"A doctor…? Are you feeling a little off? If you tell me what is wrong, then I will make sure to address it…"
The High Elder quickly promised, but his promise only caused Prince Kaiden's eyes to flash. The elder suddenly had a feeling he had made a mistake.
"Oh-! So you will fix it if I have any problem, but you won't do the same for my companions?"
Prince Kaiden asked, and the High Elder immediately understood what this was about and cursed inside his mind.
'Tsk, did that cursed human do something? Or tell Prince Kaiden something? I need to smooth things over-'
"It is nothing like that. We are always happy to help you, Prince Kaiden. But sometimes, people are a little busy-"
"I see. I guess wanting to stay here was a mistake if you cannot even offer my companions mattresses and blankets."
Prince Kaiden replied quietly, but his rage was boiling inside him. The longer he looked at the elder making excuses, the more he wanted to smack his head in.
But suddenly, the High Elder said something that made him pause.
"Prince Kaiden, it is not like that. We were just… a little busy preparing a gift for 'her,' so we forgot about time and our duties. Please forgive us this time."
The hero suddenly paused, and the High Elder let out a sigh of relief. No matter how strong of a grip Shuu had on the crown prince, when it came to Prince Kaiden's actual partner, things were different. Shuu could not compare.
"Oh-! Is that so? Then I look forward to seeing what you have prepared for her and how impressive it is for you to even ignore my current companion's health."
Prince Kaiden's anger calmed down a little… or that was what he showed to the outside world.
But for some reason, his insides were a mess.
Usually, comments like the one the High Elder gave him would have calmed him down and made him consider forgiving them. But this time, he could not calm himself down.
'It's because Shuu is special. He is my substitute for her, and I need to make sure he is fine until I am able to get what I need from this journey.'
Prince Kaiden convinced himself before he stood up and started to walk out of the room.
"Bring a healer to Shuu's room immediately. You all will pay if anything happens to him."
Prince Kaiden declared before he quickly left the room. The elder, who was forced to face the angry crown prince, suddenly felt his legs go weak and he collapsed.
His hands shook as he looked at Prince Kaiden's retreating back.
"I… that was so close. I had a feeling I was about to die or something… thank god I had that excuse ready."
The High Elder sighed and stood up on shaky legs. He quickly went to get the medic before Prince Kaiden could get any more angry.
Within ten minutes, everyone had gathered in Shuu's room once more. And somehow, Shuu looked even worse than before.
The healer hesitated to enter the room, but he ultimately did so when the High Elder prompted him to enter.
He clearly did not want to touch Shuu, since he was someone abandoned by the goddess, but he was ultimately forced to do so anyway. Prince Kaiden's glare was making it obvious what he needed to do.
So the healer did a thorough job, checking Shuu's pulse and also checking other things before pulling back and shaking his head.
"This is… due to exhaustion and blood loss. I will prescribe some medicine, but the best remedy is for the patient to rest as much as they can."
The healer announced, and silence filled the area. Then, the High Elder was the one who spoke up.
"Blood loss? So does that mean we cannot draw more blood from him? That will be bad for the blade… Prince Kaiden, you still have time to choose someone else-"
Prince Kaiden smacked his sword on the ground to show that he was not willing to listen on this topic. It caused the elder to immediately fall quiet.
The healer looked at the scene, and the sudden pressure around him made him continue.
"I-It is possible that the patient already had anemia, and continuously drawing his blood made him even weaker…"
The healer suddenly felt like he could not speak anymore. He looked up, only to face a dark look on Prince Kaiden's face.
"I-I am sorry. I will prescribe medicine and food… the patient is important…"
The healer tried to force those words out. He felt like his life was on the line if he did not speak.
But Prince Kaiden's silence made him even more nervous compared to before. He quickly looked around to see if anyone would be able to help him out.
Liam was the first one to break the tense silence.
"I see. So that means you can ensure that Shuu is not in danger and will make a full recovery, right? Isn't that good news?"
The voice sounded cheerful, and it broke the tension. The healer quickly saw his way out and agreed.
"T-That's right. For now, the patient needs medicine and blankets. Once the medicine starts to take effect, we will need to break his fever. Can everyone leave…?"
He asked, feeling nervous, but no one moved. Finally, Reina and Liam started to head out, and so did the High Elder.
But the one person the healer wanted to step out remained standing in place.
'I-Is he going to watch me the whole time? I feel so nervous. I don't think I will be able to concentrate…'
"Come on, Prince Kaiden. Let's leave the poor healer alone to look after Shuu. Our presence here might make him too nervous to work properly."
Liam quickly wrapped his arms around Prince Kaiden and dragged him outside. The crown prince followed, but he looked reluctant.
The healer let out a relief-filled sigh as he was left alone in the room with Shuu.
"Y-You might be the most nerve-wracking patient I have ever had in my life. Please make it out alive so that I can make it out alive as well."
The healer had a feeling that Shuu's life was connected to his own. That was why he worked so hard to make sure he was comfortable.
About ten minutes later, someone knocked on the door, and he opened it. Kana stood on the other side with her arms filled with blankets.
"I am here to make a delivery. Can I come in now?"
Kana asked, and the healer had a sudden feeling that he should not allow her inside.