TMLLT 19

Chapter 19

Why Did You Come?

“Are you okay?”

When I opened my eyes, in the dim room, Royce was looking down at me with startled eyes.

Our gazes met.

‘Royce?’

I blinked, trying to process what was happening.

Still holding me, Royce raised one hand to place it on my forehead.

“You… your fever…”

Royce looked somehow angry.

“Senior…”

My voice trembled from the fever.

Why was he here all of a sudden?

I blinked again.

Was this still part of my dream?

But it wasn’t.

“Why did you come?”

“How could I not come?”

“Then what about the concert?”

“Why would I watch that alone.”

There was a sigh mixed in his voice. Was he sad about missing it?

Still holding me as I lay there, Royce carefully helped me sit up.

His arm supported my head, so I didn’t have to use any strength to sit.

He seemed about to do something else, but I crawled back onto the bed myself.

Just crawling back onto the mattress made my entire body ache.

Lying down, I turned to look at him. Royce was reaching out, as if performing some ritual.

But I didn’t even have the energy to wonder what he was doing.

My body just hurt too much.

Royce soon stood up and placed the back of his hand on my forehead.

“Your fever is so high. Did you take any medicine?”

“No.”

I hadn’t expected to get this sick. By the time I realized I needed medicine, I wasn’t in any state to go out and get it.

“Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere…”

Even with such a high fever, my body felt freezing. It was almost amusing.

Royce left the room and returned with a cold, damp towel.

He placed it gently on my forehead, then began opening a black leather bag.

‘What is that?’

He pulled out a mountain of items onto the table.

Looking closer, they were all medicines.

“Am I in a pharmacy right now?”

“Yeah. I set one up just for you.”

“Hearing you say it makes it sound real.”

“Here it is. Fever reducer… body ache pills…”

Royce rummaged through the pile and selected a few.

Were these from his home? Or did he buy them?

Even now, it didn’t feel real that he was here.

Royce came to the bedside and sat, meeting my eyes.

“Serdin.”

His expression as he looked down at me was complex.

It felt like he pitied me, but also that he was quietly observing.

“Why are you this sick.”

“It’s not like I want to be.”

“I’ll go make up your medicine.”

He briefly touched my cheek with the back of his hand, then stood up.

As he left the room, I lay there, exhaling hot, feverish breaths.

I shivered, pulling the blanket up around me.

From outside, I heard the sound of Royce preparing medicine, clinking and rustling.

Lying with my head buried in the pillow, I just listened to those sounds.

Like listening to white noise, it strangely calmed me.

Even though my body hurt so much, my heart felt at peace. What a strange feeling that was.

Soon, Royce returned with the medicine dissolved in water.

It looked exactly like poison.

“Drink it.”

It even smelled like poison, so I instinctively pulled my head back.

“Don’t you have strawberry-flavored medicine…?”

“There’s pumpkin flavor.”

Royce placed the bowl on the side table and rummaged through his medicines again.

I thought he was joking, but he really looked like he’d find pumpkin medicine, so I shut my eyes tightly and picked up the poison-like medicine.

“Give it here.”

My whole body was shivering, and so were my hands.

Royce took the cup from my trembling hands.

“It’s okay.”

“No, I’m not okay.”

He sat by my side and carefully held the cup to my lips.

It tasted like death.

Each sip burned my swollen throat.

“Ugh…”

When I started struggling to swallow, Royce paused at the perfect moment.

It felt like VIP treatment…

Then, suddenly, I wondered why he was even here, doing all this for me.

“Senior, can I ask you something?”

“You can ask two things.”

“Just one for now.”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you doing all this for me?”

Sure, we were training partners, and we shared quite a lot as friends.

But that didn’t mean this was normal.

“Doing what?”

“Setting up a pharmacy here, making me medicine.”

“You know why.”

“What do I know?”

“Serdin.”

Royce set the bowl down.

