The Male Lead’s Sickly Aide is My Type - Chapter 99.1
Chapter 99.1
Since that day, Archen had worked tirelessly, claiming he needed to uncover the nobles’ clandestine schemes. He rose before dawn, immured himself in his study, and emerged only for meals and the briefest of necessities.
Only when the stars faded and a new dawn painted the sky would he finally retreat to his bedroom.
His life was a relentless cycle of work, from one sunrise to the next. Such intense labor demanded rest and nourishment, yet he neglected both.
Day by day, he grew thinner, his skin rough, dark circles etching themselves beneath his eyes. He often skipped meals, complained of heartburn from excessive coffee, and frequently dozed off mid-meal.
Carinne, who was deeply worried, couldn’t sleep peacefully.
‘I have to make him rest somehow.’
He was pushing his already fragile body to its limits. It might seem manageable now, but in time, the consequences would be dire. How could she ensure he rested, even for a single day?
Lost in thought, she devised a drastic plan.
One morning, Carinne awoke before him and surreptitiously dropped his spectacles on the floor. Feigning sleep, she waited for him to stir. As usual, he reached for his glasses on the bedside table. She pretended to just wake up.
“Have you seen my glasses?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“I’m sure I left them here…”
“Look around properly. They’re not going to sprout legs and walk off.”
She replied nonchalantly, swinging her legs out of bed. More precisely, she placed her heel directly on the spectacles and pressed down hard.
Crack.
“Oh!”
Carinne feigned alarm, picking up the broken frames.
“I’m so sorry! I stepped on them! They were on the floor.”
“It’s alright. Let me see them.”
‘He’s not going to magically fix them, is he?’
Carinne thought, using her grip to ensure the glasses were completely beyond repair before handing them over.
Archen narrowed his eyes, examining the damage.
The spectacles were utterly ruined.
“They’re completely broken.”
“You’ll need a new pair. Since I broke them, leave it to me. I’ll go get them right away.”
The next steps unfolded seamlessly. Returning from the optician, she wore a mournful expression.
“They’re backed up with orders. It’ll take a few days. You’ll have to manage without them for a while.”
“I see.”
He responded calmly, then turned and headed up the stairs.
“Where are you going?”
Archen was on his way to his study. Sitting down, he held a document at a right angle, trying to align the text with his eyes, minimizing the distance between the paper and his face. Carinne rushed over, pulling him from his chair.
“What are you doing?! You’ll… I mean, you’ll ruin your eyes!”
“I have to finish this today.”
“I’ll do it, I will!”
Carinne took his place, gathering the papers.
“This one, and this one, and these. Just need to review them, right? Archen, go and rest. You’ve been working so hard.”
“But…”
He started to speak, then yawned, covering his mouth. His half-closed eyes betrayed his exhaustion.
“See? Go get some sleep. I’ll finish this.”
He hesitated, then agreed.
Carinne watched him leave before picking up the documents. Reviewing them proved more demanding than she’d anticipated. Lunch passed, then dinner, before she finally finished. Returning to the bedroom, she found Archen gone.
Downstairs, she discovered him in the drawing room, meticulously removing the stems from a mountain of tomatoes. A bowl beside the overflowing platter held the fruits of his labor, suggesting he’d been at it for some time.
“What are you doing?! I told you to rest!”
“I felt I should do something.”
He said, rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
Carinne snatched the tomato from his hand.
“Marie! Come and take these away!”
Startled by the sharp command, Marie hurried into the drawing room. Carinne turned to her, her voice edged with exasperation.
“Who told Archen to do this?”
“Well… His Lordship came to the kitchen and asked if there was anything he could do.”
‘I can’t believe this…’
Carinne thought, striking her forehead. What was she to do with this workaholic? She’d practically laid out a red carpet for him to rest, and he’d still found a way to work.
“This won’t do. Come here.”
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