I’d spent that whole night watching over Erwan. In the following days, he was noticeably better. He wasn’t completely healed, of course, but many of the symptoms that had been bothering him had eased considerably. It was all thanks to my careful observations and the diligent notes I’d taken on the medicines that worked well for him.

“Thank you,” said Erwan, scratching his neck sheepishly. He’d come to my room while I had my tea to thank me in person. “I feel much better lately.”

“Of course you do,” I replied brightly. “I’m the one looking after you.”

“Weren’t you really tired the next day?” he asked. “You stayed at my bedside all night...”

“Hmm, let’s see.” I began ticking off on my fingers. “I observed you every half hour, kept fresh cloths on your forehead, made all your medicinal mixtures, held your hand, calmed your mana...” I grinned. “Of course I was tired.”

He looked apologetic. “Well, thanks to you, I slept really well that night. I’ve never slept so well in my life.”

“Sleep is the foundation of good health,” I said assertively. “Did you sleep well last night too?”

Erwan hesitated, then shook his head. “Well, no... but I didn’t want to keep you up all night again.”

“Actually, there’s a method that will help you sleep without me having to stay up with you,” I said brightly.

“What is it?” he asked eagerly.

“Are you going to listen to everything I tell you to do?”

He looked a little wary. “Er... Yes.”

“Promise me,” I said, holding out my pinky finger. “You’ll do everything exactly the way I say.”

“Okay, I promise... for now,” he said, relenting. He raised his hand and slowly hooked his pinky around mine.

I knew it was only a “for now,” but I couldn’t help smiling inwardly. I got him! Here was my opportunity to begin training him to listen to me instead of Wedrick.

“Help me finish this and then we’ll go outside,” I said, gesturing to the food on my table. “We need to move our bodies and get some sun.”

We quickly wrapped up our teatime. I grabbed Erwan’s hand and dragged him outside. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect.

“Do you wanna race me?” I asked.

Illness aside, his physical condition was absolutely terrible. His physical fitness was underdeveloped, especially compared to other boys his age. It wasn’t surprising, considering the lifestyle he’d had up to this point.

“You haven’t been in the habit of moving a lot, so it’ll be hard at first,” I said, digging around my pockets. “Here, take this first.”

I took the chance to pop a herbal pill into his mouth when he opened it to protest. The herbs would help boost his energy. It would be necessary for him to take some supplements while his physical condition improved. The last time I’d played with him, however, he’d been very skilled. I knew he would slowly grow to love training outside.

My plan was to build up his endurance a bit, and then send him to be properly trained as a noble should. The knights of Cereus Castle would provide far superior physical training than I could do myself. In the meantime, my job was to get him used to being outside and moving. After we raced, I kept giving him orders to keep him going.

“Lord Erwan! Run! Run faster!” I called. I sat under the shade of a tree while shouting out instructions and leisurely sipping the lemonade that Jenny had brought me.

“One more lap! You look so cool when you run!” I shouted. It was a bunch of nonsense, but Erwan peeked over at me and began running a little faster. I felt pleased, knowing his endurance would increase and that he would have a hearty appetite. The key to a healthy body, especially for a growing boy, was plenty of food, exercise, and lots of sleep.

“We can eat together after you run two more laps!” I called.

Erwan was exhausted and out of breath by the time I brought him inside for dinner.

“Lord Erwan, you need to eat everything on your plate.”

“But...”

“I know you’re hungry. You can definitely eat it all,” I said.

His plate was heaped high. I had ordered that his dinner be full of good, nutritious food that would help him grow. I cut up his meal and held up a forkful at a time. He looked like he wanted to protest, but he ate every bite I offered to him.

I knew he was scared of eating because of Wedrick. He had planted the idea in Erwan’s head that it was embarrassing. I was going to completely change his mind on the subject.

It’s like caring for one of the boys from the orphanage... I thought.

I felt a weird sense of satisfaction when he cleared his plate.

“Now, it’s time for us to read before going to bed,” I announced after the plates were taken away. “I’ll stay here by your side.”

