Tiuran, perhaps feeling a similar sentiment, hesitated for a long time before nodding reluctantly.
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
A short while later, a middle-aged woman wearing a loosely draped dark robe entered the room with calm steps.
"I heard that you called me."
"The pain is too severe."
Thalia spat out urgently.
"I need a strong painkiller."
The woman took a small medicine bottle from her bosom and handed it to her without a word. Thalia, taking it with trembling hands, gulped it down in one go without even thinking to check the contents.
The woman, who had been watching the scene with an expressionless face, explained in a calm tone.
"We have modified the formulation of the medicine to prevent the same side effects as last time. We have added a large amount of herbs that neutralize toxicity and reduced the dosage of mandragora, so the same symptoms should not occur."
"Then wouldn't the effect of the medicine weaken as well?"
The healer nodded with a low sigh.
"It may not be as effective as before, but it should still be sufficient to relieve the severe pain. I will apply an analgesic ointment to your legs as well."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Thalia lifted her skirt, soaked in cold sweat, up to her knees. The healer bent over her and began applying a red ointment to the raised white scar.
He watched the scene with sorrowful eyes, his front paws resting on the edge of the bed. That healer's prescription might alleviate the immediate pain, but it would have a detrimental effect on her health in the long run.
He recalled the phrase written in her diary.
[I hope this medicine will stop my life someday, too.]
If the 'medicine' she mentioned refers to the painkiller made by that healer, he must make her stop somehow.
But what on earth could he do in this body? All he could do right now was bare his teeth and growl. Even that was unlikely to be considered a real danger.
Feeling the now-familiar sense of helplessness weigh heavily on his chest, he licked her hand. At that, Thalia lifted her face from the pillow and smiled faintly.
"I'm sorry, isn't it stifling staying only in the room?"
Then she nodded to the maids.
"You guys take Khan out for a walk."
As if rejecting those words, he leaped onto the bed and pressed himself against the head of her bed. At this, the corners of Thalia's mouth curled up in delight.
His heart tightened even more painfully at the sight of her honestly revealing her emotions. It was a gentle gaze he had never once seen when he was human.
"It looks like Khan doesn't want to be separated from me. I guess I'll have to take him out myself."
"Are you okay? Your leg..."
"It's okay. It's much better than earlier."
Thalia firmly cut off the maid and put on a summer gown over her thin indoor clothes.
Tiuran, who had been watching the scene with a worried expression, cautiously opened his mouth.
"May I accompany you? We need to take immediate action if your condition suddenly worsens."
"Are you doubting my skills right now?"
Marisen glared at Tiuran with an indignant expression.
The woman immediately lowered her eyes.
"I had no intention of insulting Marisen. I was merely concerned about the unlikely eventuality..."
"Isn't that what it means? It's because you don't trust my prescription..."
"Stop."
Thalia, who was adjusting her clothes with the help of a maid, shouted irritably. Then, glaring at Marisen with a stern look, she added.
"Tiuran is no longer your assistant. So stop contradicting her at every little thing."
"...I apologize for upsetting you."
The woman bowed her head with a reluctant expression.
Thalia, who had been looking down at her with a sharp gaze, soon lifted Khan into her arms and gestured toward Tiuran.
"You follow me. Just like you said, side effects could occur again."
Marisen's face contorted faintly. Thalia, turning abruptly as if ignoring it, walked slowly out of the bedroom.
He looked at her complexion with a worried gaze. Fortunately, perhaps the painkillers took effect, as color began to return to her pale face by the time they left the Great Hall.
"The weather is really nice today, isn't it?"
Thalia, taking careful steps along the sunny path, whispered into his ear.
He quietly looked up at the red lips forming a faint curve. Perhaps it was she who had actually felt stifled from being confined to the room, as her face, bathed in bright sunlight, had softened considerably.
"Do you want to walk yourself?"
Thalia placed him on the ground and began to walk slowly along the flowerbed. He followed behind, his feet moving diligently.
After strolling through the garden for some time, Tiuran suddenly spoke up when they reached the vicinity of the rear garden.
"Your Highness, would you mind stopping by the kitchen for a moment?"
