Chapter 75

Left alone, Abelin lay on the bed, groaning.

“Ugh, huuu…”

Even though she was just lying still on a comfortable bed, a dull, throbbing pain spread evenly throughout her body, along with a piercing ache.

And the constant pounding in her head made it impossible to fully rest, leaving her dizzy and with a headache.

On top of that, she couldn’t even go outside for a walk to clear her mind, forced to lie still without moving.

“This is the worst, the absolute worst…!”

No matter how many times she said “the worst,” it still didn’t feel like enough.

Thanks to the doctor’s careful treatment and the pain-relieving medication prescribed, she felt a bit better, but her terrible physical condition and mood remained the same.

It was a sense of “helplessness” she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“To waste my rare vacation like this!”

Thinking that this was both a mission and a vacation made it feel even more like a waste.

But when would her body recover enough to move properly? Would she even recover by the time this vacation ended? Everything was uncertain.

Everything was the worst.

Everything was the worst, but the absolute worst of all was…

“…I’m hungry.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them.

As soon as those words escaped, tears welled up in Abelin’s eyes.

Normally, after grueling training or a tough mission, she would reward herself with a sweet dessert—it was a set routine.

But the only meal the doctor allowed her was a bland porridge made from finely ground grains boiled in water.

Even the notoriously tasteless meals of the Vanguard were better than this, but Abelin had no choice but to eat it.

For a brief moment, she felt a little full, but the portion was so small that her stomach soon started growling again.

But the next meal was still far away, and even though the room was warmed with magic, it felt cold, and with no one around, she felt lonely.

Already on the verge of tears, her emotions heightened, Abelin pouted her lips and felt sad.

“Hiiing…”

Just as she was about to succumb to hunger, loneliness, and pain, drifting off to sleep…

Abelin’s ears perked up.

The sound of someone approaching the room where she was resting.

And the footsteps—she already knew exactly who they belonged to…

‘Ugh…!’

Without thinking, Abelin hid under the blanket.

She didn’t know why she was hiding, but instinctively, she just did.

“Abelin, are you resting well?”

As expected, it was Kairon who entered the room.

Even with her eyes closed, she could feel Kairon lifting the blanket slightly and looking down at her.

“Sleeping soundly, huh? You’ve been through a lot. Should I let you sleep a bit longer? I guess I’ll take this back for now.”

At that moment, Abelin caught a whiff of something delicious.

A smell that was the complete opposite of the bland, tasteless hospital food.

A slightly spicy, savory, and sweet aroma that made her mouth water just from the scent alone.

Every part of her body, which had been tense, now tingled with excitement, but for some reason, Abelin kept pretending to be asleep.

She tried to stay as still as possible, but her nose betrayed her, sniffing the delicious scent.

But Kairon, unaware of her thoughts, started to leave with the food.

‘Leave it. Leave it, please…!’

“Hmm, but it’s a shame. I brought it fresh, and it’ll get cold if I leave it here. I could reheat it, but that would ruin the flavor. What to do…?”

Fortunately, Kairon didn’t leave with the food, but he still seemed conflicted.

Meanwhile, the delicious smell continued to fill the room, tantalizing Abelin’s nose.

No matter how hard she tried to stay still, her body’s natural reactions were unavoidable, and soon her mouth began to water…

Grrr-

“……”

“Huh…?”

Kairon sounded genuinely surprised.

But Abelin was even more shocked.

She tried to stay calm, sweating nervously, but then Kairon lifted the blanket again and asked cautiously.

“Abelin…?”

“……”

“You’re not asleep, are you?”

“……How could I sleep in this condition?”

“You stayed awake until the very end, watching me defeat Ronos before passing out. If that’s not sleep, what is?”

Kairon chuckled and sat down beside Abelin.

“So, how are you feeling?”

“Terrible.”

“You did well, really. While I was getting help from Lady Rostia, you held off Riana and bought us time to deal with him properly.”

“If only you’d come a little sooner, I wouldn’t be in this state…! Ugh, cough cough…”

“Whoa, don’t get too worked up. I heard your injuries are pretty serious. Absolute rest, absolute rest. Got it?”

