Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Stay Put
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"Urk, uek-!"
"Damn it!"
Sir Evan spat curses as he stared at the pool of blood staining the floor bright red. The lynx was spewing out so much blood that it looked like he might actually die from blood loss.
"Y-You, are you okay…! No, what, what do we do…!"
"Ugh, don't make such a fuss. Just stay put right there."
Nihil shot Evan a narrow-eyed glare even while vomiting blood. He should've just obediently trailed after the little kitten's tail instead of sticking around...
"You think I can just sit here calmly?! There's so much blood…!"
"This is... stomach acid."
"That doesn't even make sense! Even if it is stomach acid, isn't that still a problem?!"
Evan was annoyed that the one vomiting blood seemed perfectly fine while he was the only one freaking out, but he turned to go fetch a physician. However, Nihil grabbed the hem of his pants.
"I threw it all up. You don't need to go."
"You still need treatment!"
"It's just some stagnant blood I coughed up. My body's fine."
"The fact that you even had stagnant blood means there's something wrong with your body!"
"...I'm all better now."
"Nonsense…!"
"Really. More importantly, doesn't your stomach feel off?"
"You think seeing a bit of blood would upset my stomach…?!"
Evan started to deny it but stopped when he realized his stomach did feel a little queasy. Truth be told, he'd felt a bit off since after lunch...
As he tilted his head, wondering if he'd always had such a weak stomach, the lynx spoke up.
"The medicine's kicking in. If you feel like throwing up, don't hold it back. Let it out."
"...What?"
"The residue."
"...Explain in detail."
Nihil casually fetched a towel and wiped up the blood he'd vomited while continuing.
"Didn't we say we were cleaning out your mana heart? Normally it takes a few days, but with the medicine, it'll probably get flushed out of your body soon."
"......You didn't say anything about that."
"You gulped it down without a second thought, and now you're complaining?"
"......"
"Careless fool."
Evan couldn't argue with that, so he sighed and snatched the towel from Nihil to wipe up the blood himself. He considered calling a servant, but explaining the situation would probably be more trouble, so he decided to handle the cleanup.
Evan grumbled through gritted teeth, irked for no reason.
"Stay... put... over there."
"......"
But the lynx crouched right beside him, staring intently at his face, completely ignoring the order.
"Argh, I said stay put!"
Annoyed by the unmoving lynx, Evan irritably waved his hand, and only then did the guy scoot back a little. Evan kept muttering complaints as he finished cleaning and tossed the blood-soaked towel into the trash can.
Thunk, clatter.
'Nice shot!'
Evan inwardly cheered at the clean shot, but the lynx gave him a pitiful look before approaching the trash can and pulling out the dirty towel.
Evan's eyebrow twitched upward.
"What are you doing?"
"...I can't just leave my blood like this."
With that, he took it and started hand-washing it. Evan stared dumbfounded at the absurdity until he noticed the small, pale hand turning red from the cold water, then finally snapped and snatched the towel away.
"Give me that!"
"......"
"Damn lynx! What the hell is this mess?!"
"......"
"Argh, just stay over there! Why are you sticking to me like this?!"
Evan strangely found Nihil glued right to his side and shoved him away with his foot. Then, seeing the blood-covered hands and sleeve, his anger flared again, and he grabbed Nihil by the scruff of the neck and hoisted him up.
Tucking Nihil under his arm, Evan roughly yanked off the annoying fabric, then started scrubbing his face and hands vigorously.
"You're supposed to be guarding, not babysitting!"
"......"
"Lower your head, you brat!"
Even while washing up, Evan pressed down on Nihil's head, who kept staring up at him stiff-necked. That's when he spotted the blood trail from the ear down along the jawline and froze.
'What... is this?'
Evan carefully wiped the bloodstain. It was clearly from the ear, already dried and stubborn. He'd missed it because Nihil had been wearing the cloth over it.
Come to think of it, when that monster or whatever let out that roar, Nihil had definitely covered one of his ears. And the guy's other hand had been holding something invisible.
Could he have been exposed to that roar on the other side, damaging his hearing?
"...Lynx."
Thankfully, the lynx lifted his head at the quiet call.
"About that monster earlier."
"What about it."
"You told me to cover my ears... that thing."
"Did you hit your head? Can't even speak straight."
Evan's temper flared.
"I should be the one asking that!"
The lynx's snappy retorts suggested his ear was perfectly fine.
Evan irritably resumed washing his face. The dried blood was stubborn, making him even more annoyed. After rinsing, he grabbed a fluffy towel and roughly dried the lynx's face. Noticing it turn bright red instantly, he eased up a bit.
"You don't have to be so gentle."
"Shut up, urk…!"
His stomach had been bothering him for a while now, and finally, he dry-heaved. What a ridiculous turn of events.
Nihil naturally placed a hand on Evan's back and patted it. Evan slapped it away, annoyed by the nonchalant touch.
"Don't pat my back! You damn lynx!"
"Don't hold it in. Let it out, like I said."
