episode_0139

Luke made excuses.

“Princess… This is, gulp… .”

No, I was trying to make an excuse.

Even the blood that hadn’t come out yet clung to his windpipe and blocked his speech.

“I told you it didn’t hurt. I told you it was okay!”

The loudest voice I’ve ever heard.

That’s why I got a call from a friend.

Elin ran in one breath.

He grabbed Luke’s shoulder and checked his condition.

“Why is it like this? Since when has it been like this?”

“Coolook, coolook… .”

“No, don’t answer. I’ll call the doctor right away.”

“Wait a minute… .”

The hand that stretched out to grab Elin cut through the air in vain.

Elin, who had already cast a portal with no spell, left the room.

Shu-

Soon after, a portal opened in the corner.

“Oh, your majesty. Excuse me, but you should tell me what the situation is before you go so that I can prepare… … .”

Two years ago, the new doctor Ellen hired was brought in without any explanation.

“Diagnose.”

“… Yes, yes.”

Elin points to Luke with a cold voice.

The completely overwhelmed doctor calmly felt Luke’s mana heart.

“… … ”

“Why?”

The attending physician’s face turned pale.

Ellen, who hadn’t missed a beat, asked pointedly.

“That, that’s… .”

“Tell me quickly. What is the disease and how should it be treated?”

“Please wait a moment!”

The attending physician hurriedly searched through the bag he had brought.

“The data that was handed over… .”

After going through a pile of documents.

I found a medical record.

“This, this symptom is that every time you use magic, your mana heart is squeezed… In other words, it’s the same illness that the princess suffered from before.”

“… … ha.”

Elin let out a hollow laugh.

“… So that’s how you treated it?”

A quick diagnosis was all it took to figure out what was going on.

It was actually strange.

Even if you feed the dragon a huge amount of magic power, can the curse be washed away?

I was wondering if Luke had paid another price.

It was I who took that curse upon myself.

“Really… … !”

Ellen stamped her feet, not knowing what to do.

This is my first time feeling this way.

Not knowing how to control the boiling anger.

Even Luke, who was supposed to teach me, is not in his right mind.

Elin repeatedly swept her heated forehead.

Unfortunately, the doctor’s words were not over yet.

“But in this state, it must have been very painful for you to use magic all this time, how… .”

Luke gave me a look as if to tell me to stop.

“It is highly likely that you have been coughing up blood until now… .”

Of course, I didn’t reach my doctor.

Elin glared at the attending physician with eyes that looked like lasers might come out at any moment.

“… So what should we do about the treatment?”

“As you, Your Majesty, know… .”

“Just say it doesn’t exist.”

“… … ”

The attending physician bowed his head as if he were embarrassed.

Elin trembled with uncontrollable rage.

Kwak.

“Your Highness, please listen to me.”

Luke hugged Elin tightly.

I felt like I was going to explode with anger at any moment.

Fortunately, it worked.

“Hoooo… … .”

Elin also hugged Luke tightly and barely managed to calm down.

“Go out.”

“… Yes!”

The attending physician, who had been observing the situation, left the room.

Only Ellen and Luke remained.

“I was going to tell you.”

Luke struck the player before Ellen could open her mouth.

“I was planning to tell you after the coming-of-age ceremony. The saintess will also be attending, so please check her physical condition―”

“Because I’d be worried if I found out in advance. And then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the coming-of-age ceremony properly. Is that why you hid it?”

“That’s it.”

“At least you shouldn’t have overdone it. If you knew that your body was in that state.”

“… … ”

It’s the worst.

I thought I could hide it until my coming of age ceremony.

No, honestly, I was going to keep it a secret until I handed in my resignation letter.

“If you want to get ready in time, you have to take care of your body… … .”

“If that’s what you call an excuse now… .”

Ellen raised her fist high as if to hit Luke’s shoulder.

I barely managed to get down after shivering.

I felt like I couldn’t stand it if Luke, who was in serious condition, got worse.

“Haa… Listen carefully, teacher.”

Ellen barely managed to hold onto her sanity with a few deep breaths.

“I think teachers are more important than things like coming of age ceremonies.”

“But… .”

“Even if the world is destroyed, I just need you by my side, Teacher.”

“… … ”

“So, don’t move and rest until the saint comes tomorrow.”

“There is still something to check.”

“Does the teacher have to do it?”

“… … That’s not it.”

257 spells have already been confirmed to be without problems.

You can ask other people to take care of other safety matters.

“As the CEO… .”

“Rest.”

“The duty to lead the event… .”

“Rest.”

“I promise not to use magic… .”

“Rest.”

Chorrrruk-

Finally, Elin took out the chain.

A unique magic sword developed during two years of acting as the head of the Bertain family.

All the shortcomings were complemented, making it a chain that once tied, there was no escape.

“Be quiet. That’s an order.”

Threatening to tie you up if you don’t.

