Volume 4 Chapter 12 Part 1 (1/2)

Volume 4 Chapter 12 Part 1

Translator: Mar

Editor: Jacinta

How much time has passed since then? I have stayed in bed all this time, but there were no signs of recovery from the sickness.

Since that day the boy hasn’t shown his face, instead I was looked after by a doctor and a maid, both hired by the Governess. Scared of catching the Elizabell’s curse themselves, after doing the bare minimum of their duties they always left the room in a hurry, as if running away. Naturally, there weren’t any decent conversations either. I couldn’t stand the loneliness and grew hopeless. If, as they say, sickness really comes from the spirit, then it was becoming apparent that I wasn’t getting any better because of my poor mental state. I let out a sigh, while dipping my towel in a bowl of ice-cold water. My breath is feverish and the feeling of sweat on my body was disgusting. Even though I wanted to change my clothes, my fever made me too weak to do so. Anyway, the maid wiped my skin dry just a while ago. If I was to change clothes so often, it would be a never-ending process.

Resigned, I sighed one more time and decided to sleep for a little. However, when I was about to lie down I heard the gate open without ringing the bell. Did the doctor or the maid forget something? Or perhaps he came to see me? It would make me so happy.

I stared at the door with those expectations. But a person I did not expect to see appeared instead.

「Big sister!」

「Oh my, Juri! Did you come to visit me?」

Without answering, the boy came into the room quietly. I raised myself up to a sitting position on the bed, the boy kept standing not taking the chair beside me and looked down on me.

「Aren’t you angry? I told everybody on the island where you stayed…」

Juri put his words together indifferently. His expressionless face made me think that the face of his I used to see before, full of expression and emotions, was somehow a lie. This expressionless face on a ten year old boy, was so mismatched it made me think about that man. He had the same expression when I met him for the first time. I was also worried that he hated me. But maybe that expressionless boy was like that because he simply didn’t know what else he could show on his face? Juri’s gaze right now resembled that boy’s one.

「No I’m not angry, I was only sad.」

I smiled bitterly. Juri kept silent, his blue eyes seemed to ask if it was really true. What beautiful blue eyes, they are the color of Nibbiellata’s seaside. I kept looking straight into his eyes. He looked away, still silent.

Oh my, oh my… That’s true, I wasn’t angry! – I thought in my heart. If one would really think about it Juri’s actions were natural and justified, and he should not be blamed for them. After all he lives on this island. When everybody started questioning him and pushing for an answer, he simply had no choice but to give it to them. I couldn’t blame Juri without giving him a chance to explain. Especially because I wasn’t without fault too, for not taking the attitude towards the dark-haired people here seriously. Anyway, I didn’t even have enough strength to put any blame on him.

I wasn’t sure what he was thinking about me smiling at him. He raised his head, his face still expressionless and asked me a question.

「Big sister, even though you are in such a state now, do you still believe that guy?」

「Yes, I do.」

「Even though you could die?」

「It’s not like I’m going to die. How could I die when Edi is with me?」

He is by my side. It’s enough for me to keep living, it’s enough to give me strength. Keeping that in my heart I smiled and replied to Juri’s question with another one. And then, finally that expressionless face of his moved. He now looked deeply amazed. Then he muttered quietly.

「Idiot.」

「Oh?」

「Idiot… You’re really an idiot.」

What a nice thing to say to a sick person. And three times, too. An idiot. I wonder if it was directed at me. But I was so serious when I said those things. However, before I could voice my argument, Juri left the room.

I let out a sigh, and slipped under my sheets again. Even though I only talked for a little while I was exhausted, as if I had just run a marathon. I thought about those words that, even though they were kind, normally it was hard for me to say them. Trying to calm my breath, I thought about those sunrise colored eyes. It made me feel a little frustrated. I imagined he was working hard for my sake but it would be nice if he came, even just for a short while. Even if I would still be in pain, I would not feel so lonely. Rather than Elizabell’s curse, it was my sadness that weighed on me so much that I couldn’t breathe.

「It’s greedy of me.」

I whispered it, half hoping to hear that voice, but alas the response never came.

* * *

Between taking heavy, feverish breaths, I fell asleep and woke up a number of times. I became unaware of how much time had passed. My tired eyes tried to read the time, but because of high fever I couldn’t decipher the clock. I couldn’t swallow any food and all I was able to do was moistening my lips with a few drops of water. I had gained a bit of weight since arriving to Nibbiellata so it’s perfect – I tried to joke in my head, but nobody would laugh at such a joke.

「…It’s not a joking matter.」

I laughed weakly to the empty room. Lying in my bed, I stared at the ceiling above me. No matter how long I was looked at it, nothing ever changed. Every detail of the residence has been thoroughly taken care of, so there wasn’t even a single stain on the ceiling for me to count to kill some time. Although, since I couldn’t concentrate well maybe I just couldn’t spot them.

I didn’t have any energy left to even let out a sigh. I raised my hand, it was so heavy, I didn’t believe it was mine anymore. I took the towel from my forehead. It had gotten warm, so I dropped it in the iced water bowl beside me. I couldn’t move freely as it took all my energy, which was irritating but the cold towel gave me such a comfort that I had to force my body to get up.

「O…oh?」