A Wintery Sickness

[Skill Acquired!]

[Proficient Reader]

Bane gazed down in surprise at the abrupt addition of a new skill. It reminded him of his first visit to Old Grey's with the system. Closing the window, he was astonished that simply reading a few words had granted him a new skill.

Nonetheless, he opened the skill's description:

Proficient Reader: A skill granted to the user that can only be leveled up by reading. This skill passively increases reading speed, improves comprehension of literature, and enhances the ability to store information. It also generally boosts intelligence and memory.

Bane read through the description and immediately noticed a change—nothing major, but he was reading faster and without errors. This made him ecstatic. He had never been a fan of reading, but with this skill, he could read quicker and make it meaningful by becoming stronger and leveling up the skill.

'This is great,' Bane thought, closing the skill window. His eyes focused on the cookbook in front of him, and the words came to him easily as he glided through the text. After reading the introduction, he flipped through the pages until he found a simple vegetable stew recipe.

Bane rummaged through the kitchen and gathered some of the ingredients: potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and celery. He had everything except carrots. Thinking quickly, he decided what to do next.

First, he returned to the bedroom and whispered, "I'll be back in a minute," as he replaced the warm, wet towel on Winter's forehead with a fresh, cool one. Winter didn't respond; she merely forced her eyes open, squinted at him, and then lay back down.

After tending to Winter, Bane left the small home and headed to the Guild Hall. The surrounding area was lined with merchants selling practically anything. He needed carrots, and if he was lucky, he might also find an antidote or some kind of medicine.

Rounding the corner, he was met with rows of stalls and merchants of every profession—tailors, fishermen, butchers, and more—all gathered in one spot to attract the best business. Hundreds, if not thousands, of adventurers and civilians from Gren traveled this path daily.

Bane quickly found a vendor selling carrots. The farmer, with tanned skin, a straw hat, and a wrinkled face, engaged in a brief conversation with Bane before handing over the carrots in exchange for payment.

Walking up and down the street, Bane searched for medicine or herbal supplements but had no luck. He returned to Winter's house with a small brown sack containing a few carrots.

Back at the house, the first thing Bane did was replace the towel on Winter's forehead. Her fever hadn't improved, but each time he replaced the towel with a cool one, her face showed a hint of relief.

Exiting the bedroom, Bane started preparing the stew. He diced the potatoes and sliced the carrots and mushrooms, tossing them all into a pot. Without broth or stock, he simply filled the pot with the recommended amount of water and let it simmer on the stovetop.

The recipe instructed him to wait an hour for the flavors to meld. As he waited, he decided to pass the time by reading the cookbook beside Winter's bed.

Admittedly, it wasn't the most thrilling read. Bane found no enjoyment in it, but it served as a way to pass the time. Occasionally, he would replace the towel on Winter's forehead, watching her face relax momentarily before returning to discomfort.

Eventually, Bane began flipping through the book in search of more interesting recipes. He was tired of reading about the same stews and soups with only slight variations.

His luck seemed to turn when he stumbled upon a recipe for tea—a simple drink with great benefits, such as soothing the throat and calming headaches. As he read through the recipe and its short description, he recalled his mother once making him a cold, minty drink.

'This was that drink,' Bane thought in awe. 'This must be it.'

With that, he replaced Winter's towel and hurried back to the trade district. Though there was still time before the stew would be ready, he didn't want to be away from Winter for long, so he moved quickly.

Bane soon found an herbalist selling a variety of leaves, bulbs, and other herbs. The young woman had an abundance of mint, and Bane purchased a dozen green leaves.

Returning to the house, Bane reread the tea recipe, noting that it could be made hot or cold. He decided on hot tea and filled a small cup with water, adding the mint leaves. He placed it near the stove to warm up, allowing the leaves to infuse the water with a soothing mint flavor—perfect for sore throats and sickness.

