Don’t Ask, It’ll Hurt If You Know - Chapter 49

A thin consommé with almost no solids, a pale greenish vegetable juice blended into an easily digestible pulp, and meatballs without sauce.

This was truly health food for a patient, with absolutely no consideration for taste.

Chloe frowned as she looked down at the food, which didn’t look very appetizing. It tasted even worse because the food spread out on the opposite side looked so incredibly delicious that it made her mouth water just to look at it. And it truly was flavorless.

“You’re going to drool.”

“Tsk.”

At Ian’s remark, Chloe hurriedly wiped around her mouth with the back of her hand. But nothing was there.

Realizing that he had been teasing her, Chloe’s eyes widened in a glare. Ian chuckled softly and pointed to a piece of bread, toasted golden brown and spread with butter.

“Do you want some?”

“If I say yes, will you give it to me?”

“No.”

Why ask if he wasn’t going to give it to her? Chloe clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“When you’re not feeling well, you need to eat food that’s easy to digest. Otherwise, you could get sick.”

“I’m all better now. I’m perfectly fine.”

“People who are perfectly fine don’t sleep sixteen hours a day.”

She had no retort. But unwilling to concede easily, Chloe poked the innocent meatball with her fork. She regretted telling Ian to eat with her a little.

As she was practically shredding the meatball, a piece of bread was placed on her plate.

“You can have one, I guess.”

“…….”

What is he doing, giving me the sickness then the medicine? Chloe looked at him with a bewildered expression, and Ian tilted his head slightly.

“You don’t want it?”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll eat it well.”

Fearing he might take the bread back, Chloe quickly snatched it up. The savory scent of butter, smelled up close, made her mouth pool with saliva.

The moment she took a large bite, a feeling of happiness, hard to express in words, welled up inside her. The bread was delicious, but the emotion was magnified because it had been a long time since she had eaten proper food.

When she was Bianca Lloyd, the servants not only failed to provide meals on time but the food they did bring was miserable.

And after returning as Chloe Elena, the time allotted to her was short and there was so much she had to do that she hadn’t given any thought to eating something.

‘It feels like it’s been nearly a month since I had a proper meal.’

That also meant it had been nearly a month since she fell victim to that strange dark magic and became Bianca Lloyd. The fact that she hadn’t been able to return to normal quickly weighed heavily on her shoulders.

“Haa.”

As a vague sense of uncertainty and fear that this damned situation might never end added to her distress, Chloe let out a deep sigh.

“Eat this too.”

At that, Ian placed another piece of bread on her plate. It was an even larger piece than before. Chloe glanced at him sideways and complained under her breath.

“I wasn’t sighing because I wanted more bread.”

“I know.”

Ian replied placidly and set a glass of milk in front of her as well.

“You’ll get thirsty if you only eat bread, so drink the milk too.”

“…….”

Disliking his actions which treated her like a child, Chloe glared at him again, yet accepted every piece of bread placed on her plate. Ian’s eyes, watching her, were as warm as the spring sunshine.

* * *

The late lunch ended, and on the cleanly cleared table, instead of a sweet dessert, sat a medicine so bitter it made her grimace. There was nothing else.

This was because Ian MacMilden had made the outrageous statement that since he was full enough, he didn’t need dessert.

Chloe, who had planned to sneak her fork onto Ian’s dessert just as she had done with his bread, stared despairingly at the medicine bowl. Looking at the pitch-black liquid reminded her of the mysterious medicine that had been placed by Bianca Lloyd’s bedside last time. And the note that lay beneath it.

Chloe merely raised her eyes and looked across at him.

Wouldn’t it be better to ask Ian than Jeremy? The Duke of MacMilden has wide connections in many ways…….

“Ian, do you happen to know a skilled mage?”

Unwilling for her beloved younger brother to carry too much burden with her affairs, Chloe tentatively brought up the topic. Ian, who was silently watching her, firmly placed the medicine bowl in her hands.

“Drink this first.”

“Who said I wasn’t going to? I’m going to drink it!”

“I know, so drink it.”

Just once, I really wish I could punch him. With all her heart, Chloe tossed the medicine back in one gulp. Ian, who confirmed the bowl was neatly emptied, said:

“Good girl.”

