Chapter 57
Strong arms lifted me securely.
“Better?”
From the suddenly higher view, I instinctively wrapped my arms around Hereis’ shoulders to steady myself.
Sensing I was still uncomfortable, Hereis adjusted his stance so I could rest more easily.
It was pure stability—utter comfort.
Thanks to Hereis’ perfect steadiness, I could see outside clearly.
They smoothly pulled out the chair I had used earlier and dragged it toward the chandelier.
“We should get out of this mansion soon. Pretending my back hurts is exhausting.”
“Exactly. It’s not easy helping you every time either.”
I knew it! Back pain? A man with a bad back wouldn’t be climbing chairs to hide gold.
Even though I had suspected, seeing Alfred standing there perfectly fine made me grind my teeth.
“Hmm.”
“What is it?”
“Looks like the jewels are missing…”
“Frank must’ve moved them. You stashed too much, it wasn’t safe there anymore.”
“Is that so.”
Alfred tilted his head and came down.
“Let’s go. I can’t take this anymore. If Sienna finds out, she’ll explode. Like an angry chimpanzee, no less.”
Hearing that sudden name, I startled and tightened my grip around Hereis’ shoulder.
“What he said earlier was odd. Do you think she knows something?”
“That slow girl? No way.”
“Still, Frank needs rest too. His energy is so weak, I’m worried.”
“That medicine will revive him. Do you even know whose medicine that is?”
“You’re right. If Frank takes it, he’ll regain strength.”
Thud. The door closed and their footsteps faded. My tense body finally relaxed.
“See? They’re all in it together. Damn that Curse family.”
I buried my face into Hereis’ shoulder and fumed.
“Angry chimpanzee? Slow-witted?!”
“Sis…”
Bombarded by my loud complaints, Hereis groaned as if in pain.
I whipped my head up from his shoulder.
“Hey, Herein! Even you think—!”
Smack.
My lips brushed his cheek. More precisely, his cheek near the jawline.
Eyes blinking blankly, I froze at the unexpected collision.
Did I… just kiss Hereis on the cheek?
Realizing what happened, I gasped and covered my mouth.
Then, in a low voice, he murmured,
“Sienna… I’m the one who got hit, so why are you reacting like that? What about me?”
“‘Hit’? It’s not like I attacked you! That sounds wrong.”
“You did hit me. I stayed still, you slammed into me. That’s the same as pouncing. Isn’t it?”
“No! It was an accident—!”
Smack.
This time, his lips pressed against my cheek.
Unlike me, who had recoiled in shock, he pressed firmly, as if leaving a seal, then pulled back slowly.
I clasped my cheek, stammering.
“Y-you…!”
“Well then, this was an accident too. Right?”
Throwing my own words back at me, he smirked.
His playful tone made me grit my teeth and smack his shoulder.
“Accident, my foot! That was on purpose!”
When I tried to push away, his smile deepened.
Hereis pulled me in by the waist, leaving me powerless.
Our chests pressed together, and startled, I grabbed his shoulders.
Our eyes locked at a breath’s distance.
“See? I warned you before to be careful.”
His blue eyes wavered right in front of me.
Those gently curved eyes lowered slowly.
Following his gaze, my face flushed red.
“You pervert!”
“What? After a cheek kiss, next comes—”
Hereis’ eyes flicked to my lips. The meaning was obvious.
“Y-you shameless man!”
I shoved his face away.
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard, Hereis’ grip loosened, and I landed on the floor.
Without a second thought, I bolted from the wardrobe like a bullet.
“You’re under a restraining order!”
I quickly invoked the spell and scrambled further away from him.
“Ugh, you idiot! Fool!”
Why didn’t I use the restraining spell earlier?!
I thought things would go smoothly after that, but I was wrong.
After gleefully tormenting Frank with Ban, I collapsed with sickness.
“Ugh…”
“Miss, should I call the physician again?”
“No… Not the doctor, the medicine we got yesterday. Bring it.”
