Ch.110Befitting a Praester (3)

It took quite a while for the situation to calm down.

Throughout it all, Kirsy’s eyes never left me.

Whether it was Helen, Tein, the other servants, Grandmother, or me speaking, Kirsy only stared at me.

It was as if she couldn’t believe I was alive. Despite already knowing every detail of my appearance, she seemed to be trying to engrave me in her memory.

She no longer opened her mouth. Knowing that she could only make incoherent sounds, she avoided making herself appear pitiful.

I still hadn’t recovered from the shock that Kirsy had developed aphasia.

According to Helen, the physician said she could recover. It was an illness that would heal naturally with time… but the important thing was that the cause of the shock needed to disappear.

Now that I was alive, the cause of the shock was gone, so she would naturally recover.

In other words, if I had truly died, she might have lost the ability to speak for the rest of her life.

Despite the physician’s assurance that she would recover, I kept feeling afraid.

Perhaps because my anxiety was so great, worst-case scenarios filled my head.

If she never recovered… I might never be able to have a proper conversation with her again.

The girl who used to follow me around, repeating “brother” like a parrot, might be gone forever.

Of course, I had once left her and given up everything, but I never wanted to lose her this way.

“…I should rest for now.”

After gathering information from all the servants, Helen, Tein, and Grandmother, I roughly understood Kirsy’s situation.

I shifted my gaze to look at Kirsy.

She was still staring intently at me.

Though she appeared so weak that even lifting her eyelids seemed difficult, her eyes were fixed on me.

“…Kirsy, I’m really alive, so please stop staring and get some rest.”

Kirsy blinked weakly, but she didn’t seem inclined to listen to me. She kept staring at me as if reading a book.

She still wouldn’t look at anyone else.

…Somehow, even without speaking, her sticky love was conveyed through her gaze alone. I felt crushed under the weight of her love.

But that didn’t make me want to avoid this moment or escape from her sight.

How could I leave? My sister who had lost her ability to speak was right in front of me.

“…Sigh.”

I let out a heavy sigh and turned to face the next problem.

Despite all this commotion, Asena hadn’t opened her eyes.

“…Asena…”

Helen understood my unfinished question and answered.

“…She can’t eat. Even when we try to feed her thin porridge, her mouth remains shut as if frozen… and even if we manage to open it and put food in, she coughs and can’t swallow.”

“…So she can’t eat anything at all.”

“…Yes. She can barely swallow water… but food, not at all…”

Three days without water. Three weeks without food.

From what I heard, she hadn’t eaten properly since I left. She would take only a bite or two, and after hearing the news of my death, she stopped eating altogether.

She had locked herself in her room, refusing all meals and visitors.

Then one day, she came out of her room, got into my bed… and fell asleep, never waking up since.

It had been nearly two weeks since I left the Praester Family of my own accord. The attack happened about 8 days ago… so she hadn’t eaten properly for 7 days since I left, and had completely stopped eating for about 7-8 days.

My heart grew heavy.

I wanted to be angry, but I couldn’t.

Her refusal to eat wasn’t a protest directed at me. She thought I was dead—who would she be trying to show by refusing to eat?

She had simply withered away alone thinking I was dead… it just broke my heart.

I sighed deeply again.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

For now, worrying wouldn’t change anything.

“…Helen, please prepare some rice porridge. For Asena and Kirsy to eat.”

“……”

Helen was silent for a moment. She probably felt the same as I did. Perhaps she recalled old memories.

When I first came to the Praester Family, that rice porridge was the first thing I fed the twins who had been refusing food.

“…Yes, Caden.”

“…Ah. They didn’t like it too bland… so, please take care of that part too.”

“Understood.”

Helen had told me several times that it was impossible to feed Asena, but that didn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

At least Kirsy was awake, which was somewhat better.

I spoke to Kirsy.

“…You need to eat.”

Kirsy was still staring intently at me.

“…Understand?”

“……”

She nodded her head weakly.

As Helen gave orders to the servants, the chaotic atmosphere gradually settled.

Grandmother, who had been watching us, also moved away with Tein and Max’s support.

After everyone left, one person emerged from the crowd.

“…Judy.”

-Rustle.

At the mention of Judy, Kirsy flinched.

Looking at Kirsy, I saw her eyes leave me for the first time to look at Judy.

Judy asked me.

“…Caden, is there anything I can help with?”

Her expression was tinged with regret. She seemed to have experienced a shock similar to mine.

It must have been unsettling to see the twins, who had been able to converse until she came looking for me, collapse like this.

Beyond everything else, she might simply be worried about me because my siblings had fallen ill.

I smiled to reassure her.

“…It’s okay.”

At that moment, Kirsy’s hand touched the back of mine.

“……”

“…What is it?”

I gently focused on her, asking for her thoughts.

