Chapter 17: Unexpected Reunion and Chaotic Hospital Days

Out of the blue, my brother burst in, still half-asleep and rubbing his eyes. He looked down at me in surprise, and I, Lara Schmord, instinctively held my breath. Had he really come looking for me…?

“What, weren’t you in the army?”

That was the moment I understood his astonished reaction. As he repeatedly asked if I was here by some kind of leave or on a reward vacation, I slowly lowered my head.

“Hey, you haven’t deserted, have you…?”

“……”

“First, go get some water. No, scratch that—bring the water here.”

That damn brother of mine was spouting utter nonsense as if he had endless patience.

“You’ve got three seconds. Bring the water.”

“…I nearly got caught today…”

“……?”

“…Drop dead! Just drop dead!!”

“What do you think, that you can desert and lose your mind!”

I charged at him like a madwoman. As I lunged to choke him, Lawrence barely blocked my reach with one arm, but he was gradually being pushed toward the stairs. They say people in a frenzy pack five times their normal strength—and it was all too true.

“Oh, come on… enough already!”

Just then, as Lawrence grimaced and shouted, I screamed, “Drop dead!!” and leapt. The moment our bodies collided, his robust frame staggered and tumbled backwards.

Crash! We slid down the stairs like a pair of sleds. At the last step, our bodies split apart— I veered left while Lawrence bounced to the right, scattered like pieces of a rag.

In the commotion, the Viscountess and the Viscount, who had been asleep in the first-floor bedroom, burst out. They hurried toward the noise and soon discovered the two of us sprawled at the foot of the stairs.

“Oh my goodness!”

Alarmed, the Viscountess clutched her feeble heart as the Viscount quickly checked our pulses. Thankfully, both of us were still alive.

* * *

“Sigh……”

Lying flat on my back with my head encased in a neck brace, I felt utterly miserable. It had been three days since I tumbled down the stairs with that wretched brother of mine and was given a two-week recovery.

I couldn’t even control my own bodily functions without diapers and the help of the maids, who also fed me. I had never known lying in bed could be this challenging.

One bit of good news was that my brother now faced a four-week recovery. Just as I was wallowing in my misery, the door creaked open and Mother entered.

“Lara, there’s a visitor.”

“Oh… please don’t let them in. I can’t bear for anyone to see me like this.”

Although I had become acquainted with Youngae at several balls, we weren’t close enough for me to expose my humiliating state to her or anyone else beyond family.

“Lady Elina I, Lady Elina II, and Lady Elina III have come to see you in person. Mind your manners.”

‘How am I supposed to act dignified in this condition? I can’t even manage a diaper by myself…’

Frustrated and helpless, I began to feel choked up. As Mother left the room, four people appeared as if they had been waiting for me.

“How are you feeling?”

“We’ve come as soon as we heard. Are you doing okay?”

It seemed that Lady Elina III and Diches, dressed in their Knight Order uniforms, had taken a break to visit. Shortly after came Elina II with her bright smile and then the demure Lady Elina I.

“You alright? What happened? If I had known, I would’ve assigned Silpid to you—oh, Silpid. Just kidding, so don’t take it the wrong way,” she teased.

“I’m sorry for dropping by so suddenly… How are you feeling?”

The room was already a hubbub. As much as I wanted to send them all packing, I was grateful they’d come to check on me.

“I heard Lawrence is recuperating in the next room. We’ll take turns visiting you.”

I shot a sidelong glare at Diches. A spineless boss deserves to be left alone while I hang out with the ladies. I even considered telling off Elina II, who chatted animatedly with some unseen Spirit King by the door, and Elina III, who sat on the sofa sharpening her sword.

At that moment, Elina I warmly approached me.

“Have you had lunch?”

“No, not yet.”

“Oh, perfect. Would you mind if I made some for you?”

Elina I beamed sweetly and clapped her hands. I couldn’t understand why a noble lady would insist on cooking herself when we already had a chef.

‘This is insane.’

The idea of a god personally guiding a lost lamb into trouble for causing injury was a miracle for someone as non-devout as me.

“I’m not much of a cook, but just wait a little. I’ll have it ready soon.”

Elina I said this with a small, charming smile. Right behind her, the spirited Elina II trailed along.

