Hospital Visit (2)
Hospital Visit (2)
I had steeled myself and flung open the door, but the walk itself was short.
Hong Yeon-hwa, like me, hadn't accepted a separate house and was living in the dormitory.
The top-ranked student of each year could choose between a penthouse suite at the top of the dorm or a detached house, and Hong Yeon-hwa had taken the penthouse.
The dormitory buildings were arranged in a four-by-two grid, so it was only a few minutes' walk.
Close enough that I could cover it just by expanding my Spatial Perception. Hell, if I was really that worried about her, I could secretly check with Spatial Perception, but...
'That's a little...'
My conscience would prick me pretty hard.
Even now, I sometimes slipped up in controlling it and pulled in information from random places. My proficiency with Spatial Perception was still improving, and that still happened.
I'd left my own dorm and walked for maybe five minutes. I arrived at the main hall of Hong Yeon-hwa's dormitory.
I authenticated with my smartwatch and stepped inside. The exterior and facilities were identical to the dorm I lived in.
While I waited after pressing the elevator button, I ran into a few cadets and exchanged greetings.
Just as I was returning a greeting from someone who approached me first, the elevator arrived.
It didn't end there—I made small talk with the people I rode up with. Their attitudes were noticeably warmer than before.
'So proof really does make a difference, huh?'
A Special Admission Cadet.
The Headmaster had brought me in herself, so expectations for my potential were high, but because I was so obviously frail and disabled, people had plenty of doubts.
If I were them, I'd have thought the same. A hero's job is to push your body to the extreme, and on top of that, they brought in someone frail, blind, and mute...
Of course, my body had improved since then. My Spatial Perception had become so good that it'd prick my conscience for anyone to call me blind...
As for being mute... that was definitely a real problem. Communicating with holograms in an emergency was inconvenient in many ways.
And in the extremely unlikely event that I couldn't use the hologram, my communication ability would be completely blocked...
'This would be solved once I got the Confession Necklace, right?'
The Confession Necklace.
By the Association's standard grading, it was a mid-to-low-grade artifact, I think.
If you only looked at its ability to spill the wearer's inner thoughts, it was excellent for interrogation.
But because you could learn to control which thoughts it spilled, and because it imprinted on the first person to wear it, it was a practically useless artifact.
In the original story, the moment I found it, I immediately sold it at the auction house since it was useless. There were plenty of other good items; no reason to carry that thing around.
And besides that, there were many other ways to interrogate enemies.
But in my current situation, there was nothing I wanted more desperately than the Confession Necklace.
Inner-thought filtering and an imprint effect? Honestly, even better.
With my body in decent shape, a detection ability better than eyes, and a necklace that speaks for me...
If I just got that, I'd truly be reborn as someone who could plead disability—and then I could genuinely tell people I wasn't inconvenienced in the slightest.
- Ding!
Just as I was imagining that easy future, the elevator doors opened. Beyond them was a hallway laid with a red carpet.
Luxurious ornaments lined both sides of the hallway, giving off an atmosphere that discouraged casual touching.
I awkwardly eyed the decorations as I moved forward. Even the carpet was so high-end that I felt a little bad about walking on it.
Of course, the dormitory facilities on the floors below were also amazingly nice by my standards, but this place had crossed that line.
It was at a level where you'd believe me if I said it was some wealthy magnate's mansion. Even the ceramics placed there radiated an air of luxury that screamed they cost a fortune.
I crossed the hallway and stood before the door at the end.
The penthouse suite on the top floor. I let out a small sigh to relieve some of my tension and pressed the doorbell beside the door.
Now someone would be here soon—
- Whirr
"?"
The door opened almost the very moment I pressed the bell.
In the entrance stood a woman dressed in attire that didn't match the times. A maid uniform, was that what they called it?
"Hello. I am Eriel Tridan, entrusted with Miss Hong Yeon-hwa's protection."
Her half-lidded black eyes blinked once, then she bowed in greeting.
I bowed my head in return.
[Hello.]
"The Lady is inside. If it is not too presumptuous, may I take it upon myself to show you in?"
[Yes. Please do.]
"Yes, I shall escort you inside."
After an exchange that felt almost excessively polite, Eriel turned around.
As I followed her inside, I scanned her with Spatial Perception.
Black hair and black eyes. Half-lidded eyes and a maid uniform that seemed moderately modernized.
