Chapter 82

Chapter 82
Chapter 82: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Just as Lion had predicted, Clarentia remained wide awake.

‘I am exhausted.’

Though a Sword Master’s constitution should be far more resilient, a profound and unusual fatigue had completely anchored itself in her bones.

Normally, she would have sought the refuge of her mattress the moment she found herself free from obligations.

This specific room. This particular bed served as the singular sanctuary capable of offering her genuine repose.

‘Has that sanctuary truly vanished?’

Reflecting on the matter, the assumption felt flawed.

Had she not faced wave after wave of assassination attempts within these very walls?

Projectiles had once pierced the air above her resting form, and the chamber had inexplicably burst into flames without warning.

Those trials had felt deeply terrifying during their occurrence, yet they now existed merely as fragments of the past.

She harbored no deep regrets regarding those events.

After all, even if time could be reversed, altering the outcome would have remained beyond her grasp.

‘Because I had laid aside my blade.’

She had existed solely as someone requiring protection.

Having failed to train herself to shield others, she naturally lacked the means to guard her own life.

That perspective remained entirely unaltered.

Clarentia perceived the plush bedding beneath her not as a comfort, but as a thick, yielding bog.

This sensation of being slowly drawn downward… it lacked any unpleasant quality.

Indeed, a part of her felt content with the prospect of sinking endlessly until she vanished from view entirely.

Her life was not literally ending at this instant, so indulging in a brief descent surely carried no great penalty.

If circumstances allowed, she preferred to keep her eyelids sealed against every outside interruption.

Without this temporary escape, maintaining her endurance felt entirely impossible.

Permit me to submerge into silence, just as the rest of the world rests in slumber.

Such thoughts perpetually occupied her waking hours.

Yet…….

“Mmm, the scent is quite pleasant.”

Such a sound had no business echoing within the private quarters of the Marquis of Byedantis.

Clarentia’s fingers jerked involuntarily in response.

Lion Asteri.

The unmistakable tones of that intruder reverberated clearly through the space.

Rustle! Clatter!

Simultaneously, a series of persistent movements suggested he was actively engaged in some task.

‘Does he intend to force me awake?’

Was he resorting to peculiar antics simply because she had refused to grant him her company?

That possibility crossed her mind briefly…

Yet reality appeared otherwise.

Her eyes remained closed, but her senses tracked his energy with absolute clarity.

He moved about with a distinct, industrious focus.

That constant activity slowly began to irritate the edges of Clarentia’s consciousness as she drifted toward numbness.

‘What on earth is his objective here?’

She had been well aware of Lion’s unauthorized entry.

Remaining ignorant of his presence was an impossibility.

Though outward appearances suggested otherwise, her nerves stayed permanently honed, granting her full awareness of her surroundings.

“Our young lady… no, what path shall we take regarding our Family Head.”

“Even so, should we falter, our Family Head will surely grieve, therefore we must press onward.”

“Indeed, Jasper. I place my faith in you!”

…Fragments of conversation such as those.

She had understood for quite some time that Jasper and the domestic staff held deep anxieties concerning her well-being.

Consequently, she deduced that the current disruption was undoubtedly orchestrated by the servants.

The gesture crossed the boundaries of proper etiquette, yet Clarentia ultimately chose to keep her gaze averted.

She understood the fierce loyalty that drove their actions.

‘Should I remain unresponsive, they will eventually grow weary and depart on their own accord.’

She remained curious about how even Lion Asteri intended to handle absolute, unbroken indifference.

However…….

Gradually, a rich, sugary fragrance began to drift toward the bridge of her nose!

‘Could this be….’

Clarentia found her attention involuntarily drawn to the sensation of smell.

A deep, robust aroma accented by a subtle bitterness, accompanied by the savory richness of fats.

And the underlying sweetness teasing her senses was unmistakably…

‘Chocolate?’

Thus, Lion Asteri was presently occupied with melting confectioneries inside the private chamber of his sleeping superior.

Even Clarentia, whose emotional responses had grown remarkably dull, found the situation slightly absurd.

One might overlook actions that hovered near the fringes of common sense… but this particular display shattered every established boundary entirely.

Yet, did the act constitute a genuine threat?

That evaluation also proved false.

……Consequently, her judgment remained suspended.

‘Perhaps I should simply allow him to continue.’

The situation involved no hostility, rendering immediate intervention unnecessary.

And yet, permitting him to persist…

Proved exceptionally bothersome.

This chamber had historically maintained an atmosphere of utter serenity.

It represented her private domain where even the faintest disturbance was rarely tolerated.

