Chapter 034
That evening, a feast was held in the castle.
Everyone had gathered, from those who had arrived early to those who had just made it today.
“Wow! Why is the wine so sweet today?”
“You always drink it sweet. Don’t act surprised.”
The spacious dining hall was filled with laughter and chatter. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, enjoying the delicious food and drinks.
As I looked around, I spotted Evan quietly sipping his drink among the laughter and chatter. He wasn’t joining in the noise, but the people around him were comfortably chatting and laughing, indicating a deep camaraderie with the knights.
At that moment, a maid sitting next to me noticed my untouched plate and asked worriedly, “Madam! Is food not to your taste? Should I bring you something else?”
“No, it’s fine. I think the wine is just a bit strong. I’m feeling a little dizzy.”
I forced a smile and answered before standing up. “I’m going to head back now. You all enjoy yourselves a bit longer.”
Since I had been feeling off since the morning, it had become increasingly difficult to hold on. After all, the others would probably be able to enjoy themselves better once I left, so it seemed best to return to my room.
Trying to be as discreet as possible, I slipped out of the dining hall and headed toward the rooms.
“Hmm… where was my room again?”
Having had a few drinks, my mind wasn’t quite as sharp as usual.
As I walked, retracing my steps, I heard a voice behind me clicking their tongue.
“Why did you drink so much when you can’t handle it?”
I turned my head to see Evan looking down at me, arms crossed, as if he had followed me out.
“Uh, why did you come out? Were you going to the restroom?”
My slightly dazed mind blurted out words against my will. He sighed in disbelief at my response.
“No.”
“Oh, I see. Well, I’ll just be on my way then.”
I could feel my body growing heavier with each passing moment. I desperately wanted to lie down on my bed.
Suddenly, a large hand gently grasped my wrist as I moved forward without hesitation.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Huh? I said I was going to my room.”
He let out a faint sigh, tightening his grip on my arm as he spoke.
“If you go that way, you’ll only reach the door to the storage cellar. Honestly, you should call a maid to go with you instead of risking it alone…”
He trailed off, glancing down at my hand, still holding onto me.
“Why is your body so hot?”
There was a hint of surprise in his voice. I struggled to respond through my increasingly foggy thoughts.
“W-well, Evan, I’ve been feeling a bit strange since earlier…”
“Lady!”
Before I could finish, my legs gave way, and my body lurched forward. In that disorienting moment, I felt someone steady me, and then I completely lost consciousness.
***
“It’s so hot…”
My entire body felt hot as if it had been engulfed in a ball of fire.
I blinked my eyes open, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above me.
‘What happened…?’
As I turned my gaze, I noticed the darkened window outside.
“Oh my, madam! Are you feeling a bit better?”
A maid carrying a basin into the room rushed over when she noticed me. I wanted to ask what had happened, but I felt strangely weak, as if I had no strength at all to speak.
Seeing my lips move without sound, the maid placed the basin beside me and explained, “The doctor just left. You collapsed because you overexerted yourself these past few days.”
I thought back to the camping trip and realized that was probably the cause.
‘Ah…’
It seemed that spending days camping—something I had never done before—had finally taken its toll.
“I brought some fresh underwear for you since you sweated a lot. Would you like to change now?”
The maid held up a thin slip in front of me. Feeling too drained to even lift a finger, I shook my head to decline.
“Well, I’ll leave it here. Just call me whenever you want to change.”
She seemed perceptive enough not to press further and placed the slip by my pillow before stepping outside.
Left alone in the room again, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Is it really possible to feel this terrible after just a few days of camping?’
The absurdity of it made me chuckle quietly to myself. Just a few minutes after regaining consciousness, fatigue began to wash over me again.
My eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted off. After some time, I felt a gentle touch on my feverish face.
It was too large and rough to be the maid’s hand.
“Ugh…”
I instinctively leaned my face toward the cool hand, rubbing against it.
Suddenly, I felt the hand on my forehead freeze, as if startled.
Curiosity grew, and my eyes fluttered open.
Before me stood Evan, his hand resting on my forehead, completely still.
“Evan…?”
Beyond him, I could see the dim sky. I realized it was still early evening, meaning I hadn’t slept through the night.
His clothes were unchanged from when I last saw him before fainting.
“Did you stay with me all this time…?”
I was about to ask if he had been that worried when Evan flinched and quickly grabbed a cloth nearby to wipe my face.
“You were sweating too much, so I was just checking on you. I told you to say something if you felt unwell, but you didn’t give any signs… What am I to do with someone so frail?”
“W-wait a second.”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t lurking around here the whole time.”
His touch was surprisingly rough as he wiped my face. I spoke softly to him, noticing how talkative he had become.
“Evan, I appreciate you wiping my face, but… that’s my underwear.”
As soon as I finished speaking, his busy hands came to an abrupt halt.
“W-what…?”
Evan, with trembling eyes, slowly lifted the cloth.
The gathered fabric unfurled, revealing the full shape of the slip beneath.
His gaze began to slowly scan up and down the slip.
Thud.
He then trembled as if he had touched something forbidden and nearly tossed the slip away.
“I didn’t realize this was the lady’s underwear… I thought it was just cloth.”
Seeing him stammer in surprise was a first for me.
Evan stumbled over his words a few times before finally covering his face with one hand and muttering some rough words under his breath.
“I’ll go get a maid.”
Before I could respond, he turned his back to me and walked briskly to the door.
His unusually hurried steps made it clear just how flustered he truly was.
With a thud, he exited the room, leaving a calm silence behind.
Yet, the image of him stumbling over his words lingered vividly in my mind.
Even though my body was still hot and my mind felt hazy, I couldn’t suppress the laughter bubbling up inside.
“Really…”
Who could say he was a fearsome man?
The more time I spent with him, the more I uncovered sides of him I hadn’t known before.
“What a funny guy…”
I had a feeling there would be plenty of laughter in the days to come with him.
Eventually, I succumbed to the overwhelming fatigue, falling asleep again with a smile on my lips.
midori
thanks! i think evan who makes mistakes, like the bed and the slip, and gets flustered is the funniest and most entertaining version of him!