Chapter 14

One day, I was trembling in my bed at home.

It was already well past the time when the sun was high in the sky, but I had no intention of leaving this place.

I clung to the blanket and placed my hand on my forehead.

My head was burning, feeling as if my brain was melting.

It was the intense presence of death that I hadn't experienced in nine years.

My consciousness was hazy.

"Brother! Please, hold on, Brother!"

Giselle called out to me.

But it was no use.

Even Giselle's cute, beautiful face was blurry to me now.

This morning, I felt so unwell that I couldn't eat breakfast.

I told my mother about it and had her prepare some warm goat's milk for me, but as soon as I drank it, the contents of my stomach rose up and I vomited.

I then collapsed and was carried to my bed, where I am now.

Looking back, I had been feeling a bit off for a few days.

Perhaps this was all a sign.

Maybe it was a mistake to be driven out to help with farming and then to stay up for three days straight to continue my magical research to make up for the lost time.

No, I should consider all the strain I've put on myself up until now as the cause. Staying up all night isn't that unusual for me.

Was it the nutritional drink I made myself?

I probably shouldn't have used that herb.

The detoxification wasn't thorough enough.

Or, could it be that I was cursed for creating a three-headed rat with bio-magic?

I shouldn't have meddled with that magic. It was a desecration of life and a rebellion against the gods. It was beyond what a human should tamper with.

I'm sorry, God. I won't use bio-magic again.

Please, forgive me.

"...Oh, spirits of our ancestors, please forgive me."

I lifted my heavy arm and made the sign of the cross in the air.

"Brother!"

Giselle, crying, clung to my shoulder.

"Giselle... I'm sorry, I... Now that I think about it, I... I only thought about myself and didn't do anything a good brother should do... I was a bad brother... I'm sorry."

If I had a sister in my previous life, things might have been different.

No, it's not just that.

I feel the same way about my parents.

The presence of my parents, who watched over me at home, was more unfamiliar to me than the culture of the Maren clan.

Even a normal baby wouldn't know such things, but for me, their absence was the norm.

With pre-existing values, I started from a negative rather than a neutral point.

Perhaps the many misunderstandings with my father were due to this.

"No, no, that's not true! Don't say such things as if you're giving up!"

"I know my own body. I'm going to die."

"Brother, Brother! Please, stay strong!"

However, my parents were surprisingly cold.

"It's just a cold. I've always told you to take care of your body. You've been overworking yourself."

Father got up, sighed in exasperation, and left the room.

Just a cold?

That's impossible.

My body is so hot and I'm in so much pain,

"Cough, cough!"

Yes, and I'm even coughing.

"Father, Brother is...!"

"Yes, it's just a cold."

Is that all he can say?

I feel like I'm turning into the wind.

"It's because you overworked yourself in this cold weather."

I just took some medicine and stayed up for three days.

I even kept my room warm with magic.

Most importantly, a simple cold shouldn't be this painful.

"However, Father... I have placed many protective charms. It can't be a cold."

"You rely too much on charms. They can prevent illness, but they are powerless once you catch a cold. You've been cooped up too much, which has weakened your body."

"I have placed ten protective charms. This isn't a cold. It must be... Yes, it must be a curse from someone who envies my talent. It must be Philo."

Philo was a grandchild of the clan leader.

Since the clan leader was always with me, teaching me various things, it's possible that Philo envied me.

Yes, that's the only explanation.

If I recover, I'll seriously study protective magic against curses.

"Even with so many protective charms... Well, but you overworked yourself beyond that."

"That's why... This isn't just a cold..."

"Indeed. I'm going hunting. Rest for a while."

"If I continue like this, I'll be resting under the earth for the rest of my life."

"The spell to dispel the disease is already cast. You should recover to some extent by sunset. We'll have a light white soup for dinner tonight."

"Father... By sunset, I might not be here anymore..."

"You should learn to be more careful after this."

Father said this and left the room.

How cold, is he even a relative?

He looked at me as if I were a child making a fuss over a simple cold.

No, I've always been obsessed with magic.

To my parents, who saw magic as a part of rituals, education, and a substitute for electrical appliances, I must have seemed very strange.

Father didn't show it openly, but he might have found me creepy.

Tears involuntarily streamed down my face.

I had spent too much time mastering magic, which isn't highly valued in this peaceful era, and lost sight of what was important.

"What's wrong, Brother! Do you have a headache? Should I change your cold compress?"

No, Giselle is here, holding my hand even as I face death.

Just this alone makes me feel fortunate.

Without Giselle, I would have died alone and lonely in this life as well.

I don't deserve such a good sister.

"I'm fine, I'm sorry to worry you. It's just... I suddenly feel so lonely, thinking I might die..."

"Don't say you're going to die! What will I do if you die, Brother!"

I tried to reach out and stroke Giselle's head, but my arm felt abnormally heavy.

Her head, which was right there, seemed so far away.

Ah, I'm going to die. This time, I'm really going to die.

"Can... Can I hold your hand?"

"Yes! Yes! Of course!"

Giselle took my hand.

Her hand was small and cute, appropriate for her age.

I weakly squeezed her hand back and stroked the back of her hand with my thumb.

"I'm always... so focused on magic and don't pay attention to you... I'm sorry... Giselle, I love you..."

I said this and closed my eyes, unable to fight the heaviness of my eyelids.

"Bro...ther? Brother! Brother! No, Nooo!"

Giselle's scream echoed through the room.

As I listened to it, my consciousness faded away like foam.

...

Ten hours later, I was sitting at the dining table.

"Can you eat?"

Father asked.

"...Yes, I think so. I'm still a bit feverish, but I should be fine."

In conclusion, it was just a cold.

It seems the Maren clan has a tendency towards frail health.

While they rarely get sick due to magical prevention, when they do, even a simple cold can be quite severe.

"I'm glad Brother has recovered. I... I was so worried... What if something had happened..."

My heart ached.

I had caused Giselle unnecessary worry.

I also feel like I said some strange things while delirious with fever.

"Ah... By the way, Philo came to visit. But since you were sleeping, I sent him home..."

"Ah, yeah, I see..."

Philo, I'm sorry for suspecting you.

I don't remember much, but I feel like I accused you of something terrible while I had a headache.

I also feel bad for making assumptions about my parents.

It's better to focus on proper disease prevention rather than curses.