Time Healer Ceres

Slurp, slurp!

“Haah.”

Seeing Skal drink the stew straight from the bowl, Lot raised his hand to order another serving.

Thud.

“...?”

But before he could, a fresh bowl of stew was placed on the table. Lot looked up to find Ceres, the owner of Where Your Steps Come to Rest standing there.

“It’s on the house.”

“Oh!”

Skal’s face brightened upon seeing the fresh bowl of stew. However, he soon frowned as the wound beneath the bandage around his neck throbbed.

“If you want more, just let me know. I’ll bring you another bowl.”

When the S-Class Black Forest suddenly appeared, Ceres came across some familiar faces while fighting off the monsters. They were the Black Guild mercenaries who frequented the shop.

Skal, the leader of the Black Guild, had taken down monsters faster than anyone else while making sure his subordinates were safe. The way he had protected them, even going so far as to expose part of his own body to the monsters, had left a strong impression on Ceres.

Airien made a flower garden there too.

It was meant to give the injured a place to rest even if only for a short while. Ceres wasn’t sure if it had made a difference, but she had heard that not a single member of the Black Guild had lost their life.

Skal watched Ceres walk away, a faint smile forming on his lips.

“I knew my eyes weren’t wrong.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

That day, when Skal had entered the S-Class Black Forest, he had seen Ceres.

“Hey! Snap out of it!”

“Guh...!”

[Kieeeeeek!]

“—!”

It was a moment of life and death.

While he was distracted trying to save one of his fallen subordinates, a monster had burst out from beneath the ground. There was no time to react. When he thought he would have to sacrifice an arm...

Whoosh!

Bam!

[Kieee... Argh...]

A pitch-black sword pierced straight through the monster’s head, striking its vital point.

Then, someone caught the returning sword with practiced ease, the blade flying back to its master as if it were alive.

The stew shop owner?

She disappeared before his eyes, but Skal had seen enough. How could he fail to recognize the person who served him food every day?

“I told you before. Her movements weren’t ordinary.”

The way Ceres moved when that kid fell wasn’t something an average person could do.

“I’ve been asking what you’re talking about this entire time.”

“Nothing. Just forget it.”

Skal chuckled before happily digging into the second stew, eating it with the same enjoyment as if it were his first time trying it.

“Lady Ceres, you should rest.”

Jay, the maid who was busy running between the kitchen and the dining area, watched Ceres head back toward the kitchen with worry.

Ceres claimed she had fully recovered, but Jay wasn’t convinced. She couldn’t believe Ceres had even come back to work at the shop.

Despite Jay trying to stop her and telling her to rest more, Ceres insisted on coming because they had a large group of customers arriving today. Jay could only fidget anxiously as she watched her.

“The rush is over now, so please just sit here and stay put!”

“Alright.”

Faced with Jay’s firm insistence, Ceres eventually gave in and took a seat in the corner of the shop.

“But Jay.”

“Yes?”

Jay, who was busy clearing away empty dishes, turned around when Ceres called her name.

“Did Cheion come by while I was away?”

“Lord Cheion?”

Jay paused to think before shaking her head.

“No. He didn’t.”

“Not even once?”

“No.”

“Hmm.”

It was strange. Until recently, Ceres had seen Cheion come by almost every other day, but now she hadn’t seen him at all. At first, she wondered if she had simply missed him while she was unconscious. But apparently, he hadn’t visited the shop even once during that time.

I didn’t see him at the last Imperial Council meeting either.

Could something have happened? Cheion wasn’t the type who would disappear and stay quiet for this long.

Ceres suddenly got to her feet.

“Lady Ceres?”

“I’m going out for a bit.”

“Where?”

Jay stared at her with concern, clearly wanting to tell her not to go anywhere and to return home to rest instead.

Ignoring her worried look, Ceres untied the apron around her waist.

“The Magic Tower.”

***

“Ceres!”

“......”

After arriving at the Magic Tower, Ceres was escorted to the reception room by Luca, Cheion’s aide. She sat there sipping tea until Cheion soon appeared, practically rushing into the room.

“You...”

Ceres’ eyes widened slightly when she saw him. Why did he look so exhausted?

