Chapter 31

It has been six days since Zenshiro contracted the "Blessing of the Forest."

Yesterday, he was suddenly moved to one of the rooms in the harem. Lying on the bed, Zenshiro was drenched in sweat.

His fever had already dropped to around 37.5 degrees, the swelling in his throat had subsided, and his appetite was returning. Until the day before yesterday, he could barely manage to sip on a soup made of chicken and finely chopped, mild-tasting leafy vegetables, but this morning, he was able to eat a dish similar to mashed potatoes with a sweet and savory sauce. To Zenshiro, it felt like a potato dish, but in reality, it was a dish made by mashing steamed bananas. It was more of a commoner's dish than a royal one, but it was relatively gentle on the stomach and high in nutrients, making it suitable for convalescent meals.

According to the doctor, Zenshiro would recover fully in a day or two. Zenshiro himself felt a significant improvement in his condition. However, being moved from his usual bedroom, where he had lived for several months, to another bedroom without any electrical appliances, and lying alone on a new bed, made it hard for him to feel at ease.

Still, his body, weakened by the illness, craved sleep. Despite the improved comfort, in the heat that exceeded 30 degrees during the day, Zenshiro's consciousness began to drift. He was pulled back from his drowsiness by the soft touch of a hand on his forehead and an unfamiliar woman's voice.

"It seems your fever has dropped considerably. With this, you should be able to return to your daily routine in a day or two."

"…Huh?"

As Zenshiro opened his eyes slightly, he saw a refined-looking middle-aged woman with a gentle smile, her hand on his forehead.

"…Who are you?"

In a half-awake state, Zenshiro muttered these words.

She had straight, light chestnut hair, warm wrinkles around her eyes, and a burnt sienna complexion, not from her natural skin tone but from sun exposure. Unlike the people of the Carpa Kingdom, who had a mixed Latin and African appearance, this middle-aged woman had a more Western look.

Clearly, she was of a different race from the people of the Carpa Kingdom. Zenshiro, who had a poor memory, would have remembered such a distinctive person if he had seen her before.

The middle-aged woman—Princess Isabella—removed her hand from Zenshiro's forehead, stood up from her chair, and elegantly bowed, holding the hem of her dress.

"It is my first time meeting you, Zenshiro-sama. I am Isabella, the third child of the 18th Pope of the Shalowa Gilbert Dual Kingdom, Benedict IV."

"Y-You are very formal. I…."

Startled by the encounter with a princess from a major country, Zenshiro tried to sit up in bed, but Princess Isabella gently restrained him with practiced hands.

"Please stay as you are. Your body has not fully recovered yet."

She urged Zenshiro to lie back down.

Zenshiro realized something.

"Huh? Oh, right. I feel much better."

Although his body still felt weak from lying down for so long, the lethargy and dull headache that had plagued him before falling asleep were completely gone.

Princess Isabella, still smiling, placed a hand on Zenshiro's shoulder, which he had started to raise, and gently pushed him back onto the bed.

"Zenshiro-sama, you must not get up. The ease you feel is due to the 'Stamina Recovery' and 'Mental Fatigue Removal' spells I cast earlier. I could have used 'Cure Disease,' but since it's the 'Blessing of the Forest,' you must overcome it on your own to gain its full effect, so I left it as it is."

"Ah, I see… I understand."

Indeed, his stamina had recovered, but his body still felt warm. He was not fully recovered yet.

(Oh, right. Last night, when Aula came to visit, she said that the princess of the Dual Kingdom would come to visit, so I was moved to a different room.)

Zenshiro had been informed of the situation beforehand, but since he had a fever over 38 degrees until yesterday, it was understandable that he didn't remember the details.

(Well, in terms of status, I'm higher, but since I received the 'healing' visit, it's fine to be more humble, right?)

Calmly, Zenshiro noticed Aula standing behind Princess Isabella, who was sitting in a chair, watching over him.

Noticing his gaze, Aula nodded slightly.

(That means I don't need to worry too much about formalities, right?)

Feeling a bit more relaxed, Zenshiro leaned his head against the headboard and slightly raised his upper body to face Princess Isabella.

"Thank you, Princess Isabella. I feel much better thanks to you."

"No, it's nothing. If you rest and eat nourishing food, you should be able to get up tomorrow."

"Yes, thank you."

As he spoke, Zenshiro's voice became hoarse, and he let out a small cough.

"Zenshiro, here's some water."

Immediately, Aula, who had been standing behind him, picked up a small silver drinking tube and brought it to Zenshiro's lips.

"Ah, thank you."

Having been taken care of by Aula for several days, Zenshiro didn't feel embarrassed as he drank the water from the tube Aula held. The lukewarm water soothed his throat, and he felt a pleasant sweat break out all over his body.

"Phew…"

"Is that enough?"

"Yes, I feel better. Thank you."

Seeing the natural and affectionate interaction, Princess Isabella covered her mouth with her right hand and let out a small laugh.

"I had heard rumors, but you two really do have a good relationship."

"Ah… I'm sorry."

"Well, a good relationship is better than a bad one, right?"

In contrast to Zenshiro, who felt a bit embarrassed by the outsider's gaze, Aula smiled and said confidently.

"Indeed, that is true."

