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“Here is the latest iteration of the budget plan, Ferdinand.” I said brightly, handing over a stack of documents. The morning sunlight made the Aub’s office a pleasant place to work even at third bell, and the scratch of quills filled the room. Ferdinand took the stack of documents and began to flip through them, rubbing his temple. I frowned. I thought he would be pleased by the rebalancing that had allowed an extra stream of funds to be diverted to his crop research.
Actually, the closer I looked, the stranger Ferdinand’s expression became. He paused on one particularly dense page to reread it several times. If it hadn’t been totally out of character, I might have said that it looked as if his eyes were glazing over. Finally, after an excessive amount of time, his eyes wandered up to mine as I peered at him in concern.
“Did you have additional documents for me? Rozemyne, your expression is slipping.”
Ignoring his nagging, I reached out to feel his forehead. Perhaps it was the morning sunlight, but his face seemed slightly flushed, almost… feverish?
Unfortunately, his reflexes were as good as ever, and he dodged my hand easily. “Rozemyne! What are you– achoo!”
The sounds of quills across the room halted instantly as our aides turned to stare. They were well acquainted with my frequent bouts of ill health, but Ferdinand? Impossible.
He tried to dodge my hands again as he tucked his handkerchief back into his robes, but his eyes were still watery from the sneeze. I seized his face, examining him. As I moved closer, I caught the scent of an unfamiliar potion, musty and unpleasant.
“Ferdinand! What potion did you take this morning? You’re burning up!” I ran my hand over his forehead, ignoring propriety. Since his gloomy silence did not bode well for an answer, I glanced at Justus.
“Lord Ferdinand woke rather later than usual this morning and ducked into his hidden room before breakfast. I believe the potion you refer to is one used by knights to relieve muscle strain and the pain of older wounds.” Hmm… Something like Ibuprofen then?
I turned the full force of my glare on Ferdinand. “How many times do you tell me to rest when I feel unwell!? And now you turn around and try to push through it using potions! Hold still.” I released him and closed my eyes to conjure Flutrane’s staff.
“This is entirely unnecessary. Rozemyne, you are wasting mana.” My eyes shot open as he stood, attempting to escape from behind the desk. As he turned, Eckhart materialized on the opposite side from Justus, blocking his exit. Before he could move any further, I quickly poured mana into the staff.
“O Flutrane, Goddess of Water, lend your healing springs to wash away illness and fatigue. May this light grant Ferdinand your divine blessings!” A wave of green mana washed over the room, coalescing to swirl around Ferdinand. He folded his arms with a glare.
“Very well. Are you finished? I have a few critiques I would offer on your plans to tax–” His words cut off as I pressed my hand against his cheek again and frowned. Unfortunately, I could still feel the feverish heat rising from his skin.
I tried a few more times, with Heilschmertz’s blessings and different wordings to figure out what I was missing, but nothing seemed to work.
Finally, Lieseleta approached me with a worried look. “Lady Rozemyne… There are some illnesses that Heilschmertz and Flutrane cannot heal without time.”
“What!?” I looked up at her in panic but she quickly waved her hands to disperse my fears.
“In my discussions with aides native to Alexandria, it seems that there are several fall and winter illnesses that make their way through visitors to the region each year. I believe that may have been the cause for your ailment last week. Unfortunately, it appears to be Lord Ferdinand’s turn this time. However, given that you recovered without difficulty, I am sure that, given time to rest, Lord Ferdinand will do the same.”
Nooooo! I gave my cold to Ferdinand!? Stupid mana-resistant germs!
I turned back to look at Ferdinand with a wretched expression. The entire decade or so I had known him, I could count on one hand the number of times I had seen him truly injured. He was Ferdinand, and Ferdinand simply did not catch colds.
He folded his arms in irritation. “Nonsense. I am perfectly healthy. If you are quite done wasting mana–”
“Eckhart?” I cut him off.
“Yes, milady?” Eckhart crossed his arms with a smile.
“Would you declare your master in fit state to battle a feybeast?”
“Certainly not.” Eckhart said promptly. “When possible, Knights must be in peak physical condition so that formations built on relative strength between members are not compromised.”
Ferdinand froze, his face going blank. “Eckhart, you go too far.” His voice was icy with suppressed anger. Eckhart blanched and dropped down to one knee.
“My lord… Please, look around. There are none who would use that knowledge for ill,” he whispered with difficulty.
It was true. Although we had recruited a handful of aides native to Alexandria to help with paperwork, they were all out collecting information to prepare for Winter Socializing. The room was filled with the retainers we had brought from Ehrenfest and those few from former Ahrensbach like Sergius and Strahl who even Ferdinand now trusted.
I swallowed. Ferdinand… Just how much have you been putting up a front to avoid showing even the smallest amount of weakness? No matter how much he protested, a few days’ rest would be for the best. Hmm… He gets touchy when I try to reduce his workload, so I’ll need to handle this carefully.
