Chapter 15

***

“Achoo!!”

Ultimately, Lino caught a cold. The saying Even a passing dog doesn’t catch a summer cold applied only to the southern nations; it was a completely foreign concept in the northern Zetina Kingdom. Furthermore, because the Duke’s estate maintained perfect temperature and humidity via mana stones, catching a cold indoors should have been practically impossible.

However, while the mana stones meticulously regulated the ambient air, they could do absolutely nothing to stop the freezing ceramic of the bathtub from steadily and ruthlessly draining Lino’s body heat.

The next morning, after sending off the Duke and Yuneria as they left the estate, Lino followed Enoch into his office.

Even though Lino, who typically maintained a polite distance, had actively followed him inside, Enoch didn’t ask what the matter was. The violent coughing fit that erupted the absolute second the Duke’s car pulled away made Lino’s business glaringly obvious.

“Please, have a seat.”

Enoch gestured to a chair. Just as Lino was about to sit, a cough significantly louder and harsher than the previous cough, cough tore from his throat. Sitting across from him, Enoch’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Have you caught a cold? Your face is quite flushed.”

“Ah, well… yes. I caught it due to unavoidable circumstances.”

“Unavoidable circumstances?”

Enoch’s eyes narrowed. He looked as though he were silently asking: Does a simple cold really require the dramatic prefix of ‘unavoidable circumstances’?

Lino, who had been about to confess the nightly, invisible intruder terrorizing his room, instantly regretted opening his mouth after seeing Enoch’s expression. How to describe it? Enoch was looking at him exactly the way one looks at a pathetic idiot who manages to catch a summer cold that even a passing dog would avoid.

You’re from the Cartia Empire, which is way colder than the Zetina Kingdom, and you’re judging me for catching a cold? Lino felt a sharp pang of injustice but swallowed the complaint.

“Your constitution appears to be significantly weaker than I anticipated. Is it severe enough that your divine power cannot resolve it?”

“Um, well, about that…”

When Enoch brought up divine power, Lino offered an awkward, troubled laugh and scratched his cheek.

“I slept with my window open for an entire week, so I believe it has escalated past a simple cold and into the flu.”

“…The window?”

Why on earth would you do that? Deep creases instantly carved themselves between Enoch’s eyebrows. The unvoiced question was practically screaming from his eyes: Why would you commit such an astronomically stupid act in a room perfectly climate-controlled by priceless mana stones?

“Whenever I vacate my room, it seems someone is entering through the window.”

“Sir Cliff, does that mean… you are implying there is an intruder in the Duke’s estate?”

“Nothing has been stolen. It’s just that no matter how meticulously I lock the window, someone continuously breaks into my room through it… No matter how hard I try to ignore it, it’s making me incredibly anxious.”

“Do you sleep with the window closed?”

“I used to lock it before sleeping, but I’d always wake up to find it thrown wide open, so I eventually gave up and just left it open.”

“……”

What the actual… Hearing that Lino had simply surrendered and slept with the window wide open, Enoch blinked rapidly, genuinely wondering if he had misheard.

“If such an incident occurred, you should have reported it to me immediately.”

“I mistakenly assumed they would stop after a few times. I was incredibly shortsighted.”

“An intruder in the Duke’s estate. This is a matter I absolutely cannot overlook.”

Enoch’s scowl deepened terrifyingly. He looked ready to summon every single servant in the estate immediately and subject them to a brutal interrogation.

“Do you have any suspects in mind?”

“Hmm… well…”

Yuneria.

“Has anything else occurred aside from the window incidents?”

“Umm…”

Mixing strange things into my food, putting thumbtacks in my shoes, omitting utensils from my meal trays, destroying my clothes… the list is endless.

“Perhaps you’ve had a disagreement with one of the staff?”

“I haven’t had any conflicts with anyone, but…”

I don’t have conflicts, but I’m pretty sure a significant portion of your staff has been bought off by Yuneria’s money.

Unable to actually voice his thoughts, Lino offered a vague, evasive mumble. Ah, I shouldn’t have said anything. Suddenly, everything felt unbelievably exhausting. His body already felt like garbage; he absolutely lacked the energy to launch into a long, convoluted explanation. To properly explain why Yuneria was terrorizing him, he would have to rewind all the way back to their very first day in the parlor, which was over a month and a week ago.

And truthfully, rather than recalling Yuneria’s bizarre vocal crack or his own suppressed laughter, his memories of that day were entirely dominated by Duke Grondil—the feral voice, the massive physique, the sharp profile, the terrifying aura.