Chloe scowled, hating how he kept treating her like a child, but he ignored her and continued speaking.

“I do know a skilled mage, but why a mage?”

“…….”

Since he gave her the answer she wanted, Chloe let out a deep sigh instead of the curse word that had surged up to her throat.

“Why, you ask? Because there’s something I want to ask for, of course. Is the mage you know someone you’re close to? How skilled are they? Are they discreet?”

Since the matter might involve dark magic, keeping it secret was crucial above all else. At the added questions, Ian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“It seems something has happened.”

She always felt this, but this jerk was ridiculously quick-witted. Chloe screamed internally but replied calmly on the surface.

“Happened? What are you talking about? I just said there’s something I want to ask for.”

“Lie.”

“It’s not a lie. Why would I lie about something like this?”

As Chloe responded brazenly, Ian stared intently at her face. He stared so piercingly that her face felt prickled.

“If you don’t want to introduce him, you don’t have to!”

Chloe, whose conscience was also pricked, hastily ended the conversation. Whether he truly didn’t want to tell her or not, Ian didn’t add anything more.

“Ah, come to think of it, there was something I absolutely had to tell you.”

She had momentarily forgotten due to the other conversation. Recalling the real reason she had stopped him, Chloe lowered her eyes slightly and continued.

“I challenged you to a match based on the Imperial Knights Entrance Examination before, remember? That…… I don’t think I can do it.”

The blush, which had started at her earlobes, soon colored her entire cheeks. It was because she felt both embarrassed and ashamed to be the one who issued the challenge only to say she couldn’t do it now. Since this was the first time this had ever happened, it was even harder to speak.

Moreover, the opportunity to compete with Ian had largely vanished upon graduating from the academy. Separately from the serious events that had transpired, her desire to defeat him had grown desperate. Knowing that if she missed this chance, she might not get another, Chloe had thought of various methods.

But as time passed, she had no choice but to accept reality. Entering Bianca Lloyd’s body was a problem, but because of it, she hadn’t been able to practice swordsmanship or physical training for a long time. Swordsmanship, in particular, rusts and loses its feel even if neglected for just one day.

Thus, even if she returned to her original body, taking the entrance examination itself, let alone competing with him, was out of the question.

Of course, if she was stubborn, she could somehow take the test, but that would be disrespectful to an opponent who would give his best in the match. Without long deliberation, Chloe decided to voluntarily forfeit this match.

Forfeit. The word, which felt both familiar and strange, dug deep into her chest, causing a throbbing pain. Chloe exhaled deeply and raised her head, trying to alleviate the pain even a little.

Ian’s expression that finally came into her sight was subtle. It was difficult to define exactly, but one thing was certain: he did not look happy.

Well, of course. He must have prepared diligently, so of course he wouldn’t be happy when she suddenly said she couldn’t do it.

“I’m truly sorry.”

Chloe, who fully understood Ian’s feelings, bowed her head deeply and apologized.

Her hair, shiny and lustrous like golden threads, hung long like a curtain. Since her face was obscured by it, Ian reached out a hand. But in the end, it failed to reach her and returned to its place.

“You don’t need to apologize.”

The answer that came out instead was so curt it felt embarrassing even to himself. He was about to correct it, realizing that misunderstanding would deepen rather than clear up, when Chloe suddenly slumped to one side. His heart plummeted at the sight.

“Chloe!”

Ian sprang toward Chloe as if a spring had been released. His fingertips, checking her pulse, trembled just as much as his golden eyes, which scrutinized her motionless, unconscious face. Fortunately, her pulse was stable. Seeing that her breathing was also even, it seemed she had simply fallen asleep.

Come to think of it, I was told she was constantly falling asleep because she injured her head badly when she fell off the horse.

Recalling Aaron Elena’s worried words that it was a big problem and she needed to recover as soon as possible, Ian was finally able to salvage his heart, which had plummeted to the floor. But his eyes, looking at her, were still filled with worry and anxiety.

At the same time, a sliver of hope cautiously poked its head through.

If I reveal that Chloe’s physical condition is this bad, the Imperial Family will give up on her.

Feeling self-loathing over the impure thought that rose to the surface, seizing the brief opening, Ian sneered and rang the bell on the table.