Chapter 6: Caring with love for a sick heart.

– We're here!! – The redheaded siblings barged in through the front door without waiting for me to greet them, and they ended up witnessing an interesting scene: Reon wrapped in a blanket, sitting and watching me finish the cleaning.

– What happened to him? If I may ask… – Cedric set down the basket that smelled of roasted meat, and approached Reon, suddenly placing his hand on his forehead, noticing the redness on his face. Reon dodged his hand, letting out a grunt and an angry expression, hiding further inside the blanket.

– Don't touch him; he doesn't like you. – I said from a distance while finishing drying the banister with a cloth.

– What a shame… I brought some sweets to please his taste buds. – Cedric shrugged and sighed, as if trying to emotionally manipulate him. But even that didn't calm Reon's anger, as he ran further away from Cedric, still wrapped in the blanket.

– I told you he doesn't like you… – I chuckled sarcastically while hugging the boy.

– And you? Do you like me? – Cedric tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms, striking a serious pose.

– If you give me those sweets, I'll think about it. – Stepping away from him toward the wall, wondering if he was joking or not.

– You talk like a sly old fox, girl. – Penelope, holding the basket, seemed angry again for being ignored. She approached and roughly handed the basket to her brother.

– I'm not carrying this around like a maid! – Penelope walked past me straight to the dining room door, where we were going to have lunch, huffing in frustration.

I whispered to Cedric, who was following her with the basket:

– What's wrong with her? Earlier, she seemed calmer. – Reon shook his head as if agreeing with me and leaned in to listen to the conversation.

Since I was much shorter than Cedric, he knelt down to face us, whispering between our ears:

– There was a bit of trouble at home after we got back… – He scratched the back of his neck, looking off into the distance, then turned his gaze to Reon.

– The boy… is quite different from what I imagined… – Changing the subject, he seemed uncomfortable continuing to talk about his home.

– I thought you'd already noticed that. – I retorted, now on alert. Usually, anything anyone said about Reon was negative.

– Yes, I noticed, but not up close. Up close, his face is more like that of a normal boy… – He smiled awkwardly at Reon. His hand, which was about to touch Reon's head, was swiftly dodged in the blink of an eye. At all times, he avoided letting anyone but Cicia touch his head.

– Well… Shall we eat? – I said excitedly, clapping my hands.

I pulled Cedric by the basket and ran into the dining room, jumping with joy. I asked Reon to bring the plates and utensils we had washed so we could eat.

Penelope covered her chair with the handkerchief she had brought and sat on it. She seemed to be waiting patiently, though her face was pouting, clearly upset about something.

I quickly sat in my seat, eager for food, and Reon seemed to question my behavior from afar. Cedric, bringing the basket to the table, began to take out the first appetizer for lunch.

"Food! Food! Food!"

With a fork and knife in hand, I waited for the delicious meal to be served. Cedric began presenting the dishes:

– The first dish we have is: Chicken pie. Whole chickens cooked and then shredded, layered with bread dough and cheese—a common dish in our region. – He explained as if he were the chef who had prepared it, making it sound more and more delicious with every detail.

– We also have a simple roasted chicken, but marinated in oranges and roasted with onions, giving it a golden-yellow color.

Penelope looked at me while her brother went on and on, her face frozen in a fish-like expression, and she gestured with her hand, waving it.

I whispered to her:

– Is he going to keep this up for long?

She looked at her brother, then back at me, and smiled.

– If you don't interrupt, yes. – she whispered back with a mischievous smile, shrugging.

Reon seemed to have lost his patience, as every time Cedric kept talking about the food, he had to stand there holding the plates for a few more minutes. So, he placed the stack of plates on the table and, sneaking up on Cedric without him noticing (since he was busy narrating the details of each dish), Reon jumped and hung onto his head, covering his mouth with both hands.

Cedric tried to balance himself to avoid falling backward while holding what looked like a pot of mashed potatoes.

"He's going to fall!" was my only thought at that moment, prompting me to act.

I quickly got up from my chair to help Cedric, grabbing the heavy pot since anything with potatoes is my favorite food, and I couldn't let something so delicious be spilled along with him.

For a split second, Cedric looked at me in shock as he fell on his backside.

Penelope, being the good sister she is, laughed until her face turned red, and I sighed in relief for saving the food. Reon kept his hands over Cedric's mouth until he felt it was safe to remove them.

Cedric took the boy's hands and moved them aside, revealing a face as red as a tomato, but not from anger. On the contrary, he had finally gone quiet.

– Are you okay? – Penelope approached, her laughter now subsided, replaced by concern.