"Why'd you give me medicine like this in the first place?!"
"It was for your convenience, in my own way."
"Explain properly!"
He explained everything so gently to His Highness, so why treat me like this?!
As Evan vented his complaints, Nihil narrowed his eyes lazily but added an explanation.
"To fully expel the residue, you'd need time for fume baths and a strict diet of grasses. Plus, it'd smell the whole time the waste is coming out. So, I used medicine to gather and expel it quickly."
"......"
Evan quietly acquiesced; it made perfect sense.
"...Yeah, no time for fume baths. Can't be stinking up while guarding His Highness."
"Be honest. You just didn't want to eat grass."
"......"
Evan shut his mouth; he truly had no confidence in surviving on grass alone.
Finally, after puking up a black, foul-smelling lump, he was utterly drained. Guard duty be damned; he slumped on the sofa, and the lynx crawled onto his lap. He naturally checked Evan's pulse.
'Tired.'
He wasn't particularly curious if his heart was beating properly. An unnatural wave of fatigue washed over him, and Evan closed his eyes for a moment.
Sir Frederick's here, so I can report to His Highness and finally head out after so long. What to get as a gift this time? He seemed to really like that chick-shaped teapot. Oh, maybe a super fluffy stuffed doll.
As Evan dazedly pondered where to find a giant dog plushie, a sharp pain stabbed his back.
"......!"
Startled, he snapped his eyes open to see the parlor ceiling.
'Did I... fall asleep?'
The back pain had vanished like an illusion. Instead, rolling his eyes sideways revealed long, pale eyelashes. The lynx was sleeping with his head cradled against Evan's.
Evan lay there blankly for a moment before sitting up. Checking the time, it was just past 3 p.m. He'd thought it was only a moment, but 20 minutes had passed.
The lynx wasn't deeply asleep either and woke right after.
'Falling asleep dead to the world in His Highness's parlor, no matter how tired...'
Evan dry-washed his face, relieved His Highness hadn't returned yet. Then the lynx stepped on his thigh, straightened his hair, and spoke.
"Kitten's coming."
"......"
Evan had plenty to say but first pressed down the back of his head to smooth the cowlick. He couldn't let his baby kitten see him disheveled.
But when the door opened and a small head peeked in, Evan nearly lost his mind.
His baby kitten's eyes were puffy and swollen.
"Requiesra. A bit difficult, but... a fine name. Will that do?"
"Y-Yes! Please, that one."
Lianus nodded vigorously, then fidgeted bashfully before whispering.
"And... keep it a secret from Nil."
Lianus beamed. King Sedes smiled back at him and stroked his head again.
Then, thinking of the Allie baron father-son duo he'd hugged goodbye, he spoke up casually.
"Lianus."
"Yes."
"You like shrimp, right?"
"Y-Yes. How did you know?"
Lianus's eyes widened as he looked at Sedes. He'd never mentioned it before, nor had Sedes asked.
Sedes continued.
"But you particularly hate paprika?"
"W-Well, a little... I-It's not that I can't eat it."
"Your favorite book is a fairy tale about a witch and a hero..."
"Y-Yes..."
"I heard you didn't like this hair color much."
"...I did, but... now I like it. Nil... likes green."
Lianus fiddled with his bangs as he said it. Now that he thought about it, his dear friend seemed to like him even more than he liked himself.
"I like it too."
"......Pardon?"
Lianus's head shot up at the unexpected words. Sedes gave a gentle smile to the wide-eyed boy looking up at him and brushed his hair back.
"I really like that color, like a mix of your mother's golden hair and my dark blue."
"......"
"I like your eyes too—one emerald like your mother's, one gold like mine."
Lianus floundered at Sedes's ongoing confessions, his face flushing as he bowed his head and fidgeted with Sedes's hand.
Sedes chuckled lowly and spoke again.
"I... loved your mother, Natura, very much."
Lianus's small hands froze mid-fidget. Sedes gathered them in one of his own and held them tight.
"That's why I struggled even more when you were born."
"......"
"I... weighed your life against your mother's."
'You shouldn't have hesitated at all.'
The pale child's calm words had echoed in his mind ever since. At first, he hadn't understood. No, he'd grasped it immediately but kept denying it.
Sedes took a slow breath, trying to continue as nonchalantly as possible.
"My indecisiveness nearly cost both your lives."
"......"
"I heard it's because of me that you can't use mana."
"......"
"Ha, if I'd known, I wouldn't have agonized back then..."
Sedes trailed off lightly laughing, but warm droplets on his hand stopped him.
The child, lips pressed tight and head bowed, quickly wiped the tear from Sedes's hand—but more fell in its place.
Yes, he must resent this father. For being a half-elf's child... a consort's son... motherless... cursed with the Mana Curse... how much scorn had those labels brought?
This inept father could only hide him away without properly caring for him.
As Sedes opened his mouth to ask if he resented him,
"Do you... hate me?"
His lips closed again at the question.