The household staff understood this rule intimately, restricting their visits to brief intervals.

Perhaps Jasper, the loyal butler, stood as the sole exception.

Regardless, following her ascension to the position of Duke, no other individual had ever breached her sleeping quarters to behave in such a manner.

Furthermore, what purpose lay behind his choice to refrain from waking or summoning her?

‘Still… by what method did he liquefy the chocolate?’

Achieving such a state required the presence of heat…

Had he actually kindled an open flame within the room?

Thermal radiation remained entirely absent from her perception, yet how else could the substance transform without a heat source?

‘That is correct. Fire presents an unacceptable hazard.’

Without question, uncontrolled blazes posed a far graver danger than any assassin’s blade.

Escaping the flames offered no guaranteed safety, as lingering smoke would inevitably infiltrate her respiratory system and suffocate her.

Frankly, the memory carried deeply unpleasant associations.

‘I shall exploit this inherent danger as a justifiable pretext to expel him.’

By doing so, she might at least salvage the tranquil and solitary nature of her morning.

Clarentia finalized her resolve internally, slowly fluttering her tightly sealed eyelids upward before pushing her upper body into an upright posture.

She then directed her gaze toward the location of the intruder…

Yet zero evidence of a flame presented itself.

‘Did he secure a supply of pre-melted confection?’

Even so, the aroma of cocoa had materialized only after Lion Asteri crossed the threshold.

A mild wave of frustration stirred within her chest.

‘The convenient justification to drive him away has vanished.’

Since he remained present, basic decorum dictated that she at least position herself at the desk to receive her visitor properly.

Such actions constituted the basic responsibilities of a Family Head managing guests.

Just as those considerations formed in her mind.

“You may return to sleep.”

Lion Asteri delivered the instruction without glancing in her direction.

His tone carried the eerie implication that he had successfully read her internal monologue.

“……”

“There is no necessity for you to occupy the seat opposite me.”

Clarentia froze in silence for a brief beat before lowering her frame back down upon the mattress.

The rationale behind his words defied all logical interpretation, but since the guest himself granted permission, the course of action should prove acceptable, correct?

“…….”

The atmosphere felt distinctly peculiar.

Consequently, drifting back into slumber proved surprisingly difficult.

Clarentia stared upward at the embellishments adorning the ceiling.

The familiar geometric patterns, viewed on countless prior occasions, radiated a distinct sense of comfort on this particular day.

Furthermore…

The subtle sounds of Lion Asteri continuing his labor no longer registered as an irritation now that her eyes remained open.

Instead, when blended with the profound fragrance of chocolate, the auditory cues induced an unexpectedly soothing sensation.

Her eyelids grew steadily heavier as they drifted downward once more.

The muscular tension throughout her frame gradually dissolved, and her firmly pressed lips parted by a fraction.

And then…

…….

…….

‘…Extreme heat!’

Clarentia’s eyes flew wide open in a sudden state of alarm.

She had succumbed to sleep once again.

‘An absolute impossibility.’

Clarentia immediately straightened her posture, shifting her gaze to verify the passage of time.

The sun already occupied a lofty position in the firmament, casting brilliant rays through the chilled atmospheric air.

“……This presents a significant complication.”

Permitting herself to sleep until such an hour was entirely unacceptable.

An overwhelming volume of administrative duties awaited her attention as the head of the household…

‘What is Jasper currently attending to?’

Had the butler approached the door, his signature presence would have registered in her senses, prompting an immediate awakening.

Yet why had no such visit occurred?

Clarentia, uncharacteristically flustered, recalled the presence of the young man and whipped her head around.

And there sat Lion…

Occupying the identical position as before, calmly turning the pages of a bound volume.

“You have returned to consciousness.”

Lion finally raised his eyes from the text to regard Clarentia directly.

“Explain the meaning of this…”

Her tongue momentarily failed her in the face of his unbothered demeanor.

Any casual observer might easily mistake this chamber for Lion Asteri’s personal quarters, viewing her own reaction as an ungracious intrusion.

“I was merely maintaining a vigil. Pray, draw near and be seated.”

“What actions did you take precisely?”

Clarentia demanded, her brow knitting into a sharp scowl.

Indeed. The individual had unquestionably engineered some trick.

Otherwise, slipping into such a profound and sudden slumber defied all reason.

“My actions were entirely passive.”

“…….”

“What formidable authority do I possess to do otherwise?”

That assertion held a degree of truth as well.

The suspicious domestic staff member was nowhere within view.