– Hey, if this boy hurt my brother, I'll make sure he's locked up for– Penelope was interrupted by her brother, who, after getting up, started laughing so hard he teared up.

– Your brother seems fine to me… – I said sarcastically. Even if he had been hurt, I'd have to find a way to keep her quiet…

– Let's eat, everyone!! – Cedric seemed much calmer as he sat in the chair next to where his sister was seated.

[...]

Everyone was already eating, with no sound of utensils clinking. Everyone (except Reon) had good table manners.

– I forgot to mention… But my boy only eats liquid foods. – Reon hadn't touched his plate, not even to lick his food, as he usually did. Maybe he just didn't like roasted meat?

– I was saving it for dessert, but in a special case like this, there's no problem eating it now. – Cedric pulled out a pink pouch from the basket, which we had been curious about since earlier. Inside were colorful caramel candies. They even looked like transparent marbles.

Handing two to each of us, he gave the rest to Reon to enjoy. Placing a lime-green candy in his mouth, his eyes sparkled as he tasted the sour and sweet flavor at the same time.

Unwrapping candy after candy, his mouth filled up like a squirrel gathering nuts. He then unwrapped another one:

– If you eat them all now, there won't be any left later. – But the candy he unwrapped, a purple one, he placed in my mouth.

It was a really tasty candy, with a grape flavor. I guess it's hard to have artificial flavors in this era, so it was the real taste of the fruit.

Now the two of us were sucking on candies, our eyes sparkling from the sweet flavor.

– Looks like the two little ones enjoyed the sweets. – Penelope began unwrapping a red candy, then popped it into her mouth.

– Good, I made those sweets myself. – Cedric said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What a trap!" Once again, we had fallen for another trick, but he seemed happy that we liked his creation.

[...]

Since we didn't have anyone to take the empty plates to the kitchen, I asked Reon to do it while I tried to ask the twins for a favor. Right after he crossed the door and left with the plates in hand, I waved him off with a "good luck!" smile.

– I want to talk to you two about something.

– I figured as much. You don't usually let the boy stay alone without a reason. – Cedric laughed, wiping his mouth with a napkin after finishing his meal.

– You have good manners. Are you from a noble family? – Penelope asked.

I made a "stop" gesture with my hand. – I'll answer any of your questions if you answer mine first.

– Of course… – They both replied in unison.

– I need help teaching Reon. Human things. – Straight to the point. I just clasped my hands and leaned on the table with my elbows.

– Are you kidding?! – Penelope shouted, throwing her handkerchief on the floor. – You want us to help you with this demon?!

– You want help with your brother, don't you? It's only fair.

Penelope shuddered and pressed her lips together angrily, her eyes glaring.

– Talking to "kids" is hard! Aren't we already helping you?! You sly fox–

– Sure, bringing food was part of the deal for you to enter this house, but don't think I'll tell you everything I know just for a piece of meat.

Cedric stood up from his chair, his face darkening, his eyes cold.

– Are you blackmailing us, Lucia? It's not as easy as it seems to help you, but for you to help us, it's certainly simpler. – He leaned on the table with one hand, bringing his face closer to mine with his tall frame looming over the table.

– Reon is an important living being to me, just like your brother is to you. Don't compare that to something trivial. – I didn't let myself appear weak, meeting their intense gazes with equal intensity.

– Why do you want us to teach the boy? Does it have something to do with what he is?

– Yes, and if you can teach him something, I'll give you some hints on how to help you with whatever you need.

Cedric looked at Penelope, who returned his gaze. She stood up from her chair as well, picking up the handkerchief she had thrown on the floor but leaving the one she had used to sit on the chair.

– You want to know where the red eyes come from, right? Or do you want to know if it's related to some religion? – I asked, waving my hand up and down as if prompting them to say more.

– Everything you can tell us. – Cedric replied.

– I want you to teach Reon history, language, geography, math…

– Wait! All of that?! – Penelope exclaimed, shocked by the amount of things I had listed.

– Fencing too, I guess? The rest you can leave to me to teach. – I ignored her and kept talking. After all, there's no reason to respond to someone who called me a "kid."

She seemed angry but stayed quiet to avoid causing a scene in front of her brother.

– Alright… For now, I'll leave it at that. – Cedric stepped back, his eyes returning to their usual warm demeanor.

– Thanks for the help! – I said cheerfully, standing up and opening the door for the two to leave the room. That's when I heard the sound of something breaking.

*Crash!

*Tinkle!

Reon must have dropped the plates on the floor while trying to wash them.

– I'm sorry, you two, but I don't think I can guide you to the exit today. – I grabbed the basket from the table and quickly handed it to the twins, shooing them out so I could take care of Reon.

– See you later! I'll be waiting. – I gave a sarcastic smile while thinking about food.

