Chapter 67
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: 17. Cold and Fever (4)
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Fortunately, Neria finished getting ready to leave after saying that.
I'd been agonizing over what to do if she kept chattering away beside me right up until I fell asleep—or worse, tried to slip under the covers. At least this was one less worry.
Even if I'm her high-speed charger, it looks like she wants to give me a chance to rest when I'm busy hacking up a lung.
What if it had been Lady Erzel who'd come instead of Neria? The thought flitted through my mind for a moment, but I quickly shelved it thanks to the fever.
"Take care on your way, Lady Neria."
"You take care of yourself, you idiot."
"Yes...."
Just moments ago, she'd been shyly showing off her study results, and now she was back to her usual self. How had she flipped so fast?
She fussed over me while nitpicking at the same time. Unpredictable girl.
Still, she seemed a bit quieter than before.
Sharing her personal tastes with someone else must've been more embarrassing than she'd let on.
I could totally relate.
Anyway, if what she'd just confessed was true...
Then Neria—of all people—secretly craved rough sex.
Had she developed a taste for it after trying it out?
She hadn't explained the exact reason, but for me, who wanted to go wild with her, it was the best news possible.
I'd been holding back and adjusting for Neria's inexperience all this time. Now, I could cut loose a bit more, using her tastes as an excuse.
So, with a touch of petty revenge in mind, I wanted to grant her wish like a monkey's paw...
But was the fever medicine wearing off?
I felt like I was dying from this cold, so tonight was a pass.
All I could manage was dragging my heavy head to the door to see her off.
"I'm heading out. Get better soon."
With that, she straightened her pristine white coat and vanished from my sight.
She hadn't teleported like the Team Leader—just the stairs were right nearby.
Whatever the case, I hoped she didn't catch this cold from me.
Finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, I properly shut the door and shuffled back to the bedroom.
A quick check of the time showed that 90 whole minutes had vanished.
All I'd done today was eat the porridge Neria brought and chat a bit.
Time flies way too fast when I'm with her.
They say a busy day makes 24 hours feel painfully short. Spot on.
Not that I minded.
"Ugh...."
...I'd deal with those delivery containers I'd seen earlier when I got up for dinner. Or maybe tomorrow.
Decision made, I collapsed powerlessly onto my bed.
I slept like the dead, waking up without the alarm's help.
Sometimes, you end up in that weird liminal space between dream and reality.
I vaguely knew I'd woken up, yet I was still savoring the fading dream with my eyes closed... Something like that.
Pulling myself out of it on willpower alone wasn't easy.
Why force myself up when I was having such a good time in the dream?
Better to ride it out until the dream fully dissolved.
And the spot was perfect: the cozy, toasty warmth of winter blankets.
Hard to find paradise like this.
If my body allowed it, I could live under the covers forever.
But even so...
There was one surefire cure for someone 'deep in the throes of oversleeping.'
"......?"
A delicious food scent wafted past my half-awake nose.
Soy sauce... something like that...
"...What?"
That wasn't the point.
Forget guessing the seasoning—the real question was why my house, lived in alone for years, suddenly smelled like cooking.
I rustled out from under the covers and got out of bed.
Luckily, bundling up half the day had worked wonders; the fever had broken quite a bit.
Body still felt a little sluggish, but no problem moving around.
After catching my breath, I stepped out of the bedroom, a tad tense.
Hey, there was that slim 1% chance it'd be a burglar who just happened to love cooking.
"Oh, you're up?"
"...Team Leader."
Thankfully, reality was the other 99%.
The Team Leader, who could teleport anytime, had graciously come all the way to my place.
She flashed her usual beaming smile and held up a ladle toward me.
...Speaking of which, that apron she was wearing—I'd totally forgotten I even owned it.
No idea how she'd dug it up.
"How's the pain? Still rough?"
"Much better now. It was bad until midday, but after sleeping, I'm okay."
