Chapter 24 - 24

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"Ugh, ugh."

"What's wrong, Countess? Are you okay?"

I barely managed to nod to Susan, who was pacing anxiously.

No, actually, I'm not okay. I feel like I'm dying...

Less than an hour after returning from the Lemut territory, I got a stomach ache.

Next to Susan, Anna and Bess were each holding wet towels and water glasses, looking helpless.

Last time they nursed me through a body ache, and now I'm troubled by a stomach ache.

'Ugh, just when I thought my luck was turning...'

Is this the price for successfully having a conversation with my fiance? Is it something like that?

I know life has its ups and downs, but isn't this too much? I grumbled inwardly.

Soon, the physician I had been waiting for arrived.

The elderly physician, sweating under my fierce gaze due to the pain, proceeded with the examination.

"Well, ahem, C-Countess, what did you eat today?"

"I... all day, I only ate wild berries..."

Then the physician's wrinkled eyes widened significantly. He then hurriedly prescribed me some medicine.

He said the wild berries were probably the problem, and after finishing all prescriptions, he disappeared from the room almost in a run.

Since Charlize had tormented him a lot before with hangovers, I understood his reaction.

'Ugh, the berries were the problem? They were so tasty...'

No, can luck be this bad?

"I don't like being sick..."

As I was muttering and frowning fiercely, someone near the door gulped.

Turning around, two escort knights were staring at me with pale faces, then averted their gaze.

Strangely, they seemed more nervous even though it was me who was sick.

'Ah, Charlize must have taken her anger out on them too when she was sick.'

Charlize couldn't stand pain, whether from a hangover or a mild headache, and would vent her irritation on those around her.

Of course, I had no intention of doing that and just lay down because I had no energy.

Charlize's energy to be irritable even while sick is truly amazing. Ah, I'm dying...

It would be nice to have a healing mage at times like this.

The one who stayed at our house went on a long business trip. So unfortunate.

Meanwhile, the escort knights had left through the door. Where did they go?

They are people who quietly stay behind me unless I order them to leave, so I suddenly got curious, but soon it was forgotten due to the pain.

"Countess... Here's your medicine. If you take it and sleep a bit, you might feel better."

"Uh..."

Too weak to even say thank you, I closed my eyes.

How long did I sleep like that?

I opened my eyes.

'Hmm, how much time has passed?'

Judging by the sky, it didn't seem like very long.

As I groggily tried to sit up, I saw the maids' faces.

"Oh, C-Countess. You're awake?"

"Are you okay?"

But why.

'Why are their expressions like that?'

I nodded slightly and brushed my hair back.

The medicine must have been effective because I felt much better than before sleeping. Feeling comfortable, I looked around.

"I'm fine."

Nothing seems different, but their expressions are strange.

I tilted my head.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, well..."

The maids looked at each other, then Susan stepped forward.

"The escort knights are waiting outside. They said they absolutely need to see you as soon as you wake up."

"What? Then they should just come in and wait."

Were they waiting outside because they didn't want to wake me?

"Well, that is... the escort knights brought children with them."

"Children?"

I tilted my head. Susan asked if I could let the knights in, and I nodded.

Soon the door opened, and the two escort knights I had seen before entering. And in their hands, they dragged two frightened children with them.

'Those kids... they're the ones who gave me the wild berries, right?'

Familiar faces.

There were three then, but the smallest one wasn't brought; there were only two.

Why did the knights bring those kids? After looking closely, I realized immediately.

Could it be they brought the kids because they were afraid I'd take my anger out on them?

Charlize became irritable when she was sick, and the people around her bore the brunt.

Naturally, the escort knights were also major victims of her tyranny.

'I can't believe they would use children as shields to avoid my anger.'

I couldn't control my expression and frowned.

'...Where do I even start to fix this?'

Among those knights, the handsome one named Jet, who had carried me, wasn't there.

They were just familiar faces. Seeing them looking at me for approval, as if they had done well, made me angry.

"Countess, we have caught the despicable children who dared to give you a stomach ache!"