– If possible, bring some winter clothes for us too.

– Ugh. – Penelope left the mansion irritated, while Cedric waved back at me, saying goodbye.

[...]

Entering the kitchen, shards of porcelain were scattered everywhere, from the floor to the counter. The boy was sprawled on the floor as if he had fainted.

– Hey! Reon! – I shouted desperately, rushing to lift him up. His hands were cut and bleeding, and his feet were injured too.

I knelt on the shards of broken porcelain scattered across the floor, trying to pull his body toward me so I could carry him. His hands felt like they were on fire, and his face was completely red, burning with fever.

"He got wet earlier today!"

Carrying him on my back, I struggled up the stairs to the second floor, heading to our room. I carefully laid him on the bed and straightened him out quickly, then ran to the bathroom to grab the wooden bucket and fill it with water, along with a towel to dampen.

– You're going to be okay! – I said as I wet the towel and placed it on his forehead. I dragged the wooden chair next to the bed and sat down to keep watch over Reon. I held his hands firmly, cleaning them with the edge of the towel.

I was so scared that my body felt tense, as if I had bricks weighing down my shoulders.

That's when an idea popped into my head.

"If Reon dies, there'd be no reason for me to stay here. It's not like I'd be blamed for it…" What a horrible thought. Maybe I'd be stuck in this world forever if that happened.

I looked at Reon's pained face, and a bitter feeling rose in my throat, as if I were about to vomit, and my face contorted.

"How can I think something like that after saying he's important to me?"

I pressed my face against his cheek and cried silently. Was I becoming a replica of my mother, who abandoned me because it was easier to act that way for her own desires?

I was trembling like bamboo in the wind. It wouldn't be easy for me to leave Reon like this, not after all the time we'd spent together. I don't want him to feel pain; I don't want to be near him wishing him harm. He only has me, just like I only had my grandfather.

My racing heart seemed to slow as Reon's face improved, and all the weight I felt disappeared after I closed my eyes for a brief nap.

[...]

The sound of a car crash, and beside me in the passenger seat, my grandfather with blood streaming down his head.

– Cicia… – His wrinkled face showed melancholy as his hand reached for my cheek.

– I should've hired a driver…

[...]

After a while, I woke up from the nightmare. It was already nighttime.

"How unpleasant."

The room was so dark and cold that it sent shivers down my spine. My hands were being held tightly, but Reon couldn't be seen in the darkness. Even though my hands were warm, the rest of my body was freezing from the cold coming through the window.

I let go of his hand and got up from the chair to look for the lantern, which, luckily, I always leave in the same place. I hugged myself to warm up, and with the matches next to it on the table, I lit the wick, which seemed to be running out. The darkness of the room was soon illuminated by the fire, and when I directed the light toward the sick boy on the bed, I was startled by what I saw.

His body was covered in butterflies and moths, the same ones I occasionally found around the house and in the unused rooms. They rested on him as if he were dead, forming a blanket of various wings overlapping one another.

I rushed toward him and tried to shoo them away with the towel without killing them, as my instincts told me not to harm them. Many of the flying insects took off, but the most effective method was using the lantern. They seemed to love the lantern's light, so much so that the majority were drawn to it. That's when I threw it out the window to lure them all outside without much effort.

– Reon!! – I ran toward him. His eyes were open, shining like rubies, staring fiercely at me. I placed my hand so exaggeratedly on his forehead that it was almost like a slap, knocking him back onto the bed. I couldn't see his face or his condition clearly, so I felt his body with my hands.

His temperature was back to normal, and his feet and hands had healed as if the wounds had scarred months ago, leaving only slight marks.

Just then, without time to think about what had happened, the door burst open, and Cedric and Penelope appeared, startled, holding a lantern and a hoe.

– Lucia! Are you okay?! – Penelope shouted, holding the hoe. But when her eyes landed on the pair of red eyes rising behind me, she froze in fear, pointing in my direction.

– Ahhh! A monster! – she screamed shrilly, making me scream in fright too. I grabbed Reon in my arms with a surge of adrenaline and ran behind Cedric to protect us from the monster.

– Where?! – I asked. Cedric shone his lantern toward us, and with his left hand, he covered his face, which was about to burst into laughter.

– You're carrying him right now. Haha! –

– Stop joking around; you really scared me! – I kicked Cedric's shin, and he let out an "ouch" of pain.

After that, the room was lit with as many candles as I could find, and Reon was laid back on the bed.

[...]

– What are you doing here? – Sitting on the wooden chair, I offered them the worn-out sofa in the room, which I hadn't dared to sit on for fear of venomous insects.