Then, warming my cold hands in his, he said:

“Because I want to do more for you than you expect from me.”

His eyes looked as serious and desperate as a headhunter making a job offer.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to lose you.”

Usually, he felt like just an easygoing friend…

But sometimes, he reminded me of his real purpose.

To properly raise me as a junior knight under him.

“Serdin, you need me too. You don’t want to lose me, right?”

“Well… yes.”

Of course, he wasn’t wrong.

He was a helpful mentor—and an even better friend.

But…

As I looked silently at Royce, he returned my gaze with earnest eyes.

He was clearly trying to scout me seriously for Elche Knight Order.

He probably assumed I would naturally join Elche.

Thinking about it made my head spin.

Originally, I had decided avoiding Elche was the only way to survive.

But then again… danger existed in every order.

‘No, Elche is still off-limits.’

What would Royce say if I told him I wouldn’t join?

‘He wouldn’t ask for everything back… right?’

Feeling guilty, I blurted out:

“Senior, I have something to tell you.”

My feverish voice came out weak.

Seeing me like that, Royce clasped my hand tightly with a look that said he’d listen to anything.

“Tell me. Anything.”

“I’m not going to Elche.”

His expression looked like he’d just been punched.

Well, it made sense… his plans were falling apart.

“Why?”

“Because you’re there.”

His face showed even more shock.

‘Was I too honest?’

Maybe he thought I was insane…

But the words were out already.

After thinking for a while, he finally spoke.

“I see… I guess that would be troubling for you.”

“You understand?”

“Of course. But what you’re worried about—it won’t happen.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you don’t want anyone to know, I’ll keep it hidden. And even if it’s revealed, I’ll make sure there’s never a problem for you.”

I had no idea what he thought my worries were about.

But as long as he “understood,” that was enough for now.

If my head were clearer, I would’ve pressed the issue more firmly.

But I could barely think straight.

‘He understands. Good enough!’

Royce gently caressed my cheek with a worried face.

“Why isn’t your fever going down.”

“I just took the medicine…”

Even modern medicine wouldn’t work instantly.

“Ah, open your mouth.”

“Ah.”

“Wider.”

When I opened my mouth wider, he checked my swollen throat.

“It’s really inflamed.”

“Yeah, it hurts…”

While I lay there, Royce told me stories about Elche and his own experiences.

I wasn’t planning to join Elche, but hearing real field stories was always interesting.

Even as my eyes grew heavy, I kept listening to his voice.

Suddenly, a question crossed my mind.

‘How did Royce even get in here?’

This wasn’t some place he could just walk by casually.

Then I remembered hearing a loud thud in my dream earlier.

‘No way…’

While he went out to get a fresh towel, I peeked into the common room.

A broken door lay scattered across the floor.

“…”

‘He’ll fix it later… right?’

After taking the medicine, sleepiness washed over me even more intensely.

My body still ached everywhere.

But being able to let the pain and drowsiness take over without resistance felt like a small relief.

“That day, at the masquerade party…”

I had been listening to Royce talking, but at some point, I fell asleep.

I drifted off so naturally into a deep sleep…

When I opened my eyes again, Royce was still sitting by my bedside.

‘He’s still here…’

Earlier, when I fell asleep alone, I had nightmares. But not this time.

This sleep was peaceful and deep, without any dreams.

I was still feverish and hazy, but somehow felt better.

“You’re awake? Hungry?”

“A little.”

“How’s the pain?”

“Still hurts.”

Royce gently helped me sit up.

He propped a pillow behind my back so I could lean comfortably, then brushed aside my fallen hair.

His hands were covered in calluses, yet they didn’t feel rough at all.

“Senior… why haven’t you left yet?”

“Did you want me to leave?”

“No, but… there’s no need for you to stay this long.”

“Don’t say that.”

His tone was firm, but there was a tenderness in it too.

It was a voice that sounded halfway between a command and a plea.