Luman’s pupils widened. He caught Ren’s body on reflex, but his mind went blank. What the hell just happened? Heat pressed against him from the body in his arms. That snapped him back to himself.

“Ren!”

“Hhk... hhk......”

“Ren! Ren, what’s wrong with you?”

Ren’s face was twisted in confusion and distress. He parted his lips like he wanted to say something, then bit down so hard it looked like he might split them open, managing nothing but pained little sounds. He tried to wave a hand like he was saying he was fine, but even that didn’t seem to move the way he wanted it to.

Without even a second to think, Luman scooped him up and ran. “What happened?!” “Ren, are you okay?!” The children’s panicked voices chased after him.

Luman tore across the distance in one breath, kicked open the inn door, and sprinted up to the second floor. “Jepeto!” He smashed through the locked doorknob and shouted Jepeto’s name as he came in.

“Jepeto!”

“Whaaat?!”

Ren’s strained groaning felt like it was spearing straight through his heart. He could feel him forcing the moans down with everything he had.

Jepeto, who had been asleep, jolted upright in a half-dazed panic at the sound of the door breaking. Temar, who had been lying down with a hangover from the liquor, also shot straight up. Their eyes landed on Luman—his face stiff, stripped of all humor—and on Ren hanging limp in his arms.

Jepeto grasped the situation and sprang to his feet.

“What happened?”

“Temar, move. Jepeto! Ren—!”

“P-put him down over here!”

Luman carefully laid Ren on the bed. Ren curled in on himself, trembling hard with ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) pain. Jepeto grabbed his pulse, peeled back his eyelids, spoke to him, and stripped off the clothes he had on.

Now in only a light shirt, Ren was held at an angle in Jepeto’s arms while the physician rummaged through his things and fed him medicine. Temar, who had been standing there stiff as stone watching, clenched his teeth.

“What is this? What happened all of a sudden?”

“He just collapsed. Does Ren have some kind of chronic illness?”

“...No.”

At the uncertainty in that answer, Luman curled his hand into a fist.

“How is he?”

After the medicine, Ren looked a little better. At least his breathing seemed easier than before.

Jepeto spent a long while examining him closely. He rubbed his hands and shoulders, thumped his back, then pulled out another bottle from inside his clothes and gave him more medicine. Some of it slid down Ren’s throat wrong and spilled out, wetting his shirt. Once he’d gotten all of it into him, Jepeto carefully laid Ren down on his side.

Staring at Ren, wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jepeto made a puzzled face.

“Hmm......”

“Is there a problem?”

Temar’s gaze had turned violent. Jepeto swallowed hard at the now-familiar pressure rolling off him.

“N-no! He’s alright for now. It’s just... this is a little hard to pin down......”

Temar and Luman both fixed on Jepeto’s mouth.

“I think it’s indigestion.......”

“...Indigestion?”

Luman repeated it like he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.

“...You’re telling me indigestion can leave someone unable to breathe? Twisting up in pain like that?”

There was an edge in his voice now, like he was getting angry, and Jepeto flinched. Waving both hands, he pointed at Ren. At some point, Ren’s breathing had settled, and he’d fallen asleep.

“Yes. I-it’s the first case like this I’ve seen too, but... if it was severe indigestion, I suppose it’s possible. Otherwise I can’t explain it. Maybe he moved around right after eating. Hmm.”

Even as he explained it, Jepeto frowned, like he knew how strange it sounded. But there was no other explanation. Once the medicine kicked in, Ren had improved almost immediately and fallen asleep like this, hadn’t he?

“But he didn’t eat anything. Did he overeat last night? You’re saying that came back up on him at dawn?”

Still thinking it over, Luman couldn’t hide how absurd he found it.

“From the symptoms, that’s what it looks like......”

“Explain it properly.”

“Mm. In Ren’s case, he’s rather frail, so his body may have overreacted. Or the excessive movement may have shocked his stomach.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Luman slowly nod.

“What did you go outside and do?”

Jepeto had belatedly been about to ask what happened before Ren collapsed, but before he could finish, Temar snatched Luman by the collar. The movement was so fast Jepeto couldn’t even see it.

“Ghk! W-why are you doing this?! L-Lord Temar!”

“He was just playing with a toy. He got excited and ran around. Looks like it was too much for him.”

“If you were taking him out, you should’ve taken proper care of him.”

His voice came out almost like a growl. Luman said nothing, only stared back into Temar’s dark brown eyes as his collar was clenched tight in his fist. Even with his throat nearly crushed, Luman didn’t cough once. Jepeto, frozen in panic and unable to do anything, was just beginning to think the silence itself might suffocate him when the two finally broke eye contact.

Temar let go of Luman’s collar like he was throwing it away, then turned and strode downstairs. Outside the half-hanging broken door, the tops of the boys’ heads from the empty lot earlier were visible, peeking in.

“Jepeto.”

“Y-yes!”

“Are you sure that’s really the answer?”

“Hm?”

“That there isn’t some other illness, or... no. Never mind.”

Luman cut himself off and shook his head. Even saying it out loud felt ominous.

“Lord Luman. Ren is alright. It’s only indigestion. And... well.”

Jepeto hesitated, then added something carefully. Luman’s face twisted.

