SHC65_ARCHIVE_CHAPTER 65 Good Medicine is Often Bitter

 

CHAPTEDR 65:

Good Medicine is Often Bitter

 

So, as I was getting closer to the bed and spending time with Hyourin-sama, there came a knock at the door.

It wasn’t Lara who came in; it was Utsunomiya-san.

‘Young master, may I come in?’

"Ah, yes, you can, but... please be careful. You might catch my cold..."

‘You mean I shouldn’t get too close?’

"Yes, that’s probably best..."

After I responded to the call from outside, I could hear some rustling, and when the door suddenly swung open, a little golden-haired chick was squirming while being held by the back of his neck.

“Talk to me! Utsunomiya, talk to me!”

“No, you can’t! If you let go, Regulus-sama will jump on the young master. What if your cold gets passed on to him?”

“Ugh! Pick me up! Ni-ni, pick me up!”

Today, he’s unusually spoiled and clingy.

Usually, a simple "No" makes him quiet down.

 

I tilted my head in confusion when a chill suddenly filled the room, and Hyourin-sama sat down on the bed. At that moment, Regulus-kun's eyes widened, and he began wriggling again.

‘Your younger brother seems to sense my presence.’

The voice, which seemed to resonate directly in my head, startled me.

Hyourin-sama had said that usually people couldn't see them, but perhaps Regulus-kun could.

It seemed Hyourin-sama had read my thoughts, as they gently shook their head.

‘He doesn’t see me. He’s simply aware of the presence of something unusual nearby.’

I see.

I couldn’t express my thoughts aloud, so I simply spread my arms in response to the chick’s request.

At the sign of "Come here," Regulus-kun toddled over and climbed onto the bed.

Then, with a soft chuckle, Hyourin-sama stood up.

‘I think it’s time to leave for today.’

I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.

I mentally responded, and Hyourin-sama turned their cloak and disappeared into the shadows in the corner of the room.

Regulus-kun, who had been staring in the direction Hyourin-sama had gone, suddenly clung to me tightly.

 

Perhaps, when his mother passed away, Regulus-kun also felt Hyourin-sama’s presence, which might be why he’s feeling a bit anxious now.

As I hugged him tightly, Utsunomiya-san bowed apologetically.

‘I’m sorry. Utsunomiya needs to clean Regulus-sama’s room now…’

"Ah, yes. Please go ahead. Regulus-kun will stay quietly with me for now."

"Mm… no, I mean, yes! I’ve brought Regulus’ medicine!"

Regulus-kun’s face lit up with a big smile.

Ahhh, this little chick is just too cute.

As I petted his fluffy golden hair, his high-pitched giggle filled the room.

Then, a knock echoed from the already open door.

“I’m coming in, Mamaru-chan. I’ve brought your medicinal brew.”

“Medicinal brew...”

When I think of medicinal brew, I imagine it being made from crushed herbs or boiled down, so it sounds like it would be bitter.

Lara handed me the cup filled with it, and when I looked inside, the color was indeed intense.

It was a super green concoction, almost like something out of a nightmare.

It’s not looking good.

To give you an idea of how bad it looked, even Regulus-kun, peering inside, gasped softly, "Eek!?"

"...I get it, but you’ll have to drink it. If you don’t, it won’t help, you know?"

"Y-yes..."

I braced myself and brought the cup to my lips, while Regulus-kun watched me anxiously.

As I tilted the cup, the greenish liquid... or rather, gel... flowed into my mouth. It was so viscous that it wasn’t easy to swallow. As I struggled, the bitterness and pungency filled my mouth.

At this point, it felt like if I didn’t swallow it, my taste buds might just die.

“Ni-ni, you can do it!”

“Ugh... cough...!”

With Regulus-kun cheering me on, I somehow managed to finish it.

The aftertaste was atrocious, and I nearly rolled my eyes back from the intensity.

After surviving that assault on my taste buds, I placed the empty cup down, and Lara immediately tossed a candy into my mouth.

