Opening my eyes was not an easy feat, and inside my vision appeared Ardion’s face and eyes fixed on me.
“Young Master?” I quickly checked the time. It should be around the time for swordsmanship practice. “What about your swordsmanship practice?”
“You have a fever,” Ardion said simply.
It seemed the lack of mana caused my illness.
Should I ask Ardion to hold my hand?
It might help me recover faster. I couldn’t afford to lie in bed, uncertain of when I'd feel better. I still had to sort out my evidence against Duke Orchid and take care of Ardion.
I called out cautiously, “Young Master.”
He moved closer, his expression serious as he looked at me.
I extended my hand towards him. “Could you hold my hand for a moment?”
It was an awkward request, but I was desperate right now.
“Hold your hand?”
“Yes, just for five minutes.”
I had heard holding hands could help recharge mana, but it would take up to two hours if the mana was nearly depleted. But with more mana, it could be replenished in an hour. Ardion, blessed with mana, should be able to help even with just five minutes. After all, he could generate mana himself.
“Just five minutes?”
I nodded. Ardion carefully took my hand. I felt a clarity spread through my mind and exhaled.
“Laila, are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, feeling my body respond to the influx of mana. How much mana does Ardion have?
It was far beyond mine. But then again, it made sense. Ardion possessed mana far superior to mine. Anyway, he was someone to be envious of. Just as I was about to withdraw my hand, he spoke.
“Laila, why is your name Laila?”
It was a rather unexpected question. In all the time I had been here, no one had ever asked about my name.
Ardion must be bored since he pondered about something as trivial as my name. I gazed up at him, whose eyes were twinkling in anticipation.
Should I just say it’s a random choice and disappoint him? I thought for a moment before saying, “My parents liked the lilac flower, so they named me after it.”
It was a fabrication, as my family was long gone, and there was no way to verify it.
“... So, do you like lilacs?”
“Yes. They have a lovely scent and are beautiful.”
I had once smelled lilacs. It was a wonderful fragrance, one that could make you smile instantly. It was the most intense floral scent I had ever encountered.
“If you get the chance, you should smell lilacs too. You might end up liking them as much as I do.”
“I already like them.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“So, you must like flowers, huh?”
“...”
(TL Note: He definitely likes lilacs, it seems... *ahem*)
Rather than replying to my question, his grip on my hand tightened. I was reluctant to pull my hand away, but he didn’t seem to care much. Besides, there was nothing to lose in this kind of situation.
I spoke with him a few more times before gradually drifting into sleep.
❋ ❋ ❋
When I woke up, my body felt much lighter, though my hands still felt strangely heavy. I turned my head and saw Ardion sleeping with his face down.
I was startled and glanced at the clock. It was late at night.
“Young Master!”
He didn’t wake up. He seemed to be in a deep sleep. I shook his shoulder, but he remained unmoved.
“Young Master?” I couldn’t shake my worry.
Perhaps holding hands for too long had affected him?
“No.” I shook my head with a smile.
“Well, I’ll be going then. Goodbye.”
When Benji left the room, I was still thinking about how odd it was that Rhody didn’t spread any rumors.
She was always so quick to stir things up.
But Rhody, being the troublemaker she was, probably wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Eventually, rumors would spread.
I tried not to worry about it. There was nothing I could do about it.
Now that I had almost recovered, I quickly tidied myself and headed to the kitchen. I took the food trays and went to Ardion’s room. When I knocked on the door, there was no response from inside.
I pressed my ear to the door and called out, “Young Master.”
“... Just a moment!” Ardion’s hurried voice came.
I was curious about what he was doing, but sensing he wasn’t ready, I waited. A few minutes later, the door swung open.
Ardion greeted me with an awkward smile.
I looked at him. He had definitely grown since the last time I saw him. In hindsight, it seemed I had made the right decision to have him practice swordsmanship.
As I moved to enter, he stepped aside awkwardly.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing.” Ardion shook his head with a stiff smile.
I narrowed my eyes and glanced around the room. He was obviously uncomfortable, even to the extent of biting his lip.
The bed was neatly made with the covers folded.
“Young Master, let me take this to wash.”
When I reached for the blanket, he was startled and stepped in front of me. Before, I was the one blocking his way, but now, he was the one blocking mine.
Time seemed to stretch as I blinked and looked at him.
“...”
Ardion carefully supported my arm. “I’ll do it.”
“What? But Young Master...”
“It’s my blanket after all. And since you were sick yesterday, you shouldn’t overdo it.”
“I’m fine now.”
“No, I’ll handle it,” Ardion insisted with a smile.
I could only nod in agreement. I couldn’t decline his kind intentions when he was so determined.
Ardion continued to support my arm, and when I glanced at him, he hurriedly said, “I'm, I'm sorry.”
He pulled back from me, his ears flushed red.
He appeared bashful in front of me but was very irritable with Benji?
Confused, I placed the food tray on the table. “Young Master.”
Ardion sat down at the table. “Yes?”
I took my seat across from him and met his gaze. He avoided eye contact.
“Do other people make you feel uncomfortable?”
“Yes.”
“But that doesn’t mean you should get upset or speak harshly. Benji was helping me after all.”
“I’m sorry, Laila. I’ll speak more kindly next time.” Ardion’s tone was calm. It was clear he was only gentle when with me.
I closely observed him while he was eating—straight posture and almost no noise.
Unlike the first time I saw him, Ardion's demeanor had matured. His jawline was sharper, his shoulders were broader, and he was taller.
Ardion had certainly grown up.
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