Chapter 43
“Sword Master? You want me to be a Sword Master?”
“That’s the end goal! You know what else? Being a Sword Master will make you healthy?”
“I’m not a Sword Master if I can’t even run.”
“That’s why I said goal.”
Pession smirked and turned the page.
“I’ve prepared this especially for you, Arellin, the weakest girl you can imagine.”
Something didn’t sit right with her, but she obediently checked the plan.
“The first thing I think is urgent is Arellin’s stamina.”
“Stamina?”
“Well, your body is your body, but you are too sedentary. Shouldn’t Arellin take a walk every day?”
“No one goes for a walk every day.”
“I’m here.”
“Oh.”
She was being ridiculous in front of someone who trains at such a high intensity every day.
“Well, there are other things, but I thought building Arellin’s base fitness was a priority, and that’s why I’m here!”
She had learnt her lesson from the last incident.
She realized that with that body, her survival rate might not be 0%, but -10000%.
She’s looking at the plan with a certain amount of understanding.
On the surface, she looked fine.
Walks and light posture work.
And a schedule of moderate exercise.
The problem is…
Seven times a week? Every day?
“Is this right?”
“You can’t take a day off from exercise!”
Pession said sternly, firmly and seriously.
“No. You have to give your muscles time to recover…”
“That’s why you don’t do high-intensity workouts every day! You need to move this much every day to build muscle endurance.”
“…”
There was no way out.
“What are you going to make of me?”
“A healthy person!”
“What are you going to do with a healthy person?”
“That’s…”
Pession’s cheeks flushed at what he was thinking.
“I’ll let you know when Arellin is healthy.”
Pession said, clenching his fists tightly as if he had decided something.
“Ugh.”
She feel unnecessarily embarrassed by his embarrassment.
“But do I have to do all of this?”
“Yeah.”
“Really? Every single day?”
“To be healthy.”
Pession said, as if her health was the most important thing on earth.
“I’ll make sure you’re healthy!”
“Mmm. Sure.”
What could possibly happen?
And now.
She was in the middle of intensely regretting her past decisions.
Let’s remember. Catch the no-man’s land.
***
Demon.
“Arellin, I’ve barely hung this much and you’re already struggling~”
She summoned a demon.
“It’s hard, I’m dying, my legs won’t move. Is this the afterlife?”
“No, Arellin. You’re still alive, and we’re not even halfway to our goal. Come on, let’s get up!”
“No, I can’t, I can’t do this anymore, I’m going to collapse!”
“It’s okay, you’re not going to collapse from this, and if you do, it’s okay. Don’t you see the doctor from Halbern Street over there? He’ll take care of you if you do, trust me!”
“Help me…”
“Come on, let’s go. You can do it!”
She could barely speak, her cheeks flushed and panting for breath.
She made an X with her arms to show her stubborn refusal.
“What? You like it? You want to do it that fast?! Okay, let’s go!”
The sunny devil was having none of it.
This is hell.
An exercise hell designed to punish those who don’t walk 3,000 steps a day!
“Come on, Arellin. Breathe. You can do it. We only have five more laps to go!”
“What?!”
If it’s hell anyway.
She killed that bastard today and went to another hell.
***
Sadly, the Crown Prince’s assassination attempt failed.
“Hahaha. Arellin, is this a new game?”
“Die, just.”
“Oh, no. There’s still so much more I want to do with Arellin.”
“…”
What the fuck am I supposed to do, trust this guy?
If she goes back, she’ll never open the door again.
“I’ll come back tomorrow!”
“Don’t come back!”
“Yeah! I miss you too! Should I go to bed?”
“No, go.”
“Okay. I’ll come back early tomorrow!”
“Come back late.”
“I know, Arellin, I know!”
“You don’t know anything.”
“You’re like me.”
“Ha. Are you out of your mind.”
“Again! You’re embarrassed!”
Pession smirked.
“I’ll be back early tomorrow! Good night!”
Words.
***
The evening Pession returned.
