Chapter 24: Awakening
“Are you okay?”
I called out to Ash, who was moving like a log—no, not a log.
Mishto had said he would wake up around this evening, so I had been waiting for that moment. I also heard he was playing with Az.
As Mishto predicted, Ash opened his eyes around sunset.
“Thank you.”
He seemed a bit surprised to see me, but after glancing around and noticing Az in my hands, he seemed to recall what had happened.
“Can you move? Is there anywhere that hurts?”
“Hmm. I think I’m fine, but my back hurts a little.”
Ash propped himself up on the bed and started stretching his arms. The pain in his back caused his brow to furrow occasionally.
“That’s probably because you’ve been lying down for so long, right?”
He hadn’t moved a muscle, lying there like a log. If his chest hadn’t been rising and falling, I might have doubted he was alive.
“For a long time? Now that you mention it, it was morning—no, evening.”
“It’s the third day.”
Not just one day, huh?
“That’s… I’ve caused you trouble.”
He looked down, and his brow furrowed even deeper, making him look even scarier. I was surprised that I could recognize that he looked scary even while sulking.
“No, I just let you rest in bed. Since you’re awake, how about changing your clothes? Also, do you think you can eat something?”
“I’ll take your advice. As for my stomach… I can’t tell if I’m hungry or not.”
“Maybe it’s because you’ve been fasting for so long? I’ll prepare some soup for you. The water over there is drinkable, so feel free to have some.”
I gestured toward the water pitcher on the table, placed Az beside Ash, and left the room.
The water was safe to drink without boiling, fetched from home. In a slightly more expensive inn, they even have pitchers for washing your face, so one must be careful.
I headed downstairs to prepare a plate. Should I put it on a tray so he can eat in bed? I grabbed the pot of soup I had left warming by the fireplace, wrapping it in a towel as I carried it out.
Instead of putting it in a pot, I had just placed it in a handled jar against the wall of the fireplace, but the slowly warmed soup made the vegetables taste delicious. It was a gentle flavor, with consomme and chicken bones for broth, seasoned only with salt and pepper.
Stews are definitely easier to make. The fireplace requires some management of the fire, but even if it goes out, the stones retain heat for a while.
I knocked on the door, waited for a response, and opened it. I turned the doorknob while supporting the tray and kicked the door open with my foot. My hands were quite full, so I hoped for some leniency.
Ash was sitting in a chair, tickling Az on the table with his fingertips. I needed to talk about Az too, but that could wait until tomorrow.
I placed the tray on the table and served the soup into a deep bowl.
“Here you go.”
I slid the tray toward Ash and took a seat across from him.
“It smells good; I suddenly feel hungry. I’ll dig in without hesitation.”
Wait.
When the furrows in his brow disappeared, a handsome face emerged!? Who is this!? He still looked somewhat expressionless, but he was a beautiful young man, not a beauty. I wondered if Pink Head or any other women would leave him alone.
“Don’t let yourself be fooled and led to bed, okay?”
I couldn’t help but let those words slip out as I watched Ash eat so deliciously.
He paused his spoon, tilting his head after a moment.
“Was I deceived by Lord Jean?”
This time, I froze.
“I didn’t deceive you, so let’s keep it safe.”
“Understood.”
As if nothing had happened, Ash resumed moving his spoon.
I was let off the hook, but would staying over at a man’s house be considered inappropriate for a duke’s daughter? I felt incredibly confused due to his appearance and manner of speaking.
According to him, he had served in the military and had even fought against demon beasts, so he could manage changing clothes, tidying up his room, and camping out by himself. However, he was aware that his experiences in noble life and military life were quite different. I could imagine how off-kilter he must have felt during his last camping trip.
Also, he mentioned that he was treated like a man. Well, he had been called Leon, and when his brow was furrowed, he had a very intimidating presence that made me want to keep my distance.
“Your brow is less furrowed now.”
“Is that so?”
When he made a puzzled face, the vertical lines returned. It seemed like a habit; he quickly narrowed his eyes again. Scary.
“My headache is gone, and I feel refreshed. That pain had been with me for so long that I only realized it was painful once it was gone—once again, thank you.”
Ash placed his hands on his knees and bowed his head.
“No, I was also interested in the spirit.”
To be precise, I wanted to know what kind of spirit was bound by the spell.
“I’ll leave the soup here, so if you feel like eating more, help yourself.”
Not wanting to watch him eat too closely, I stepped away to add firewood to the fireplace in this room. I should have left the soup pot here.
“Will a regular meal in the morning be alright?”
“Ah, is it okay for me to stay over?”
As I adjusted the position of the firewood with the fire tongs, his response came back with a hint of doubt.
“I’m not going to throw you out at night.”
Ash’s back, which had been stretched out while he was sleeping, was now slightly hunched. I couldn’t tell if it was because he had been lying down for three days or if it was due to suddenly being freed from the spirit, but he didn’t seem to be in top form.
“I’m sorry.”
“This room has a lock, so feel free to relax. If you can move, I can prepare a bath for you.”
I carelessly tossed the water meant for Az out the window into the courtyard and filled the water dish with fresh water. The water pitcher was quite low, so Ash must have drunk quite a bit.
“I’d love to take a bath, but… could I have a towel and some hot water?”
Ah, so he really is in a state where moving is a hassle. He should have just stayed in bed instead of sitting in a chair.