Aula's response made Princess Isabella nod in agreement and laugh.

While it is often misunderstood in the world, in the realm of royalty and nobility, "couples who get along well" are not at all rare. Royal marriages are often arranged based on family connections and power balances rather than personal feelings, but precisely because of this, the parties involved make efforts to maintain a harmonious relationship.

If there is no fatal conflict of interests and both parties are willing to make concessions, it is not impossible to develop affection after marriage. However, it is rare for a couple to show such a well-matched and harmonious relationship, like Aula and Zenshiro, just six months after their marriage.

(Maybe they are just very compatible?)

Princess Isabella, with a gentle smile, hid her sharp observation and watched Aula and Zenshiro.

"By the way, Zenshiro-sama, you came to marry Aula-sama and crossed worlds, didn't you? Could it be called a love that transcends worlds?"

"Ah? Ah, yes, that's right."

Zenshiro was momentarily surprised by Princess Isabella's words, "crossed worlds," but after a moment's thought, he calmed down.

It is a well-known fact that the Carpa royal family's bloodline magic is "Time-Space Magic," and the marriage of Aula, the queen of the great Carpa Kingdom and the only royal, was closely watched by the nobles and royalty of other countries.

Considering this, it would be strange if the true identity of Zenshiro, who suddenly appeared as Aula's partner, was not known.

Perhaps because he had come to this conclusion, Zenshiro let slip:

"150 years ago, a descendant who fled to another world for love has now returned to marry. Thinking about it, it's quite moving."

"Indeed… 150 years ago, such a thing happened…"

Princess Isabella, nodding in agreement, was interrupted by Aula, who had returned the water pitcher to the table, speaking calmly.

"Still, it's just a rumor. It's true that a direct royal was erased from the records 150 years ago, but there is no record that this person fled to another world, nor is there any proof that Zenshiro is a direct descendant."

"…Yes, you're right. I apologize. I got carried away with a romantic love story, which is unbecoming of my age.

In the first place, it's not a good idea to have a long conversation with a patient, even if they are recovering.

Zenshiro-sama, Aula-sama, I will take my leave here."

"Ah, yes. Thank you for using your valuable power for my husband. I appreciate it."

Aula herself led Princess Isabella to the door of the temporary bedroom.

"Thank you, Princess Isabella. I feel much better thanks to you."

Zenshiro, as instructed, remained lying on the bed and threw a word of thanks to the departing queen and princess.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

That night.

Aula invited her confidant, Secretary Fabio, and the head court magician, Espiridion, to the royal family's private room deep in the palace for a secret meeting.

The room, one of the smaller ones in the palace, was illuminated by the flames of candles on a candelabra. Aula, sitting in an intricately decorated chair, crossed her legs and turned to Secretary Fabio, who stood diagonally in front of her.

"Let's hear your report."

"Understood."

The middle-aged secretary took a step forward and began to speak in his usual monotone.

"Princess Isabella's 'client' has been identified. It is the former king of Cobrago, Louis II."

Aula, hearing the secretary's words, tilted her head in confusion.

"The former king of Cobrago? That's strange. If it were the current king, it would make sense, but I don't think Cobrago has the resources to call Princess Isabella for the former king."

Cobrago, a neighboring country that shares a border with the Carpa Kingdom, has a land area and total population that is only about one-fifth that of the Carpa Kingdom. Naturally, its financial power is also much weaker. However, due to its favorable location, it survived the last great war, and it would be strange for such a small country to call Princess Isabella for a former king who has already abdicated.

"Given the size of Cobrago, the most likely candidates would be Prince Roberto or Prince Tommaso, or at most, Pope Matteo, the brother of the Gilbert Pope."

Aula mentioned the names of the Gilbert royal family. All of them, compared to Princess Isabella, have significantly weaker healing magic, but their fees are much lower.

Aula's reasonable opinion was met with no change in the middle-aged secretary's expression as he countered.

"However, all the names you mentioned, Your Majesty, are male. They cannot enter the harem."

"Why does the harem matter? The patient is the former King Louis, right?"

Aula, tilting her head, received a calm response from Secretary Fabio.

"Yes, that's the problem. It's not the harem of Cobrago, but our own harem in the Carpa Kingdom."

Realizing the implications of Secretary Fabio's words, Aula shifted in her chair.

"Are you saying that Princess Isabella's target was us from the beginning?"

"Yes. This is still under investigation, but it seems that Cobrago, as Your Majesty suspected, requested the dispatch of Prince Roberto. The Dual Kingdom then proposed, 'We can keep the fee the same, but instead of Prince Roberto, send Princess Isabella.'"

"Could the Dual Kingdom have known that my husband was bedridden with the 'Blessing of the Forest'?"

Aula's question was met with a shake of the head by the middle-aged secretary.

"No, that was just a coincidence. If they knew Zenshiro-sama was bedridden, there would be no need to send Princess Isabella specifically."

The healers of the Gilbert royal family are a special existence, more so than doctors. With the pretext of a medical examination, they can enter the harem, regardless of gender.

"I see, that makes sense. But if that's the case, the Dual Kingdom sent Princess Isabella at a lower price just to see my husband?"

"To know the character of the queen's partner, who suddenly appeared in the great