The One and Only Guide - Chapter 36
In reality, it was because Jian’s physical condition was too fragile, but she was now unconscious, and was unable to tell him that. Sullenly, Axion wiped the damp cloth on Jian’s forehead.
He nursed her through the next morning, and when she didn’t wake up after noon, he called the village healer. During the night, he prepared herbs to treat Jian’s burns.
Mandalen healer, Aslak, checked Jian’s feverish condition and concluded that she was suffering from a cold.
“How can a simple cold keep you asleep past noon?” he asked.
“Young children are prone to such things. I’m afraid this young lady has a weak stomach. I’ll prescribe some cinnamon, cloves, monarda leaf, and viparene root for now. If this condition persists after I’ve given her the medication, come back to me then.”
“What should we do if her condition persists?”
Aslak’s brow furrowed at the Duke’s question. If the condition did not improve after the medicines were administered, there was only one course of action left.
“There’s nothing else to do. Those who can’t endure the cold of the North and are too weak, the best option is usually to send them south, to Dalaksha. If she doesn’t improve after two days, it’s probably the most suitable choice.”
Aslak’s advice made Axion’s face contort in dismay. As he had said, in the North, most children with weak constitutions and patients deemed beyond recovery were sent to Dalaksha, the border village. It was because the cold was milder there. Another reason was its proximity to the central area, making it easier to obtain herbs and supplies.
Axion knew this too. He knew it well, but he hoped for another solution.
“……Thank you for your efforts. You may leave.”
At the sound of his disheartened voice, Aslak walked out of the hall, his face a mask of remorse.
Several hours passed after that. Preparing the herbs, changing the wet towels and the water in the basin several times, and replenishing the firewood by the fireplace took some time. Jian woke up well past noon, in the early afternoon.
The first thing Jian realized was her tight throat and her throbbing feet. Then she felt a dizzying sensation in her head. She wiped her face with a towel, but it didn’t help much. She could sense the medicinal smell permeating the room as she deeply inhaled.
“You’re awake.”
Duke? Jian tried to say this, but her voice wouldn’t come out. However, Axion understood her call through her mouth shape.
“Don’t speak. I’ve prepared some soup and medicine. After eating, you should feel better.”
Saying this, Axion placed several cushions behind Jian. She sat at an angle and accepted the soup and medicine that Axion was spoon-feeding her.
Originally, Jian wouldn’t have created such a situation or allowed her to be in such a position, but it wasn’t a situation where she could insist on eating herself. Her arms were limp, and even holding her head steady was difficult, let alone the dizziness she felt. The stress of being imprisoned in the Duke’s castle and the arduous journey to Mandalen seemed to have taken a toll on her.
After consuming about half of the soup, Jian was offered the medicine by Axion. Or at least, he tried to offer it. She attempted to drink it, but the bitter taste caused her to cough it back up and spit it out.
One single cough caused Jian’s face and the bedding to become a mess, with the brownish medicine splattering even onto Axion’s sleeves. Unfazed, Axion quickly wiped Jian’s face clean with a towel and then called the village chief’s son to bring a fresh set of bedding. The fact that his own sleeves were dirtied didn’t bother him.
Axion once again held the medicine to Jian’s lips. Despite the awful taste she had just experienced, when he tried to administer it again, Jian shook her head in refusal. Axion pleaded with her, but she was still as stubborn as ever, even as she had become a weak patient.
I’d rather be sick than take that!
To make matters worse, she was now aware of the dreadful taste that would induce vomiting upon contact with her tongue. Given this, her decision was entirely reasonable.
The outcome was that Axion was left feeling increasingly anxious. He couldn’t figure out how to get her to take the medicine when she was so adamantly opposed to it. Even though she had become weak, Jian’s unwavering determination was still apparent.
Should he send her to Dalaksha, as the healer suggested? However, Dalaksha was a place where merchants frequented. It was the most developed area for trade and supplies in the North. What if she were left there, and another person with abilities like his appeared? If her true identity were revealed, what would happen?
After much deliberation, Axion made a decision. He couldn’t leave her in Dalaksha.
“Du- Duke?”
In the end, there was only one option he could think of. It wasn’t without its own complications.
Without further hesitation, Axion downed the medicine himself and then leaned in to kiss Jian. It was impossible to say that …… this act was completely selfless.