The sweetness of the candy instantly neutralized the lingering bitterness, giving my mouth a refreshing feeling.

“This candy is made from the nectar of Tempest Killer Bees. Did that help your mouth feel better?”

“Y-yes, somehow...”

“Well, I brought you a potent medicinal brew, and it’s already showing results. Your runny nose and cough have stopped.”

“Ah, you’re right!”

I had already felt a little better after Hyourin-sama helped me out, but now I felt even more improved.

However, the drowsiness hit me hard.

By the time I finished the candy, I dozed off while still holding Regulus-kun in my arms.

---

The consecutive late nights had unknowingly accumulated fatigue, and it seems I slept soundly until snack time.

When I didn’t wake up even when shaken or called, it became somewhat of a traumatic event for everyone in the house, especially for Rottenmeyer-san. When I finally woke up, I heard that Rottenmeyer had sent Utsunomiya-san to inform them it was okay to run in the hallway.

Lara, with a wry smile, shared this with me.

Sigh... I messed up. I got so caught up in wanting Hyourin-sama to get into theater that I had a one-person musical, but then I ended up getting sick.

By the time I had the milk porridge made by the head chef for lunch, my fever was completely gone. Lara gave me permission to knit in bed.

Regulus-kun was off practicing magic with Kanade-kun.

Since Kanade-kun started playing with him, Regulus-kun had developed a competitive spirit and newfound independence, starting to change his clothes by himself.

Though, it’s a little lonely to think that little by little, he’s slipping away from my care.

But I suppose that’s how it should be, since our paths will eventually part.

I wrapped yarn around my finger and slid the knitting needle through.

I was currently knitting Lara’s neck warmer. The yarn was made from the silky wool of the Silky Sheep, and the texture was like silk, with warmth akin to sheep wool. It was also said to be resistant to cold and even freezing temperatures.

The Silky Sheep lives in cold regions, where snowstorms are more common than clear days. The region also hosts Blizzard Wolves and Blizzard Grizzlies, but the Silky Sheep is the strongest of them all. Its size is four times that of a Blizzard Bear, and it can shoot electric bolts from its mouth. No wonder it’s so tough.

“Without doing anything, they’re as gentle as you, Mamaru-chan.”

“I don’t know... I don’t find that very reassuring.”

The Silky Sheep’s nature is gentle, and even though it’s wild, it will trust humans enough to let them shear its fine wool.

Lara had obtained the yarn when she went to a village where the wool shearers lived, completing a difficult task and receiving the yarn as payment.

As I clicked the knitting needles, I couldn’t help but hum a little tune.

---

Love is like a gentle flower in the fields,

A flower that does not wither under the summer sun,

With warm thoughts deep in my heart,

I won’t let the frost of doubt remain in winter,

I am the only one in my heart.

---

By the time I finished the first verse, the neck warmer was complete.

After finishing the edges, I mentioned I wanted to iron it, and Lara used magic to do so.

“Here you go, all done.”

“Thanks! I’ll use it right away.”

“If there’s anything wrong, just let me know, and I’ll fix it.”

Maintenance is available, too, I suppose.

When I told Lara that, she wore the neck warmer.

“This is... amazing. It’s so warm.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

She seemed pleased, and I relaxed.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Rottenmeyer-san came in and announced that  Romanov-sensei and Viktor-san had returned.

I nodded and made eye contact with Lara-san who opened the door. The two appeared right away.

“We’re back.”

“We’re home!”

“Welcome back, both of you. Thank you for representing me.”

I offered words of appreciation, and they both nodded with smiles.

However, when they saw the neck warmer on Lara’s neck, they exchanged a glance, and Viktor, in particular, raised an eyebrow.

“Well, it might have been good that you caught a cold and couldn’t attend the audience.”

“Yeah, really.”

Their somewhat ambiguous words made me exchange a puzzled glance with Lara-san

_________________________

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