I lifted my chin in determination. “As I thought. Ferdinand, if you become incapacitated, the Alexandrian Administration office will quickly run itself to the ground. Therefore, as Aub Alexandria, I order you to get some rest, for your own sake and for the continued functioning of the duchy.” That was a bit of an exaggeration – my aides would definitely be able to keep things running for a few weeks without issue, but the fact remained that several of the research labs operated exclusively under his oversight and would probably begin to show cracks after a while. “If you insist on continuing to work, I’m afraid I may become so concerned about your health that it will impact my own ability to process reports.”
Ferdinand gaped at me, attempting several times to refute my argument, but he finally sank back into his chair in defeat. I sighed with relief and no small amount of concern. He must have been feeling pretty terrible to cave so easily.
“Justus, Eckhart, please help Ferdinand into my highbeast. I will escort him to his rooms.” I steeled myself, reaching for the cage at my waist. It took me several tries to calm down enough to form Lessy. I ignored Ferdinand’s vehement protests that he was more than capable of making it back to his rooms alone. Propriety dictated that he was still living in one of the detached palaces, and I was sure that a ride in the crisp morning air would be less than helpful for his health.
Ferdinand stopped protesting quite as much as Justus helped him into Lessy, and I was reminded that he had only ever experienced Rainbow Camper Lessy, not the normal version, so I could see him peering about with curiosity. I stifled a smile of relief as Leonore joined me in the passenger seat. Although he had finally let down his guard somewhat and actually looked a bit ill, it boded well if he was still feeling well enough to speculate about my highbeast.
I took off from the balcony surrounded by a platoon of our guard knights and did my best to make it a smooth flight. With Ferdinand carrying the tool that bypassed his wards, I landed directly on the balcony leading to his rooms.
As Justus helped him inside, I chewed my lip. I wanted to do something to repay the debt from years of Ferdinand’s care and support, but everything I could think of would probably be shot down by my retainers. In Japan, Mom made rice porridge for me when I was sick, but I doubted my aides would let me into the kitchens to cook something. She also used to press damp cloths on my forehead when I was feverish, and when I was young she would sing and stroke my hair. But here… I could hardly see anyone letting me take over the jobs that Ferdinand’s retainers should do, much less be so intimate with him. To top it off, I wasn’t confident enough in my brewing skills to make any medicines more effective than the ones he already had.
I stared at the balcony doors with a glum expression. Truth be told, I felt useless.
“-myne. Lady Rozemyne!” I jumped as Leonore repeated my name.
“Yes!”
She gave me a sympathetic look. “Perhaps Lord Ferdinand’s attendants would appreciate a delivery from your kitchens? I believe tonight’s supper was to be double consomme?” she hinted.
“Ah!” Right, I’ve been thinking about this all wrong! Just because this isn’t Earth doesn’t mean I can’t do anything to help!
I spun to face Sergius, who had followed us from the meeting room. “Sergius, please inform Ferdinand’s cooks that I will deliver a time-stopping magic tool to them presently. Hugo and Ella have been making a batch of consommé these last few days and I believe it can be repurposed for some excellent stamina-building recipes.”
Double consomme was probably a little too rich on its own, but it could be repurposed to flavor porridge and other foods that were easier on the stomach. I climbed back into Lessy and took off from the balcony, turning ideas over in my head. We had a couple of grains that were rice-substitutes I could use to draw up recipes. I made a mental list of herbs that were helpful in one way or another – Yurgenschmidt had equivalents for things like ginger and mint, and I decided to ask Raimund if there was something like willow bark here.
Don’t worry, Ferdinand! I’ll make sure you enjoy this forced vacation to the utmost!
When I returned a bell later with the time-stopping tool in Lessy, Justus opened the doors to the storage rooms with a smile. As the house servants lugged the tool inside, I sighed. Hugo and Ella had whipped up a number of healthy dishes in record time, and also sent several loads of ingredients for Ferdinand’s cooks. Although I had been reluctantly allowed to play delivery driver, it would be too much to actually deliver the food to Ferdinand myself. Stupid noble propriety.
“You seem quite concerned, milady. Perhaps checking Lord Ferdinand’s health yourself would ease your concerns?” Justus, ever so perceptive, dangled the offer in front of me. I jumped on it.
“Certainly. I will evaluate his condition and consult with my scholars on additional remedies.”
Justus led me up to Ferdinand’s rooms, and I reminded myself that this should be fine, right? Ferdinand visited to check on me when I was sick, so why shouldn’t I do the same? I overheard Leonore delivering just that explanation to a complaining Cornelius behind me.
Justus spoke briefly with Eckhart at the door, then led Angelica and me inside.
Ferdinand was propped up in bed, sipping a cup of tea and reading a thick stack of reports. He looked up as I entered, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Rozemyne, what are you doing here!?” He shot an accusatory look at Justus, who gave him an enigmatic smile in reply.