“If you could simply seal the window shut permanently, I believe that would suffice. Or… if that is too difficult, changing rooms would also be fine. Ideally, a room with exceptionally sturdy window latches.”

“……”

Lino cautiously offered his proposed solutions. While he doubted simply sealing the window would stop Yuneria, he desperately just wanted to sleep in peace.

“I shall have a new room perfectly matching your requirements prepared by this evening. There is a room that fits your criteria exactly.”

“Th-Thank you…!”

Shooting up from his chair, Lino bowed deeply to Enoch. Just moments ago, he had deeply regretted bringing it up, but hearing there was a room perfectly tailored to his needs made him feel immensely bitter about suffering in silence for an entire week.

Regardless, the thought of finally parting ways with his severe sleep deprivation made the corners of his lips twitch upward into a genuine smile. Observing this, Enoch’s gaze brushed against Lino’s flushed cheek before slowly dragging downward. Tracing the line of his neck, across his broad shoulders, down his long arms, and finally stopping at his prominent wrist bones. It was a thoroughly calculating, highly evaluative gaze.

Yet, when Enoch spoke, his tone remained as politely detached as ever.

“Will you be heading to the study again today?”

“Yes.”

“You truly are quite fond of books.”

“As I mentioned before, I prefer to read as much as physically possible whenever the opportunity presents itself. Haha, I haven’t lived a tremendously long life, but His Highness’s study is unequivocally the greatest I have ever seen.”

At the mention of books, Lino’s eyes sparkled brilliantly. His enthusiasm was so potent it even temporarily suppressed his hacking cough. Then, cautiously gauging Enoch’s reaction, he asked a hesitant question.

“Um… I realize it’s a bit late to ask this, but… I noticed there are quite a few books written in ancient languages in the study. Am I permitted to read those as well?”

At Lino’s subtle attempt to test the waters regarding the ancient texts, one of Enoch’s eyebrows slowly arched upward. The look in his eyes shifted, shimmering with a strange, unreadable intensity. What is that? Why is he looking at me like that… wait, does he know I can actually read ancient languages?

Frantically averting his gaze, Lino desperately combed through his memories, terrified he had accidentally left behind undeniable proof of his fluency in the study. However, nothing came to mind.

“Among the ancient texts, you should be able to enjoy the volumes that contain a large proportion of illustrations. Books are meant to be read, so please, feel free to utilize the library as you wish. It is perfectly fine.”

“…!!”

At Enoch’s nonchalant reply, Lino released a massive, silent sigh of profound relief. Specifying that he could look at the picture books strongly implied Enoch hadn’t discovered his actual fluency.

Truthfully, even when entirely alone in the study, Lino had always felt incredibly paranoid when reading the ancient texts. If anyone discovered that a commoner who had barely scraped into a bottom-tier knight order could effortlessly translate ancient languages, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Fluency in ancient languages was absolute, undeniable proof of being a highly educated aristocrat. Furthermore, because ancient languages were intrinsically tied to ancient theology—and ancient theology was universally synonymous with the House of Haklan—being caught reading those texts was tantamount to screaming, I am the adopted second son of Baron Haklan!

“Thank you. They are incredibly precious volumes… I swear I will handle them with the utmost care.”

“There are studies identical to this one in the Duke’s estates across other nations. Even if they are handled roughly, there are plenty of replacements, so please, read them comfortably.”

Enoch casually dismissed Lino’s profound gratitude and solemn vow.

Wow… there are studies exactly like this in other countries? So it’s definitely not just one or two. Lino was once again utterly floored by the sheer magnitude of the Duke’s wealth. Furthermore, beyond just having money to burn, the Duke clearly possessed a massive, dedicated interest in antiquity. Lino specifically recalled that the ancient text section was heavily stocked with books related to Isberg.

Could it be… does the Duke want to go to Isberg as desperately as I do?

Well, it doesn’t matter if he does or not. Lino resolved to devour every single book related to Isberg in the Duke’s library before his escort detail concluded. He had already compiled several notebooks filled with meticulously organized intelligence extracted from those texts.

Ah, I need to get to the study right now. While he had initially planned to take some medicine and sleep the entire day away, Enoch’s explicit permission to read whatever he wanted ignited a burning desire to sprint to the library immediately.

He shot up from his chair and bowed to Enoch.

“Thank you so much for your permission.”

“…Are you seriously intending to go to the study right now?”

