Chapter 676

Who's the expert supposed to be?
“Maybe it’s a fever from overstimulation?”

“Huh?”

I was dumbfounded when Mariel-chan suddenly said that to me.

Having collapsed and lost consciousness, I was carried by Oniisama straight to my room in the special dormitory.

Strictly speaking, it seems that Kurogane judged carrying me would take too long and just teleported me there instead.

Worried sick, Oniisama wouldn’t go back to the boys’ dorm, but Mariel-chan apparently forced him to leave by insisting, “I’ll take care of her.”

In her past life, Mariel-chan was a nurse, and she started nursing me with brisk efficiency, a far cry from her usual twitchy small animal demeanor, so Oniisama reluctantly entrusted me to her and returned to his dorm.

By the way, it seems Prince Raymond was just left behind. Poor guy.

Well, that’s not the point (though it kind of is). Isn’t “overstimulation fever” something only infants get? That doesn’t apply to me, does it!?

Seeing my unconvinced expression, Mariel-chan poured water from a pitcher into a cup and handed it to me.

“Well, that was a joke. You’ve simply been overworking yourself. You should rest for a while.”

“Ugh, okaay……”

Lately, I’d been busy with research, developing and taste-testing hospitality recipes for the Kingdom of Samonar, and dealing with Prince Kaldor’s incognito entry incident—there really had been way too much going on.

Even if I have an adult’s mind, my body is still that of a child. Of course pushing myself would lead to overwork.

“Well… when it comes to romance, you’re basically a baby, so calling it a ‘romantic overstimulation fever’ isn’t entirely wrong, is it?”

“Guhf!”

Mariel-chan hit me with an unexpected jab, and I choked violently from the shock.

Wait—was that a lowkey insult!?

“Y-You’re not so different yourself, Mariel-san!?”

Mariel-chan, who turns into a nervous wreck whenever she talks to boys, obviously doesn’t have a fiancé either.

As a fujoshi, her greatest joy is seeing guys getting along with each other. Sometimes she even mumbles nonsense like, “If I were going to reincarnate anyway, I wish I’d come back as the wall in the room where they get lovey-dovey…”

“Hmph, you don’t get it, Cristea-san. I enjoy BL, TL, even yuri—so calling me a romance expert wouldn’t be wrong!”

Yeah, no, that’s *very* wrong…

“Mariel, what are you saying? Another one of your proud delusions?”

“This young one spouts much nonsense. My lord, you’d best ignore her.”

Mashiro and Kurogane dismissed her on my behalf with exasperated looks.

“Ughh, your merciless words pierce my soul…!”

Mariel-chan seemed wounded and flopped down in defeat.

“… I mean, how did we even get to talking about romantic ineptitude and ‘romantic overstimulation fever’?”

I asked, squinting suspiciously. Mariel-chan had apparently recovered, as she gave me a sly grin.

“Heehee, I heard about it from Kurogane-sama, you know? About the love triangle between the prince of Samonar, Crown Prince Raymond, and Norman-sama… and how it all ended with Norman-sama’s passionate proposal!”

“Proposal?”

“Fweh!? N-No! I mean, okay, Prince Kaldor *did* propose to me, but I immediately turned him down—no way am I accepting polygamy! And yes, Prince Raymond and Oniisama argued over the prince’s view on love, but I thought he understood in the end… and Oniisama… ah.”

I recalled what Oniisama had said right before I fainted, and heat suddenly rushed to my face.

“Oh my? Oh my, oh myyy? What did you just remember?”

Mariel-chan crept closer with a wicked smile… but before she could close in, Kurogane grabbed her face and held her by the head.

“Ubuhf!?”

“My lord is awake now, so further care is unnecessary. We, along with Miria, will tend to her. Your presence seems to be preventing her from relaxing.”

“Beh!? Booonnnaaa!? (Whaaat!? That’s so meaaaan!?)”

While I sat there dumbfounded, Kurogane, still holding onto Mariel-chan, unceremoniously carried her out. Harsh, as always…

“Cristea, you okay?”

“Eh? Ah, yeah, well… I’m fine…”

I fanned myself with my hand, trying to cool my flushed face.

Ahh… my face is so hot.

As Oniisama’s words surfaced again in my mind, I felt another wave of heat rise to my cheeks.

No no, it’s just a fever from overwork. That’s definitely it. Has to be.

“Cristea-sama, how are you feeling? I’ve brought you some rice porridge. Do you think you can eat?”

Miria came in, pushing a cart with a clay pot of porridge and some serving bowls.

“Rice porridge! Yes, yes! I’ve been eating nothing but Idika lately, so this is great!”

“Understood.”

Miria smiled gently and served the porridge into a bowl, topping it with a pickled plum.

She remembered how I’d said, “When you’re sick, it’s gotta be rice porridge with a pickled plum!”

I took the bowl, used the wooden spoon to mash the soft flesh of the plum a little, scooped it up with the porridge, and tasted it.

“Mmm~! Sour! But soooo tasty…!”

Yes, this is it. Ahhh… delicious.

“You seem much better, I’m glad.”

Miria chuckled as she watched me polish off the entire pot of porridge after several helpings.

Well, I *was* hungry…

“But Mariel-san said I’ve been overworking myself, so I guess I need to rest more. Can we have porridge again tomorrow?”

“Oh dear, that won’t do. But yes, porridge for breakfast tomorrow as well?”

“And could you crack an egg into it, too?”

“Fufu, understood.”

Miria looked very happy that I was acting a little spoiled for once. Still smiling, she pushed the cart out of the room to clean up.

“Well then, I’m going to get some rest now.”

I burrowed under the covers, and Kurogane and Mashiro returned to their beast forms and curled up beside me.

“Hehe, so soft and fluffy…”

With a full belly and drowsiness setting in, I quickly drifted off to sleep.

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