I could not keep up with Raniero's thoughts.

Which part of nursing care is fun for him...?

The moment a silk towel soaked in cold water was placed on top of my forehead, my thoughts stopped. The coldness that made my head feel as though it was going to crack. Suddenly...

Splosh, splosh.

After smacking it against my forehead lightly, the water dripped down.

"...."

Water dripping from a silk towel that was not wrung out properly soaked my ears and pillow.

...Your Majesty, you are not good at nursing.

Is it all right to think of this as a glimpse of humanity from His Majesty...?

When he rolled up the towel after a while, of course, my forehead was drenched with water. Seeing that, Raniero opened his mouth.

"You must've been sweating."

"...No."

I closed my eyes and muttered.

Once again, there was a sound of the silk towel getting put into the ice water basin.

I could not help but feel nervous. Since it was Raniero who was in front of me, I was also nervous because I was afraid that the towel soaked in cold water would be placed onto my forehead...

Obviously, I was being cared for, though I felt like my illness was getting worse.

I endured Raniero's clumsy nursing.

No one here had the right or the guts to point out his bizarre nursing methods.

And, to be honest, Raniero seemed as if he was having fun now. Even if I taught him the proper nursing method here, as long as this was more interesting to him, there would be no way to change his mind.

He mercilessly cooled down the heat in a way that was rough, crude, and lacking in subtlety. After a while, he looked at my forehead, where the cold water was flowing, and declared in a languid voice.

"I don't think this is the way."

My fever did not go down.

"Uh, that's..."

​​

I opened my mouth carefully.

"The temperature won't go down right away because Your Majesty just put the wet towel on several times..."

At that, Raniero raised an eyebrow. He grumbled as he collected the silk towel.

"Your body is quite uncomfortable and cumbersome."

Tears covered my face. Why does His Majesty not think that his body, which has never caught a cold in his life and heals deep wounds quickly, is an abnormal category...?

Though I became wary that Raniero would abruptly cut off my head in anger at this tedious, patient-defying act.

"Ha, but my physical condition is much better than it was before. I..."

"Is that so?"

So, I was going to say that I can manage it on my own, though Raniero's expression was a bit unusual—in a good way.

...Am I mistaken?

The ominous premonition was not wrong.

Raniero Actilus sat down just as he said.

Sitting down next to me, he gazed at my sick face without moving at all, as if he had nothing to do as an emperor. I am not sure how staring at a sick person's face is entertaining for him.

The troublesome part of cooling down the fever was left to Cisen and Duchess Nerma, and I was only observing the changes in his face, which gradually became more comfortable.

"I have a fever because I moved my body... I've never heard of this."

"It's because you are so weak."

Duchess Nerma replied softly, cooling the inside of my arm.

"Your body is protesting because you're doing something you've never done before."

Raniero snorted.

"If you don't change your weakness like this, won't your anger be relieved?"

His posture, sitting with an attitude of not knowing whether he had come to visit the patient or sightseeing, became increasingly stiff. That was a sign of danger. Raniero is now shouting 'bored' with his whole body!

I felt the need to make a change in the environment.

"C-Ci, Cisen."

"Please, say it."

"...I'm hungry, can you bring me something to eat?"

At those words, Raniero quietly raised his head.

When our eyes met, dry saliva ran down my throat.

Ten minutes later, with my back against the head of the bed, I was being fed porridge by Emperor Raniero Actilus.

...Isn't he staring too hard?

Is it like a cat's mind when looking around an aquarium...

Unlike with the towel, when my fever is going to end is unknown, the path was revealed as I brought up eating instead. I was feeling less anxious than before, knowing that this way was less cumbersome and boring for him.

My stomach, filled with savory and warm oatmeal porridge, was comfortable and no longer feel nauseated. So, my body, which had been in a state of tension since I had been on edge a while ago, slowly relaxed as well.

To be honest, I thought that I could not relax as long as Raniero was in front of me, though by that time, I was so exhausted that I felt like I had given up.

I blinked slowly in drowsiness as Raniero placed the back of his hand to my cheek as if checking the fever again.

His hands were still cold.

"Tsk."

Then, he lightly clicked his tongue and pressed his fingertips against my forehead.

"I'll have to stay in the Palace until tomorrow, Empress."

...Is he worried?