Mehen looked down at the gumdrops that had stuck to her as usual.
She is lying on the floor, too tired to move, with only her arms holding her legs.
“Why don’t you just go back to your room and lie down?”
“I’m healing.”
“So why don’t you go to your room…”
“I’m healing.”
Mehen sighs.
“It’s hard…”
Arellin mumbled something about how hard it was, a muffled, inaccurate pronunciation. Finally, Mehen gave in.
“Rise, Young Lady.”
“Are you going to kick me out?”
Arellin gave him a pitiful look.
She looked like she wanted to give him a spanking right now, and Mehen couldn’t help but smile.
“No, Lady, I’m going to go to your room to look at some papers.”
“Is that okay?”
“Because I can’t leave you like this forever.”
“Hehe.”
“So get up.”
“Get up.”
Arellin grumbled, not having the strength to lift a finger.
Mehen laughed at her uncharacteristic foolishness, then picked her up.
With his free hand, Mehen gathered up some urgent papers and left the office.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. You’re more important.”
Arellin smiled, her complexion brightening. It was a smile as bright as that of the Crown Prince of Peshion, who, in Arellin’s words, was like the sun.
“Ah, the foolishness of a Young Lady!”
“Ugh.”
“We don’t want foolishness, either!”
Mehen thought he heard the nursery group talking in passing, but he tuned them out.
“Ha.”
They reached the room.
Arellin stretched out on the bed, yawning, and reached out with one arm to grab Mehen’s arm.
It was funny and cute, he thought, and he’d save it for the archives and send it to the North.
‘Good for bragging rights.’
It’s no secret that the entire Knights of Saren in the North are Arellin’s biggest fans.
It would be good for publicity.
“Do you enjoy looking at papers, Mehen?”
Arellin asked, her eyes blinking slowly in drowsiness, but not quite falling asleep.
“No, I just remembered something fun.”
“Mehen is human, too.”
“…”
Mehen reached out and stroked Arellin’s hair.
“Sweetheart.”
“Call me by my name. Like when I was a baby.”
“… Arel.”
The growing foolishness made Mehen rather bitter, as if it were a burst of something he’d been holding in.
“Are you having trouble sleeping?”
“I’ve never been a good sleeper.”
“Are you worried about anything?”
“Just, I’m worried about a lot of things.”
Rolling her eyes, Arellin added quickly.
“Like not being used to exercise.”
“I see.”
Arellin shifted her position, leaning closer to Mehren.
“Do you think so, Mehen? Do you really think exercise will cure my illness?”
“We… don’t know.”
Mehen’s eyes deepened.
She didn’t know the cause of her illness, the reason for her seizures, or the name of the disease that was still progressing, and she was barely keeping the symptoms under control.
How can she not be frustrated?
“Having said that, it does occur to me that you might have a better chance of living longer if you were healthier than you are now.”
“Hmmm. I see.”
Arellin asked playfully.
“Does Mehen want me to live a long time?”
“Yes.”
The answer came without a moment’s hesitation.
Arellin looked a little touched.
“Mum!”
“…”
Mehen replied with a sigh at the mischievous glance.
“Yes.”
Arellin giggled and squeezed Mehen’s arm.
“It’s what Mum wants, so I’ll try to be a little stronger, then.”
“Good girl.”
“I’ve always been good.”
Too good, that was the problem.
As Arellin muttered that and closed her eyes again, Mehen asked the question he’d been holding back all along.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
The pale pink color of the rose stone in front of her is stronger today. Feeling thirsty, Mehen swallowed dryly and cleared his throat.
“Do you think, Arel, that your father… misses you?”
The question he’d never asked, afraid it would hurt.
He wondered if something had changed inside of him after so many years of remote encounters with his lord. Nervously, Mehen closed his mouth.
“With Mum here, why?”
Arellin shook her head.
“As long as Mum’s here, I’m fine.”
“Ah.”
Mehren suddenly didn’t know if he should be relieved or sad.
