CHAPTER 023
"It seems I can't keep you company today."
"Who said you were keeping us company? Just lie down and sleep!"
Bella tried to lay him back down, but Lewis didn't listen.
"Why are you trying to make me sleep?"
"You often took naps at our mansion. It's the same thing."
"Is it the same to sleep because you want to and to sleep because you have to?"
Lewis, dumbfounded, dealt with Bella. He seemed irritated but was talking more persistently than expected.
Is he enduring it through sheer willpower...?
"Do you need anything?"
"No."
"If you need anything done, just let me know!"
I said, wanting to be of some help.
"If I need something, I'll call a servant. Why would I ask you?"
He immediately refused.
Well, that made sense.
We came to find out why Lewis had skipped work, and here we were, visiting him because he was sick.
Wait, visiting the sick? Suddenly, another thought came to mind.
"Wait, Bella."
I called Bella out to the hallway.
"Since we're here visiting, should we go buy something for him?"
It felt wrong to come empty-handed for a visit like this.
But Bella was skeptical.
"Do we really need to...? How were we supposed to know Lewis would be this sick?"
"Then I'll go alone. Please take care of the Marquis."
Bella shook her head in disbelief.
"You're too kind. Alright, I'll nurse him for you."
"Thanks."
Nursing aside, I hoped they wouldn't fight!
Fortunately, I didn't have to go far to buy a get-well gift.
But when I returned to Lewis' room, Bella was asleep on the sofa!
"Is she sleeping?"
Seeing my wide eyes, Lewis, still in the same position, chuckled.
"You should entrust nursing to someone reliable. What's that?"
Even though Bella was asleep, Lewis lowered his voice. I followed suit.
"It's a fruit basket."
"For what?"
"As a gift for the patient."
Though the mansion surely had plenty of fruit.
Whatever I bought, Lewis likely already had it, so food seemed the best option!
"Shall I peel some for you?"
"Do you know how?"
"Of course! What do you take my skills for?"
He squinted as if he didn't quite believe me.
"I'll eat it later, so it's fine. You can leave once Bella wakes up."
He's telling us to leave as soon as I returned?
"A patient needs rest, right? So hurry and leave. You can wake her up and go now if you want."
But I just got here...
Still, what could I do? The sick host wanted to be alone.
"Alright, I'll leave once Bella wakes up."
But just then, Lewis got out of bed. He stood up and held his head.
"I can't do this."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll go to another room; you stay here."
Saying this vaguely, he staggered and walked out.
"Wait!"
I hurriedly opened the bedroom door Lewis had closed behind him and saw him entering another room not far away.
Where are you going?
I hastily followed him.
"Please stay in your bedroom. We'll leave once Bella wakes up."
"..."
Lewis didn't respond. Instead, he headed straight to the bed in the middle of the room and lay down without covering himself.
"Why are you following me...? I said I'd leave."
He spoke with his eyes closed. His voice was even fainter and more strained than before. Was he in more pain now?
"Marquis, are you alright?"
Lewis lay there, holding his forehead with one hand.
"Wait a moment."
I carefully moved his hand aside and placed mine on his forehead, just as Bella had done earlier.
'He's burning up!'
It was surprising how he had managed to sit up earlier.
I turned around quickly.
"Please wait a moment. I'll bring some people-"
I took a step but couldn't move further. Lewis had grabbed my hand.
He sighed heavily, seemingly in pain, and spoke.
"It won't get better anyway."
"But-"
"Just stay like this."
Lewis gripped my hand a little tighter.
Even though he was sick, his grip wasn't strong. He seemed even more pitiful.
"My illness... It's because of my condition. Only time can help."
His condition? Was he talking about the noise?
When I widened my eyes, Lewis spoke.
"I've been researching something recently."
"The suspicious syringe?"
"Yes... I was preparing it to get rid of the noise."
"To get rid of the noise?"
Lewis nodded slightly.
"I thought I could find a way to completely end the noise."
