At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 126
“Jiwoo.”
Lanceil’s expression was not good. He looked deeply troubled.
“If there’s anything… that we’re lacking, please let me know.”
“…Huh?”
“I remember when I first saw you. You had a fever, and your recovery was slow, all because of living in the temple of Caranazion.”
Jiwoo’s mind felt hazy. As her fever rose, she struggled to grasp what he was saying. Seeing her confusion, Lanceil spoke again, this time with even more concern.
“I know that your strength is heavily influenced by your mental state. If you’ve suddenly weakened, it must be due to some discomfort. Please, feel free to tell me. I’ll help you.”
“Um? Oh, no. Absolutely not.”
Jiwoo tried to sit up abruptly but felt dizzy and swayed. Lanceil rushed to catch her, and she leaned against his arm, looking up at him.
His azure eyes were filled with worry for her.
“Lanceil, I’m happy.”
“…Really?”
But he didn’t easily believe her. Lanceil was anxious that Jiwoo might lose her health again and was worried about whether she felt uncomfortable in this place.
“I was having so much fun today, and now I have to go back and rest. It’s such a shame.”
“Really?”
“I don’t even know why I feel unwell. I’m genuinely happy.”
Before asking his next question, Lanceil cleared his throat lightly.
“What about Callan tickling and scratching you…?”
“Ah, pfft…”
Jiwoo couldn’t help but laugh.
“Wel…, then you should join us later.”
As Lanceil laid her back down, Jiwoo began to recount the day’s events in her hazy state.
She talked about the colors of the crayfish they caught with her husbands and the flowers she noticed, as well as how El Ragneil was different from the old world and Caranazion, sharing trivial stories.
At some point, the gentle hand brushing her hair became so comforting that she drifted off to sleep.
“Jiwoo, get up.”
“Um… okay…”
When she finally regained consciousness, her eyelids felt heavy. If Lanceil hadn’t helped her up, she wouldn’t have been able to get up on her own.
Cool, soft hands touched her forehead and the back of her neck before placing a cold washcloth on her.
“Okay, you need to take your medicine.”
Jiwoo accepted the medicine Lanceil offered without hesitation.
This must have been made by Enci.
As she prepared to drink the medicine from the bottle, Lanceil muttered seriously.
“The fever is quite severe. It’s just like back then.”
The effort to reduce her fever reminded him of the first time he met her. Jiwoo, who had unknowingly faced life-threatening challenges in the temple, instinctively thought that the medicine he offered was poison. She had pushed it away, forcing him to feed it to her.
Jiwoo stared at him blankly.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
Lanceil seemed concerned by her gaze and examined her carefully.
“Can I not take it? I can smell the bitterness from here.”
It was true that even though the bottle was small, the bitter scent was strong.
Noticing Jiwoo’s slow reaction, Lanceil reached for a bowl he had placed on the side table. It was a round, beautifully decorated sorbet in a vibrant red color.
“Once you finish this, you can rinse your mouth with this. I brought it cold.”
Jiwoo found it unexpectedly cute. Not wanting to worry him further, she quickly downed the medicine, and he visibly relaxed.
The only similarity to that time was the way his blue eyes scanned her. What was different was the deep warmth in his gaze that hadn’t been there before.
Instead of eating the sorbet, Jiwoo impulsively caressed his cheek and kissed him. Lanceil flinched in surprise but soon responded gently.
Perhaps because he was concerned about her well-being, the kiss didn’t deepen into a passionate one. Instead, their lips met lightly, and they shared a prolonged kiss, only gently licking each other’s lower lips.
They had kissed this way while taking medicine before. The bitterness of the medicine was softened by Lanceil’s sweet saliva.
However, the current situation was entirely different from that time.
“…It’s not the same now.”
Jiwoo leaned her forehead against his neck.
“I like it here.”
Even as she spoke, Jiwoo realized again that while she felt a bit unwell, she was not anxious at all. On the contrary, she denied that she could be in pain. She felt remarkably calm.
So this is it. This place is different from back then.
They had offered her a medicine whose name she didn’t even know, but she had accepted it without hesitation, and while she felt a little dazed when sick, she didn’t become overly sensitive as if she was facing a life-threatening situation.
This wasn’t the temple that had used her. She wouldn’t have to shed blood again after healing. This was a cozy and fragrant home that Jiwoo and her husbands had created together—a safe and peaceful place.
The mere thought of that filled Jiwoo with a sense of relief that enveloped her entire body. So, she leaned her forehead against Lanceil’s shoulder and allowed herself to indulge in a moment of vulnerability.
“Lanceil.”
“Yes?”
“Lanceil.”
“Yes, I’m right here.”
“Lanceil…”
Feeling his arm supporting her and the gentle patting on her back, Jiwoo drifted back to sleep.
“Jiwoo, I love you.”
His lips brushed her forehead lightly like a butterfly, sending a delightful shiver through her.
* * *
Although she felt inexplicably weak, it wasn’t as if Akarna’s powers had completely vanished.
She wasn’t in excruciating pain, but her fever persisted for several days. Her head felt foggy, and she had no energy, as if someone was draining her life force, yet it wasn’t overwhelmingly harmful—just a strange sensation.
Knowing that Jiwoo appreciated being held when she felt unwell, her husbands took turns warming her bed with their presence. With her eyes closed, she savored the minor sounds around her.
For some reason, she didn’t have the energy to join in the conversation, but she could hear one or two of them chatting softly by her bedside. Most of their words were filled with concern over her condition, and they expressed relief that she wasn’t in severe pain. They reassured her that they would fetch anything she needed.
Occasionally, she heard a soft clattering sound, likely from someone preparing medicine. It was probably mostly Enci.
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