Movira’s mind instantly cleared, all sleepiness gone.
She gently touched the girl’s face in her arms—the sensation was scorching hot.
Fever?!
The momentary panic was suppressed in an instant; panicking wouldn’t solve anything right now.
She immediately placed her palm on Seraphina’s forehead, slowly channeling a cool stream of magic.
But this was only temporary relief. Complex life forms couldn’t be treated with something as crude as magic for illnesses.
It was like covering flames with a thin layer of ice—unable to eradicate the disease at its root.
“Ugh… cold, so dizzy…” Seraphina was disturbed by the coolness on her forehead and Movira’s actions. Her eyes barely opened a slit, her gaze unfocused, and she could only utter a few fragmented sounds from her mouth.
Yet her body pressed closer to Movira, seeking the source of coolness.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll go find some medicine for you first.” Movira soothed her in a low voice, gently laying Seraphina flat on the pillow before quickly getting out of bed.
Logically, Seraphina, who had been through so many illnesses, must have kept some medicine on hand in her room.
Movira rummaged through one drawer after another. Fortunately, there weren’t too many. Soon, she found a spot with bottles and jars.
She quickly scanned the labels. Her gaze instantly landed on a white glass bottle—this was the fever-reducing medicine.
She poured the bitter-smelling pills into her hand.
Back at the bedside, Seraphina seemed to have slipped into a semi-comatose state, her breathing growing heavier.
“Seraphina, take the medicine before sleeping, okay?” Movira propped up her upper body, but her limp form didn’t even have the strength to sit straight.
This definitely wasn’t working. Movira sat beside her, pulling her into her arms and letting her lean on her shoulder. She picked up the water cup, intending to give her a sip first.
When the cup touched Seraphina’s lips, she turned her head away, water trickling down the corner of her mouth.
Movira hesitated no longer. She carefully placed the pill in Seraphina’s mouth, then prepared to feed her a sip of warm water.
“Mmph…!” In her daze, Seraphina sensed the pill’s bitterness, wanting to spit it out.
Movira noticed this sign.
No! This won’t work!
What she did next froze the air.
She quickly took a sip of water herself. Just as the pill was about to be pushed out, Movira leaned down, precisely covering Seraphina’s dry, cracked lips.
Then, she passed the warm water, using her tongue to block the escaping pill, mixing it with the water and slowly pushing it back.
This strange sensation made Seraphina weakly struggle, her palms feebly pressing against Movira’s chest.
But to her in the midst of high fever, this warm water was like a sweet spring—refreshing.
…
The firm and continuous delivery gradually made her chaotic consciousness and body give up resisting.
The bitter taste of the medicine seemed to fade bit by bit, then washed down with the water…
Movira controlled the flow, ensuring it was fully delivered, until she felt a slight swallowing motion.
Finally.
Only then did she slowly lift her head, ending this prolonged… Her breath was still a bit unsteady.
The point of contact still retained Seraphina’s scorching temperature.
Seraphina slumped softly in Movira’s arms, panting heavily. Her cheeks were even redder than before—whether from the fever or from that intimate contact.
She seemed a bit more awake now, her gaze dazed as she looked at Movira so close, opening her mouth but unable to make a sound.
“Alright, you’ve taken the medicine.” Movira gently wiped the residue from the corner of her mouth, helping her lie down slowly and pulling her back into her embrace.
“With the medicine, you’ll be fine… Sleep. I’m right here.”
Her palm continued to send coolness, pressed against Seraphina’s burning forehead.
Perhaps due to the medicine’s effect, or the security of the embrace, Seraphina’s rapid breathing gradually steadied, and she fell asleep again.
This sudden episode made Movira a bit fearful—not just because Seraphina had fallen ill again, with old wounds unhealed and new ones added, but also worry about her own actions just now.
The embrace might still be acceptable, but… what about that just now?
How could Seraphina accept this!
Movira felt like she was going mad too. She didn’t know how to resolve this series of problems.
Dawn broke, and the festival’s noise returned.
Dekalorin wandered through the lively festival grounds but still couldn’t spot Seraphina or Movira. Feeling a bit puzzled, she headed to Seraphina’s room.
Pushing open the door, Movira sat alone in a chair, her brows etched with lingering fatigue and gravity.
Seraphina still lay in bed, the blanket tucked tightly around her, seemingly still asleep.
…
“Heh, no wonder I couldn’t find you two. Turns out you’re here sleeping in. It’s the second day of the Gratitude Festival—the outside is buzzing.”
Movira looked up, her gaze meeting Dekalorin’s, her voice carrying obvious exhaustion. “She had a fever in the latter half of last night.”
The smile on Dekalorin’s face instantly vanished, replaced by pure concern. “Fever… Is it serious? Did she take medicine? See a doctor?”
She quickly approached the bed, glancing at Seraphina’s still pained face.
“Tsk…” Her brows furrowed, as if sharing Seraphina’s pain.
“Mm.” Movira nodded. “She took the medicine, and I used magic to lower her temperature. She’s much better now.”
Dekalorin let out a sigh of relief, though her expression remained unchanged. “Good, then. This body just started recovering a bit, and now it’s like this again… Such poor constitution—you need to take more care of her.”
She turned and noticed the faint dark circles under Movira’s eyes. “You didn’t sleep well either, huh? I’ll have someone send over some light meals later.”
Then, not lingering longer, Dekalorin shook her head lightly, gave a few more instructions, and left the room.
Not long after, Seraphina’s eyelashes trembled a few times on the bed, her eyes slowly opening.
The burning pain in her body was gone, though her temperature hadn’t fully normalized, and she still felt a bit weak. Compared to the torment at midnight, it was much better.
Fragments of memories pieced together: that secure embrace, the bitter medicine, and… that prolonged contact to feed the medicine.
Seraphina’s cheeks seemed to flush involuntarily, her heartbeat quickening. She had no idea how to face Movira.
Though there had been similar… or even more intimate contacts before, this time felt completely different.
The room was very quiet, with only their intermingled breathing. Seraphina could sense Movira was nearby, and it seemed her gaze had been on her all along.
This silence made her even more panicked. She had to say something to break the stillness and find a reasonable explanation for last night’s beyond-normal behavior.