Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: A Little... A Little Better?
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The cold is a little... a little better?
Just a tiny bit improved.
Maybe because I really rested all day yesterday, but it's definitely gotten better.
At least lying still didn't make my head hurt anymore.
"Lize..."
"No."
"...You're so mean."
Even so, I was still stuck inside.
I'd only moved from the bed to a chair, after all.
"It's not like I'm hurting much anymore."
"You're not supposed to say that when you're still coughing nonstop."
"Ugh."
"You need to stay put a little longer, Young Lady. Especially when you're not feeling well..."
"I'm fine, I said..."
Honestly, I felt wronged.
I'm not even really sick...
Lize was treating me like a full-blown invalid, but she was casually hanging out in my room like it was nothing.
If I actually had a proper cold, shouldn't she be the one staying away...?
Sure, Lize is ridiculously healthy, but still...?
"Sometimes it feels like you see me as this total weakling!"
"I've never thought that."
"Then why won't you let me go outside even now?"
"...This can't be helped."
What am I, some virus...? Well, it is a cold, granted.
I was thinking Lize's worry was over the top, like every hour on the hour.
She was even more anxious than Rozalin.
"At least I'm better than yesterday, so that's good... Yesterday was really bad, you know? You wouldn't even let me sit in a chair."
"...It couldn't be helped."
"I was so bored. If I hadn't at least read some documents, I think I would've gone crazy."
"Sick people are supposed to stay lying down."
It felt like I was hearing the same thing over and over.
Of course, resting is best when you're sick, but personally, I'm not great at resting.
"Young Lady, here. Your medicine."
"...This is so bitter."
"...Medicine is supposed to be bitter."
"...True, but still."
It wasn't even strawberry-flavored—just pure, unadulterated bitterness.
Of course I wasn't thrilled about it.
But Lize kept glaring at me, insisting I drink it, so I had no choice.
It tasted awful... but if I didn't, it felt like she'd force it down my throat.
"Lize, this tastes awful..."
"Just chug it down quick."
"Eek..."
So, reluctantly, I gulped down the medicine from the bowl... all of it.
Ugh.
Completely awful.
Afterward, I stuck my tongue out for a bit.
...Why isn't there strawberry-flavored cold medicine, seriously?
Even in this fantasy world, people prefer sweet over bitter, just like anywhere else.
"Lize... candy, quick."
"Here."
Only after popping the candy from Lize's pocket did I feel a little better.
Seriously...
So awful.
"Yaaawn..."
"Are you sleepy?"
"Mm... tired."
"Then rest for a bit. Put your work aside."
"Hmm... maybe I will."
Truth be told, I was a little drowsy.
Maybe from lunch, the medicine, and still feeling under the weather.
I hadn't been napping much lately, but today...
"Lize?"
"...Young Lady."
"Come here for a sec."
Before I could even say what I wanted, Lize made this... tense face.
But I wasn't planning to back down.
"Lize, wanna nap together like old times?"
"...Young Lady."
"Oh, because of the cold...?"
I was thinking of lying in bed with her like we used to.
We hadn't done it much lately, but cuddling up with Lize in bed still happened occasionally.
Even after all these years, she still got embarrassed.
But it wasn't like we'd stopped completely.
"Lize, please...?"
"...At least change first. Sleeping in your shirt will wrinkle it."
"It's fine. A few wrinkles don't matter."
"...Young Lady."
Ignoring her protests, I climbed into bed.
Because Lize... can't handle insistence?
Well, not real insistence—just a request?
"Come on, Lize."
"...Haa."
"See? You're so sweet."
"Because you keep..."
She grumbled, but seeing her climb into bed anyway made me smile.
She's so cute, seriously.
"With the cold... facing each other might not be great today."
Even I didn't want to give it to her.
Well... no masks, and she'd been in my room the whole time, so maybe she already had it.
But... she seems fine so far?
Honestly, more than avoiding spreading it, I just craved hugging her like a pillow right now. That urge? Desire?
Something like that.
"Hee hee..."
"...Young Lady."
"What? Hate it? Uncomfortable?"
"...No."
So I started hugging her from behind.
That soft feeling, as always.
"Cough..."
"...Young Lady."
"Yeah?"