“I want to help too! Trust me, I’ll whip up the most delicious porridge ever!”

With a confident shout, Elina II dragged the quiet Elina III out of her seat. Only after the room settled down for a moment did I begin to feel a bit of ease.

I closed my eyes, trying to rest properly. But suddenly I felt as if time had sharply accelerated. The murmurs around me grew louder.

“Lara! Get up and try this.”

Holding a steaming bowl on a tray, Elina II confidently said as she propped me up with three stacked pillows, creating just enough of an angle for me to sit.

Since I couldn’t lower my head, Elina II took the spoon and stirred the porridge with a shy, ambiguous smile.

“I gave it a go… turns out cooking is harder than I thought. Don’t worry, you won’t die from eating it!”

Her overly confident expression only made me more suspicious. I stared stiffly ahead until even the spoon in my hand caught my reluctant glance.

It looked as if she had scoured a pigpen—so charred that it had turned a deep, somber color. Noticing my slight grimace, Elina III quickly intervened and snatched the spoon from Elina II.

“This is probably inedible.”

“What’s wrong with it?!”

“Then you can eat it. I refuse to see my friend suffer through this mess.”

Elina III… I found her gruff manner strangely endearing.

After declaring that she would now serve her own porridge, Elina III lifted the bowl to chest height. I rolled my eyes as I inspected it and grimaced.

“Hey, Elina III, what exactly is this?”

“Nutritionally-packed porridge.”

I could understand the gleaming bits of meat, but why were there horseshoes floating in it?

“It’s good for your recovery. Eat every last bite—we only got the ingredients with much effort.”

I almost blurted, ‘Did you steal our horse…?’ but I kept silent. This is why a determined heroine is so terrifying.

“Elina III, isn’t meaty porridge a bit too much for someone with a weak stomach?”

Elina I cautiously offered her own porridge. I reacted vehemently, “That one! That one!” I craved something visually appealing, even if it weren’t as tasty.

Startled for a moment, Elina I then smiled and warned me to be careful because it was hot, gently feeding it into my mouth.

Surprisingly, it was delicious—mild, savory, and unexpectedly satisfying. It was the only pure zone in this sea of clichés. I polished off the bowl in one go.

“That was really good.”

“Oh, really? I’m glad you liked it.”

Elina I blushed as she casually covered her lips, having gotten too comfortable with our casual conversation.

“You know what, Lara? How about we drop the formalities?”

“Sounds good.”

“Thank you. I’ve actually wanted to get closer to you for a while.”

It was an innocent conversation between young ladies, full of genuine affection. Just as they were deep in their friendly banter, Diches entered the room.

At that precise moment, a strange sensation of gas pooling below hit me. After being bedridden recently, my digestion had faltered and I feared the repercussions on my health.

“Um, Elina III, I think I’m about to fart. Sorry…”

I whispered so only Elina III could hear. Nodding, she quietly passed the message to Elina II and Elina I. Suddenly, Elina II burst into an impromptu song, “Lara, Lara~” while Elina I hastily approached Diches to ask for his discretion.

“Excuse me… Mr. Diches, Supmorad says he’s about to pass gas. Could you please step out for a moment?”

Embarrassment flushed my face red. For a lady, farting was tantamount to a death sentence.

“When have I ever uttered such vulgarity! Ha-ha!”

“I’m sorry, Lara. I guess I was being tactless…”

As Elina I fidgeted nervously, my simmering anger eased a tad, though my face still burned. In that moment, an empty porridge bowl teetering on my blanket suddenly fell with a clatter, shattering into pieces.

“Ah, I’ll clean this up.”

Elina I jumped in shock, reaching out to grab the fragments, but a large, outstretched hand clamped down on her delicate wrist, stopping her.

She looked up. The first time in her life, a man’s hand—warm and heavy—touched her. Despite his imposing body temperature, his expression remained chillingly cold, and it sent a shiver through her heart.

“Step back.”

“Yes…”

Diches, who had sent Elina I behind him, surveyed my wrapped-in-a-cast frame on the bed with a frigid, unyielding gaze. It was as if he were about to tear apart an extra who dared to outshine the heroine with malicious envy.