Chapter 98
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Chapter 98
"Ah, yes."
Crown Prince Kiaros rose and opened the door.
Namia Loapi looked up at him, her arms laden with packages.
"I know it's presumptuous to visit like this. But... I was worried."
Her blue eyes brimmed with concern.
"If you'd cancel a promise, you must be seriously ill. I couldn't bear the thought of you suffering alone."
Standing in the doorway, she began handing him the items she carried.
"This is tomato stew and beef stew. Heat them as you like and eat. I didn't make them myself—I bought them."
Namia Loapi was still dressed in her banquet attire.
She had clearly rushed here without stopping home first.
She must have been suspecting Kibon might be a spy...
Perhaps that's why relief flickered across her expression when she confirmed he was inside the residence.
"And this is cake... Obviously you won't be able to eat it if you're ill, but it's your birthday after all."
She pressed the cake box into his hands. Just when I thought she was finished, she pulled something else from her bag.
"This is your birthday gift."
"...Pardon?"
"I was going to give it to you at the banquet today, but I suppose I'm giving it to you now anyway."
Inside the small ribbon-wrapped box was a pen.
"You seemed bothered that I gave Victor Awin a pen, so I bought one for you. Though honestly, I've given pens to all my close friends. They're inexpensive and not burdensome."
My heart began to constrict.
Just now—had Namia Loapi, of all people, taken interest in someone else's feelings? And that someone was me?
Amid the overwhelming rush of joy, excitement, and every wonderful emotion in existence... an immense wave of guilt flooded through me.
"Happy birthday, Kibon. I should be going now."
I accepted the box containing the pen. It was when our fingertips barely brushed.
"Th-thank you..."
"Huh?"
The light in Namia Loapi's eyes shifted, as if she'd been about to leave.
"Hey... you..."
"...Yes?"
"Hey! Does this make sense? Good grief..."
Suddenly Namia Loapi's eyes widened, and she pressed her hand against my forehead without hesitation.
"Good grief, how high is your fever? What?"
"...What?"
In that instant, my vision spun. Dizziness washed over me and my body swayed. Namia Loapi quickly steadied me.
"If you're this ill, you should have gone to a hospital!"
She snatched the cake and stew from my hands, her voice sharp with alarm.
"I suspected you were quite sick given the last-minute cancellation, but not to this extent!"
I blinked blankly, trying to protest that I was fine, but my body felt heavy as cotton, and I swayed again. With my shoulder against hers, Namia Loapi spoke.
"Come inside. Where's your bedroom?"
Namia Loapi dragged him inside as if pulling him along. She swept her eyes across the cramped interior of the house and spoke with vigor.
"Wow, the place is so compact that the bed is right there. It's actually a lovely home!"
"...You're welcome to call it shabby."
My voice cracked as I spoke. Namia Loapi helped me to the only bedroom and practically threw me onto the bed. As she rummaged through the dresser, she found a thermometer and shoved it directly into my mouth.
"Mmph!"
"...Good heavens, 39 degrees? How long have you been like this?"
She gasped upon seeing the number.
I gasped as well. No—I'd never even caught a cold in my entire life. Where had this fever suddenly come from?
That was when a voice from the past suddenly flashed through my mind.
[Since this is an abnormal manifestation, aftereffects will definitely appear. If you don't want to suffer for several days, you must be careful.]
Earlier, I'd seen Victor and Namia Loapi together on the balcony, and jealousy had clouded my judgment.
They were tilting their glasses together so tenderly...
Victor even looked as though he were confessing to her. Unable to control my emotions, I'd destroyed part of the balcony.
'Is this the aftereffect?'
The fever burned fiercely and my voice grew hoarse. Namia Loapi looked at me with concern and asked urgently.
"You wanted to become my partner and go to the banquet no matter what, even though you weren't feeling well, didn't you? So you endured and endured until right before the banquet, but when it became clear you couldn't make it, you sent that note. And you've been here in this house the whole time, grieving with regret and sorrow, pain and anguish, haven't you?"
It was an excessively perceptive deduction.
Namia Loapi moved busily and placed a cool, damp cloth on my forehead.
"Don't you have any emergency medicine? Let's start with a fever reducer."
"Ah... no, it's fine. I don't need to take anything."
Then Namia Loapi smiled gently and spoke in a warm tone.
"I'll ask one last time. Will you take the medicine, or will you take the scolding?"
I answered quickly upon seeing that smile.
"The medicine is probably in the second drawer."
Namia Loapi opened the second drawer and was startled.
"Goodness, you have every kind of medicine here? So you didn't give me that much antacid for nothing? Did you perhaps major in pharmacy in the Imoet Kingdom?"
It was natural—this was a Crow Sanctuary where we had to hide our bodies and secretly treat ourselves...
She found the fever reducer among the medicines and gave it to me. Then she gazed at me quietly and asked.
"Did you go to the hospital?"
"Ah... no."
"I thought as much. If you regain some strength, let's go to the hospital right away."
"No. Well, I'll be fine after I get some rest. Minister, please go back now."
"Alright? Get some sleep first. I'll stay by your side until then."
"No, it would be better if you just left right away..."
"I can endure the discomfort. You've taken the fever reducer, so I'll just watch your temperature come down and then I'll leave."
Namia Loapi was unyielding. I spoke in my hoarse voice.
"The house is a mess. It will be uncomfortable for you. There probably won't even be warm water..."
"Wow, cold water is what you need to bring down a fever—perfect. It'll be convenient for changing the cloth."
She dragged a chair over and sat beside the bed as if she were about to seriously monitor my condition.
The chair, unused for so long, creaked. As I sighed, Namia Loapi smiled softly.
"Wow, it's like a rocking chair, and I love it. I've always wanted to have a rocking chair."
It was truly remarkable consideration. At the same time, the wind whistled through, and the window rattled back and forth.
"Wow, it's like experiencing Guigok Mountain Lodge. I've always wanted to visit a place like that."
Crown Prince Kiaros stared intently at Namia Loapi as she checked the temperature of the wet towel.
Honestly, it was almost laughable that such a thing had happened because of what I saw between Victor and Namia.
'Well, at least I avoided suspicion of being a spy....'
It was an unexpected perfect crime.
To that extent... the moment I saw those two, heat rushed to my head.
[That girl's first priority was always me.]
Her time that I didn't know about. Another man claiming to have possessed that time.
Victor Awin—his name had grated on me even before he arrived.
I was dying to know what Namia thought of Victor. From what I could see on the surface, I had no way of knowing what Namia was actually thinking.
"Minister."
Namia Loapi had stated firmly that she wouldn't answer personal questions during work. But this wasn't work time now.
Whether the fever reducer had some sedative in it, my mind felt slightly hazy.
Leaning into that haziness, I asked Namia.
"Minister, what is your relationship with Team Leader Victor Awin...?"
Namia had definitely said 'no' on the balcony.
But that answer wasn't enough. Throughout the banquet today, Namia seemed troubled.
Was she so upset because Victor might be a spy?
If she rejected him because Victor might be a spy....
"Or rather, what was your relationship?"
"What?"
"Team Leader Victor told me this. That he had always been your first priority for a long time."
Then Namia, who had been looking at me, let out a soft laugh.
Then, as if exasperated, she rested her chin on her hand and asked. In her eyes, rare curiosity gleamed.
"Did Victor drag you away that day and tell you that?"
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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