Chapter 118

R̀é​àd̀ ̈ón̂ ̃K̂ät̂R̃ë​äd̈ĩ​ǹg̃C̈àf̀è

“Oh you meant acupressure? I can definitely do that…”

The palm acupressure I did for Eugene in the nurse’s office when he was feeling unwell.

It wasn’t a difficult task, and compared to the massage I originally wanted to do, it was simple.

Even if it wasn’t much, I wanted to do whatever Eugene asked in order to help his exhausted mental state after the tough battle.

That’s unlikely, though.

Really, truly, that would never happen.

Even if Eugene asked for Lucia’s body, I would have accepted with a smile.

After all, Lucia is a heroine. Only the protagonist can claim her pure body, right?

Thinking about doing that with a man makes me want to vomit, but… hehehe, I actually enjoy that humiliation and shame… 

Imagining myself, a man in my past life, being crushed beneath another man and moaning fills me with a sense of depravity. Lucia is truly an irredeemable pervert!

Of course, if Eugene had sincerely made such a request, I might have hesitated a little. Not because I disliked it, but for Alice’s sake. I didn’t want Eugene to develop unnecessary feelings for me.

Considering that Eugene would never make such a request in the first place, this was just meaningless fantasy.

I dismissed those pointless thoughts and spoke in a concerned voice.

“Do you feel nauseous? Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

Eugene dislikes causing trouble for others, so for him to ask for this himself means something must be wrong.

I was too careless. Eugene fought the Black Knight today. Even if he burned all the death energy, I can’t guarantee that the evil aura was completely gone. 

There might still be a faint trace of death energy lingering in his body. As a supernatural of Eugene’s level, he could easily endure minor curses, but the side effect of poor condition would be unavoidable.

“Ah, no… um, actually, it’s a little…”

I leaned my upper body toward Eugene. He seemed embarrassed to talk about his condition and avoided eye contact. His face was red. Too red. It seems that he’s really in pain.

Wait, so the redness on his face since earlier wasn’t because of nervousness, but because he was in pain? I thought it was because he was nervous about meeting the high-ranking members of the Celestial Corps.

Considering Ariene’s detection abilities, his condition probably isn’t serious enough to raise alarms.

If Eugene’s condition had truly deteriorated, she would have reacted.

Maybe it’s just a slight decline in his condition?

“Acupressure is something I can do anytime. Would you like me to hold out your hand?”

It seemed to have worked well last time in the nurse’s office. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it would actually work since the knowledge came from some shady source. But it seems to have been effective. Eugene even asked for it himself. 

Of course, I’ll do it. I was feeling sullen because I couldn’t think of a way to help.

It shouldn’t be a big deal to hold out his hand, but Eugene hesitated and slowly raised his hand.

He seemed to be hesitating for some reason.

There’s no need to feel burdened. I gently smiled and carefully held Eugene’s hand, treating it like a fragile piece of porcelain.

I wrapped both my hands around Eugene’s right hand and pressed firmly between his thumb and index finger. 

Eugene’s hand, which had wielded a sword for a long time, was covered in calluses. The rough, hardened skin seemed to reflect his past efforts.

In contrast to Lucia’s soft, delicate hands, which she claims are precious because she’s never done any rough work in her life, Eugene’s hands were strikingly different. 

I’ve been trying too, you know. Super regeneration prevents me from developing calluses no matter how much I train, though.

“How is it? Does it feel better?”

“…Yeah.”

“Hehe, that’s a relief.”

I smiled politely, even though his expression didn’t look completely fine.

If Eugene’s condition was truly caused by the Black Knight’s death energy, acupressure wouldn’t be enough to make him feel better.

His body and mind need to rest and recover to boost his healing abilities.

What should I do? Should I touch his chest too? Lucia’s healing pouch is steadily growing. It’s not as overwhelming as teacher Angelica’s, which can’t be hidden even under a blazer, but… it’s still quite sizable for my age, right?

“I think that’s enough. I’m fine now. Sorry for making such a strange request…”

Eugene fidgeted with his left hand as he spoke. Though he said he was fine, his expression didn’t look fine at all. Maybe he thought it was a waste of time since it didn’t help. 

Eugene tried to pull his hand away from the acupressure. I let go of his hand without resistance. It did seem like acupressure wasn’t very helpful.

As I pondered for a better solution, an idea suddenly came to me, and I nodded vigorously.

Yes, there’s a simple solution.

“Eugene, go to bed early tonight.”

I stood up from my seat and turned to look at Eugene.

Eugene looked puzzled, so I confidently said,

“When you’re not feeling well, it’s best to rest. After a good sleep, your body will recover.”

