Seirei Gensouki ~Konna Sekai de Deaeta Kimi ni~

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Meanwhile, Flora was staying in a certain rural village in the western part of the kingdom. The day had turned into night, a while before Rio infiltrated the Paladia kingdom royal castle.

Four days had passed since Flora decided to stay in the village due to her fever. But Flora’s fever didn’t show any signs of getting better at all, on the contrary, it worsened.

「Haa, haaa…………..」

Flora’s breathing was irregular, aching pain, arthritis and high fever were ruining her body from the inside. Even the slightest movement caused her great pains in her current condition. Despite being a bedridden patient, she couldn’t even sleep soundly thanks to the acute pains all over her body.

Will, the son of the village chief and also the one responsible with bringing her meals, knocked on the door of her room stronger than usual――、

「Flora-sama, I brought your meal……………. May I enter? 」

He called her to guess the situation inside of the room.

「……………. Ah, yes. Thank you very much.」

Enduring the pain in her body, Flora raised the upper-half of her body while replying with an agonizing voice. The door of her room opened and Will came inside, carrying along the food tray with him. [Ed: he wish he came inside, lol]

「How do you do, it’s a nice morning isn’t it? 」

「Yes, good morning. I was sleeping till just a while ago.」

Seeing Will tilting his head, Flora replied so while mustering the best smile she could do in her current situation. It seems her willpower was strong enough to make others think that she was fine. In the first place, she couldn’t deceive everyone when she said her piece with a pale face. 𝘧r𝗲𝑒𝔀𝘦𝙗𝓃oν𝑒l.𝐜𝗼m

「Has your fever subsided yet ? 」

Will was looking at Flora who was unable to hide her pain and felt as if his own body was also suffering from it.

「……No. My apologies for causing you trouble.」

Flora was saying her apologies with a frail voice.

「I-It’s nothing, you’re not being a bother at all! 」

Will shook his head in panic and said as if to make an excuse――

「It’s just that your condition is just as bad as before and, seeing that there’s no doctor in this village, there’s nothing we can do, thus my father keeps nagging me. On the other hand, he says it’s about time to call the feudal lord……」

Flora’s face became even paler in hearing that.

「M-My apologies, I’m unable to rely on the nobles of this kingdom in my current situation…………」

She said, as if feeling guilty about it.

「N-Naturally if Flora-sama wishes so. Please don’t make such an expression!　I’m going to tell pops, please stay in this house for as long as you want. We’re more than happy to help you! 」

Will appeased the dispirited Flora in a hurry.

「…….. Thank you very much」

Flora bowed her head, feeling somewhat relieved.

「Ah, That’s right. Come to think of it, the young men of the village desperately want to meet you since the second day Flora-sama arrived here. 」

Will tryed to change the awkward atmosphere by telling that story with a bright tone.

「Is that so? Then, I’m going to meet everyone once I feel better.」

Flora showed a somewhat bright smile on her paled face.

「Hahaha, it’s better to cease that thought since they’re just uncouth youth. Especially the one called Donner, do you remember him?　The plain looking guy who guided Flora-sama towards this house」

「Ah, uhm, the one who guided me to this house? It’s the man with a tall and brawn build right? 」

Flora replyed with a slightly trouble tone in hearing Will speaking as if looking down on Donner.

「Yup, it’s that guy. For some reason, that guy is saying that he’s going to visit Flora-sama. Even though he never said such things before when the girls in the village fell ill. The other guys were also influenced by him and started getting cocky.」

「Uhm, since I seem to have caught a cold, though I won’t be able to have a long conversation with them because of the fever, if it’s only for a while………」

The soft-hearted Flora forced herself to say so.

「EH? 　A~h, your feelings alone are enough. You’re not in your best condition, so please take a rest and don’t force yourself. Those guys will be delighted just by me relaying your words to them」

Will ended up smiling wryly as he never thought of the possibilitie of her being willing to meet the other young men of the village.

「…………….. I see. Please help me to relay my message then. And my deepest gratitude for worrying about my health.」

Though hesitant, Flora was fully aware of what she could and couldn’t do in her current situation. In fact, even the short conversation with Will was already painful enough for her, but she was a girl who couldn’t just scoff at people who were worrying about her health by nature.

「Understood. ……….. Ah, that’s right. I brought your meal, so please enjoy it. I can’t guarantee the taste though.」

「That’s not true. It’s delicious. It’s something made by your mother after all.」

In fact, even her sense of taste was already paralyzed, but Flora was just being stubborn.

「……… Hahaha, Flora-sama is really kind. Oops, I almost forgot – I’m going to leave the meal here.」

Will looked at Flora as if being fascinated by her and placed the tray with her meal on the desk beside the bed.

「Yes, thank you very much. I shall partake immediately then」

Flora nodded gracefully and then gently tied up her sweaty hair so as to not disturb her meal. When she tied up her hair to the side, Flora’s nape became exposed.

Will gulped his saliva seeing Flora’s gesture, but――、

「…… W-Well, I shall take my leave then. If there was somethi-…………. EH? 」

He was taken aback so he averted his line of sight. But, when he noticed that there was a blueish-like birthmark on Flora’s nape he instantly averted his line of sight in regret.

「……. Uhm, is there something? 」

When Flora noticed she was being stared at, she timidly asked Will that question.

「Ah, no. It’s nothing!　Please call me if you need something. I’ll come right away!　Well then, excuse me.」

Will’s body was twitching. He shook his head with a flustered face and when he was about to leave the room, he glanced at Flora’s nape for one last time――,

（What………. Mark is that?　Does Flora-sama have no idea about it?　It looks like a trace of a burn or an old wound）

He shut the door of the room as he left.

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After that, Will descended the stairs towards the first floor――,

「Oi, Will. How is the condition of that noble? 」

The village chief, Will’s father, who had been waiting for him, asked.

「N? Yeah, the fact that her fever has yet to go down is especially worrisome.」

Will replied with a cold and half-apathetic tone.

Maybe because he expected Flora to bring a lot of unwanted trouble, Will’s father didn’t find her staying in the village too pleasant. Moreover, due to his fear of Flora’s unknown illness and in order to prevent her from getting in contact with Will’s mother and sibling, he told Will 「Taking care of her is your responsibility since she’s staying here due to your careless remarks」.

And yet, Will found it troublesome that his cowardly father was asking about Flora’s condition with every opportunity.

「………….. Her fever has yet to go down huh. Could it be that she’s infected with some sort of strange illness? 」

Will’s father asked with a curious tone.

「Who knows. But, I didn’t catch her illness, don’t you think? 」

「………..You’re right. Fine then. Why don’t we ask for help from our feudal lord then? 」

「Sounds good, but let’s wait for her condition to get better.」