Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 71
While she slept, a fever crept up on her. She heard a soft voice nearby, followed by something cold being placed on her forehead. She could also feel someone diligently massaging her hands.
‘Could it be Lani?’
No, Lani would never do this. Irene struggled to open her flickering eyes, but soon fell back asleep. When she woke up again, it was late afternoon.
“Whoa! Saintess, are you okay?”
Adlen, who had been doing something with her back turned, called out to Irene with a surprised expression.
“I’m fine. But please, no formal speech.”
“Sorry. Somehow, your Sai- I mean, you, feel very familiar to me.”
Adlen stuck out her tongue playfully and stood up. She picked up a bowl and approached the stove, lifting the lid of a pot.
Adlen filled the bowl with something boiling and placed it on a small table over Irene’s legs.
As she stared at it curiously, Adlen explained further.
“When you’re sick, it’s not easy to get up and eat, right? That’s why Eugene made this thing. It’s been quite useful in the village. Anyway, you should eat something. You’re already so small, now you look like a handful of crumbs.”
It’s not that bad.
Glancing at Adlen, she noticed her sturdy-looking arms. Her tanned brown skin from the sun looked healthy. Could she ever be like that?
‘No, that’s impossible.’
The physician said it was a miracle she survived. He advised her to be extremely cautious with any physical activity.
It must have been the goddess’s blessing that allowed her to make such a long journey.
Perhaps the goddess wanted to show her those who bore ominous symbols. That’s what Irene believed.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking about, but first, eat.”
Only then did Irene pick up the spoon. It was a rough, wooden spoon and bowl. Inside was an unidentifiable stew.
It had been boiled so much that it was difficult to recognize the ingredients. It seemed to have been seasoned, but it was still bland.
Nevertheless, Irene quietly moved the spoon.
It didn’t taste as good as what she ate at the temple, but it was food made with care. She couldn’t remember the last time she had such a meal.
As a child living in the back alleys, her mother despised her and rarely fed her. Even when she did, it was only leftovers.
After being taken in by the duke and becoming a noblewoman, she still didn’t recall eating anything particularly delicious.
No, perhaps the food had been delicious. But in the cold, rigid atmosphere of the mansion, she couldn’t truly taste it.
The duke’s most frequent punishments were caning and fasting, which had been a significant issue.
“It doesn’t taste good, does it? I’m sorry, I’m not a good cook.”
“No, it’s delicious. I can’t cook at all.”
Thinking about it, she realized she didn’t know how to do anything. She had never been taught and never made an effort to learn something actively.
For some reason, that made her feel ashamed.
“Then shall I teach you?”
“What?”
“Cooking.”
Adlen’s eyes sparkled. She was so eager that before Irene knew it, she had agreed to learn how to roast wild pigeon, the dish Adlen was most confident in.
“Wait here. I’ll go catch a bird!”
Adlen, full of enthusiasm, slung a bow over her shoulder and left the house. All Irene could do was wave her hand while staring at the unfinished stew in front of her.
She slammed the door so hard when she left that it bounced open again. But Adlen didn’t seem to notice.
‘I should at least close the door.’
Irene moved the small table aside and got up. She felt surprisingly energetic, probably because she had slept all day.
“Adlen!”
As she was about to close the door, she met the eyes of a man calling for Adlen—Chess, the person she had met when she first came to the village.
“Where’s Adlen?”
“She went hunting.”
“Hunting?”
“She said she would teach me how to roast wild pigeon.”
“Roast wild pigeon. Well, it’s true that it’s the only dish Adlen can cook well. More importantly, how are you feeling? I heard you were sick, and we had to cancel the welcome party we planned for you.”
“I’m fine now.”
“Still, you should rest a bit more, just in case. You’ve been through a lot.”
Simple consideration, a normal conversation. It wasn’t anything extraordinary. Yet, for some reason, her eyes welled up with tears. Has anyone ever treated her so ordinarily?
Realizing this, she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, and they fell.
