Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Shared Suffering
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Lianus had Nihil check his condition one more time before preparing for his lessons. The class went off without a hitch, and he received plenty of praise.
Nihil was still playing the role of a scarecrow, clapping occasionally.
Once class ended and Olivia left, Lianus gazed out the window.
The weather's nice. Maybe I should suggest going horseback riding. After sleeping it off, his condition felt much improved. It might even be the best he'd felt in days.
"Nil, the weather's great. Want to go riding together?"
"No. You're not fully recovered yet."
"But look, I'm full of energy!"
Lianus said that and started hopping in place. The seaweed-like mark on his head flapped with each bounce.
"It's because I took your suffering in your place. Rest up thoroughly until tonight."
"...?"
Lianus paused mid-hop, tilting his head as he tried to process the words. A beat later, understanding dawned, and his face hardened.
"Suffering...? You mean the thing you did for the twins back in Sharton?"
"Yeah. My head hurts, my whole body aches, and my stomach's upset."
"...So right now, you're hurting in my place?"
"I'm just sharing the pain. My body's fine. I can't take the actual illness from you, so behave and rest."
Sir Evan, listening in, let out a deep sigh and rubbed his dry face. Lianus froze as if he'd been struck, then grabbed Nihil by both shoulders.
"Give it back!"
"What?"
"My suffering! I don't want you hurting in my place. So give it back!"
"No."
"Nil!"
"Rian, there's a simple way to stop me from hurting. Get better quick. Once your fever breaks, I'll give it back. So rest for now."
"But...!"
"It hurts, Rian."
"...!"
At those words, Lianus promptly shut his mouth.
His dear friend had no intention of giving back his suffering. The only thing he could do right now was rest deeply and recover fast.
Lianus fought back tears and forced his mouth open.
"Why... why'd you take it?"
His late nursemaid had always said she wanted to hurt in his place whenever he fell ill. But his friend had shown it through actions, not words. He was grateful, yet it stung.
"Because it was cute."
...Huh?
Lianus doubted his ears at the straightforward reply. Unlike his own grim expression, Nihil's eyes crinkled in a cheeky grin.
"The seal-stamping play was cute."
"...Uh-huh?"
"Think of it as a reward for your antics."
"Antics...? Seal-stamping play?"
Lianus racked his brain, wondering what exactly he'd done.
"D-did I do anything else weird?"
"Not really. Just marking your territory, sort of."
"Tell me properly!"
"... ."
"Sir Evan!"
When Nihil didn't seem inclined to answer, Lianus whipped his head toward Evan. Evan pondered how to explain, then brushed it off as no big deal.
But Lianus had seen it anyway.
The protruding belly of 'Robert Louis de Armand II,' who had forgotten to wipe off the seal, and the faint traces still lingering on the butler's face—he who had subtly wanted to brag about receiving three seals.
"Nya~a~a~a~aang!"
Evan watched the kitten-like prince scramble onto the bed, kicking at the covers in a frenzy, and offered what he thought was comfort.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. It was... very cute."
Lianus thought to himself that he might just die of embarrassment.
"Nil, are you really okay?"
Lianus, still mortified, lay in bed with just his eyes peeking out. He was worried about his friend who had taken his suffering.
He himself fell ill two or three times a month without fail, bedridden each time.
But Nihil just shrugged like it was nothing and patted Lianus's chest.
"I'm pretty numb to pain, so this much doesn't faze me."
"But whenever I get sick, it hurts so much."
Lianus said that, then timidly added as if afraid it sounded like an excuse.
"...It's not a lie. It really hurt."
"I know. That's why I gave you medicine ahead of time and paid extra attention to the herbs. Even if I gave your suffering back now, it wouldn't hurt as bad as before."
"Then just give it back."
"Rian, let me handle this much. Besides, it'll be easier for you to recover with me holding onto it. Once you're all better, we can go riding or have a picnic."
"Yeah... I'll get better soon."
"Good. Want me to read you a fairy tale?"
"Yeah!"
Lianus decided that since this was how it was, he'd just relax. That way, he'd recover faster.
And fairy tales were always fun. Nihil's voice was calm and clear, soothing his mind just by listening. The patting hand, the occasional stroking—all of it felt good.
Lianus caught Nihil's hand as it went to stroke his hair and pressed it to his cheek with a smile.
"Your hand feels really cool."
"That's because you have a fever."
"Do I?"
"Pretty high one. Rian, let's take a bit more fever medicine."
"Mmm... ."
Lianus didn't really want to, but he knew Nihil would hurt more if he didn't, so he swallowed it without complaint.
He wanted to recover quick and go on a flower-viewing outing with his friend. The weather wasn't fully warm yet, but they could see plum blossoms or magnolias.
After giving Lianus the medicine, Nihil set the fairy tale book on the nightstand.
"You should get some sleep after all."
Lianus lay back obediently, beaming.
"Then sing me a lullaby."
"Won't that wake you up?"
"Uuuunh, sing it."
"Fine, close your eyes, Rian. They're way too bright."
"Okay!"
Lianus grinned widely and squeezed his eyes shut. Even though Nihil could have refused, he sang the lullaby without hesitation.
