"I apologize... I have done my best to change the guest's clothes and wiped away the sweat, even administered the fever reducer three times, but the fever has not subsided. He seemed to be in severe pain, so I gave him painkillers as well, but there has been no improvement yet..."

Two attendants alternately bowed their heads as they reported Yuder's condition to Kishiar.

Due to an intense fever and pain of unknown origin, Yuder was constantly drenched in sweat. Despite their diligent care and repeated medication, Yuder's suffering appeared to remain unabated, with the fever blossoming over time and even emitting a strange scent from his entire body.

This scent was utterly unlike the musty smell common when ordinary people sweat. Nor did it resemble the fragrance of perfumes used by noblewomen. There are monsters that emit all sorts of scents to lure their prey, but how could such an odd fragrance emanate from a healthy person? Even the experienced attendants, who had weathered numerous incidents in the palace, could not maintain their composure in the face of this situation.

"It seems we may need to call a physician... What should we do?"

Hearing the attendants' report, Kishiar's gaze turned continuously towards the trembling figure.

Yuder saw Kishiar's hand, which had briefly twitched as if to move in his direction, disappear into a tight fist a moment later.

"Calling a doctor would be futile. This is a symptom that only occurs in Awakeners who are experiencing a second gender manifestation."

"Is this manifestation really such a serious matter?"

Noticing Kishiar's knowledge of a second gender manifestation, a fleeting look of sorrow passed through the eyes of the aged attendants. Kishiar smiled, as if to reassure them.

"Not at all. It seems my assistant's manifestation process is simply more intense than others. The heat and the scent may be due to an overlapping heat period, making it more painful."

It was not common, but it wasn't necessarily abnormal. Just as insects shed their exoskeletons at varying speeds, the process of something new forming was naturally arduous. But this state does not persist post-transformation. Once the shedding is complete, maturity is attained. Kishiar jokingly lightened the mood, presenting himself as living proof. The attendants finally relaxed their expressions and laughed along.

"Indeed, after undergoing awakening, Your Grace returned much more formidable and mature. Anyway, it is a relief that you say so..."

"But Your Grace, is there a reason you keep standing outside? Please come in and rest."

Unlike the attendants surrounding Yuder's bed, Kishiar remained motionless beyond the first protective barrier, maintaining a curious distance from the bed, neither fully entering nor withdrawing.

"...No. I will stay here."

"Do you have other matters to attend to soon? Even so, wouldn't it be better to rest for a while?"

...

Kishiar did not answer. As a servant rose to fetch a new towel and warm water, approaching Kishiar's position, Kishiar suddenly shook his head.

"I apologize... but please leave through the opposite door, not this one."

"Eh?"

The servant, who had reflexively expressed his confusion, was taken aback upon looking at Kishiar.

"No, Your Grace. Since when have you been sweating so much? Good heavens. You have perspired as much as that guest over there!"

Up close, Kishiar's forehead and neck were completely drenched in sweat. It was unbelievable that he could maintain a smile and carry on a conversation without showing any sign of his abnormal state.

Kishiar, waving off the panic-stricken attendant, took a deep breath and smiled faintly.

"I'm alright. More importantly, that person's condition is urgent; I would prefer you tend to him. I would like to help personally, but alas, I cannot."

"What nonsense you speak, Your Grace. How could someone of your stature... Nevertheless, I will ensure you need not worry. However, please do not stay here any longer than necessary. You've hardly eaten throughout the party; I shall bring you some refreshments."

"No. Tomorrow holds the first trial of the House of Apeto. I doubt it will proceed as planned, but I must attend nonetheless; my stay cannot be prolonged."

"Then all the more reason not to linger here, wouldn't you agree?"

"Just a little longer. Until it gets better."

"Your Grace..."

"Just a little more."

Kishiar stubbornly dismissed the attendants, preventing them from fussing over him more than Yuder, whom he kept watch over without missing a beat, even amidst conversation. His gaze, gentle yet firm, never strayed from Yuder's condition on the bed.

Eventually, the attendants ceased urging Kishiar to rest. He remained standing in the same spot before the protective barrier, watching over Yuder as he wished.

