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Chapter 44

At breakfast, Echor was nowhere to be seen, which was unusual. A maid served my meal instead.

Where did the butler go?

I was curious, but I didn’t bother to ask the maid.

Oh, I’m so excited! It’s been so long since I’ve gone out. And it’ll be my first time in Brunic.

Last time I tried to go there, the plan failed because of Kermen and the spirit fire.

What would Brunic be like? In the original novel, it was described as the largest port city, so my expectations were high.

I had already packed my things. All I had to do was bring my luggage downstairs and wait for Frederic to come down.

I wonder if he’s already prepared the carriage.

I was climbing the stone stairs when—

Oh? The butler?

Echor was hurrying down the stairs toward me.

“Miss, did you have a good breakfast? I have to excuse myself now—there’s an urgent matter the doctor requested my help with.”

The doctor? Is someone sick?

I wanted to ask, but he seemed so busy that I swallowed the question. Suddenly, Frederic’s pale face from yesterday came to mind.

No way… is it Frederic?

I stopped mid-step, then turned and headed toward the second floor, where his bedroom was.

When I reached his room, I heard voices inside.

“…Young Master…”

It was an unfamiliar male voice, older-sounding. I’d never heard it in this house before.

I knocked lightly.

Knock knock.

“Yes, come in,” the unfamiliar voice replied.

Frederic had never answered my knocks before.

Something really is going on.

I opened the door and saw a man who looked like a doctor and Frederic lying in bed.

His eyes were tightly shut, his body covered in cold sweat, and his face glistening with it too.

The doctor was pressing a stethoscope to his thin shirt, listening intently to his heartbeat.

“Ah… hello, I’m Delphine,” I greeted.

“Hello. I’m the Frederic family’s personal physician,” he replied politely while keeping his focus on Frederic’s heartbeat.

“You can come closer. It’s not contagious,” he added.

“Oh, okay.”

So… he really is sick.

Up close, Frederic looked even worse. In just one day, his face had hollowed out like someone who hadn’t eaten for days.

Is it even possible to get this bad overnight?

Just then, the doctor’s eyes widened in surprise as he listened through the stethoscope. He glanced between Frederic and me, looking baffled.

“How could this be? Is this even possible… hmm…” he muttered, then looked straight at me.

Uh… me? Why?

He spoke carefully.

“Miss Delphine, could you step back a bit?”

“Ah, sure.”

“A little more—perhaps to the doorway, please.”

“Alright.”

I stepped back to the door while he listened again with deep concentration.

“…Yes. Just as I thought.”

“…?”

The doctor turned to me.

“Miss, could you come closer again?”

“Yes.”

I did as he asked, standing next to the bed.

“…It’s confirmed,” he said, putting down his stethoscope and removing his glasses.

Just then, Echor came into the room.

“Doctor, I brought the holy water you asked for. Oh, Miss Delphine, you’re here too.”

He placed a glass bottle of holy water on the table.

The doctor looked between us and said,

“The Young Master isn’t sick.”

“What?”

The word slipped out automatically. How could he not be sick when he looked this bad?

“He’s not ill—he’s under a curse,” the doctor explained calmly.

“……!”

Echor stayed silent, but I couldn’t read the emotion behind his calm expression.

“A curse? Doctor?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s definitely a curse. I can’t say who cast it or how long it will last—that’s not my area of expertise.”

He continued, “But one thing is certain.”

The doctor looked me straight in the eyes.

“Your presence improves his condition.”

“…What do you mean?”

“When you’re near him, his heartbeat is normal, and his pulse and other vital signs improve significantly.”

Frederic groaned faintly, drawing all eyes to him.

“He’s regaining consciousness now—because you’re here,” the doctor added. “When you’re close, his awareness and physical functions return.”

“So… I’m like a protective charm against the curse?”

“Exactly. I don’t know why, but your proximity seems to ease his symptoms.”

My mind went blank. A curse? Frederic? And me? How did this all connect?

The doctor continued, “The important thing is that you need to be physically close to him.”

“How close?”

“From the bed to that door is too far. From here to that shelf—about three meters.”

Okay… that’s enough space for bathroom breaks. But still…

“So, until he’s cured, I have to stay within that distance?”

He nodded. “If you help by staying close, I’ll search for a specialist in this condition. Curses aren’t common in Shairo, but I’ve heard they’re more frequent in Brunic’s royal palace. I’ll reach out there.”

I nodded slowly. So basically, if I didn’t want him to die, I had to stay within three meters of him.

“Cough… cough!”

Frederic’s eyes slowly opened.

“Young Master!” the doctor, Echor, and I called at once.

He looked dazed at first, clearly confused by the situation.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone staring at me?”

“Young Master…”

He tried to sit up but couldn’t. The doctor gently pressed him back down.

“You should rest for now.”

“Echor, why is the doctor here?” Frederic asked.

The doctor explained about the curse, that there was no immediate cure, and that I needed to stay close to him.

“What do you mean Delphine has to be near me?”

The doctor adjusted his glasses and explained how my presence normalized his heartbeat and breathing. Frederic raised one eyebrow.

When the explanation ended, he frowned like it annoyed him.

“…Haa.”

The doctor said, “At least it’s fortunate you have Miss Delphine. Without her, you might have fallen into a coma.”

Frederic glanced at me, his eyes showing both irritation and a hint of relief.

“Alright, fine. Everyone out. I want to rest.”

“It’s best you rest as much as possible today,” the doctor advised, packing his tools.

Echor placed a chair beside the bed.

“I’ll prepare more furniture so Miss Delphine can rest comfortably.”

“Uh… wait,” I said, stopping them before they left. “Does this mean I have to sleep here too?”

They exchanged a surprised look.

The doctor replied carefully, “In your position, yes, it would be best. I know it’s uncomfortable, but it’s safest. Is that alright?”

I looked at Frederic. Even if he seemed better, he still looked pale. And besides, it wasn’t like he’d try anything.

Echor added, “If it’s too uncomfortable, we can look for another solution.”

“It’s fine. Just… find a cure quickly, Doctor.”

The doctor nodded firmly. “Rest well today. We’ll be going now.”

After they left, Frederic sat up against the headboard.

“Young Master, you should lie down.”

“It’s suffocating to just lie there. And don’t worry—I’m not interested in you no matter what you do.”

“I know.”

“…?”

“I said, I know. That’s why I agreed to stay. You’re sick, so stop talking nonsense and rest.”

“….”

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“How can you stand being so stuffy?” he asked quietly.

“What’s stuffy?”

“Today was supposed to be our trip to Brunic. You got bored of studying and whined about it, remember?”

“Young Master, just… stop. You’re sick, so stop saying weird things and rest.”