“You’ve done enough. Please keep taking care of him.”

Luman looked at the quietly sleeping Ren for one last moment, then left the room. He was about to walk right past the boys peering in from outside with frightened faces, but stopped long enough to tell them Ren was fine. He said he’d explain later, told them to head downstairs so Ren could rest comfortably, then left the inn.

“All this over plain indigestion. Is it really something to get that worked up over?”

Luman mocked himself, but the next second he went lightheaded. When Ren had doubled over in pain, all Luman could think about was getting him to a physician. He hadn’t had room to feel shocked while he was busy scooping him up and running. It was only now, after the fact, that it hit him.

It felt awful.

“Haa.”

Luman let out a long, deep breath.

What Jepeto had said at the end kept churning through his head.

'...It really is just acute indigestion. Though... the last time too, didn’t Ren collapse after having a trauma-induced episode? This time, there may have been some mental factor mixed in as well. We’d have to watch him to know for sure, but... I can’t say anything definite.......'

After standing there a moment and calming himself down, Luman went back into the inn wearing an expression like nothing at all had happened.

***

“Ugh......”

When I opened my eyes after shifting around, I saw the inn ceiling.

And Luman’s blond head.

“......!”

Ah. Right. I collapsed.

My heart dropped.

Did they find out?

That was the only thought in my head. I got so tense I could barely breathe. A lukewarm hand covered mine where I was clutching the blanket tight.

“Ren. You okay?”

“......”

I was scared of whatever he was going to say.

“How good was dinner last night, exactly? Jepeto says it was acute indigestion.”

“......Indigestion?”

The breath burst out of me all at once.

Indigestion?? Seriously? After sucking in a sharp breath, I stared at him with wide eyes like, Are you sure? He nodded.

Unlike before, Luman looked exhausted now. He rubbed at his cheek and gave me a crooked little smile.

“Ren. You scared the hell out of me. Don’t make people worry like that.”

He tapped my forehead lightly, not hard enough to hurt. Only then did I loosen my grip on the blanket. I’d been so startled my heart was still pounding like crazy.

Indigestion out of nowhere! Thank fuck they didn’t find out, but you can go through that much agony over something as stupid as indigestion?! That’s horrifying... Jesus. My body gave a shiver.

'Was it because I kept chewing those herbs raw?'

“Ren! You’re awake! Alright, come on, let’s get some medicine in you.”

“Okay......”

Ugh. I don’t want to.

Sneaking a glance around, I sat up and swallowed the medicine Jepeto handed me in one go. Blech. Why does it taste so weird and disgusting......? When I gave Jepeto a suspicious look, he jumped up and started protesting, asking why I was looking at him like that.

“You took it all?”

When I nodded, Luman smiled.

“Good job.”

“What, are you seriously praising me over something like that? That’s embarrassing.”

“Why? You shy?”

Luman suddenly leaned his face right in close, grinning.

“Hey, back off!”

Startled, I shoved his face away. No, seriously, since yesterday he keeps sticking his face right in mine. What the hell is that about?! When I glared at him, he pulled back.

But why does Luman look so drained today? Should I ask? ...No. Nobody feels good every day. So instead I asked something else. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

“Where’s my brother?”

“He stepped out for a bit. What, Ren? Can’t stand being away from your brother even for a minute?”

“Don’t tease me.”

“...I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine!”

If he teases me and then apologizes right away, it makes me feel like the asshole! Seriously, what is with him? I was just grumbling, but today Luman felt kind of weird.

Whew. Anyway, how many times have I collapsed already lately? Not good. Not good at all. I seriously need to be careful.

So it wasn’t a seizure, right? If it had been a seizure, I would’ve coughed up blood too. So I’m fine, right?

Ah, if the old apothecary were here, I could cling to him and ask. But from now on I had to judge and think this stuff through on my own. I thought of the sweet jelly I’d hidden deep in my bundle. I’ve got my trump card. It’s my last resort, the thing that’ll let me hold out. So I don’t need to be scared. Don’t be scared.

“When are we leaving?”

“......”

“Hm?”

Instead of answering, Luman just stared at me. Jepeto awkwardly cleared his throat and wandered around the room for no reason.

“This afternoon. Ren.”

“Why?”

W-what is it? Why are you saying my name like that, all serious, Luman?

When my eyes darted around, he softened his gaze like he was trying to reassure me.

“If anything hurts, or if you feel uncomfortable, say so.”

“Alright.”

“Hoo. I should’ve listened more closely to what Lady Coco said.”

“W-what did Coco say?”

I swallowed hard. I knew she couldn’t have said anything about the illness, but still! Stuff like this made me nervous for no reason. Luman’s lips moved slowly.

Like he was trying to mess with me.

“She said you’re so, so frail we ought to treat you like a princess.”

“What?!”

What do you mean frail? I’m hanging in there just fine!

“I’ll take very good care of you, Ren.”

“Aren’t you leaving soon?”

I muttered it under my breath, and Luman froze with that smile still on his face.

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I studied him, and he lifted a hand to touch at the corner of his mouth.

“That’s true.”

“Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“...I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“Good question.”

The way he was looking at me suddenly felt too deep, and I quietly looked away.