Chapter 72
Chapter 72
“By the way, I don’t think I’ll be able to use my right hand at all for a while. What should I do?”
Erina raised her bandaged right hand. Of all things, she was right-handed, so it was obvious she’d face many limitations.
On top of that, she had bruises here and there, making it difficult to move around as nimbly as usual.
Hearing her words, Dylan also looked troubled, his expression darkening.
If they were at the mansion, Erina could rest fully until she recovered, but no matter how well-prepared they were, they were still outdoors. It was hardly an ideal environment for Erina to rest comfortably.
“You’re right. Considering Miss Erina needs rest, it feels like we should head back immediately… but with the scale of this place, moving again so soon might be a bit complicated.”
“What? No, no, I’m okay with resting! It’s just that I can’t take care of the kids or forage anymore.”
“That’s what you’re worried about?”
Dylan frowned even more than before and let out a dry chuckle. Erina tilted her head, puzzled by his reaction.
Wasn’t it natural to worry about being unable to work? Still, being a considerate person, she didn’t voice that thought out loud.
“Don’t worry about the children or the herbs. There are plenty of people here. What you need to do is focus on recovering.”
“D-Dylan, it’s not like I’m seriously hurt enough to need recovery.”
“To me, it is serious. You’re human, after all. Humans are such fragile, delicate creatures.”
From Dylan’s point of view, who had seen countless humans collapse from just a flick of a finger, Erina now looked as if she might vanish any second.
Seeing Dylan weighed down with worry, Erina let out a laugh this time. The kind of ‘fragile, delicate human’ he was talking about only really applied to children or royal ladies, as far as she knew.
Other humans, herself included, were much tougher and more resilient than he thought. But it was hard to explain all that to someone like Dylan, who belonged to a superior race.
After a moment of choosing her words, Erina decided to end the conversation here.
“I’m not as hurt as you’re worried I am. But thank you so much for your concern!”
“Hmph, do you not believe me when I say humans are fragile?”
“N-no! It’s not that I don’t believe you! I’m just… tougher than I look!”
Dylan’s lips pouted briefly before going back to normal.
As Erina hesitated, wondering if she should console him or leave him alone…
“Erina!!”
“Eek! Erina’s hand turned all white!!”
“Mommy, does it hurt?”
From afar, the triplets came running, kicking up dust. Thanks to their sharp vision, they had been watching Erina and Dylan talk from the moment she finished getting treated.
As the conversation dragged on, they couldn’t hold back anymore and started running over to break them apart.
Seeing the kids find her so precisely no matter where she was, Erina smiled brightly.
“Kids! That’s right, the doctor said I need to keep my hand like this to heal faster. What do you think?”
She waved her bandaged hand gently.
Three pairs of eyes followed her hand, swaying back and forth.
“It’s pretty!”
“I want one too! I want my hand to be white like Erina’s!”
“Po, Po wants a white one too!”
“What?! Then me too!!”
The kids reacted with great enthusiasm. They started whining that they wanted the same bandage Erina had.
Dylan first looked exasperated but then quickly gave a soft smile when Erina glanced at him. Then, turning away from her, he put on a stern face and told the kids,
“She’s hurt, you know. Don’t bother her. Be quiet.”
“But Erina doesn’t think we’re bothering her!”
“Yeah! I’m gonna wrap my hand in bandages too! Dylan, just go away!”
The kids clung to Dylan’s thighs, trying with all their might to drag him down. But the strength gap was huge, and he didn’t move an inch.
Still, Dylan looked pitifully at Erina, as if he wanted to tell on them for tormenting him.
As Erina awkwardly smiled and started to step between uncle and nephews to mediate…
“Oh? You’re still here?”
“Oh? Are you still in a lot of pain?”
The doctor and healer emerged from the tent behind them, speaking to Erina.
“N-no! I was just about to leave! Thanks to your great treatment, I’m not in pain at all!”
“Haha! Is that so? Do you remember all the aftercare instructions? I can go over them again if you’d like. Or would you prefer them written down?”
“I remember! I really do!”
Erina frantically waved her hand. If she got stuck listening to another round of aftercare lecture, she was sure her ears would start bleeding.
Seeing their opportunity for conversation slip away, the doctor and healer nodded regretfully.
“Mister! I want one too!”
“Huh?”
“What Erina has—I want that too!”
Unlike Erina who was trying to escape, the kids eagerly approached the doctor, pointing at her bandaged hand. They were clearly planning to go through with their earlier declarations.
Such impulsive kids.
“You mean… the bandages?”
“Yeah!!”
When the doctor asked, the triplets all nodded in unison. They wanted to copy everything Erina did.
The kids were still so young. The bandages wouldn’t take much material, and they’d probably tear them off soon anyway, saying they felt stuffy. So maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to go along with their cute request.
The main reason was that the doctor just wanted something to do with his mouth.
“Well then, come this way.”
“Yay!!”
With a kindly smile, the doctor led the kids away, the healer quickly following after.
Dylan and Erina watched the triplets’ excited steps without stopping them. They were curious to see how the kids would react to the doctor and healer’s chatter.
A curiosity born from shared experience.
Soon after, the tent flaps parted, and the kids marched out in a row.
Their right hands, like Erina’s, were wrapped in bandages. Each raised their arm high, seemingly wanting to show off to her.
Erina burst out laughing at their cuteness. Even Dylan couldn’t deny how adorable his niblings looked right now.
“Resen, Lia, Poi. Are they uncomfortable at all?”
She gently touched each of the bandages, tied neatly with ribbons, worried that they might be too tight.
But contrary to her concerns, the kids’ faces were glowing.
“It doesn’t hurt! Not at all! The doctor did it really well!”
“Yeah! And he knows so much! He answered everything we asked!”
“Is Poi pretty?”
Thankfully, the triplets didn’t seem overwhelmed by the doctor and healer’s chatter. They were notoriously talkative and curious themselves.
Meanwhile, the doctor and healer peeking out from the tent looked pale. They urgently gestured for Erina to come over.
Puzzled, she approached, and the doctor whispered with desperation,
“Wasn’t the treatment already finished?! P-please, you must leave! You can’t stay here!”
“O-okay…”
“And tomorrow, please!! Only Miss Erina should come for treatment! Leave the little masters behind, we beg you!”
“Ah, ah… yes!”
“We humble humans cannot handle the vast curiosity of the little masters…”
As the doctor and healer trembled like they had witnessed something terrifying, Erina bit her lip to hold back laughter.
Maybe now they understood how exhausting the kids’ chatter could be. Though, judging by the wary looks they still gave Erina, it wasn’t entirely forgiven.
In the end, Erina had to promise repeatedly that she would never bring the children again—only then was she allowed to leave.