Thalia turned to look at her with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you in the kitchen?"
"Well... I thought Khan might be hungry. I figured I could get some raw meat in the kitchen... and since I'm already here, I thought I'd stop by for a moment..."
Her voice gradually subsided as she rambled incoherently, uncharacteristically for her.
Thalia, who had been looking at the healer suspiciously, soon stepped toward the kitchen located at the back of the main building. It seemed she had belatedly realized that she hadn't been able to feed Khan while she was suffering from pain all morning.
"Prepare some food for this child right now."
Approaching the entrance at the back of the building, Thalia gave the order in a commanding tone.
The cooks, who had been busily preparing lunch in front of the hearth, hurriedly bowed respectfully and immediately took out the freshest chunks of meat, beginning to prepare them with care
Meanwhile, Thalia sat on a chair at the far end of the kitchen, keeping an eye on the busy hands of the servants. Soon, a bowl of finely minced raw meat was placed before him.
"Here, eat up."
He brought his nose close to the bowl to sniff for a moment, then took a deep bite of the raw meat. The fishy taste wasn't particularly pleasant, but to grow bigger quickly, he had to consume nutrients whenever he had the chance.
He emptied the bowl in an instant and licked his blood-stained lips. As she watched this with a pleased gaze, Thalia instructed the servants to bring out more meat.
At that moment, the healer, who had been silent, cautiously made a suggestion.
"Your Highness, wouldn't it be a good idea to have something to eat as well? You skipped breakfast, after all."
Thalia looked up at her with a furrowed brow. It seemed she had only just realized that she had brought her to the kitchen under the pretext of getting her own meal.
The healer added in a cautious tone, as if addressing a wary wild animal.
"Your Highness, if you grant me permission, I will prepare some soup to help replenish your strength."
"You're going to make the food yourself?"
"Preparing food tailored to the patient is also a virtue of a healer. It may not taste as good as what a professional chef makes, but it will be better for their health."
Thalia, who had been staring intently at the healer's face with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, slowly nodded.
The woman let out a sigh of relief and immediately gathered various ingredients from all over the kitchen. Then, after filling a basin with cold water and washing her hands thoroughly, she began to prepare onions, potatoes, and a large piece of chicken.
Finally, when all the ingredients were ready, the woman picked up a small brazier from one side of the room and placed it on the table, brought a pan, greased it with butter, and sautéed it appetizingly.
A faint interest flickered in Thalia's eyes as she watched the scene. It seemed to feel quite novel to her, as she had never before closely observed the process of food being prepared.
"Do you have any particular ingredients you like?"
"I don't have any. I dislike pretty much everything."
The woman gave a wry smile at the curt reply, took out a pot, filled it with water, added chicken bones to make broth, then added the prepared ingredients and brought it to a boil. Soon, the savory aroma of soup filled the kitchen.
He lifted his head and carefully observed Thalia's reaction. A faint sense of anticipation flickered in her bright blue eyes. It seemed her appetite had been stimulated while watching the cooking process.
Tiuran seasoned the pot with salt, filled a large bowl with soup, and placed it in front of her.
"It's hot, so please be careful when eating."
As if she had been waiting, she picked up a spoon, scooped up some steaming broth, and tasted it.
As if it suited her taste quite well, the way she brought the food to her mouth gradually quickened.
“Would you like some more?”
As the bowl was empty in the meantime, the healer brought the pot over to her side and said.
As he looked up at her with a strange expression, Thalia slowly nodded.
“Just a little bit.”
A woman with a smile on her face drew some soup and poured it into her bowl.
After that, the healer started making various foods for her whenever she went for a walk.
Thalia would taste small portions of fish and meat dishes she would never normally eat, and she would also personally ask for bread or pastries to be made, and sometimes even participate directly in the cooking process.
He was engulfed in a strange pain as he watched her devour every last bit of the cookie that had become hard from being overcooked.
He was vaguely aware that she struggled with eating. However, he had never tried to deeply understand the reason behind it.
He felt a strong sense of disillusionment with himself for having only nagged or forced things upon them, dismissing it as merely a sensitive and picky temperament.
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