Clarentia stood in awkward hesitation for several moments, staring fixedly at Lion before cautiously sliding into the chair positioned across from him.

“…….”

Her eyes naturally continued to track the young man with an expression of deep suspicion.

‘She resembles a feral feline.’

Wary, rigid, and slightly hunched against perceived threats, she mirrored the stray cats commonly observed during daily travels.

Comparing a human being to a wild animal undoubtedly bordered on rudeness, yet her physical posture offered a striking parallel.

‘In such circumstances, inducing physical relaxation stands as the primary objective.’

Lion elected to ignore Clarentia’s piercing scrutiny, turning his attention instead to the task of reheating the slightly congealed chocolate with the aid of Nature.

“Would you mind applying heat to the milk as well?”

“Peep-.”

Displaying clear signs of annoyance, the creature opened its beak to release a controlled, low-temperature flame.

The thermal output remained gentle, registering as a mild warmth upon direct contact.

Shortly after, a delicate layer of foam formed along the inner perimeter of the vessel containing the dairy, accompanied by a fresh, nutty fragrance filling the air.

The transformation served as concrete proof of the process proceeding successfully.

Lion utilized a small spoon to gently agitate the cocoa mixture, dissolving every lump until the liquid achieved a smooth, velvety consistency.

Clarentia, observing his unhurried movements, dropped her gaze to study the tiny creature.

Initially, she had dismissed it as an ordinary avian pet.

“Is that creature classified as a monster?”

“Negative, it is not.”

“Then by what mechanism does a bird generate flames?”

“My companion possesses exceptional natural talents.”

“Peep.”

Nature extended its tiny wings in an expression of quiet pride.

Though its overall scale remained smaller than the span of a human hand.

“…….”

Clarentia nearly formulated a follow-up query before abruptly halting herself.

Her natural disposition had never leaned toward excessive sociability, and her already dwindling conversational abilities had withered substantially over the preceding years.

Besides… what coherent response remained available after witnessing a fledgling bird breathe fire to prepare confectionery?

“The addition of marshmallows would have elevated the experience significantly.”

Lion murmured with a hint of disappointment as he blended the melted cocoa and warmed milk.

Floating a single marshmallow atop the steaming beverage would create an appealing aesthetic, while its sweet, yielding texture would further complement the rich flavor profile of the hot chocolate.

‘Come to think of it, rumors suggest that Mallow Grass flourishes upon the snowy peaks belonging to the Byedantis domain.’

The flora yielded fruit bearing a striking resemblance to the confection in question.

Should time permit, mounting an expedition to harvest some specimens later appeared worthwhile.

“Here is your portion.”

Lion transferred the exceptionally rich hot chocolate into a ceramic mug and extended it across the table.

“Did you consume a serving of this previously as well?”

“I reserved my consumption so we might partake together.”

Noticing the presence of two distinct cups on the surface.

Reasoning that the liquid contained no harmful agents, Clarentia accepted the mug, wrapping both palms securely around its curved exterior.

Whether due to the lingering warmth from the avian’s flames, the ceramic vessel radiated a comforting, robust heat.

‘An interval of leisure.’

Precisely how many years had passed since she last experienced such a luxury?

Memory failed to yield an answer.

Instead of consuming the beverage immediately, Clarentia shifted her focus toward the tall glass window.

The skeletal branches of the surrounding trees lashed violently against the windowpane, signaling the presence of a biting gale outside.

Yet the sky above remained brilliantly clear of clouds, bathed in the rich glow of daytime sunlight.

‘…Though admitting it feels reluctant, my physical form feels remarkably revitalized.’

After all, recalling the exact duration since her last genuine sleep proved impossible.

Perhaps as a direct consequence, every muscle in her body registered a pleasant sense of ease.

The sensation marked the inaugural moment of true relaxation experienced since her formal succession as Family Head.

Her internal defenses finally lowering, Clarentia took a slow, measured sip of the hot chocolate.

The dense, lustrous liquid coated her taste buds with a heavy, satisfying richness.

“……!”

Anticipating a profile defined solely by sugary sweetness, she was met with a surprising, pleasant bitterness.

However, that exact note of bitterness served to stimulate her appetite rather than detract from the experience.

Her heightened senses effortlessly detected the underlying fats balanced seamlessly against the sweet undertones.

The warm chocolate, possessing a viscosity surpassing ordinary liquids, dissolved once more upon her tongue before sliding smoothly down her throat.

‘This preparation exceeds expectations by a wide margin… it is far from unpleasant.’

Clarentia found her focus entirely absorbed by the simple act of tasting the beverage.