10. Recuperation

About a week after my mana fever first appeared, it had broken, and my drowsiness had faded as well. Just when I’d thought we could finally leave for the capital, the Sargent Margraviate’s personal healer stopped me.

“Mana fevers occur when your mana pool, which is where your mana collects, and your body fall out of balance. When this happens, your body tends to rush to grow and accommodate your larger mana pool. This would mean that even if you were to leave for the capital as you are now, you would just fall sick again on the way. You should wait anywhere from a month to six months to see how you feel.”

A month to half a year...?! There was no way I could make Lord Glen wait that long for me. He had matters to attend as a royal, as a duke, and as an appraiser. Even just from what I could imagine, he should be really busy... He should go back before I do... I decided to tell him that.

Lord Glen visited me every day. Today, he’d come in the morning, immediately using his [Appraisal] Skill to check how I was doing.

“Looks like your mana fever is gone,” he said, patting me on the head.

“The healer said that I’m going to have a growth spurt.”

He nodded. “Actually, I had one when I was little, too... It was tough.”

“...He also said that we’ll need to see how things go for a month...maybe up to six months.”

“Oh yeah, it took around that long, huh?”

He was still giving me his usual soft smile. If I was going to say it, it would have to be now.

“Um... Lord Glen.”

He tilted his head a bit.

“...Please go back first.”

When I said it straight like that, his eyes widened, and he looked shocked. In a tone harsher than usual, he said, “Is someone telling you to say that?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m saying it because I’ve been thinking about it.”

I could remember Father telling Lord Glen to return first back when I was barely conscious. I would be lying if I said that hadn’t sparked the thought, but no one was making me say it.

He looked at me silently with a sour look on his face.

“It’s been ten days already since we first arrived. A month to six months is way too long,” I said decisively.

After giving me a big sigh, he mumbled, “...I don’t want to leave you.”

He sounded like a child, frowning. I was surprised to see a side of him I’d never seen before.

“But there’s no way I could be selfish like that,” he continued, smiling wryly. “I’ll go back first. But I’m gonna come back for you once you’re better.”

The following morning, Lord Glen and the guardian knights left for the capital.

＋＋＋

I’d been sighing a lot since Lord Glen went home.

Even while I ate the food Miss Micah made for me, I would think things like how it was his favorite too, and sigh to myself... When I walked around the manor for some exercise, I’d stop in front of the guest room he’d stayed in, remember how we studied, and how we made up our blueprint, and sigh again... I thought about when we met, when we had our secret tea party, and when we held hands—that made me sigh, too.

Why was I sighing so much when I thought of him? Since I couldn’t figure it out on my own, I asked Mother and Miss Micah for advice.

“I just can’t think of a reason for it. Do you two have any ideas?”

When I told them everything, Mother gave me a satisfied smile, while Miss Micah’s eyes sparkled as she wagged her tail.

“Chelsea, dear, you have absolutely no clue why it’s happening?”

“No, I don’t,” I replied, shaking my head.

“In your case, it might be a bit hard for you to figure it out on your own, since you’re lacking in fundamental knowledge...”

“It might be better to tell her straight out~”

“You’re right. Let’s make it crystal clear.”

They were looking at each other and nodding. It seemed that they’d gotten friendlier at some point.

“Chelsea.”

“Yes?”

“You’re in love with His Highness,” Mother said.

I blinked a few times. Love...? I thought. The “Fairy Story” book I read before said that’s when you think of someone as precious, and feel all sorts of emotions for them. Now that I think about it, I might have felt those things when I thought about Lord Glen.

“You want to see him as soon as you can, don’t you?”

I nodded. That was when I finally awakened to the fact that I loved him. The moment I did, my face went red. Did what I said before tell them just how much I love him?! Once I realized, I couldn’t bear the embarrassment.

“Fufu... You look positively adorable.”

“Girls become beautiful when they’re in love~”

“I’m going to support your romance all the way,” Mother said. “We should send him a formal engagement proposal so you can become his fiancée.”

I froze at her suggestion. I’d realized I was in love, but I hadn’t thought enough to get engaged.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” she asked, looking at me curiously.

“I-It wouldn’t be appropriate for a child like me to be his fiancée,” I said, tears welling up.

Before I’d been adopted into the Sargent family... Back when I’d lived in the barony, I’d barely been fed, so I was only about as tall as an eight-year-old, despite being twelve. Lord Glen always treated me like a kid, too, carrying me and patting my head. A proposal from me would only end up troubling him...

Just as I felt that my future was bleak, Mother spoke up. “Our healer told you you’ll be going through a growth spurt after your mana fever, didn’t he? You’ll be taller in no time.”

Well, they did say I would go through a growth spurt. So that meant I’d get taller! If I was taller, he might not think of me as a child as much anymore...! Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I clutched my hands together as if I was going to pray.

“We’ll have to start that plan of ours.”

“We’ll go all in~!”

What did they mean by “plan”? As I looked at both of them in confusion, they both gave me comforting smiles.

“Our plan is to have everyone in the manor help make you into a wonderful lady!”

I gave a firm nod. Back at the barony, I was never allowed to study properly, and what I’d learned back at the Research Institute was all superficial. If it was at all possible, I would love to become a proper lady.

“But we’ve gotta edit the plan a bit~ We’ll make you into a lady fit for His Highness~!”

“Yes, that’s a better idea!” Mother clapped happily at Miss Micah’s suggestion. “So, Chelsea. While you’re here, we’ll have you study to become a lady fit for him!”

“O-Okay. Please do.”

“Since I want to teach you proper gestures, speech, and conduct, we’ll have to postpone your return to the capital for about half a year.”

I just realized how badly I wanted to see Lord Glen, and they’re going to make me wait the full six months before going back?! I blanked out from the shock, and Mother smiled at me.

“Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder,” she said, telling me about how she and Father had exchanged letters between when they were first engaged and when they married. She had originally lived in the capital, so they’d been separated until the wedding. “Sometimes, you can write things in letters that you couldn’t say out loud.”

She wouldn’t tell me what she’d written, but the happy smile on her face told me that she had wonderful memories of it, whatever it was.

“How about you write letters, too?”

“Okay,” I said, nodding in agreement. I’d never thought I’d ever be able to write Lord Glen any letters, so I was excited! “I’ll do my best!” I clenched my fist as I announced it, and both of the older women grinned.

The next day, I told Ele about the letters.

«Then I will deliver it for you. I may even deign to bring back a reply.»

I didn’t let him know that acting self-important in his tiny kitten form was just cute. Apparently, he could move between my bracelet and other Spirit Trees, just like Rene.

«I won’t be able to protect you while I am away, but Glen put up a barrier around this manor before he left. As long as you stay here, you should be safe.»

I was so happy to hear that he was protecting me like that.

«If it makes my Mistress that happy, I could do it once in a while.»

“Thank you!” After saying my thanks, I immediately went to write my letter, but Ele stopped me.

«It takes ten days to travel from here to the capital. Glen would not be there yet. I wouldn’t be able to deliver it.»

I didn’t think of that... I went quiet, embarrassed as my face got hotter and hotter. I was probably bright red.

«They say love is blind... Alas.»

In an attempt to hide my shame, I rubbed Ele’s belly as much as possible.