"Good to hear. Still, you know you have to take all the meds, right? They’ve got painkillers in them."
"Yes. Planning to finish the three-day dose."
"Perfect~."
"......"
She whispered the last reply half to herself, then turned back to the food simmering on the stove.
A big pot over high heat. Bubbling sounds. Add them up: soup.
Factor in the scent: seaweed soup, probably.
I sidled up next to her.
"We didn't have any seaweed left at home. Did you bring it yourself?"
"Of course. Now I’ve got a debt of a few hundred won thanks to you."
"No beef either, surely..."
"I had some at home. Just stir-fried a bit and tossed it in."
'A bit' was generous. Exaggerating a touch, it was basically beef soup with seaweed garnish.
Besides, the Team Leader didn't seem like she was rolling in money.
Did I even deserve this kindness?
"It's fine—I'm planning to extract way more protein from you anyway, Dowon."
"......"
Guess I did.
I instantly got it and took a step sideways.
"Kidding, kidding. You didn't think I'd really milk that much out of you, did you? Gotta prioritize the apprentice witches first."
"...Right."
"Plus, I'm eating too. Seaweed soup's good for cold patients and new moms, they say."
"New moms...? ...Oh."
That kind of joke.
Realizing why she'd chosen seaweed soup, I took another step away.
Not that it mattered—the first step hadn't helped either, since she just closed the gap right after.
"By the way, did Neria say anything when you told her you'd called in sick today? That porridge over there—was that from her?"
"Yeah, she ordered it. Told me to eat it."
"Oho... You're really in her good graces, huh? Well, seeing a haughty apprentice witch so obediently taking it says it all."
"......"
"Bet she's bummed about missing today's sex schedule."
After a short laugh, the Team Leader took a small step toward me this time.
Close enough that our shoulders nearly brushed.
We'd already pounded away plenty, so shoulders were nothing.
Anyway.
"Whoa, no way? You two did it again today?"
"No. ...Can't risk spreading the cold, and with this fever, where would I even get the energy?"
"Still, there's that saying, right? A guy's good to go as long as he can lift a spoon!"
"...It's just a figure of speech. When you're sick, appetite and libido both tank."
"Hmm. Really? I used to masturbate like crazy even when I was sick and resting."
"......"
Info I never asked for but would stick with me forever.
With that, her shoulder softly brushed mine.
"What do you think? Does hearing that turn guys on? Or does it kill the mood?"
"...No idea. Depends on the person."
"Just tell me your take. That's all I need."
"......"
"Well?"
"...A little, I guess..."
"A little turned on? Heh heh heh..."
I'd thought her dirty jokes were bold before, but crossing that line once had cranked the intensity up even more.
At this rate, the dignity in 'Team Leader' was starting to feel off, but Eve seemed unconcerned with such things.
She just giggled like a schoolgirl and fanned her cheeks.
Right then, a soft chime rang from the rice cooker, signaling the rice was done.
Perfect white rice ready—time to fluff it up.
Couldn't ask a guest to do that, so I moved first.
"Seaweed soup's almost ready too. How about we eat now?"
Music to my ears.
I agreed, and she ladled out bowls of soup onto the table.
My job: serving the steaming rice with care.
...Felt almost like a newlywed couple as I sat down.
"Thanks for the meal."
I offered a quick grace.
The more comfortable we got, the more polite I needed to be.
I sipped a spoonful of broth.
"......"
"How is it? Followed an online recipe."
I held off on answering.
Luckily, glossy rice was right there beside it.
I scooped a big spoonful, steaming hot, chewed thoroughly, then picked out just seaweed and beef bits with chopsticks—unlike before.
"...It's good."
"Oh! Then I'll have some too..."
I'd need to add water to the pot later.
I swallowed the fact she'd soon discover, keeping it to myself.
"Cough... cough...!!"
"......"
"Hey, Nam Dowon... This is your fault, damn it..."
"...Sigh."