FSW Chapter 34

Separate from her discomfort over worrying about Aiden, her strike-declaring body fervently welcomed this honeyed rest between hellish schedules.

After chewing over her guilt for ages, Nishina decided to rest properly—if only to prevent yesterday's disaster from repeating. If a sparrow wanted to follow a stork, she'd better gather maximum stamina while she could.

Having slept late for the first time in ages, Nishina sat at her vanity looking considerably more human. She wanted to sleep hours more, but the promised luncheon time was imminent.

With Joy leading the maids' help, Nishina quickly finished preparing. After a final inspection of her outfit, she finally headed to the Imperial Consort's palace. She wasn't particularly late, yet both people had already arrived in the dining room.

"You're here?"

"Yes, sorry I'm late."

As Nishina bowed apologetically while settling into the chair pulled out by an attendant, Melissa quickly waved both hands.

"Late? His Majesty just arrived moments ago too."

"Right. Just arrived myself."

She couldn't know the truth, but at least understood they didn't want her apology. Nishina nodded with a light smile.

'But my brother...'

Nishina glanced at the empty seat diagonal from hers.

So Aiden wasn't attending today either.

Though notices about luncheon times reached Aiden, he rarely attended these gatherings. Especially after Her Majesty the Empress passed—he hadn't responded even once. As Nishina's gaze grew melancholy staring at the empty space, Melissa called her name with concern.

"Shina, isn't the work too hard lately? You've gotten so thin..."

"You're not ill, are you?"

Two gazes dripping sympathy and worry rested on Nishina. She'd actually improved quite a bit—reflexively rubbing her cheeks, Nishina answered with an awkward smile.

"Of course not. I'm doing less than half of half what my brother does."

"You can't compare yourself to the Imperial Prince. You're still young."

At the Emperor's firm words, Nishina's mouth clamped shut.

'Aiden is still young too.'

The words surged to her throat. But she'd experienced such rebuttals being ignored countless times before. Rather, it seemed to deepen the Emperor's negative perception of him, so Nishina had eventually given up protesting. Forcing a smile instead, Nishina redirected the conversation to Melissa.

"By the way, I'm sorry things turned out this way after I was the one who first said I wanted to attend your tea party."

Shortly after taking on the work, Nishina had realized she couldn't balance that plan with this job. Though disappointing to postpone her promise to her mother, she couldn't simply abandon the work.

That evening, Nishina had informed her mother she could no longer attend the tea party. Even at the one-sided notice, Melissa had smiled kindly and worried instead about her gaunt face.

"Don't overdo it. I know you're working hard, but if you fall ill, even that effort becomes wasted. I worry every single day about you getting sick again."

"Yes, I heard you've been overdoing it lately, but there's no need. You don't have to try so hard—there's nothing to worry about."

After Melissa's sincere words, the Emperor spoke calmly.

What was he even saying? Not understanding, Nishina mulled over his words. Then suddenly realized—what he meant by 'nothing to worry about.' It felt like being clubbed in the back of the head. Nishina's mouth fell open in shock.

He was completely misunderstanding why Nishina was working so hard. He apparently thought she was working this hard to solidify her political position and keep Aiden—the legitimate heir—in check.

How bewildering. Why hadn't she realized the Emperor and nobles might think this way? She'd been too rushed then to worry about such things, but looking back, it had been ignorant and foolish. Did Aiden think this too? The mere possibility drained her face white.

'Could that be why he didn't like me helping with this work...'

She wanted to rush and explain right now. But would he even believe her? When he'd suspected even cookies?

Swallowing an internal scream, Nishina stiffly lifted her head and answered urgently:

"There's nothing to worry about. I only asked because I wanted to help my brother. If I'm to be helpful to him someday, I need to work even harder."

She'd expressed wanting not to step on her brother but to support him from behind—yet he seemed unwilling to take it as sincere.

"Yes, that will all benefit you in the future as well."

He simply smiled pleasantly and picked up his spoon. Meaning he wouldn't discuss this further.

Nishina had no chance to even rub her stinging head as she stared blankly at the steaming soup. If even Father wouldn't seriously listen to her excuses, he would never believe her. And she couldn't explain the real reason either.

'Because the King might make moves on my brother.'

She'd be lucky if they didn't think her insane. Instantly gloomy, Nishina listlessly stirred her soup. Despite being her favorite soup and her first meal, she had no appetite whatsoever.

The nauseating luncheon finally ended, and returning to her palace, Nishina fell into contemplation. Having received yesterday's vacation so suddenly, she hadn't had time to schedule a swordsmanship lesson.

'I shouldn't interrupt him during training.'

Disappointing, but she couldn't visit him.

After much deliberation, Nishina decided to visit Hugh instead. Though she'd kept postponing, she hadn't forgotten her promise to see him. Besides, she planned to wheedle some fatigue-banishing medicine along with her checkup.

She'd drink some herself and give some to her brother! An excellent plan. And if she subtly conveyed her sincerity... it wouldn't work at all. Imagining him spitting harsh words with an icy gaze, Nishina shook her head vigorously.