Luke had no choice but to back off.

“… Okay.”

“You have to lie still. Until I come back.”

Elin wiped Luke’s mouth with a handkerchief she took out of the subspace.

He laid me on the bed and covered me with a blanket.

“Wait. I have somewhere to go.”

With those words, Elin disappeared through the portal.

A quiet room.

A pounding head.

Luke sighed, covering his eyes with the back of his hand.

“… Things went wrong.”

* * * * *

Anne, who had sent Luke away, sighed deeply, unable to shake off her worries.

“And.”

Elin appeared before my eyes without me even noticing.

Anne’s expression hardened and she sat up abruptly.

“Are you done welcoming the guests, Your Majesty? Then let’s prepare the meal… .”

“No.”

A cool voice that is two octaves lower.

Only then did Anne realize something was wrong.

“Talk to me.”

Ellen opened a portal before Anne could answer.

I blinked and the scenery changed.

Anne didn’t move.

Elin had moved the portal and forcibly changed location.

“Uh, what are you talking about?”

“You knew that, right?”

Anne, who had been flustered, froze at the words that contained such strong conviction.

“… You knew that?”

“You knew the teacher was sick, right?”

“… … ”

Elin wasn’t asking out of curiosity.

I just wanted to confirm.

I don’t know how you found out.

It looks like Luke’s condition has been discovered.

“… … Yes.”

Anne answered obediently.

“Why did you hide it from me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Isn’t Anne my exclusive maid?”

“… Sorry.”

“I believed Anne was completely mine.”

“… … ”

Ellen is mercilessly attacking Anne’s conscience.

It was so painful to be torn between the request of a friend who was about to die and the benefactor who took care of the entire orphanage.

I couldn’t make any excuses, so I just took it quietly.

I would have rather slapped him in the face and vented my resentment.

I wish you had condemned me as a ungrateful bitch.

“I trusted them both… How could that be possible?”

Ellen is so pure that she can’t even do that.

Because I truly believed in Luke and Anne.

“… … ”

Anne felt as if she was suffocating with guilt.

“I’m disappointed.”

Ellen disappeared, leaving only those words behind.

The words filled with betrayal were driven into my heart like a nail.

It felt like I had swallowed a thorn.

“… … ”

Anne froze for a while, unable to do anything.

* * * * *

The next day.

Elin’s coming of age ceremony has arrived.

The coming of age ceremony wasn’t delayed because Luke and Anne were absent.

That’s because we had prepared too well from the beginning.

In the end, Luke was unable to participate and just lay in bed.

The only thing you could tell was that the event was going on without a hitch was the faint sounds coming from downstairs.

Contrary to fears, there appeared to be no attacks or terrorist attacks.

The safety magic might be doing its job.

How long has it been like that?

Squeak-

“Hoo… .”

Ellen came into the room.

At first, I thought he was just tired of dealing with outside guests.

“… Have you had a drink?”

Until the scent of wine began to waft through the air.

“Yeah. You’re an adult now.”

“I don’t mean to say that, but… .”

Elin sitting next to Luke.

He takes the wine out of his inventory and gulps down the entire bottle.

No, you’re saying I’m a total idiot from my first drink in life?

A startled Luke tried to snatch the bottle away.

“The teacher is sick. He won’t give it to you.”

Ellen lightly avoided Luke’s hand.

“I’m not asking for it. Who drinks like that? You might get drunk like that.”

“It’s okay. I already emptied a bottle below.”

So this is the second bottle?

I was even more surprised by the fact that his complexion didn’t change at all.

“The saint will be here soon. She’s talking to the people down below.”

“… I see.”

Honestly, I wish the Aurora never came.

Wasn’t it a disease that definitely meant the dragon would die?

Even if the saint comes, it won’t be fixed.

Making a meaningless diagnosis.

If you think about Ellen’s reaction when she hears the results…

“If I had known that the teacher was this sick, I would have told you sooner.”

When you imagine a terrible future.

Ellen, who had emptied the bottle, looked straight at Luke.

“I have something I really want to say today.”

Elin’s sunken eyes were more serious than ever.

What was meant to come has come.

okay.

It’s better to be sure before the Aurora comes than to give empty hope.

Luke, determined, got out of bed.

Elin did not force him to lie down and continued talking.

“I’m glad you found out now. I’m all grown up now and I can take care of you, teacher.”

Elin took a deep breath.

He emptied the wine completely.

widely!

He put the empty bottle down with a loud noise.

“Teacher. I will cure that disease no matter what I do. So, me and―”

“Just a moment, Your Majesty. Me too… .”

Luke cut her off abruptly.

You shouldn’t listen to the end of what I’m saying now.

My intuition sounded a strong alarm.

Instead, he grabbed the resignation letter that was deep in his inventory.

“I have something to tell you.”

I’ve been too indecisive up until now.

This might be your last chance.

I had to tie this knot before it got any more hurt.