Chapter 38: CH 37

“Jay?”

After drifting in and out of consciousness for a while, Morgan groaned and finally opened his eyes.

“Jay, it’s you.”

His voice cracked as though to prove his exhausting struggles.

Reina came here to check on his condition, and he quickly handed him a glass of water mixed with salt and sugar. It was a crude homemade drink to bring back some hydration and electrolytes because he sweated a lot and suffered from high fevers.

“How are you?”

“I still feel sick. It’s like my whole body’s been beaten black and blue…”

Trailing off, he bowed his head with a guilty expression on his face.

“It’s because I… I wasn’t good. That’s why the Touch of Bharan…”

As her friend suddenly felt guilty, Reina stopped him there.

“Morgan, it’s not like that. Listen to me. It’s not known by many yet, but the Imperial Family has been investigating endemic diseases. They’re not a sign of self-indulgence or individual sin.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, and everyone knows just how honest and upright you are. You just happened to catch the disease and fall ill.”

“……”

“Believe me. His Majesty the Emperor himself said so. You know about it, right? That His Majesty is a descendant of a mighty dragon. You can count on him.”

It’s not so believable though, since it’s a myth that goes waaay back from perhaps the time of their grandfather’s grandfather….’s grandfather’s grandfather.

Even so, this was the same as words of salvation when the other person had been teetering between life and death.

“Hiic…”

Morgan’s breath hitched, and soon he cried with anguish. He had been suffering and enduring all this time.

Those who watched him felt their hearts sink heavily.

Throughout the empire’s history, the land was being protected by a wide-area blessing left behind the dragonfolk, that’s why there hadn’t been any major illnesses before. It was exactly the year that Reina was born that endemic diseases started emerging in the country.

“……”

This made her feel uncomfortable. Why was it exactly the year she was born?

‘I mean, of course I wasn’t the only one born that year, but…’

She knew that she had slightly more special circumstances.

That’s why the spread of the epidemic had repeatedly grated on her conscience, like a small scratch on her knuckles that wouldn’t heal completely.

She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lower lip.

“Reina.”

Right then, Ethan entered the room and cut off Reina’s thoughts. He’s come back after communicating with the emperor.

“We’ve received His Majesty’s approval. Let’s get started.”

“…Yes, okay.”

Then, she turned back to her friend, who’s not completely safe and sound yet.

“Morgan, you’re not yet fully recovered, so don’t overdo it, okay? You should rest well.”

After the gentle reminders, Reina then walked towards Ethan, who was waiting by the door.

“Let’s go.”

Naturally, Ethan opened the door and motioned for her to step out first. But as they completely left the house already, he asked furtively.

“Are you close to that guy?”

Considering that this question came from Ethan himself, it sounded like an ordinary question, yet simultaneously a wholly unordinary one. When she tilted her head to the side and looked up at him with questions in her eyes, Ethan calmly added.

“It’s fortunate to see that the guy who’s close to you has woken up, that’s why I’m asking.”

As he asked though, his tone of voice didn’t match the word ‘fortunate’ at all.

And aside from that, wasn’t his initial question a bit off if he’s asking with that intention? Wouldn’t people usually say things like, ‘Is your friend doing better now?’ or ‘You must be relieved that your friend woke up.’

Reina’s nose crumpled slightly as she thought about it, but she nodded back.

‘It doesn’t matter anyway.’

As he said, it’s fortunate that the epidemic was being dealt with more easily than she originally expected.

“Yes, we happen to be the same age, so we get along really well.”

“I see.”

It was a vague answer that was neither calm nor exasperated.

“Deputy Director Ethan!”

Just in time, someone started calling Ethan from afar.

“It seems we’ve got more volunteers. I’ll check on the new applicants first. I’m sure you can handle the rest,” Ethan said.

“Yes, I understand.”

As she watched him turn around without hesitation to do his job, Reina chuckled under her breath.

“Gosh… Didn’t I promise that I won’t live the same difficult life that Han Jae-hee lived?”

But it was a useless pledge when she was faced with people’s lives being at stake.

“Ah, I dunno. Engagement or whatever, just deal with the smallpox first, Reina Chantra.”

* * *

“The situation here at the Thurn Village has been settled to a certain extent.”

After looking at the report, Ethan turned towards the other person sitting on the other side of the room, the one who was currently diligently making the oral rehydration solution.

“Yes, that seems to be the case. It’s lucky that no one got afflicted with a hemorrhagic or malignant type of smallpox.”

“It’s fortunate, too, that you’re here, Reina. Since we were able to respond quickly.”

The hands that were busily moving stopped. For a change, this compliment wasn’t the brusque, terse kind.

“Are you complimenting me?”

“No, I’m not.”

No, my butt. That’s obviously a compliment.

“Really?”

“I’m only telling the truth.”

She thought that he’d kindly smile back while saying that, but as if he couldn’t stand to say something nice, he was grimacing instead.

‘Now isn’t that a talent, too.’

Reina burst out laughing for a moment. Soon, however, she focused on the rehydration solution once more.

Then, Ethan stood up and drew closer to her. He was wondering about the process of making the solution.

“How did you find out about that drink?”

“I read it in a book.”

And on the flipside, it was Reina’s talent to effortlessly say that everything’s something she read from a book that she hadn’t really read before. A fleeting thought passed her mind that maybe she was born to be a con artist.

“Is this what you mentioned before, Reina? The thing called ‘science’?”

“Yes.”

It has been well over a month since they started spending time together.

And most of the conversations they had between them were about science and medicine.

Far more than what Reina expected, Ethan was very interested in those two fields, and he was also very receptive to the concepts.

Reina got so excited about it that she sometimes blurted out too much information, but fortunately, he would react calmly all the time.

“Oh, right. Ethan.”

Reina called his name as she suddenly remembered that she needed to tell him something. But at that same moment, it seemed like he also thought of something to tell her.

“Ethan, do you also have something to say?”

“You can go first.”