Kirsy’s eyes darted between me and Judy.

Like Grandmother, she seemed confused by Judy’s appearance.

If it had been Asena, who had conversed with us, she would have known why Judy was here, but Kirsy might not understand.

“…Ah. Judy…?”

Kirsy nodded weakly.

“…Judy is the one who saved me.”

Kirsy drew in a breath. Her mouth opened, and her eyes trembled and widened.

Kirsy looked confused and tried to get up.

Seeing this, Judy, who had been standing outside the door, hurriedly entered.

I also helped Kirsy sit back down, trying to calm her.

“Kirsy, don’t get up. You need to rest.”

Judy, now standing beside me, also spoke to Kirsy.

“…Please rest for now.”

Kirsy looked back and forth between me and Judy beside me.

After staring at us with a dazed expression, she suddenly shuddered, then began to bow her head deeply. She was expressing gratitude to Judy.

Judy helped Kirsy sit up straight and said:

“It’s okay, you don’t need to thank me. I wanted to do it.”

“…Kirsy, just rest for now. Let’s not overdo it today.”

After helping Kirsy sit up, she looked at me and nodded.

Now we could only communicate this way. With her nodding or shaking her head.

This was truly a devastating blow for us, who used to share various conversations.

“…Judy, thank you. There should be a room where you can rest, so please let the servants guide you there. I’ll come find you later.”

“…Okay. Caden, take your time.”

“Sure. See you later.”

Judy greeted Kirsy once more, showed respect to the sleeping Asena, and then turned to leave.

Now only the three of us—me and the twins—remained in the room.

I adjusted my posture and looked at Kirsy.

Her expression, which had been blank while staring at me earlier, now revealed various emotions.

Just Judy’s visit had brought a big change to her.

“…Uu…auuu…”

As if wanting to say something, she made sounds for the first time since she had burst into tears, having kept her mouth firmly shut until now.

But upon hearing the incomprehensible words coming out, Kirsy frowned dejectedly.

Seeing her like this, I called out loudly for a servant outside, asking them to bring paper, a quill, and ink.

After waiting a moment, Kirsy, now equipped with writing tools, moved her weakened body to the table beside the bed and began to write.

I had to support her waist and shoulders to prevent her from collapsing.

Soon, she finished writing and handed me the paper.

“Please tell Judy thank you again, brother. Really… tell her I will definitely repay this debt.”

I read the note and nodded to her.

“…Alright. But is that what you wanted to say?”

Kirsy shook her head. She blinked anxiously and began writing again.

“But… I thought you two had a bad relationship after the broken engagement. Are things okay now?”

I pondered how to answer, then carefully replied.

Knowing her feelings for me, it didn’t seem right to say I planned to accept Judy now.

All I could say was…

“…Judy and I… we’re on good terms now.”

And at that moment, I saw it.

Kirsy flinched like a fragile animal at my words, then bit her lip slightly, almost imperceptibly.

…..It was now so easy to recognize.

Jealousy.

“……”

Even in this situation.

Seeing her faintly jealous even when her body was so weakened… paradoxically, I began to understand all her actions until now. It was such deep love that drove her to do such shocking things.

What I needed to understand wasn’t why they had gone to such extremes, but the depth of their love.

Lost in thought while looking at Kirsy, I noticed her releasing her bitten lip and softening her expression.

Then she made an incredibly melancholic and pained face.

What emotion was she feeling? I couldn’t tell since she couldn’t speak. Though, even if she could speak, I doubt she would have told me.

She raised herself once more and moved toward the paper.

“…Kirsy, stop pushing yourself and rest now.”

I naturally supported her body, but I also wanted her to rest.

Kirsy, ignoring my concern, dipped the quill in ink and began writing on the paper.

She showed me the final paper.

“Congratulations. I’m happy that you’re getting along well.”

“….?”

I couldn’t understand her words. Since learning of her feelings for me, I had understood why she had been so harsh and sensitive toward Judy and Daisy all this time.

Whenever I grew closer to them, Kirsy would express her disappointment to me, act cute, or get angry.

But now she was congratulating me… I couldn’t help but feel the awkwardness.

I looked at Kirsy.

Though she covered her mouth with the paper, her eyes looked so sad.

It was obvious she wasn’t happy about this situation at all, nor was she congratulating me.

Perhaps reading my expression, Kirsy adjusted her face.

With great difficulty, she forced a smile with her eyes.

Her trembling eyelids were pitiful.

“…Ehehe.”

She even forced a laugh. Since it wasn’t speech, she could imitate laughter.

“……Rest at least until the meal arrives, Kirsy.”

Realizing I was pushing her in an unwanted way, I ended the situation.

Kirsy no longer resisted me.

She nodded and lay down weakly on the bed.

Even then, Kirsy pulled the blanket up to cover her head completely.

She remained motionless like that for a long time.