed? I thought it remarkable that he had nursed such a person so well.
“What are you thinking about?”
As my thoughts lingered, Rite suddenly spoke. I raised my head to properly meet his purple eyes. When he was younger, it was at least easy to tell if Rite was in a good or bad mood. I looked at Rite’s head, which somehow felt a bit empty to me.
“Just…”
“Just?”
It was the same voice as yesterday. A soft and gentle voice. I had let go and revealed even forbidden things to that voice. Gathering my thoughts again, I shook my head.
“Just wondering how long the rain will continue.”
“No one can drive you away.”
Not understanding what Rite meant, I blinked. Even without me asking again, Rite immediately noticed and added an explanation.
“No one will be able to drive Arden out of here.”
Only then did I belatedly recall what had happened in the village. That too was something very concerning and worrisome, but having experienced something even more shocking, I had forgotten about it.
They had neither the justification nor the authority to forcibly expel me. However, if they united in trying to drive me out and turned their backs on me, it would become difficult to continue living here. After all, we couldn’t exchange commissions if our relationship turned sour.
But I couldn’t easily move to another area either. Among the places I could move to, Winterishe was the only place that could be called a village. All the wealth I had earned as an engineer had been confiscated, and the money I’d earned afterward was spent on magical items, leaving me with no reserves. Plin’s mansion, which I had put in Pini’s name, was the only thing left, but even that I no longer considered mine.
But more worrisome than that…
“Do you have something to say?”
“No.”
I shook my head and continued eating the soup. The bottom of the bowl was starting to show.
My biggest concern was whether someone had recognized Rite. Cal was the only person there who had been close to Rite, but Ea or Lucy might have been somewhere I couldn’t see. Since I had a fever and wasn’t in good condition, I was even less confident in my memory. Cal’s expression didn’t show surprise or shock at that time, but… Once the thought started, the anxiety continued to grow. Just as the movement of my spoon slowed down.
Knock knock knock.
There was a knocking at the front door. Both Rite and I froze, silently exchanging glances. The knocking was short and strong. It seemed like someone in a hurry or with that kind of personality. If so, it wasn’t Pini.
“…It might be Jack.”
Given how we parted yesterday, he might have come back. Rite seemed to think differently and shook his head.
“It’s not him.”
“How do you know?”
We continued our conversation in lowered voices. Rite’s eyes stared beyond the front door, then turned back to me.
“After what happened, he’s not someone who would come the very next day.”
“…”
“And there was that time when he came before.”
I don’t know anything about Jack, so how much do you know about him? Words of rebuttal came to mind, but I didn’t bother to ask. Now wasn’t the time to argue with Rite.
Rite didn’t look well. He repeatedly bit his lips and his fingers quickly tapped on the table. Anyone could see he looked anxious.
“I’ll just look through the window and come back.”
“Do you have to go?”
As soon as I got up, leaning on the table, Rite’s voice caught my ankle. The two eyes looking up at me were pitiful. I wasn’t going somewhere dangerous, but it seemed to look that way to Rite.
“I need to know who it is.”
Rite still didn’t look pleased, but I moved forward. I approached the window next to the front door and grabbed the curtain. Carefully lifting the curtain just a tiny bit, I examined the situation outside. Either the rain had stopped, or it was falling so thinly that no drops were visible. The person standing in front of the door, with the largely melted snowy forest as a backdrop, was…
The person at the door turned their head toward me as if they had sensed my gaze. I quickly closed the curtain again.
“…Haah.”
It was Gaebe. Gaebe was outside the window.