– We came to have dinner with you! But since everything was dark and quiet, we got scared when the glass suddenly broke. – Penelope said, clinging to her brother's arm, still frightened by what had happened earlier.

"That must've been when I threw the lantern out the window."

– Since there's no light here at night, we usually eat in the room.

– What happened to the boy? – Cedric asked, his eyes fixed on Reon, who was in a semi-awake state, trying to keep his eyes open.

– He got hurt in the kitchen and developed a fever. I ended up falling asleep while taking care of him… That's why I didn't have time to light the lamps.

– If you had so many candles, why didn't you put them in the house's lanterns? – The girl asked, her face twisted as if calling me an "idiot" for not doing something so simple.

"Good question… Actually, I found the candles by coincidence in front of the door, as if someone had left them there…" I couldn't tell them that, as it would force me to explain the missions and rewards from the leather book.

Changing the subject – I'm glad you're worried about me! – I chuckled, and Cedric joined in on the teasing.

– Really, the first thing she did when she got here was scream: Lucia! Are you okay! – Cedric mimicked an innocent and concerned look, making faces at his sister.

– Oh Lucia!! – I started laughing along with him, while Penelope's face turned red with embarrassment.

Reon sat up in bed, his eyes still dazed.

– Rest a bit longer! – I went over to him and forced him to lie down again.

– Cedric, can you get me some onions, ginger, oranges, lemons, and garlic?

– Are you making a potion? What's all that for? – Penelope questioned.

– It's fine. I'll bring them soon.– Cedric said, standing up from the sofa and leaving the dinner basket behind.

As he left through the door, he left me alone with his sister.

– What are you planning to do with that?

– I'm going to make a syrup for Reon. Actually, I'll need more ingredients, but what I asked for is the minimum to create something that'll help his cold.

– Are you a witch?! – Penelope whispered, keeping in mind the patient in bed.

– No, it's just medicine, like what doctors use – I shrugged.

"This reminds me of the time I kept getting sick, but since I didn't like doctors or medicine, I looked for ways to heal myself with something sweeter. Honey and ginger syrup was the perfect choice!"

[...]

After a week, Reon had completely recovered from the flu, and during that time, the siblings visited us every day, bringing food and jars of honey for Reon.

Autumn had begun, which made it harder to start my garden, so I decided to wait until winter passed to begin planting.

Cedric and Penelope, being around so often, ended up becoming good friends with us, though Penelope still didn't like Reon. But that didn't matter much. In exchange for information, we got winter clothes, new blankets, and were able to use the fireplace in the room to keep warm.

[...]

Today, we were outside, roasting sweet potatoes over a bonfire in the garden.

– This is peasant food – Penelope said, holding her freshly roasted potato in her gloved hands. Her hair was braided today, and she wore boots and a fluffy cape.

– I've always wanted to do this when I was younger – I said, blowing on my potato to cool it down.

We all sat on the back stairs, sharing a blanket.

– Younger? You're still a child… – Penelope left me speechless, catching me off guard.

– Younger… I meant when I was even smaller! Hehe – I laughed awkwardly. Reon, sitting beside me, looked very sleepy as he drank the caramelized liquid from the jar.

Cedric had rolled up his sleeves and was turning the potatoes with a stick to keep them from burning.

– You're starting work tomorrow, right? – Cedric asked while tending to the fire.

– Yeah. That's why I want you to start Reon's lessons tomorrow. Can I count on you for that? – I adjusted the blanket over Reon's back as he hugged me and dozed off on my shoulder.

– Of course. That was our deal. – the redheaded brother replied, smiling at me.

– Have you started to like me? – I choked on the sweet potato in my mouth, coughing into my hand, stunned by the sudden question.

– Like you because you're going to help me?

– Yes! Penelope and I spent a whole week with you two. When are you going to open your little heart to this brother? – It seemed the closeness we'd built over the week had made him comfortable enough to say such absurd things.

– I'll answer tomorrow if you bring more candy.

– Hey, I want to go to the beach! – Penelope said, standing up from the stairs.

– You mean the beach down below? – I pointed out.

As expected, since the mansion was on a cliff overlooking the sea, there was a small beach below where the cold, salty waves crashed against the rocks.

– They say there are mermaids, half-fish women who lure men into the sea to eat them alive! – Penelope excitedly recounted the legend she'd heard.

– I thought your fascination with legends was just Cedric's excuse for barging into the mansion that day… – I said sarcastically, glancing at Cedric, who smiled playfully back at me.

– I wasn't lying. My little sister loves this stuff.

"Is there really a way to get down there?"

After a bit of searching, we found stairs leading down to this private and dangerous beach. I'm ready to camp out and tell scary stories!