'Eriel Tridan.'
It was my first time seeing her in person, but I knew of her from my knowledge of the original story.
The woman serving as Hong Yeon-hwa's bodyguard and attendant, and in the original work, she was an essential character any time Hong Yeon-hwa was involved.
As you could tell by the fact that she guarded Hong Yeon-hwa—the heir to the Calamity Flame Family—she was a person of considerable skill in her own right.
I heard that during her active years, she had been a hunter who reached the top-grade.
In the 11th Iteration, when Hong Yeon-hwa stubbornly chased after me, it wasn't Hong Yeon-hwa but Eriel who handled the tracking and pursued me. That had been seriously irritating at the time.
"This is the room, young master."
The interior was so vast, it took only a moment of walking.
Eriel stopped right beside a certain door and bowed.
It seemed this was the room where Hong Yeon-hwa was. I nodded... huh?
[Young master?]
"Ah, a slip. Sir Lee Ha-yul. This way, please."
Eriel stated it was a mistake in a mechanical tone and opened the door.
'... ...'
This was somehow extremely deferential treatment.
I could tell from the feel of it. There had been a subtle sense of strangeness, something beyond just treating me as a guest, since earlier.
I wore an odd expression as I entered the room.
It was incredibly spacious inside.
All the furniture was of high-end design, and one entire wall was made of glass, letting in plenty of sunlight.
Hong Yeon-hwa was lying back against the headboard of a bed positioned to catch that sunlight.
She'd been glaring at a hologram with an uneasy look, but when she sensed the presence I deliberately made, she turned her head.
"Ah! You came!"
Her anxious expression brightened completely. Relieved by her open delight, I moved closer.
As I did, I used Spatial Perception to examine her condition in detail. Skipping her external body, I checked her internal mana state first.
'Hmm...'
Her mana was twisted and tangled in a chaotic mess. In that state, it would be a tremendous obstacle to wielding mana.
Physically, there seemed to be no major problems. Of course, if the mana issue worsened, it would affect her body too, but it wasn't at that level yet.
I approached at Hong Yeon-hwa's call.
I pulled a chair over, placed it beside the bed, and sat down. Looking her over, Hong Yeon-hwa didn't seem to be in terrible pain, so I felt a little relieved.
"Are you hurt anywhere? You were in pain when we first came out of the tower."
[As I texted you the other day, I have no particular problems. I'm more worried about you, Hong Yeon-hwa. Are you feeling alright?]
"Yeah. No need to worry at all. Nothing's really wrong besides just feeling a bit weak. It'll recover on its own in a few days."
I was honestly dumbfounded by Hong Yeon-hwa's first words.
She was the one lying in bed because she was too sick to come to the after-party, so I couldn't understand why she was worrying about me.
"How was the after-party yesterday? Did anything special happen?"
'Ah, so that's where this is going.'
Hong Yeon-hwa asked with a genuinely curious expression.
She must have had a lot of regrets about missing yesterday's after-party.
I nodded and quickly tapped at my smartwatch. I earnestly listed off what I'd experienced at the after-party.
It was an attempt to soothe her regret, even just a little.
How I'd felt odd stares when I first entered, how varied the food and drinks on the tables were, how spacious the banquet hall was with all its different facilities.
How I'd stood up because I didn't know the etiquette regarding the side tables and gotten swept away by the cadets.
How I'd been dazedly tossed around and then rescued by Baek A-rin...
"That dog—ahem! Baek A-rin didn't do anything bad to you, did she?"
[Anything bad?]
When I tilted my head and asked, Hong Yeon-hwa studied my face for a moment, then said it was nothing and turned away.
Like that, she'd throw out questions whenever something piqued her curiosity.
She asked especially many questions about Baek A-rin. So despite their bickering, I guess they really were close.
"Oh, right. I've been wondering, what's that?"
That question came just as I was nearly done talking about the after-party.
Hong Yeon-hwa pointed to the gift bag I'd placed on a nearby table. She acted nonchalant, but her eyes clearly held anticipation.
'Uh...'
My fingers, which had been quickly tapping away at the smartwatch, froze in place.
I hesitated for a moment, then pulled the gift bag into my arms and clutched it.
Calling it a get-well gift... felt all sorts of embarrassing.