"Please, punish them!"

"..."

When I didn't answer, the knights looked at each other and sweated even more.

They seemed to think I was very angry. Right, I am angry. Angry that they brought those kids without me asking.

"...When did I tell you to bring those little brats?"

"P-Pardon? B-but Countess, the wild ber..."

"Do you move even when I don't command you?"

"..."

"Will you keep moving on your own from now on?"

"..."

The knights, who had been hesitating, quickly bowed their heads.

"We're sorry!"

"We just... wanted to catch those who dared to make the Countess sick..."

"I don't need excuses. Lift your heads."

At my cold voice, the knights hesitantly raised their heads, looking awkward for their large stature.

They were shrunken under my gaze. I told them to leave, and the knights promptly ran away as if they'd been waiting.

'I'm starting to wonder what criteria Grandfather used to assign them.'

Are they people with definite skills but lacking in tact?

Or have they become overly clever due to excessive fear? Either way, it must be Charlize's karma.

I sighed deeply and rested my chin on my hand.

What remained were the children the knights had left behind.

The children couldn't even look at me and were trembling, staring at the floor.

They were ordinary, bright-smiling children when they gave me the wild berries.

"Susan, I need to change my clothes."

I felt uncomfortable because I had sweated while sleeping.

"Take these kids to the reception room. And prepare the snacks I eat."

Charlize liked sweet desserts. Since this residence always had desserts prepared for her taste, it wasn't a difficult order.

Besides, there were candies left in my room to cleanse my palate after taking the medicine.

I got up and placed a candy in each child's hand.

"Don't tremble, eat this."

The children's eyes trembled slightly.

They looked back and forth between the candy and me, then when I nodded, they carefully clutched the candy.

"Th-thank you."

"Thank you...! Hiccup."

The maids soothed the children and took them away. I changed clothes and came out.

And then I entered the reception room.

The children were sitting in front of a table laden with snacks, but strangely, the snacks were untouched.

Rather, the children were holding the candies I gave them, frozen stiff.

'What is it?'

I adjusted the shawl on my shoulder and sat across from the children.

As soon as I sat down, the children jumped up.

I thought their expressions had relaxed when I gave them the candy, but what happened?

"Why didn't you eat the snacks? Don't you like them?"

"...Th-that..."

"Don't tremble. You didn't do anything wrong, did you?"

At my words, the children looked at each other, and then their large eyes welled up with tears.

The girl couldn't hold it in and started sobbing.

"...Why did you wait without eating the snacks?"

The boy hesitated and spoke.

"Th-the knights said, in front of the Countess, we shouldn't do anything and just stand s-still. If we don't, they said we wouldn't s-see mom and dad again..."

Crazy. I inwardly cursed. What kind of threat is that to children?

As soon as he finished, the boy also burst into tears, perhaps feeling anguished.

I looked at the children with a troubled expression.

I tried my best to soothe them by giving them more snacks, but the children were still terrified, tears dripping down.

'Oh dear, you kids are having a hard time because of the villainess.'

Still troubled, I looked around the reception room and my gaze landed on one spot.

The spot was a display cabinet. I jumped up, approached it, grabbed some ornaments, and put one in each child's hand.

"Here, look at this. It's very expensive."

I held a similar ornament in my own hand.

This was a magic ornament. When I turned on the switch on its base, a vision of butterflies appeared and fluttered around me.

The children stopped crying and gasped in admiration.

'Good, it worked.'

I placed the ornament on the table and showed them how to turn it on, pointing to the ones they had.

From the girl's ornament, a pure white rabbit popped out and hopped around.

From the boy's ornament, a large jaguar appeared and yawned lazily.

Oh, it looks so real. I also found it fascinating, as it was an object I only knew from Charlize's memory.

"If you don't cry anymore, I'll give these to you."

"R-really?"

"Yes. I don't like children crying."

When I spoke proudly, the children quickly wiped their tears.

Then they hugged the ornaments to their chests, glancing at me. I suppressed a smile and nodded. Yes, they're yours.

That's when the children's expressions brightened.