Chapter 20
Perhaps it was because the woman kept saying things I wanted to hear that I found it hard to believe her words.
“Really! Young Master, are you afraid of teddy bears?”
“No! Who would be afraid of that?”
“I’m not either. They’re so cute. There’s no way they could be scary.”
The woman smiled gently. Her sprout-like eyes softened as they looked at me.
‘…Cute?’
Jaden found himself staring blankly at Viola’s face without realizing it. Her pink hair fluttered in the breeze, soft and sweet like cotton candy.
Her round eyes, the dimples that appeared when she smiled…
‘Cute belongs to someone like Viola, not to me.’
Who was calling whom cute?
Jaden was about to grumble, but when he looked into Viola’s eyes, it seemed her words were genuine.
He didn’t fully understand it, but… it didn’t feel bad. Viola seemed to like him.
“Viola, do you like cute things?”
“Of course. Who wouldn’t?”
If that was truly the case…
“…My cheeks are really soft too.”
Jaden tried to subtly appeal, hoping Viola might like him for being soft like a cute thing.
But—Pffft! For some reason, Viola burst out laughing. Then, as if she couldn’t help herself, she habitually grabbed Jaden’s cheeks and squeezed them. Soft.
“Ah?”
Startled by her unconscious action, she quickly let go.
“Oh? Sorry! I didn’t mean to! Did it upset you, Young Master?”
Jaden shook his head and simply asked to confirm.
“So…”
“Yes?”
“…Soft?”
Saying that, Jaden rubbed his cheek against Viola’s hand like a cunning little cat.
In truth, Jaden had always found human emotions difficult. He hadn’t had many people to share feelings with.
He had family when he was younger, but his father and mother died on the same day. His older brother left for the academy, and the only remaining blood relative, his uncle, was terrifying. Until recently, he hadn’t even spent much time at the mansion.
So understanding other people’s feelings was hard… but one thing he thought he knew.
Doing this might make Viola like him even more.
Sure enough, she poked his cheek with delight in her eyes.
Ah. I see. That’s how it works.
Jaden, pleased, lifted the corners of his mouth, pretending to act haughty while leaning his cheek forward for her to poke more.
“When will you come again?”
Jaden asked as Viola prepared her things, still wearing the pink ribbon pin in her hair.
“Whenever you call, Young Master. Of course, even if you don’t, I’ll come every day.”
Hmph. If that’s the case, just stay here.
Jaden was about to pout, but he quickly stopped himself. He was six years old now. He couldn’t behave like a child forever.
“Then where are you going now?”
“To the apothecary. Your fever is completely gone, so I thought we could start changing your medicine.”
“Medicine? For me?”
“Yes! It’s for you, Young Master.”
Viola replied cheerfully, but Jaden couldn’t help frowning.
“I’m not sick at all right now… do I really have to take medicine?”
Though yesterday he had suffered from a high fever and dizzy headaches, now he wasn’t in any pain at all.
Jaden asked hesitantly, but Viola was firm.
“Of course. You need it to get better.”
“That may be, but…”
Indeed, the medicine Viola had prepared instantly relieved his pain. The effect was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Still, the thought of taking medicine made him feel strangely resistant.
“Why are you hesitating?”
Perhaps she noticed his subtle expression, because Viola asked with concern.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Yet despite his words, his mind was complicated.
“Relying on medicine is something only weak people do. Young Master, you’re Dragon-Blooded.”
“You can overcome it on your own. Look at the Duke. He’s on a completely different level than a half-blood like you!”
The voice of his swordsmanship teacher echoed repeatedly in his mind.
Even on top of being sick, he had to take medicine? The teacher would surely call it shameful.
Jaden looked up at Viola. Her eyes held no reproach. She seemed only concerned about him, like the kind person she was.
Yet he still felt as if he were committing a wrongdoing.
After leaving Jaden’s bedroom, I headed straight to the apothecary.
‘Hmm. It’s time to move on to the next step.’
It was too early to judge hastily, but it didn’t seem like Jaden’s fever would rise again.
Now that his condition was stable, it was time to prepare for full treatment.
There was, however, one issue…
‘Jaden pretended otherwise, but he clearly didn’t want to take medicine, right?’
Hmm. That made sense.
Or rather, it felt familiar. Even in Heyron Village, the children always ran away when it was time to take medicine.
But did that mean he’d quietly obey? Of course not.
In the village, I managed to capture the children in less than a week—with a special syrup medicine.
‘Wait, Jaden! I’ll make the tastiest syrup medicine for children in the world!’
I laughed wickedly like a witch and began writing the recipe.
“Then what I need now is…”
Standing up, I checked the herbs I already had on hand.
‘Plenty of Spikewort here.’
Cain had bought and dried seeds at a high price, and indeed, there was a large stockpile. Enough to last several years.
‘But this alone won’t actually cure him.’
While Spikewort could suppress the raging dragon energy, its effect was too minor.
But if the potency could be amplified?
Everything would be solved in an instant.
Thanks to the original story, I knew exactly how to do it.
If Jaden just took the medicine properly, he would never get sick again in his life!
Perhaps because I was so focused on the work, the sky outside the window had grown dark.
‘When did it get this late?’
After tidying up, I returned to my room and waited for Melody.
Knock. Knock. Hearing the sound at the door, I immediately went to it.
Unlike yesterday, it seemed only Becky had come; Mari and Melody weren’t there.
“Miss Viola, may I speak with you for a moment?”
“Is something wrong? Where are Melody and Mari?”
“Oh, Mari is bringing Miss Melody. But there’s something I need to tell you first…”
Becky’s lips were pressed into a serious line, as if preparing to give shocking news.
What could it be? What happened?
‘Did something happen to Melody?’
Thankfully, it wasn’t that. What Becky told me was more shocking in another way.
Last night, on their way to the laundry, they had gotten into a conflict with Celia.
“I’m sorry, Miss Viola. I think we caused some misunderstanding.”
“You’re not the problem right now. Are you okay, Becky? And Mari?”
Becky’s eyes glistened with gratitude.
“Thanks for worrying. But we’re fine. We’ve never lied or stolen anything.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
I had been extremely tense, but now I could relax.
“More importantly, I wanted to warn you. We didn’t want you to get the wrong idea because of us.”
“That’s fine. I actually appreciate you telling me.”
When I faced Celia in front of Jaden’s bedroom, she had shown strange hostility toward me.
Now I understood why.
After hearing that Cain lent me his jacket, she had obviously misinterpreted the relationship.
Hmm, that’s troublesome…
‘It was just a simple courtesy from the Duke.’
But I decided not to worry too much. It was a ridiculous misunderstanding anyway. It would naturally resolve over time.
Yet contrary to my expectations, the misunderstanding only seemed to deepen.
Two days passed.
Celia Dorn was now annoyed from head to toe.
Viola, Viola. Go on, sing, sing!
She muttered irritably.
It had started two days ago. The moment Jaden opened his eyes, he began endlessly talking about Viola.