There was a way.
Lewis could be free from the noise through Charlotte.
But he'd never had success with a potion before.
Sure enough, from his weak voice, it seemed he had failed again.
"I made a potion and tried injecting it into myself."
Tried injecting? Naturally, the syringe Lewis had been holding came to mind.
Why inject something drinkable...?
Lewis continued, making my blood run cold.
"I tried a few times, but the last one had severe side effects. It feels like my head is going to explode."
He winced in pain.
What should I do? While panicking, my body moved instinctively.
I placed my hand on Lewis' forehead again.
"Does the noise still bother you? Or is it just the pain?"
Lewis shook his head with his eyes closed.
It seemed too painful for him to speak.
Should I call a wizard since the pain was due to magic?
But the most powerful wizard here was Lewis himself.
Even if I woke Bella or called busy Michael, it didn't seem Lewis would recover quickly.
The doctor wasn't helpful either, so what could I do?
Lewis had come here likely because he didn't want to show his pain but I couldn't just leave him like this.
I fidgeted nervously and stood up quickly once Lewis let go of my hand.
"Please wait a moment!"
I intended to get a wet towel.
Where were the towels? I didn't know since it was my first time in Lewis' mansion.
After opening a few drawers, I couldn't find a single towel.
There's no bathroom in this room? How could things be so chaotic? I couldn't ask someone in so much pain either...
I had no choice.
I quickly ran out to the hallway.
"Marquis, just a moment!"
I could ask a servant, right?
But I couldn't find one immediately in the hallway. The mansion was eerily quiet.
Fortunately, I saw someone coming upstairs with laundry just as I was about to go downstairs to look for a towel.
There she was!
I approached the maid and spoke.
"Excuse me, could you prepare a wet towel?"
"A wet towel?"
Though she seemed puzzled by the sudden request, she complied without a word.
She entered another room with the laundry and soon returned with a wet towel.
"Do you need anything else?"
"No, this will do. Thank you!"
I let the maid continue on her way and returned to Lewis' bedroom.
Bella was still asleep, comfortable as if in her own home.
Bella, did you even nurse him? Did you sleep the whole time I was gone?
After a moment's thought, I turned my attention to the table where the prescribed medicine lay.
"Medicine to lower the fever."
The medicine Lewis mentioned taking in the morning.
Let's try using this to reduce his fever.
Though Lewis said the pain wouldn't go away due to magic side effects, it was worth a try.
I returned to the room where Lewis lay.
He glanced at me as I approached.
"You didn't abandon me...?"
"Abandon you? How could you say such a thing?"
Though he still looked weak, his ability to speak made me hope he was a bit better.
I touched his forehead again but felt no significant improvement.
I placed the wet towel on his forehead.
"What's this?"
"To cool you down."
Then I showed him the medicine packet.
"This is to reduce your fever, right?"
"I told you it won't work..."
"But it can't hurt to take it."
I persuaded him and managed to get him to take the medicine.
After ensuring he swallowed it completely, I held his hand firmly.
"You'll feel better soon."
"It's pointless."
How pessimistic!
"Still, you need to think positively. Don't you know about the placebo effect?"
Oh, he probably doesn't.
I stayed by his side. What if the pain returned?
However, Lewis didn't seem to suffer as intensely as before.
His labored breathing eased, and his pale face regained some color.
"It seems the medicine is working!"
Feeling relieved, I rejoiced, but Lewis scoffed at my words.
"Does medicine work that fast?"
"Then why are you feeling better?"
I blinked.
"Are you pretending to be okay despite the pain?"
"I couldn't endure that kind of pain. I'm not pretending."
So he was indeed better.
I removed the towel from his forehead.
Ugh, what an awkward temperature.
The once cold towel had turned lukewarm.
I placed my hand on Lewis' forehead again to check his temperature.
"Well... you do seem better now."
Of course, I'm no expert.
After comparing his temperature to mine, I started to remove my hand when Lewis spoke.
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