“……Fine.”

“Keep your eyes closed too.”

“……Okay.”

Silence fell.

At first glance, it seemed like a peaceful atmosphere, but Abelin’s mind was a mess.

‘What’s going on? Why isn’t he doing anything? Didn’t he bring that food for me? If you’re going to give it to me, just give it already. It’s getting cold…!’

And as if to voice her thoughts…

Grrr-

“Ah…”

“Oh…”

The sound of Abelin’s body crying out for a proper, delicious meal.

In the quiet room, the growling of her hungry stomach echoed even louder.

“Abelin. Didn’t the doctor give you any food?”

“They did.”

“Then why are you still…?”

“Be quiet! You know we’re warriors, right? How could a tiny portion like that fill me up? And it tastes awful, the texture is horrible…! Ugh.”

Kairon reached out and covered Abelin’s mouth.

“Calm down. And sorry for teasing you. I knew you were awake the moment I lifted the blanket earlier.”

“Ugh, you knew and still pretended not to?”

“You were pretending to be asleep too. Let’s call it even. I knew you’d be hungry. Here, just wait a moment.”

Kairon quickly unpacked the food he had brought and set it up in the room.

There were quite a few dishes, so while the portions weren’t huge, there was a variety.

“This much…?”

“You said it yourself, you’re a warrior. I’m a warrior who fights with the strength of a good meal, so how could I not understand? Eat up. If it’s not enough, I’ll go get more right away. Rest is important, but I think a good meal is just as crucial for mental health, which ultimately helps recovery.”

“Hmph, showing off, huh? It’s not even your money.”

“Haha. To quote Lady Rostia, half right, half wrong. I made a deal with her. In exchange, she agreed to cover all expenses while we stay in Rostia.”

“A deal with the Archmage? What kind of deal?”

“Nothing too grand. So, eat before it gets cold.”

“Okay. Ah, um…”

“Yeah?”

Abelin hesitated, then turned her head away and muttered.

“Thanks. For bringing me food.”

“Thanks? I’m the one who should be thanking you. You held on so bravely, even in this state. Eat up.”

As Abelin picked up a piece of meat with her fork, a thrilling sensation spread from her tongue throughout her body.

Every part of her that had been screaming in pain now cheered in unison.

A bright smile spread across Abelin’s face.

“Is it that good?”

“……Yes. It’s so good. Really.”

“Wait, what? No matter how good it is, you shouldn’t cry over it. Smile, why are you crying?”

“I’ve never had such tasteless porridge in my life, what do you expect!”

Abelin, feeling both sadness and joy, quickly moved her fork.

“Take your time. If someone sees you, they’ll think you’re being robbed… Huh?”

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approaching the room.

Kairon instinctively felt threatened and rushed to the door, blocking it with his body.

Bang bang bang-

“Huh, why won’t this open?”

“Wait, the smell is coming from here! It’s here!”

“Open this door right now! Is this the room where food was brought in? Giving patients random food is strictly prohibited!”

“Plus, the smell is spreading to other rooms, and other patients are complaining!”

Outside, the hospital staff banged on the door furiously, but with Kairon standing firm, there was no way it would open.

“Haha… Abelin? Eating too slowly might be a problem now. Can you speed it up a bit?”

“No. You told me to eat slowly, didn’t you? That no one would take it away.”

“Well, yeah, but with all this commotion outside? I can hold out all day, but the other patients are suffering.”

“You said a good meal is good for mental health, which ultimately helps the patients, right? Maybe the hospital should wake up and start serving delicious meals to everyone. Mmm, so good! It tastes even better with a show.”

“Hey, hey, just speed it up a little, okay? It’s already cooled a bit since I brought it, so it’s better to eat it before it gets cold.”

“Haha, fine. Just hold the fort. I don’t want to be interrupted.”

“Don’t worry. This body took down a demon who called himself an Archmage. A few strong men won’t be a problem. Enjoy your meal.”

Kairon, true to his word, calmly held his ground against the furious banging on the door.

Delicious food, and…

A reliable comrade.

The “worst” feeling Abelin had been experiencing had long since disappeared.