That feeling grew stronger because of the luxurious facilities I'd seen coming here.
The artwork filling the hallway and the carpet that somehow looked elegant despite being a carpet.
The dormitory interior that might be better described as a plaza than a home, and furniture that gleamed and sparkled.
Hong Yeon-hwa's dorm, filled with luxury goods...
Compared to all those, the gift I'd brought was so shabby and insignificant.
"Hm? Hm? What is it?"
At Hong Yeon-hwa's voice, which sounded slightly excited, I gulped. Judging by the atmosphere, she'd already figured out what purpose I'd brought this for.
Could I even give her this? Would it be better to just say right now that there's no gift? No, those expectant eyes would be tinged with disappointment then. I absolutely don't want that. But if I gave her something this shabby, she seems likely to be disappointed too...
In a split second, dozens of questions and answers flew through my mind. I was even amazed that my thoughts could race this fast.
'... ...'
Her expectant gaze pierced right through me. My body moved on its own. With trembling hands, I tentatively held out the gift.
The hologram displayed a sentence I'd copied beforehand.
[It's a get-well gift.]
"Wow! Thank you so much...! I'll treasure it!"
The anticipation she'd been subtly hiding burst wide open. Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes sparkled as she reached out her hand.
I unconsciously tightened my grip as she tried to take the gift, but the physical strength difference between me and Hong Yeon-hwa was overwhelming. The gift was helplessly taken by Hong Yeon-hwa.
A sigh nearly escaped my empty hands, but I swallowed it back. A habit to guard against the Curse of Silence was settling in now.
"Can I open it now?"
[Yes.]
No sooner had I answered than Hong Yeon-hwa's hands moved. Though she seemed hurried, her fingers were careful with each piece of wrapping paper, gradually undoing the packaging.
My heart swelled at how preciously she handled my gift, but at the same time, it pounded as if it might burst at the thought that those expectations could turn to disappointment.
Soon, the gift was unwrapped.
Amid my pounding heart, the contents of the gift slipped out into Hong Yeon-hwa's hands.
A long bundle of red yarn unfurled over the blanket.
"A scarf?"
Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes took in the gift.
The gift was a scarf. A solid red scarf with no special decoration whatsoever.
[I heard that regulating body temperature is important for a Calamity Flame user.]
The body of one who possesses Calamity Flame is specialized for fire. The body grows to contain fire energy well, and their mana takes on the properties of fire.
Thus, Calamity Flame possessors generally have very high body temperatures. But their temperature isn't high at all times.
Like Hong Yeon-hwa now, there are times when their body temperature plummets for various reasons.
It could be compared to a desert that's hot in the day but cold at night.
I'd heard that once a Calamity Flame user's body temperature drops, it sometimes falls without end.
Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes blinked once. She'd been absently fiddling with the scarf, and now she turned her eyes toward me.
I swallowed dryly and waited for her answer.
Within the information I sensed through Spatial Perception, I focused, my mind filling with concern about what she would say next.
"I really, truly appreciate this...! I'll treasure it dearly!"
At Hong Yeon-hwa's voice, which even carried emotion, my heart pounded. It was a beat born of joy, not nerves.
As I felt relieved, Hong Yeon-hwa began happily examining the scarf this way and that.
I carefully checked whether she might be acting to spare my feelings, but she didn't seem to be faking it.
'What a relief...'
My anxious heart grew warm. So this is why people give gifts, I thought. Seeing the person receiving it so happy made me incredibly glad too, and a smile crept onto my face.
"It's really, really soft... Where did you buy this?"
Hong Yeon-hwa, who'd been fiddling with the scarf and checking its texture, asked with admiration. She seemed to like the feel of it in her hands.
I had paid a lot of attention to the texture. I hadn't slept a wink last night because of it.
I took a sip of the drink Eriel had brought me earlier, then tapped on my smartwatch.
[I made it.]
"Aha. Ha-yul made—what did you say?"
Hong Yeon-hwa, who'd been speaking in a casual tone, whipped her head around. I flinched at her wide, round eyes.
Wondering if I'd said something wrong, I checked the hologram. There was nothing particularly wrong with it.
Wondering if it might look different from Hong Yeon-hwa's point of view, I tapped the smartwatch again.
[I made it.]
"......"
This time, no reply came.
She just stared at me with a blank look.
...Why is she like that?