Chapter 61 - Running A Fever

Laying down on the bed, a girl was breathing heavily, while sweating buckets. Her forehead wrinkled from the discomfort she was feeling. She let out a groan as an intense pain assaulted her head.

Why is my head hurting this much?

Ayami thought, trying to move her body but to no avail. Her body didn't listen to her commands and continued to lay stiffly on the bed, bringing discomfort to her. She couldn't even do something as simple as opening her eyes. It was as if a heavy object was weighing down on her, making her unable to move. She was in this situation for almost an hour.

What is happening to me?

Ayami could feel her body heating up like she was in hell, then cooling down as if she was in a blizzard. Ayami knew what this was a moment later.

Ayami was running a high fever.

Ayami experienced this more than once in the past. It was the same as right now. There was no one to take care of her, while she was alone inside her so-called home with dangers lurking outside. She could only grit her teeth and endure the pain until she recovers, as she doesn't have anyone she could trust.

I need to get up. 

Ayami forced her body to move. She first tried to open her eyes. It quivered for a bit before she was able to manage to take a peek. It was still the same familiar ceiling she woke up when she regressed for the first time.

As her eyelids were still droopy, it almost closed the moment she relaxed. Ayami opened her eyes wide in an instant.

That was close!

If her eyes closed again, she would have to open them again with great effort. She can't afford to relax right now, not until she knew her situation. It was strange as when she first woke up on the first round, she didn't have any fever. And why did that guide send her back again?

There were so many questions she wanted to be answered, but that was not the time for that. She would slowly find answers later. For the time being, she needed to recover. 

The thing she wanted the most right now was water. She could feel her throat parched as if she was walking on a desert with no water to drink.

Ayami tried to move her right hand, then her left. She wiggled her fingers and then her toes. Unfortunately, her body was still heavy and won't get up.

Ayami was on the verge of giving as her progress remained stagnant for an hour already.

Dong… Dong!

Suddenly, she heard the chime of a grandfather clock. It felt so ominous, it sent chills. Wait a minute… They have never owned a grandfather clock…

Then whose is it?

Ayami felt chills running down her spine. She felt afraid. She just got here and strange things were already happening? Naturally, Ayami wanted to get up right now and run away from this house. 

It was always the unknown that made her afraid.

A few seconds later, it stopped. At the same time, she could feel the heavy burden on her body slowly disappearing while her high fever gradually cooled down. Ayami thought that she could finally get up.

Ayami tried to get up, fortunately, her body was now listening to her, though it felt like it was still a little heavy. As her body was sticky, she wanted to take a shower as soon as possible after hydrating herself. Finally, she could drink some water!

Ayami raised her head and was bewildered by what she saw. Although it was dark, Ayami could still clearly see what became of her room. 

It was utterly wrecked!

It was as if a tornado suddenly appeared in her room and made it into a mess before disappearing.

All of her things were scattered around, with some of them broken. But what caught her attention was that her precious water was spilled on the ground!

This sight stunned her. She didn't expect that she would be greeted by this scene. 

Just what happened to her room?

Ayami shook her head, this wasn't the time. She'll find out about it later. Ayami sulked as she had to go down and fetch some water.

Ayami slowly got up and staggered for a bit before regaining her balance as she was feeling a bit dizzy, while her whole body was feeling weak.

Ayami slowly made her way to the door, tottering as there were some pieces of glass shard from an object that was thrown. She carefully walked over the objects as she didn't want to get hurt, before finally, she reached the door. She heaved a sigh of relief when she realized something.

Why does it feel like she crossed a river and trekked over a mountain, when all she did was walk to the door?

"…" Ayami didn't think about it any longer and went down to get some water. The hallways were dark and there were no sign of people walking along.

It was difficult for a normal to see in the dark and yet she was able to walk nonchalantly without bumping to a wall or an object, albeit slowly as she was still running a small fever.

Then she headed to the kitchen to get some water, while she was at it, she also searched the whole spacious kitchen in hopes to find some cold medicine. Ayami remembers that they would usually store some here, thankfully, there really were some stored in one of the cupboards. She didn't have much apetite so she didn't get any food, like there was any ready-to-eat in the first place.

After drinking medicine and water, she was feeling a bit better. She headed back to her room. It would be bad if she was caught sneaking around by the guards walking on their patrol. 

They would surely question why their young miss was still up in the middle of the night, when she should have been in bed, resting. The two daughters of the Gardner family were strictly prohibited in wandering around at night. Her father would surely punish her. She only did this because she was so thirsty. Was it her fault that the water jug inside her room was spilled?

So, the best course of action was to sneak around and avoid them. It would be troublesome if she wasted some of her time dealing with them, even if she had some excuse.

Time was precious to her after all.

While she was walking back to her room, carefully avoiding the guard patrols, she lamented inside. Why does she have to sneak around in her own home!