Anyway, Nishina headed straight to the Imperial Medical Office. Since Hugh had left the palace, she hadn't visited even once—this was her first visit in ages. At the sudden appearance of the Empire's treasure, physicians grinding herbs jumped to their feet.

"Y-Your Highness!!!"

"Um, sorry to drop in suddenly, but is Hugh here?"

Before Nishina finished speaking, a door burst open and Hugh popped out.

"Your Highness! You've finally come."

He rushed over and grasped Nishina's hands tightly.

His face overflowed with welcome and joy. Greeting Nishina perhaps too enthusiastically, Hugh immediately led her into a room. Like the Medical Office itself, entering his room released the pungent scent of various herbs. Wrinkling her nose, Nishina obediently sat where he guided her.

"Then I'll begin the examination right away."

"Yes."

A water spirit appeared on his empty palm like a sprouting seed. Since her ability had manifested, the spirit appeared much more vividly. Hugh's water spirit had a more mature appearance than Wier's, though it also took a fairy form. Had she observed too intently? For a moment, the spirit's eyes met hers. Nishina hastily looked away, pretending they hadn't met.

The spirit tilted its head, then thoroughly scanned Nishina's body. It felt like water flowing over her entire body. Yet neither clothes nor even skin got wet. She thought this every time, but it was a truly mysterious sensation.

The examination apparently finished, the spirit returned to Hugh. As the spirit whispered something to Hugh, his expression grew increasingly serious. His gaze toward Nishina was ominous. Growing equally serious, Nishina asked carefully:

"Is something wrong?"

"...It's nothing."

That's definitely not a 'nothing' face. She wanted to point this out, but Hugh spoke faster.

"You're a bit fatigued, but otherwise no problems at all."

Seeing his face washed with relief, maybe it wasn't a lie after all.

Hiding illness from the patient made no sense in the first place. Lying to royalty? That was a perfect way to lose one's head. Hugh had no reason to lie to her either.

Finally shedding her worry, Nishina nodded with a lighter heart. The examination was done—she'd been planning to request that fatigue-banishing medicine, one of her purposes here. But Hugh's next words made her forget even what she'd meant to say.

"After hearing you've been working with His Highness the Prince recently, I worried you might be ill as well. Thank goodness."

'As well?'

Nishina's expression stiffened at the subtle difference she'd caught.

'No, it can't be.'

Even repeating this, her voice trembled with anxiety.

"Who's ill?"

"Yes, His Highness the Prince has a severe fever, so I was preparing medicine. Working himself so brutally lately, he finally fell ill..."

Why were ominous premonitions never wrong? As maybe became indeed, she grew pale. She shouldn't have left him like that after all. Finding herself pathetic for resting alone without knowing Aiden was sick drove her mad. Hugh, not noticing Nishina's shock and self-reproach, spoke calmly while continuing to grind medicinal ingredients:

"Still, for not sleeping even a week, it's a mild illness—at least there's that."

"A week?!"

At her sharply raised voice, Hugh turned toward Nishina in surprise. Finally noticing her agitation, he nodded carefully.

"Yes, apparently he didn't rest even an hour for roughly a week."

Now her throat burned from speechlessness, not mere loss for words.

"Even burning with fever, he insisted on working, so we had trouble stopping him."

Clicking his tongue softly, Hugh transferred the ground medicine's juice into a small bottle. The bottle filled with a sickly green liquid unpleasant just to look at.

"Then—!"

Her request for him to treat Aiden immediately melted away like snow in her mouth. She knew all too well it was impossible.

With Hugh's advanced water spirit user abilities, he could cure Aiden instantly without such medicine. But the essence of 'regeneration' that water spirit users employed was 'the power to restore original form.'

For cases like colds, they refrained from using the ability to preserve natural immunity. If the power were overused even for trivial ailments, the body's innate recovery would weaken, and immune strength would fall dangerously low or rise unnaturally high, inviting illness from within.

So generally, regeneration ability wasn't used except for external injuries that would leave scars or life-threatening illnesses.

Moreover, Aiden despised receiving treatment from physicians—perhaps due to the Empress's prolonged sickness.

In short, there existed no means to heal Aiden at once. All she could place faith in were Aiden's uncommon constitution and that dubious medicine. As Nishina's gaze remained fixed on the vial, Hugh readily extended it toward her.

"His Highness dismissed all his maids and attendants, so I've been delivering medicine directly... Will Your Highness deliver it?"

As you can see, I have much work to do.

Shrugging, Hugh glanced sidelong at the prescriptions piled on his desk. He seemed to have noticed Nishina wanted to see Aiden.

'But should I?'

Wouldn't seeing someone he disliked make him feel worse when sick? After rather sad contemplation, Nishina accepted the medicine bottle. She'd be too worried to focus on anything else otherwise.

'I'll just look briefly and leave.'

Strength entered naturally into her hand gripping the medicine bottle.

Having erased her hesitation, her feet headed toward the Prince's palace.