After having their fill of sledding, Sylvia lit a fire where they arbitrarily stopped.
“Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun in winter!”
Forgetting their cheeks and noses were painted red from the cold, they rolled sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn over the fire. They spread butter on the potatoes and corn, and a savory scent wafted through the air.
“Haha.”
Sitting down next to her, Felix let out a silly laugh. It was his first time. He had never known one could have fun in winter like this, nor did he have anyone to enjoy such moments with.
“Siri.”
Felix looked at her with eyes curved in laughter.
“Thank you.”
It was heartfelt.
A pure, unadulterated sincerity flowed from his lips.
Naturally, without anyone feeling awkward about it, that single phrase caused Sylvia’s face, already reddened from the cold, to heat up for a different reason.
“Well, it’s nothing.”
Sylvia replied offhandedly, turning her head away in embarrassment.
She couldn’t face Felix directly while he was smiling with his eyes.
For a while, they both just looked at the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn roasting on the fire, saying nothing. Sylvia split a sweet potato in half to check its inside and peeled it before handing it over to Felix.
“Are you hungry? Let’s eat the sweet potatoes first.”
They carefully bit into the hot, yellow flesh, blowing on it gently.
“Ouch, hot.”
Sylvia flicked her lips, munching on the yellow sweet potato. Eating the sweet and soft sweet potato brought to mind the refreshing taste of dongchimi (radish water kimchi). Indeed, she had prepared some dongchimi during her spare time these past few days, and she was looking forward to it.
“Can’t wait for it to be ready!”
“What is?”
“You’ll really like it if you try it.”
Chuckling, Sylvia smiled brightly, and Felix froze on the spot.
He felt really strange.
It was as if something was swelling up inside him to the point of bursting, or as if something that had been hidden inside him had suddenly popped with a loud ‘puck’, releasing a torrent that was now trickling down with a thick sound, emitting a dreadful stench.
Felix’s expression cracked as if ice had fractured.
A swirling wind seeped into his chest.
He remained frozen, staring persistently at Sylvia, who shone more brilliantly than the snow around them.
★★55. Heartache★★
Riding on a sleigh, they had roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn, yet they didn’t head back immediately but lingered around, playing. It was the night when the two, having even engaged in a snowball fight, had returned due to the nagging of the fairies.
Sylvia, who had been sleeping snugly under the warm blankets, was awoken by the noisy voices of the fairies.
[Sylvia!]
Five fairies clung to her simultaneously, shedding tears.
“Umm… why are you guys?”
Half-awake, Sylvia mumbled, asking.
[Fel, Felix is…]
Hearing the name that flowed from the mouths of the fairies, Sylvia bolted upright.
“What? What’s wrong with Felix?”
His name was not one to be heard in the tranquil silence of a night where only snow fell gently.
[Sylvia! Asta is so scared!]
The faces of the trembling fairies were uniformly red, as if feverish, making one want to reach out and check their temperature. However, the fairies were busy urging her, grabbing at her hair and the hem of her clothes.
[You have to go to Felix, Sylvia.]
[We can’t do it.]
[You must go, Sylvia.]
[Please, save Felix.]
[We’re begging you!]
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sylvia got out of bed, hurriedly dressed, and rushed out.
She entered his room, not far away. Felix, lying on the bed, was motionless. At a glance, he seemed to be just sleeping, but his breathing was very rough.
Sylvia hurriedly approached and looked at him. His face, with eyes closed, was red and seemed to be in pain. Spots of red were also found around his neck.
“Why has this happened suddenly?”
Surprised, Sylvia exclaimed, placing her hand on Felix’s forehead. His body was as hot as a fireball, with an exceptionally high fever. The temperature was abnormally high.
Sylvia touched Felix’s face and then placed her hand on the nape of his neck. The temperature felt so hot that she was taken aback.
“Why, why is this happening…”
Felix’s body, unable to open his eyes and just exhaling hot breaths, shivered intermittently.
“Felix!”
Even when called loudly by her side, he couldn’t regain consciousness. Sylvia’s face turned pale as she gently slapped his face, but he couldn’t open his eyes.
In a moment of panic, Sylvia washed his body with water and wind magic to try and lower his fever.
His breathing seemed to stabilize a bit.
Sylvia ran to her room to fetch a blanket and wrapped Felix tightly in it. She made an ice pack for his forehead and dripped lukewarm water into his lips.
She continuously wiped away the sweat flowing from him with magic, hoping to make him feel even slightly more comfortable. With a heart full of hope for his recovery, Sylvia kept a close watch on him, tending to his needs.
She squeezed the juice from watermelons and Hallabongs, which he usually enjoyed, and poured it into his mouth. Fortunately, he swallowed it well.
She repeated the process of washing his body every 5 minutes and drying him with warm air. In a place without fever-reducing medicine, she could only pace back and forth, resorting to makeshift remedies.
***
Felix just walked aimlessly.