“Read...?” he asked.

“Yes, you have lots of books here,” I said, waving expansively around the room. While curing him of his illness, I was also planning on training him to become a capable duke. The realm definitely owed me for my service.

After we had finished our meal, a servant had taken him to bathe and be dressed in his night clothes. He returned to his room and reclined on the bed comfortably.

I handed him the thickest book I could find and opened one of my own texts. I could take this time to research more about paternity tests.

“Let me know when you get sleepy,” I said.

After all the exercise and the full meal, I figured that he’d soon be snoring while reading the dull, heavy text. But instead of falling asleep, Erwan was completely absorbed in his book.

Uh oh, this isn’t what I wanted, I thought. He needs to get to sleep early so he can grow.

“Um... Aren’t you getting tired?” I asked quietly.

“No, this is fun,” he answered. “I haven’t read any books for a long time.”

“Why not?”

“Wedrick told me not to,” he replied simply.

I let myself be frustrated for a moment. Wedrick was always the problem.

“Well, how about trying to get some sleep now?” I asked gently.

“But I’m not sleepy,” he said.

“Why don’t you try lying down?”

I turned off the lights and went over to him. I perched on the edge of his bed and held his hand, just like I had with the duchess. Erwan seemed surprised, but he smiled and held my hand tightly. He didn’t need my help with mana this time, but I did it anyway. I hoped it would send him into a sound sleep.

“If you keep your eyes closed, you’ll fall asleep.”

“But aren’t you uncomfortable, Rita?” he murmured.

“Ah, I’m fine,” I said.

“Here, there’s plenty of room, why don’t you lie down next to me?” he said, patting the bed. “I know you’re tired too.”

I shook my head, suddenly embarrassed. I knew he was only offering as an innocent thirteen-year-old, but I had never once shared a bed with a boy before.

“No, I’m okay. Just close your eyes. I’ll go back to my room once you’re sleeping,” I said.

I stroked his forehead and looked at him. He truly had a lovely face—long, dark eyelashes, naturally rosy lips, and a high, straight nose.

I’d intended to sneak back to my own room when he fell asleep, but I felt myself nodding off. After all, I hadn’t slept well last night either, and I had been working since the crack of dawn.

Before I knew it, I was sliding into sleep.

* * *

“Rita.”

I was lying on Erwan’s bed.

Um... I wasn’t supposed to lie down.

His hands were grasping mine warmly.

Wait... Why are his hands so big? I thought in alarm.

I opened my eyes and swallowed a gasp.

The Erwan in front of me was no longer a child. He had grown into a tall, strapping young man and was gazing fondly at me.

Am I dreaming? I must be...

Even though I knew it was a dream, I was still in shock. He was unrecognizable from the adult Erwan I’d met in my previous life. But his face and his dark eyes were unmistakable.

“You said that you never lie.”

His eyes were half-closed and relaxed, but he radiated a cool self-confidence and seemed utterly in control. I couldn’t speak. He was breathtakingly beautiful.

“You told me you’re the only one who cares for me. That you’re the brightest, smartest person in the whole country.”

Um... That sounded like something I would say.

He stared deeply into my eyes as I lay there blinking in confusion.

“You were always right. Everything you said always came true.”

His legs were tangled with mine, and he leaned in and whispered to me seductively.

“So how do you expect me to let you go? I’d be an absolute fool.”

He was so close that I could feel his breath on my cheek. I was frozen, unable to look away from his deep, dark gaze. My heart was beating so hard that I thought it would explode. This was something I’d never, ever felt before in my life.

I opened my mouth to speak. Then everything went black.

* * *

“Ah!” I gasped and looked around.

I was still in Erwan’s room, but I was staring at a peacefully sleeping thirteen-year-old boy.

It must have been a dream. A really strange dream...

I tried to let go of Erwan’s hand so I could go back to my room, but he held on tightly.

After tugging and pulling as gently as I could, I finally extricated myself and I rushed across the hall to my own bed. Soon enough, I’d forgotten all about that dream.