“Are you sick?”

He looked like he had lost some weight as well. Ceres frowned and carefully examined him.

“No. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“It’s just that he hasn’t been eating properly.”

Luca sighed and added the explanation from beside them.

“...What?”

Ceres frowned again.

“Why haven’t you been eating?”

“I have.”

But I had no appetite lately, so I wasn’t able to eat much.

“Did something happen?”

Cheion tried to smile as if everything was fine, but before he knew it, a sigh escaped him. Ceres tilted her head.

“Alex is sick.”

“Prince Alex?”

“Yes.”

When Cheion said Alex’s name, his expression sank darker than ever.

“He doesn’t even want me to call a healer.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know...”

Cheion let out another long sigh.

“Maybe he’s just tired of it all. He’s been examined by healers countless times since he was young, and nothing ever seemed to help. He had been looking much better recently, but his condition suddenly worsened again. I’m thinking about sending him away to recover for a while.”

“Hmm.”

Ceres thought back to the first time Alex had visited her shop. She remembered the terrible coughing fits that had made her wonder if she would end up having to clean up a corpse.

Then, she looked at Cheion and asked:

“Can I take a look at him?”

***

“Cough... cough!”

“Geez, why are you being so stubborn? Why won’t you let a healer treat you?”

“I heard the current Countess of Ellesia is quite skilled.”

Two people stood at Prince Alex’s side as he continued coughing. They were Princess Nailia and Crown Prince Aseraian.

Seeing Alex’s feverish face, the two of them looked increasingly grim.

“As you know, this isn’t something a healer can cure... Cough!”

After hearing that his condition had taken a turn for the worse, the two had immediately rushed to the Magic Tower. But hearing that Alex was still refusing to see a healer only left them frustrated.

“So you’re really just going to stay here and do nothing?”

“Exactly. We have to try something.”

The two of them sighed heavily. They knew better than anyone how long Alex had suffered from his illness. But even so, he was refusing to let a healer examine him. Was he really planning to lay here and wait for death?

“His Majesty is worried sick about you as well.”

At Crown Prince Aseraian’s words, a faint smile touched Alex’s lips.

“He must be worried.”

Though I doubt he’s worried about me.

Bang!

“Alex.”

The door suddenly opened, and Cheion stepped inside. The three people in the room naturally turned their gazes toward him.

Then, they noticed a familiar figure entering behind him.

“Ceres?”

“What brings you here?”

The three of them stared in surprise at the unexpected visitor.

“I heard you were sick.”

Ceres approached Alex, who was lying on the bed. He looked completely different from the last time she had seen him.

For his condition to worsen this suddenly...

When she had seen him at the Academy, there had been no obvious signs that he was ill. It was as if the frail appearance she had seen when he first came to her shop had been nothing more than an illusion.

But now, he looked even worse than he had back then.

He looks like dried bark.

The cracked skin visible along his neck and the backs of his hands looked like dry tree bark clinging to him. It was as though something inside his body was stealing every bit of moisture from his skin...

Even standing near him, she could feel the intense heat radiating from his body.

“Cough! Cough... Ugh... cough!”

“Alex!”

When Alex suddenly broke into another violent coughing fit, Cheion hurriedly rushed to his side.

“W-water. Should I get you some water?”

“Here!”

“A towel! Is there no one outside? Hurry and bring a towel!”

Princess Nailia and Crown Prince Aseraian also moved quickly to check on Alex. None of them could hide their panic as he continued coughing without being able to stop.

What should we do? What can we do? Should we call a healer right now? Should we force him to see one if we have to...?!

Drip.

“.....?”

But then, in the middle of the chaos, a sound that didn’t belong reached their ears. The gazes of all four people turned toward the same direction.

Drip.

It was Ceres. She was doing something off to the side.

...Tea?

She was brewing tea with the hot water that had already been prepared in the room. While the others looked on in confusion, Alex immediately realized what she was making.

This scent... It was that tea.

The tea Ceres had given him when he first visited her shop.

“Drink this.”

With the gazes of the four people fixed on her, Ceres held out the freshly brewed tea to Prince Alex.

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