The language was still unintelligible, but the gentle melody and serene tone eased his heart.
And, surprisingly, Lianus fell asleep just like that—and didn't wake until the next morning.
"He's asleep."
Sir Evan, who had been standing guard nearby, approached quietly. Listening to Nihil read the fairy tale and then the lullaby had made him drowsy too.
"Puppy, get some ice."
"Ice? Why?"
A bit annoyed, Evan yawned long and replied sullenly.
Nihil gently laid the soundly sleeping Lianus on his side and continued.
"His condition's worse than I thought. The fever keeps rising."
"...This is insane."
"There should be a heat stone stove in the drawing room. Bring that too."
Evan felt the last of his sleepiness vanish as he fetched the ice and stove.
By the time he returned to the bedroom, the prince was unconscious and vomiting something up, with Nihil cleaning it.
"Puppy, don't just stand there—help."
Nihil said calmly to the rigid Evan. Watching him handle it so adeptly, as if he'd expected this, Evan felt both reassured and strangely unsettled.
"Should I call the maids?"
"No. Better if no one knows about Rian's state while I'm making unofficial medicine."
"...Is His Highness okay?"
"Has this never happened before?"
"... ."
No, it had. Frequently. Fevers raging, vomiting, unable to lift a finger, bedridden for days.
He'd vomit up every dose of medicine, and when forced to take more, vomit again. The cycle repeated.
Tears from the high fever, weeping from the bitterness of endless medicine.
That had been the prince's daily life.
To Evan, what had seemed routine just days ago now felt like ancient history, unreal.
"Don't worry. It's not life-threatening. Grab a wet cloth over there."
Evan bustled about at Nihil's direction, then glanced at the prince, lying peacefully asleep.
Apart from his slightly flushed face, he hardly looked like someone who'd just vomited.
"...He doesn't look sick."
"He isn't. Forgot? I'm the one with the suffering."
"...You okay?"
"Fine."
Evan narrowed his eyes and carefully brushed back Nihil's bangs.
The impassive face gave nothing away as usual, but beads of cold sweat dotted his forehead.
Damn lynx. Always lying through his teeth.
"Don't lie."
"Stop barking and light the heat stone stove. Put a kettle on top."
"Didn't you say you were taking His Highness's suffering?"
"So what?"
"Is your body okay?"
Nihil halted mid-motion and looked up at Evan steadily.
"What if it's not? You want me to give it back to your master?"
"... ."
Evan clamped his mouth shut and averted his gaze.
He liked the lynx, sure. But that was it. His master was the prince, always first priority.
As Evan bowed his head in guilt, a wet cloth flew at him.
"Puppy, wring this out."
Even as Evan stood dumbstruck, Nihil kept working busily alone. It reminded him of the day Nihil first entered the palace.
After things settled somewhat, Evan brought the kettle boiling furiously on the heat stone stove to the still-unresting Nihil.
He didn't know much about brewing tea, but he hoped the lynx would pause for a cup.
"Milk? Sugar?"
"No."
"Your tastes are like an old man's."
"Never was a kid to begin with."
"Getting bold about it now, huh."
"Kids always deny being kids, so this much is fine."
"... ."
Evan squinted suspiciously.
Getting more shameless by the day?
As he handed over the tea, Evan snuck a glance at Nihil's hand. The pierced palm had healed cleanly already.
"What medicine did you use to heal that so fast? Your constitution?"
"Constitution? Talk sense. I'm not a troll... ."
"I'd believe you were a snow-white troll."
White beasts had mystical powers, right? A troll that turned human wasn't impossible... .
Oblivious that he was thinking the same as His Majesty Sedes, Evan nodded to himself.
"...Not my type."
Nihil grumbled, "Honestly, aren't they kinda ugly?"
"Then what's your type?"
"Soft and warm. Fluffy's even better."
He poked the sleeping Lianus's cheek, then gulped down the tea Evan had brewed.
Evan eyed Nihil suspiciously.
"Knew you liked cute things... So how'd you heal your hand?"
"Used a potion."
"Potion? Where'd you get that?"
"The kid's dad slipped me one."
"Pfft—cough, hack hack!"
Evan had just brought the tea to his lips when he spat it out. Nihil shook his head pityingly.
Evan scrambled to clean up, squeezing his eyes shut.
"...Can't you do something about that nickname?"
"What else do you call a kid's dad?"
"No, you—sigh... Never mind."
He knew Nihil wasn't clueless about titles, so Evan gave up.
At least in His Majesty's presence, he called him "Father" instead of "kid's dad."
Lucky... right?
Evan tilted his head, unsure if it really was. Not getting arrested for lese majeste was lucky enough.
Though "Father" might be its own issue... .
Nihil sipped his tea watching Evan lost in thought. It wasn't bad, but no great shakes.
Someone knocked on the bedroom door then. From the presence, it was the butler and head maid.
"Come in."
They entered cautiously at his permission.
Nihil, perched on the edge of Lianus's bed, tilted his head.
"What is it?"
"A letter... arrived."
The butler's face was grim.
Clearly, the sender was no one pleasant.