“Yes, I must.”

A flicker of genuine amusement crossed Enoch’s perpetually stoic face. Lino’s cheeks were significantly redder than when he had first entered the office. It was blatantly obvious his fever was steadily spiking.

Enoch had fully expected Lino to request medicine, a trip to the hospital, or at the very least, a quiet place to rest. Hearing him firmly declare he was heading to the study confirmed the boy’s obsession with books bordered on pathological.

“Understood. I will inform you of your new room assignment after I report to His Highness.”

“Thank you. I shall take my leave now.”

Turning to exit the office, Enoch called out from behind him.

“Sir Cliff.”

“Yes?”

Spinning back around, Lino found himself pinned under Enoch’s strange, calculating gaze. Ah, shit, I messed up. Thrilled by the unrestricted access to the study, Lino had let his face relax entirely too much. He frantically raised a hand to cover his mouth, aggressively dragging his rising cheekbones back down into neutrality.

“Was there… something else you wished to say?”

Having barely managed to erase the grin, Lino asked cautiously. Is he going to suddenly revoke permission? Or tell me I have to ask the Duke directly? Lino bit the inside of his lip, anxiously awaiting Enoch’s reply.

“Do you not require food or medicine?”

“Ah… that. I am perfectly fine. I will manage my meals myself.”

Phew… thank God. Releasing a breath of relief, Lino pasted a perfectly polite smile onto his face and firmly declined.

Even if Enoch personally delivered the food, the actual cooking would be handled by the kitchen staff, meaning Lino had to prepare it himself anyway. Who knew what lethal surprises might be hiding inside.

Faced with Lino’s polite refusal, Enoch seemed to deliberate for a moment before nodding in understanding. Offering one final bow, Lino exited the aide’s office.

Walking down the corridor toward the study, Lino rubbed his stomach. He was undeniably starving. He hadn’t eaten a proper dinner yesterday, and breakfast and lunch had been equally pathetic. Ever since Yuneria had targeted him, Lino had survived on significantly reduced, highly suspicious rations, which likely contributed to his current exhaustion. Consequently, he had gradually reduced his morning training hours until he had stopped training entirely.

Surely… this isn’t going to continue until the escort detail is over, right…?

The intelligence Lino had purchased regarding Yuneria Ganel Disson summarized him as: Possesses a deep artistic temperament, leading to a highly sensitive disposition. Having interpreted the word “sensitive” purely by its dictionary definition, Lino currently wanted to track down the information broker, grab him by the collar, and demand a full refund.

Yuneria’s personality could not be adequately summarized by the word “sensitive.” He was vicious, vindictive, relentlessly obsessive, and possessed a jealousy that practically pierced the heavens. Occasionally, if Lino even accidentally glanced in the Duke’s general direction, Yuneria would glare at him with enough murderous intent to physically skin him alive. It happened even if Lino was simply turning his head and the Duke happened to be in his line of sight.

Therefore, to aggressively broadcast the message I have absolutely zero interest in the Duke, Lino deliberately avoided him at all costs, strictly limiting his presence to the mandatory morning send-offs and evening greetings. Since he spent his entire day barricaded in the study or his bedroom, avoiding the Duke wasn’t particularly difficult.

And yet, despite all of this, Yuneria clearly wanted to not just trample Lino underfoot, but to grind him into dust and sweep him entirely out of existence.

“Seriously… it’s not like I committed high treason…”

Should I just squeeze my eyes shut, drop to my knees, and beg for forgiveness? Tell him I’m desperately sorry I laughed that day? But I swear to God it wasn’t intentional.

Furthermore, he had already apologized multiple times. He absolutely refused to risk poking the hornet’s nest again by offering yet another apology that would likely just infuriate Yuneria further.

Agonizing over how to defuse Yuneria’s twisted rage, Lino found himself standing before the study doors. Unable to conjure even a shred of a solution, Lino violently ruffled his own hair, desperately fighting the urge to scream in frustration. If he didn’t physically vent the suffocating stress somehow, he felt as though he might violently choke on his next breath.

Still, it’s vastly better than being locked in a dungeon.

Whenever things became impossibly tangled, whenever he couldn’t find a single way out, whenever he desperately wanted to give up—he chanted those words like a sacred mantra. Endure it. Endure it, because anything is better than returning to that hell.

Alternatively, he would mercilessly whip his own resolve by reminding himself that if he stagnated here unable to solve a petty problem, Baron Haklan would inevitably catch up to him.

