(From Blue''s Perspective)


    "Those things also attributed to Your Highness''s frail health. The amount of mana just made the matter worse," Doctor Dimitri exined. "Since Her Highness''s health is this frail, I hope you will consider your future decisions ordingly."


    "We are not going to take a child endangering her health," Dem said. "It''s not a must."


    "Yes, the decisions should be taken based on Her Highness''s health," Doctor Dimitri nodded. "For the fever to go away, try to eat properly, take the medicine well, and rest. This fever is long termed, so do not get anxious if the fever doesn''t calm down after just a few days. Keep on resting and maintain a healthy life. It will be fine."


    Doctor Dimitri left after describing everything to Dem and me. He also reminded us about our decision about our child. We were not nning to take a kid right away anyway. Now, it seemed we needed to discuss more since if we wanted a child, I needed my power to be awakened first. Or, it would cause the child to die in the womb, or even my death.


    If I even managed to make it to the delivery process, either one of us might survive.


    After hearing that, Dem got anxious. He had been telling me constantly that we did not need a child. Even if I wanted one, we could just adopt.


    "It''s alright. We are not thinking of having a child right now anyway," I said. "Let''s wait. We will also try to awaken my power."


    He did not argue about awakening my power anymore. He always cared about my health more than anything else. Now that he knew that the amount of unused mana was causing my health to be very weak, he did not mind if my power was awakened fully anymore.


    "Yeah, no kid, for now, at least, not until your power is awakened. Really, I hate it when you get sick. I don''t like to see you hurting…," he sighed, cupping my hands as he ced his forehead against them. "It hurts me. Even if I get hurt, it''s not as much pain as seeing you getting hurt. Why does it always have to be you?"


    "Dem… I will get better soon. Just wait for me, honey," I said, kissing him on the head.


    That night, as long as I was awake, I remembered Dem massaging my hands and legs and cing a cold towel on my forehead.


    But the next day, my fever went higher. I was just a step away from a very risky condition. Dem started working in the bedroom. He would frequently check my temperature, massage my shoulders and change the cold packs.


    At one point, I just could not take it anymore and started crying. Every part of my body hurt. My head felt heavy as if it was stone. I could not get sit up straight without supporting my head against something soft.


    "Uhh… Hic… It hurts so much… Everything hurts," I sobbed, covering my face with the nket.


    The red dots had increased on my whole body too. They were mostly on my face, chest, and hands. Doctor Dimitri visited me frequently. Dem called him every now and then, and he also visited on his own ord, worrying that my condition might get worse any time.


    "Is it supposed to be this way? I feel so bad…," I cried.


    Dem touched my forehead with a gloomy expression on his face. I felt bad for crying. It was making him more anxious than he was. But I just could not help it.


    "Give me the bucket… I need to vomit again…!" I urgently said.


    Explore more adventures at empire


    There was now a bucket all the time by my side of the bed. I had vomited thrice today and it was only the evening. It had been two times that a new bucket had been kept beside the bed. Now, the maids would need to get another one.


    "Ugh…," I groaned. "Gross… At this point, you really should stay in a different room."


    "At this point, I need to assist you all the time. Have you any idea what kind of state you are in? You are sick. Your condition is worse than the people with the same fever," he said. "Don''t talk like this now. More than my health, you need to worry about your well-being."


    "I guess so…"


    He handed the bucket to the maid and helped me clean up my face. I felt slightly better after vomiting. But I also knew that my condition would get worse again after a while.


    "… The duchess sent you a letter," he said.


    "What did she say?"


    ''I told him to open my letters since I was not in a state to be able to read them. If it was important news, then he could tell it to me.''


    "The duke has caught the fever, at least, that''s what they are predicting. His condition is not that bad. She asked about your condition."


    "Tell her I am dying…"


    "Don''t talk like that!"


    "I''m sorry… Just tell her about my condition. If she doesn''t know how serious it is, she will want to visit," I said. "Ruby also wanted to visit, but I am afraid she will catch it too. I told her to stay in the magic tower and not get out at all. Then, there will be no chance of her catching this disease. After all, she is alone there.


    You should also mention in the letter to take care of Athena and Abel. Athena has a weak body too, so tell Iris to take care of her well. Abel should be taken care of properly too."


    "… You really care about others a lot. I wish you would worry about yourself this much too," he sighed.


    "I care about me too! Look, I am not working right now!" I defended myself.


    "Isn''t that because your head hurts too much that you can''t sit up or read?" he said. "Besides, I forced you to rest. Everyone now knows that you are the type to worry about every single person around you except yourself."


    Iy down once more as my head started to hurt. I could not sleep. Sighing, I wondered whether my letter reached Evan or not. I had sent him a letter just before I got sick to know about the war situation. He would give me innocent information only because technically Querencia and Trouvaille were against each other. It was mostly because of their geographical positions.


    "You can work, Dem. I will just rest," I said. He was getting disturbed a lot. He had piles of work to do now that he had to do my side as well.


    "Close your eyes and breath in and out sharply. I read in a book that it helps to keep calm."


    "I am calm though…"


    "Then, close your eyes at least. It will be better if you can sleep. You could not sleepst night because of your headache," he said.


    Dem sat beside me the whole time and kept on massaging my forehead until I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was midnight and he was working. He noticed right away when I woke up. He rushed by my side and checked my temperature again.


    At this point, I felt just too bad for him.


    "It''s not as high as before. But we need to be careful. The doctor said the fever can rise anytime," he said. "Does your head still hurt as much as before?"


    I shook my head. "That''s a relief then," he sighed. "Have some food now that you feel a bit better."


    "… Yeah, I am hungry too," I nodded.


    Two maids brought my food. I was served cooked salmon with lemon juice, boiled broli and carrots, strawberry, banana and orange, and coconut water. I was very hungry and unlike before, I had an appetite. The smell did not feel revolting as well.


    I liked excessive lemon juice on my food. The cook made sure of that as well.


    "Good, that you are eating well," Dem said.


    "I am very hungry," I said, taking broli in my mouth. "Have you eaten anything?"


    "… I was not hungry," he mumbled. "I''m sorry. I will eat something now."


    He knew that if he did not ask the maid to get his dinner, I would scold him. So, he did so before I opened my mouth. I forced him to have his lunch too. He was too ignorant about his own health.


    ''Huh! And he nags me about not caring about health…!''


    That night, Dem did not sleep. Iy down and watched him work. It was yet another moment I realized how much he cared for me. If I did not know about his condition, I would not have worried. But since I knew, I could not help but wonder if I cared the same for him. I loved him, but I always thought it would not be enough for him.


    After all, his love was not just love. To him, love was another kind of obsession.