"...Cover up with the blanket."
"Huh?"
Lize suddenly slipped out of my arms and tucked me in.
...Just from one little cough?
No way...
"You still don't seem well. Sleep soundly for an hour."
"Lize?"
"I'll... step out."
"...Lize?"
And just like that, she fled the room.
Literally bolted out.
Right after hearing my cough.
In that situation, all I could do was...
"...Huh?"
Stare like an idiot.
"...She ran because of a cough?"
No matter how I thought about it... this wasn't right...?
Her face was red when she left, and her expression was off from usual, but this was too sudden.
For one cough? After all the stuff I usually do to her?
She'd been in my room the whole time while I had the cold...?
"...Is she mad...?"
*
After that, Lize was... just a little different from usual.
Even though my cold was clearly getting better.
"Lize."
"...No."
"Why?"
"...No."
She started refusing before I could even finish!
This wasn't like her at all, and now I was the one feeling guilty.
Normally, she didn't act reluctant or stubbornly refuse, but now she was so firm!
It was the first time she'd rejected me this hard, so I was really worried.
"By any chance, Lize... are you mad?"
"...Pardon?"
"No, lately you've just been... refusing everything."
"...It's not that."
"Then why do you keep avoiding me?"
"......"
Yeah, separate from preemptively refusing my suggestions, she was dodging me too.
She used to spend almost every hour in my room.
Not for any other reason—just because she was my exclusive maid, and I didn't assign her other tasks.
More like a companion.
But lately, she'd find excuses to leave the room, saying she had work or whatever.
So unlike her usual self.
"Lize, be honest with me. Please?"
Of course, I couldn't say I hadn't been pestering her...
We'd spent so much time together, and aside from us both being girls, I'd asked a lot of her.
"...If you're really mad, I'm sorry..."
Grabbing her hand, hugging her—that stuff was honestly... a bit like that.
Like a boss sexually harassing a subordinate...?
Not that we were boss and subordinate, but it felt similar.
"...Huh?"
"...No, really."
"Then why are you acting like this?"
"...I'm sorry."
"...Lize."
She kept dodging my questions.
If there was nothing bothering her, she'd have answered normally.
But now, it wasn't just shyness—she was deliberately avoiding my questions.
I knew her too well to miss that.
"Lize... if you keep this up, I won't have a choice."
"...?"
...Sorry, but no choice.
I hated this stuffy atmosphere.
It was my personality, and our current situation made it worse.
I absolutely hated this frustrating, heavy feeling.
"...Sorry."
I apologized first, then...
"Young Lady?"
"...Mm."
Pulled her straight onto the bed.
This pose... it's a little lewd.
"Lize."
"...Yes."
"Answer me honestly."
I straddled her as she lay on the bed and said that.
She's taller and stronger than me... but I climbed on top anyway.
I knew she'd never suddenly shove me off or hurt me.
"...If you don't answer, I'll never get off."
"Y-Young Lady... even so, this is..."
"Lize."
"What if someone opens the door, or Madam sees..."
"Lize."
"Young Lady..."
I kept cutting her off, calling her name, pressing her.
...I never meant to corner her like this.
Honestly, doing this to her was a little hard on me too.
She's not just anyone—teasing and threatening Lize like this made me feel bad.
I don't usually have much of a conscience, but with her, I couldn't help it.
"...Lize, are you really mad?"
"...No, it's not that."
"Then?"
"It's you, Young Lady."
"Me."
Her face flushed bright red.
Mad?
Or embarrassed?
Sure, the position was embarrassing in several ways, but we're both girls.
That's all it was for me.
If I were a guy like originally... this would've been seriously weird.
"...It's hard when you keep doing that, Young Lady."
"...Like what?"
Truth be told, my actions toward her were guilty enough already.
I didn't even need to ask.
"Holding my hand... trying to touch me..."
"...You hate that?"
"...It's not hate. It's just... hard."
"......."
Yeah, it had to be tough.
...Actually, maybe Lize was the amazing one for putting up with it this long.
I'd been doing it since I was little, and she'd never refused so firmly before.
"...Sorry."
"No. It's not your fault, Young Lady... It's mine."
"...Huh?"
What did she just say...?
...Huh?
"......What?"