Chapter 27

So he spouted a bunch of nonsense and then suddenly collapsed like this?

“Hey, try to wake up…”

I kept talking to him while lightly patting his back.

“Hey, buddy? Buddy?”

“…”

“Hey!”

Despite my efforts, the boy remained motionless, his face resting against my shoulder.

Then I felt the heat radiating from his body and sucked in a sharp breath.

‘He’s burning up!’

Was he just saying random things because his fever was so high?

People do start talking nonsense when they have a fever.

“What do I do…?”

More importantly, I can’t just leave someone this sick lying on the grass.

But I don’t have the strength to carry him to a physician.

And even if I did, no one would be able to examine him anyway.

‘Should I at least go find some fever medicine?’

Sorry, Mom and Dad.

I know stealing is wrong, but just this once, I’ll be a righteous thief…

“Umm, just stay here for a minute. I’ll go get some medicine.”

I wasn’t sure if he could even hear me.

Still, with his condition, he couldn’t move anyway.

Just as I gently shifted him aside and started getting up.

“…Don’t go.”

He weakly grabbed my wrist again and whispered.

He came to his senses again?

I clicked my tongue inwardly and let out a long sigh.

“You’re in really bad shape. At this rate, you might end up cold before long.”

“You have a strange way of saying someone might die…”

He caught on immediately.

When Daddy Kyle first made that joke, I didn’t understand it at all.

“Things like that… are pointless anyway.”

His grip loosened further.

The hand holding my wrist slowly slid down and rested over the back of my hand.

His palm was so feverishly hot that it somehow felt like my own cheeks were heating up too.

“A song…”

Then he half-opened his eyes and spoke.

“Sing for me.”

“Huh?”

A song?

Out of nowhere?

“Right now… if it’s you…”

After muttering a few more words, he lost consciousness again.

I quickly pieced together everything he’d said and done.

The way he seemed able to see the scroll like I could.

The way he spoke as though he knew everything about my situation.

Then maybe the reason he asked me to sing was…

‘Does he think I have Mom’s ability?’

And how does he even know about Mom’s ability?

Who exactly is this kid?

‘More importantly, Mom’s ability can’t cure a fever.’

That’s why I was trying to get him examined by a physician earlier.

“Ugh, whatever.”

I can’t do anything else anyway.

Might as well try.

I took another deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut before opening them again.

‘I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do.’

The main story only described it as a “song.”

It never explained what kind of song.

And honestly, I’d already forgotten the humming Mom was doing earlier.

“Can’t be helped.”

I’ll just sing something I know.

I cleared my throat and cautiously opened my mouth.

“Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O~”

“…?”

At the same time, the boy opened his eyes again and looked at me.

His expression practically screamed that my song choice was ridiculous.

If you’re going to pass out, then stay passed out.

‘Why are you sneaking glances at me and making this embarrassing?’

But this is the only song I can think of right now.

You’ll just have to deal with it.

“And on that farm he had some chickens, E-I-E-I-O.”

I covered the boy’s eyes with my palm and kept singing.

“With a cluck cluck here and a cluck cluck there.”

But is this actually working?

I’m not just turning into someone happily singing songs, right?

“Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O~”

Even while doubting the whole thing, I kept singing earnestly.

“With a quack quack here and a quack quack there.”

The chickens became ducks.

The ducks became goats.

The goats became pigs.

“And a meow meow here and a meow meow there.”

After a long while, I’d even reached parts I’d never sung before.

“Everywhere a meow meow.”

Then I began to feel the wind around me gradually responding to my voice.

I gathered my strength and continued singing.

“And on that farm he had some ponies, E-I-E-I-O.”

The breeze that had started as a faint stirring slowly began brushing against my cheeks.

As though it had a will of its own.

Like a playful pony.

Like a noisy goose.

The wind circled around me, slipping through my hair before eventually wrapping itself gently around the boy.

At the same time, tiny lights resembling fireflies began gathering around the swirling energy.

I hadn’t seen anything like this around Mom.

Maybe it was because everything around us was dark?

“Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O…”

I continued singing over and over.

Eventually, the boy’s breathing became steady.

“Cough, cough.”

Only then did I stop and let out a few dry coughs.

‘I want water!’

I’ve never sung this long before.

‘Now I understand why Mom sweats so much after using her ability.’

It feels like all the strength has drained out of my body.

I wiped away the beads of sweat on my forehead and shrugged.

So I really did inherit Mom’s ability.

It doesn’t activate instantly the way hers does when she starts singing, but still.

‘I’m really glad I’m Mom’s daughter.’

And maybe I even have the potential to become a better healer than Mom.

Even Mom can’t cure a fever!

Anyway, I was relieved that I’d managed to save someone.

Feeling rather pleased with myself, I glanced to the side.

“…?”

Then I froze as I stared at the completely empty spot beside me.

‘What? What?’

He was literally right here a few seconds ago.

How can someone disappear that suddenly just because I looked away?

Or was I hallucinating?

“What the—”

Just as I was frantically looking around, unable to make sense of anything.

The surroundings, which had been silent enough that I couldn’t even hear breathing, slowly began filling with sounds again.

The chirping of insects.

People’s footsteps.

And…

“Where did she suddenly go?”

Bertolt’s voice.

‘Oh!’

Without even having time to organize my thoughts, I quickly got to my feet and emerged from the bushes.

“I’m over here.”

“Just a moment ago, you were standing right in front of me.”

Bertolt muttered while narrowing his eyes.

I kept my mouth shut because I had no idea what excuse to make.

You may not know it, but you were frozen for quite a while.

And I went through a lot during that time…

Though honestly, at this point, I’m not even sure whether any of it was real.

“…Perhaps you have talent for magic.”

Apparently interpreting my silence in his own way, Bertolt muttered again.

“In this regard too, you resemble Harzen. He used to surprise me like this from time to time.”

See?

We’re talking about Daddy Harzen again.

“Is it really that important that I resemble Dad?”

Unable to suppress my curiosity any longer, I asked.

Bertolt smiled with narrowed eyes and answered.

“Of course it’s important.”

“Why?”

“If you’re truly Harzen’s biological child, then I have an obligation to treat you well.”

Hold on.

Is that really the look of someone who wants to treat me well?

No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like it.

“Then what if I’m not Dad’s biological daughter?”