I pushed past his bedcurtains and sat beside him, ignoring his startled look. He froze as I pressed my hand against his forehead and peered at him in concern.
“You still have a fever…” I chewed my lip worriedly.
Ferdinand seemed speechless for a long moment. “Rozemyne… You–” He cleared his throat, his ears bright red. Finally he reached up to ward off my hand. “You are much too close. If I am indeed ill, I do not wish to pass it on to you.”
I blinked. “Oh, well assuming that I had this [cold] last week, I probably have at least some [immunity], so it should be fine.”
Ferdinand frowned. “What is [immunity]?”
“Hmm, it’s where you have exposure to certain [germs] and–” I broke off suddenly in contemplation. Wait, does Yurgenschmidt actually follow germ theory? Do they have bacteria and viruses or… wait, what if germs here are actually tiny feybeasts that you go around inhaling? Urgh, that would be gross… I shuddered a little at my overactive imagination and Ferdinand frowned.
“Rozemyne…” He sighed. “Please do not worry for my sake. I am accustomed to dealing with illness and dysfunction, and your concern for my welfare if I continue working is entirely misplaced. At the very least, I would prefer if you would allow Justus to deliver my share of the paperwork to my rooms–” He broke off abruptly, seeing my expression.
I am accustomed to dealing with illness and dysfunction… His words sent a twisting roll of anger and horror through my body. I knew what he was referring to– no doubt Veronica’s attentions as a child had taught him to conceal illness at every opportunity; to push through pain even when others would have long since collapsed. Clearly, my lectures on the importance of food and rest were not enough!
I leveled a glare at Ferdinand, making his eyes widen. He froze up even more as I swung my legs around to kneel on the bed, pushing his shoulders back against the pillows. Our faces were inches apart, close enough for me to feel the feverish heat rising from his skin.
“Ferdinand… You aren’t alone anymore.” I whispered. “You don’t need to push through it, to put up a front so that no one will see the pain underneath. Alexandria should be just as much your paradise as mine, and I want you to live a happy, healthy, long life here… beside me.”
I could feel my face flush a little at the declaration, but Ferdinand stared back at me as if he was drinking in my every word. After a long moment, his hands crept up to where mine rested on his shoulders. “I… understand.”
“Good.” I was at loathe to move away now that I was settled so comfortably, but on the off chance that I might catch the cold again, I reluctantly wriggled off him. I would have to look into constructing Ferdinand a microscope. Now that the idea of germs as tiny feybeasts had invaded my mind, it was proving surprisingly difficult to dislodge.
“Do you want anything else to eat or drink? Raimund and I prepared a special tea that should help, and Hartmut is looking into potions that people in Alexandria take for colds.”
Ferdinand waved a hand dismissively. “You need not bother. The few recipes I found for your illness last week were ineffective for those of our mana capacity.”
I pouted a little. “Well, the tea isn’t a potion – it’s just supposed to be soothing.” Under my glare, Ferdinand finally relented and began sipping the honey-ginger blend. He tried to pick up another report to read, but I tugged it out of his hand.
“Absolutely no working! You should rest!”
Ferdinand raised an eyebrow. “This conversation seems oddly familiar. I believe I say the same thing each time you try to sneak a book into bed with you.”
“T-that’s totally different!” I sputtered. “Reading books is very relaxing; reports are not. Ah!” I clapped my hands as the idea hit me. “Maybe I should read you a book to send you to sleep!”
It was Ferdinand’s turn to sputter as I turned to Angelica. “Please tell Lieseleta to fetch the book Elvira sent last week.”
Ferdinand made a choking sound, and I whipped around in panic.
“Not to worry, milady. I’m sure it’s merely a slight sore throat.” Justus fussed over Ferdinand for a minute, bending down to whisper something while I hovered anxiously. When he pulled away, Ferdinand bore a somewhat resigned expression as he slumped back on the pillows.
Lieseleta returned in record time with my book, and I perched myself on the chair Justus had prepared beside Ferdinand’s bed. I hadn’t gotten to this book yet because it was one of the new excessively flowery ones Elvira had started circulating among the women in her inner circle. Although the cover was decorated with elaborate swirls of flower petals and carved silhouettes, it had arrived wrapped in plain linen and tucked under several other books in the shipment. Maybe it was just kind of expensive.
I settled myself into a comfortable position in the chair, feeling a small measure of relief. When I first realized Ferdinand was sick, I had felt almost entirely helpless. I wasn’t used to this sudden reversal of roles, to go from lying bored in bed to hovering over someone else instead. But even if I couldn’t whip up insane potions on the fly, there were other ways to take care of someone! Since Ferdinand didn’t particularly like romance novels, this one was sure to put him straight to sleep.
I cracked open the cover, shuffling the pages to the beginning of the story. Lying back, Ferdinand closed his eyes with a pained expression, making me bite my lip in concern. Maybe his headache was coming back?
With the most soothing voice I could manage, I took a deep breath and began to read.