Currently, the situation wasn’t nearly dire enough to require such extreme mental self-flagellation. Yet, human nature dictates that the immediate problem before you always feels like the most insurmountable crisis in the world, making his intense irritation entirely unavoidable.

Seeking temporary refuge from this suffocating reality, Lino pushed open the study doors. Unlike the corridors—which were infused with a crisp, artificial freshness via timed automated air fresheners—the air spilling from the study carried the profound, heavy scent unique to ancient libraries. The rich aroma of aged paper, worn leather, and polished wood washed over him, miraculously calming his turbulent mind.

Rubbing slow circles over his solar plexus and stomach, Lino slipped inside.

“Hah… I can finally breathe.”

The words slipped out involuntarily. It wasn’t that he had literally been on the verge of death moments prior. Yet, stepping into the sanctuary of the study made him realize just how severely his mind and body had been pushed to the brink.

Maybe it’s because I’m sick. He raised the hand rubbing his stomach and pressed it against his forehead. Hmm… it’s a bit hot… no, it’s actually really hot. Perhaps he should have asked for medicine after all. He felt a sharp pang of regret for rejecting Enoch’s offer.

Staring blankly at the tightly sealed study doors for a moment, Lino eventually shuffled toward the ancient texts section. His plan for today was to exclusively devour books related to Isberg. Since he had explicit permission, he intended to read them shamelessly and openly. Quickly selecting five heavy volumes, Lino headed toward the lounge area, his footsteps dragging with a bizarre, leaden sluggishness.

Cough. 

He hadn’t even turned the first page before a harsh cough tore from his throat. As he pushed through a few pages, the coughing fits only multiplied. A vicious chill sank into his bones, and his skin erupted in a dense layer of goosebumps. It seemed the fever was finally preparing to unleash its full fury. Displeased by his rapidly deteriorating physical condition, Lino scowled deeply. However, he stubbornly refused to put the book down. The only concession he made was that the speed at which his fingers turned the pages and his eyes tracked the sentences drastically plummeted.

His fierce ambition to devour every single book immediately because he finally had official permission was pathetically crushed by a simple cold. The words completely refused to register in his brain.

If I just sleep it off, the fever will break. It’s way too early in the year for me to get seriously sick.

Despite having lost his divine power, Lino’s constitution remained incredibly robust; he only fell ill roughly twice a year, and exclusively during the brutal depths of winter. Because catching a severe winter flu was a standard, annual rite of passage for all holy knights in the northern regions, absolutely no one found it suspicious when Lino was bedridden with severe flu or pneumonia symptoms. They simply assumed his divine power had weakened slightly.

Unfortunately, Yuneria’s relentless, petty torment—combined with the baseline stress of being forced into an unwanted escort detail—had mercilessly gnawed away at his nerves, ultimately compromising his physical health.

Dammit, is a pretty face literally all that matters in this world? His personality is uglier than the wrinkled face of an evil swamp witch.

Lino muttered bitterly to himself, visualizing Yuneria smiling radiantly and swaying delicately next to the Duke. He genuinely couldn’t tell if he had thought it or actually spoken the words aloud. What he could definitively feel, however, was the scalding heat of the breaths escaping his nose and mouth.

“Huuu.”

Ultimately, he snapped the book shut. A short nap… no, I need to sleep deeply. No one would enter the study. A brief spike of anxiety warned him that the servants bribed by Yuneria might sneak in, but recovering his physical condition was the absolute priority. The optimal course of action would be to eat a hot meal, take medicine, and sleep in his bed, but in his current state, trekking to the kitchen—let alone securing medicine—was physically impossible.

Rolling onto his side, a thick blanket caught his eye.

Did the aide bring this in? Or maybe…

Yuneria flashed through his mind, but Lino immediately shook his head. Enoch was currently the only person in the estate who knew Lino was sick. When Lino had first entered the office, he had seemed perfectly fine aside from a slight lethargy.

If it were Yuneria, he would have prepared a blanket soaked in poison and laced the medicine. Lino reached out, dragging the heavy blanket from the edge of the mattress and wrapping it tightly around himself. It was massive, easily covering his entire large frame with plenty of fabric to spare. The second the heavy warmth enveloped him, his body shuddered violently. Curling into a tight, miserable ball, Lino squeezed his eyes shut. 

Ah, I should have set another alarm on my phone. 

As his consciousness rapidly faded, a final spark of panic regarding the evening greeting flared up, but the crushing weight of the feverish sleep instantly dragged him under.