What Eugene needs now is rest to replenish his energy.

Eating well, resting well, and sleeping well would be enough to recover.

He must have already eaten dinner, so all that’s left is a comfortable rest.

“Um, you don’t have to go that far…”

“No way. Look, you even have a slight fever.”

I placed my hand on Eugene’s forehead. The warm temperature filled my palm. I thought it was because of his pyrokinesis, but it seems he’s just in pain.

Ugh, if you’re in pain, just say so. Eugene really needs someone to take care of him. Alice will eventually take on that role, but for now, I’ve decided to step in.

I brushed Eugene’s damp bangs, which were soaked with cold sweat, and moved to the window.

I closed the window and drew the colorful blue droplet-shaped curtains.

I turned off the light switch next to the door, and the sickroom instantly became dark.

“…Alright. Goodnight.”

Eugene sighed, resigned. Yes, yes. Go to bed early. You usually go to bed early anyway. With your recovery ability, you’ll be fully healed by tomorrow morning.

“See you tomorrow, Lucia.”

“Yeah, goodnight.”

I replied to Eugene’s farewell and headed toward the hospital bed.

Though it was dark, a supernatural’s eyesight was enough to see clearly in the dark.

I sat back down in the seat I had been sitting in earlier.

“Lucia? Aren’t you leaving?”

“It’s lonely when you’re sick, right? I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”

Even someone who usually claims to enjoy being alone would feel lonely when they’re unwell. 

Humans are inherently social creatures who can’t live alone. 

Eugene, though he doesn’t show it, secretly craves companionship. He would feel lonely if no one was by his side when he’s feverish and in pain.

“Is it inconvenient?”

If Eugene said he felt bothered while trying to sleep, I would leave.

Eugene didn’t answer for a moment.

After a few seconds of silence, Eugene spoke in a faint voice.

“…No, I’d appreciate it if you stayed with me.”

“Hehe.”

See, you can be honest like this.

You can’t say you’re uncomfortable even when you are, and you can’t say you’re in pain even when you are.

Always putting others first is a bad habit.

“You should get into the habit of honestly saying what you want sometimes.”

Ugh. I’ll even go the extra mile for you.

Normally, this is something I only do for Alice, but I’ll make an exception for you.

Following Eugene as he lay down on the bed, I also collapsed onto it.

Despite being a hospital bed, the mattress was as soft as the beds in the dormitory, gently cradling my body.

“Lu… Lucia?!”

“Shh, Eugene~ Good boys should go to sleep now~”

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I was too close.

If I got any closer, our breaths would touch.

But hey, since I’m already doing this, I might as well go all out.

I calmly took Eugene’s hand.

His hand, rough and calloused, with scars that could be considered ugly depending on one’s perspective.

Thinking of it as the culmination of Eugene’s efforts, I felt a sense of pride in its roughness.

“Alice told me this. Having someone by your side makes you feel at ease and helps you fall asleep quickly.”

Alice hugged him tightly, but doing that to Eugene would be too much, right? Let’s compromise with holding hands. 

We’re not dating, and he’s not my master. Just sharing a bed is already quite improper. I’m only doing this for Eugene, the protagonist, because he’s special. I wouldn’t do this for anyone else.

“Eugene, thank you so much today. For saving people and protecting me.”

“…”

“So this is about repaying a debt. We’re best friends, right?”

I drew a line beforehand to prevent Eugene from getting the wrong idea.

Alright, I’ll stay with him until he falls asleep.

I can’t leave Frey unattended, so I’ll have to return soon.

“Goodnight, Eugene.”

“…Yeah, you too, Lucia.”

I’m not actually going to sleep. I’m just staying with him.

But saying that would break the mood, so I answered with a smile.

I smelled medicine. It was coming from Eugene. The medicinal smell, which irritated my nose, also mixed with his natural scent. While Alice smells warm and cozy, Eugene smells like sunlight. Don’t men usually smell bad?

When will Eugene fall asleep? He usually goes to bed early and wakes up early, so he’ll probably fall asleep soon. 

Feeling the warmth of our clasped hands, I blinked. 

Maybe it’s because the mattress is so soft, but lying down made me feel sleepy. The drowsiness Frey had chased away seemed to be returning.

I’m sleepy. I’m tired. A yawn escaped me.

Resisting my heavy eyelids, I thought,

Hehe, what if I fall asleep before Eugene?

Oh no.

 

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Lucia has no evil intentions.

Really.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
I’m surprised we haven’t gotten a pov change, though that likely changes next chapter, heh.