Bane hovered over the stove, waiting for both the stew and tea to finish. Once ready, he removed the mint tea and ladled some stew into a clean bowl. Carefully carrying both into the bedroom, he set them on the small stand next to the bed.

Kneeling beside Winter, Bane gently pressed her shoulder and rocked her back and forth, whispering her name. "Winter," he called softly, repeating it a few times until her eyes fluttered open.

Though clearly reluctant to get up, Winter was coaxed by the delicious aroma of the soup. "I made soup. It'll make you feel better. I also made tea," Bane whispered, motioning to the steaming bowl and cup on the stand.

Winter flared her nostrils, inhaling the enticing mix of aromas. "This is like the best dream ever," she muttered, giggling before a hoarse cough interrupted her.

'She must think this is a dream. How cute,' Bane mused to himself, gazing down at her delirious state.

"Could you feed me? Or would that be too much and wake me up?" she asked, her head lolling and her hands trembling slightly.

"I'm sure it'll be okay," Bane reassured her, picking up the tea and bowl of stew. He placed the bowl on her lap, ensuring a cloth protected her thighs from the heat, and then raised the cup of tea to her lips.

Winter's shaky hands cupped the bottom of the cup as her soft, red lips wrapped around the rim. She took a few slow sips, wincing at the pain in her throat but finding it easier with each swallow.

She lowered the cup, and Bane set it back on the bedside table. A small smile played on her lips as she inhaled the aroma of the soup in her lap.

"You can cook too… You're so cool," Winter said, looking at him with a dazed smile. Bane burned the image into his mind before taking a metal spoon and scooping up some stew. He blew on it gently and brought it to her mouth.

Winter opened her mouth and accepted the vegetable-filled spoonful with a smile. To Bane's surprise, a tear formed in her eye. "I love dreams," she muttered.

"It's not a dream," Bane countered, causing Winter to tilt her head and squint at him.

"That's weird… A person in a dream saying it's not a dream," she groaned. Bane snorted and shook his head, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"Stooop laughing!" she exclaimed, weakly hitting his shoulder. He made no attempt to dodge.

Winter's hand fell softly on Bane's shoulder. "Woah…" she said in awe, feeling the firm muscle beneath her fingers. "This dream feels so real…" Bane gently moved her hand back to her side.

"Alright, that's enough. We need to get some nutrients into you," Bane said, scooping another spoonful of stew and raising it to her mouth.

However, Winter had other plans. She stared at the hand Bane had just touched, as if trying to figure something out, and slowly moved her hand back to his shoulder.

"Ah…" Bane sighed, bringing the spoon to her mouth. She instinctively opened it, still gazing at his shoulder.

She took longer to process this bite, savoring the flavors and textures. Bane noticed her face had brightened slightly—still feverish, but improved.

She removed her hand and swallowed with less pain, examining her palm before looking sluggishly from it to Bane's face.

"This…" Winter began, pausing to look around the room and at the stew. "This isn't a dream… is it?"

Bane tried to suppress the smile creeping onto his face but failed. "You're right. It's not a dream. You weren't at the guild, and I was worried. Your coworkers were too, so they asked me to check on you," he explained.

Though this explanation seemed to ease Winter, it also made her face turn redder. "What did they tell you!?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"They said you were sick. That's all," Bane reassured her, unsure why she seemed so concerned.

"Oh, okay. That's good," Winter muttered, her face flushing for reasons unrelated to her fever.

"What?" Bane asked, unable to hear her clearly.

"Nothing! Back to feeding. I still feel really sick," Winter said, fake-coughing to emphasize her point.

"Okay," Bane replied happily, feeding her another bite. However, her eyes wandered around the room, and she noticed something lying on the floor.

'My garments!' she screamed internally.

"O-On second thought, I can finish eating. Could you wait outside so I can change?" she stammered, hoping he hadn't seen them.

"Oh, sure," Bane said without question, standing up and leaving the room.