Aware that he was dreaming, for some reason, he didn’t want to wake up.
The knee-deep stagnant water emitted a terrible stench.
Splash.
The stagnant water rippled and made noises as he moved.
The consistent sound of water was no longer heard.
Before he knew it, Felix struggled in the stagnant water that had risen over his head.
The sticky, foul-smelling water numbed his nose.
Even with his eyes open, Felix desperately flailed his arms and legs in the utterly dark world that seemed to obstruct his vision.
He felt as if he would sink deeper if he didn’t do so.
A refreshing voice reached his ears, deep underwater and muffled.
Despite seeming far away, it was enough to awaken him.
[Sylvia.]
A voice he heard every day.
The only voice that worried about him.
A delicious and delightful voice.
A warm and comforting voice…
The voice he…
Liked…
With his eyes tightly closed, Felix slowly lifted his eyelids.
The foul-smelling stagnant water was gone, replaced by clear and clean water before his eyes.
The moderately cool water cooled his feverish body.
He stopped thrashing and laid down comfortably, letting the water carry him.
“Feri! Try to come to your senses!”
Sylvia’s voice, which had seemed distant, now sounded as if it was right beside him, shouting loudly. Felix barely lifted his heavy eyelids, and turquoise eyes filled his blurry vision.
“Feri!”
With a voice mixed with worry and joy, Sylvia greeted him. She embraced Felix’s lying body with her smaller one.
“You had me worried!”
As he regained consciousness, Sylvia, finally relieved, poured out her words in a flurry.
“If you’re in pain, you should have said something… Why stubbornly endure it? You got a cold because you were cold. No, it was my fault for suggesting we go out in the cold. But still, you should have said something…”
A continuous stream of nagging and worry spilled out.
“Ah, look at me!”
Sylvia, who had been embracing him with her slender arms stretched as wide as possible, sat up. She then brought over a bowl of porridge she had prepared and sat on the bed.
Before giving him the porridge, she magically brought up some lukewarm barley tea and poured it into his mouth.
“Let’s start with this for now. Do you know how long you’ve been out?”
For three whole days, Felix had been unconscious, causing a complete emergency. Hubert and Dennis, along with the members, were at a loss, moving about in confusion, and the fairies nearly fainted and lay scattered about.
She made a small bed in a corner for the fairies, who were too weak to fly.
Dennis, incongruent with his large size, continued to sob, leading Sylvia to send everyone out. Once she had expelled the men filling the cramped space, caregiving became easier.
While feeding him the porridge magically, Sylvia kept chatting incessantly.
“Can you hear me well?”
For a moment, Felix twitched, not used to his body not moving as he willed, but then he nodded with difficulty and let out a long, deep sigh.
It felt like the hot breath trapped inside him was finally escaping.
“It might not taste good, but you need to eat this first.”
While continuously wiping the sweat from his forehead, Sylvia fed him the porridge. Felix stared intently at her.
Sylvia’s face, which appeared very haggard as if she too had suffered during these three days, was indescribable.
The dark circles under her eyes seemed to speak on their behalf.
Telling him they had continually been by his side.
That he was not alone.
Felix slowly lifted his weakened arm and wiped under her eyes with his finger, touching only that spot. He then spoke.
“Siri…”
Sylvia, covering his hand with hers, smiled with relief.
“It’s really a relief…”
Hearing her voice choked with emotion, Felix couldn’t hold back any longer.
He pulled her closer with the hand covering her ear and nape, embracing her small, warm body tightly against his chest.
Biting his rough lips, Felix thought.
After losing the mother he loved in his childhood, his father changed.
Change was frightening.
The kind father who always cherished him with a smile, alongside his mother, disappeared and was engulfed in madness, eventually bringing home a woman who looked exactly like his mother.
And that woman…
The woman who approached him with the same face as his mother, showing him a kind smile.
She, too, changed.
Change was not good.
The moment a small change occurs, something significantly shifts.
So…
‘I can’t tell you that I already love you.’
What if it changes?
This warmth, her warm gaze…
‘If you change as well…’
Then, he might end up going mad like his grandfather.
So, he decided never to speak of it.
This feeling must remain a secret.
Unaware of his thoughts, Sylvia, with her nose buried in Felix’s chest, sniffled.
Feeling relieved, tears naturally started to flow. She had thought of him as a robust healthy person, but seeing his face pale and his eyes closed, not opening at all, she had been incredibly worried.
In fact, when Dennis was sobbing heavily, she had felt a strong urge to cry along. But it seemed critical that she herself must not lose her composure.
With just that resolve, she stayed by his side without sleep.
Hoping he would wake up soon and call her playfully. She wouldn’t mind being called “Siri” as much as he wanted. She’d gladly call him “Feri,” just wishing for him to wake up…
Because he is the protagonist here, meant to shine brilliantly…
She prayed fervently, and somewhere, even to the Black Dragon for his protection.
Sylvia reached out her hand and firmly grasped his shoulder, pulling him close.
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