I remembered Oel’s warning to take one pill a day and pointed at the safe.
“The password is…”
Lina entered the numbers I gave, and with a click, the safe opened.
She retrieved the medicine box and brought it over.
“There are two left, right?”
“Yes.”
I swallowed the pill with water.
“Ugh, bitter…”
I really must be sick. Yesterday, I couldn’t taste anything, but today it tasted horribly bitter.
“Shall I fetch you some candy?”
“No, I’m going back to sleep…”
Hoping for the medicine to work, I fell unconscious almost immediately.
But when I woke, my body felt the same.
“I feel like dying…”
“Told you not to overdo it.”
Hereis placed a cool cloth on my burning forehead and clicked his tongue.
I croaked out a hoarse voice.
“I didn’t know it’d turn out like this… And didn’t I say restraining order…”
“Seriously? You’re worried about that now? You’re the one sick, but I’m the one panicking. What do you say to that, Miss Sienna Winter?”
His nagging poured down from above me.
“S-sorry…”
Whatever embarrassment or strange tension from yesterday vanished completely because of my illness.
‘Maybe being sick is actually a blessing…’
As I wilted under his scolding, Ban bravely thumped Hereis on the head.
“Hereis! Don’t pick on Sienna! If you’d seen that sausage of a man trembling in fear, you’d have teased him nonstop too!”
He meant Frank.
Ban was defending me, but still being childish, and in the end Hereis flicked his forehead.
“She’s sick and that’s what you say?”
“Well…”
Ban quickly dove into my arms.
“Sienna, I’m scared…”
“Out.”
Looking at Hereis’ furious face made me laugh.
His expression turned cold, icy even.
“Sienna, you’re laughing? Even though you’re sick because of that thing you keep at your side?”
I knew.
Ban’s power was half-sealed inside the ruby, and to draw on it, he needed my strength as contractor.
And lately, I had been overusing my power to show Frank nightmares.
Not just that—
The festival, searching for Mago, the princess’ coming-of-age ceremony, and Frank’s schemes…
I hadn’t rested at all. My body finally gave out.
“Sienna.”
Sensing my drifting thoughts, Hereis called me, frustrated.
His face was full of anger—
at me for pushing myself, and maybe at himself too.
More than anything—
‘He looks upset…’
His brows were furrowed like he was the one in pain. It made me feel strange.
“…Are you mad?”
“Yes. I’m mad.”
“Sorry…”
My apology only deepened his sigh.
“Don’t be. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for letting you suffer like this.”
I tilted my head.
I was the one sick, so why was he the one upset?
I couldn’t understand it.
“Um… Is it because if I die, the seal comes back?”
“What nonsense. I just hate seeing you sick.”
“But why does me being sick…”
Our conversation kept circling, and I still didn’t get it.
Hereis seemed at a loss how to explain.
“Sis. What if I were sick?”
“You? That’s impossible.”
That hypothetical didn’t even make sense. I blinked. Hereis sighed.
“Fine, let’s pretend. Say I was badly injured. How would you feel?”
“Oh no, that’d hurt. Hurry and heal yourself with magic.”
“….”
Speechless, Hereis fell silent. Ban raised his hand.
“What if I got hurt?”
“I’d sew you back up with cotton.”
“Sienna!”
Ban whined at my cruelty. Hereis shoved him aside and asked again.
“What if the young duke got hurt?”
“My brother doesn’t get sick.”
“…I give up.”
Hereis ran a hand down his face with a heavy sigh.
Then Lina cautiously raised her hand.
“Miss, what if your late Bertel designer handbag got scratched? And it was your own carelessness?”
“What? I’d let that happen?”
My voice turned dark and grim.
“How careless could I be, not paying attention and damaging it? I’d be furious.”
“That’s it.”
Lina nodded proudly.
Hereis, watching her, laughed hollowly and shook his head.
“Less than a handbag… Ha. We’ve got a long way to go.”