Kishiar observed every detail: Yuder's pallid cheeks twisted in pain, faint moans slipping through clenched teeth, limbs convulsing, and eventually, his body slumping over as if succumbed to fever.

And Yuder, through his faint senses, was aware of Kishiar's vigil.

The attendants, not being Awakeners, might not comprehend the enormity of what Kishiar was enduring, but he knew all too well.

Enduring the scent of a newly manifested second-gender Awakener in heat was not a matter of mere patience. Even at a distance, the overwhelming impulse was a challenge to withstand.

There was no urgency as there had been when he first rushed to move Yuder here, nor was there a compelling reason for him to stay and watch.

Yet, why was he so stubbornly enduring this pain, this instinct?

As dawn approached without a decrease in fever, the attendants finally brought precious ice. But even after the ice had melted, Yuder did not regain consciousness, the fever so intense it seemed to emit a mirage of steam.

At the break of dawn, Kishiar spoke.

"We must use Ponesa. Do we have any in storage?"

"What? No, since Your Grace left the palace..."

"Then we must acquire some."

"You can only obtain Ponesa powder with permission from the Imperial Physician and the Imperial Pharmacy. And at this hour, the pharmacy would not yet be open..."

"Do we need to go to a pharmacy that isn't even open?"

The attendants exchanged glances, their expressions turning to one of disbelief. They were the ones who had witnessed the growth of the legendary mischievous prince who once lived in this palace, so they surmised what their master intended to do.

"Surely… you do not intend to scale the walls of the palace greenhouse to fetch the Ponesa yourself, do you?"

"..."

"Your Grace!"

At that moment, Yuder began to breathe heavily once more. After the attendants had waged a war, sopping his face and limbs with melted ice water and wiping them down, when they lifted their heads, Kishiar had already vanished from where he stood.

"Good heavens, my word… Can it be true that he has really gone?"

"Isn’t that the place the Empress herself tends to? I have seen with my own eyes the installation of protective magic there, stronger than anything before… If by some mischance he is hurt by it, whatever shall we do?"

"What sort of person must he be to go to such lengths…?"

Their gazes turned toward Yuder's face. In their eyes, now more cautious and respectful than before, Yuder was merely closing his eyes in a daze…

With that, Yuder's consciousness slipped away once again.

Two manifestations. Two heats.

Both the beginning and the end were completely different, yet something was the same.

Somewhere deep within, deeper than the flesh, there was the fact that the same person existed alongside the strange desires that flared up like flames.

Once they had existed in despair, and at another time, they had been like a silent wall of protection at his side.

And now…

"…More."

A familiar voice called out to him through the muddled consciousness.

"…Yuder."

Like smoke, Yuder's floating consciousness was drawn to the call, rising towards somewhere. As he ascended, the sensations throughout his body became clearer, and the sounds from outside grew louder.

"Yuder!"

Yuder opened his eyes.

Beyond the hazy view, he saw Kishiar supporting his body. They were standing in mid-air, over an abyss with nothing below. Around Yuder, a gentle light radiated, enveloping him protectively.

"…"

"The blessing has done its job well."

Kishiar muttered to the blinking Yuder.

"If you had rolled a bit more, you would have fallen completely off the cliff."

The light surrounding Yuder slowly receded as if confirming his safety. Yuder stared blankly at Kishiar's face, sweating as in a faint memory. Wondering what it meant, Kishiar took a deep breath and spoke.

"I apologize for being late. I thought I was close, but it seems I underestimated my assistant’s ability to hide…"

"…"

"Nathan has gone to fetch the luggage; just wait a little. I have brought the common sedatives and stabilizers, so if you take those…"

Kishiar had the rare experience of not being able to finish his sentence. This was because Yuder silently reached out and wrapped his arms around Kishiar's neck.

A scent, potent enough to make one dizzy, enveloped Kishiar simultaneously. It was a hot, alluring fragrance that, despite its intensity, did not lose the honesty akin to its master.

Kishiar, fighting the urge to embrace him right then, kept silent for a moment before speaking again.

"…It must be very difficult to endure, but if you just bear with it a little longer…"

"…It’s not I who is enduring, is it?"

A low, submerged voice tapped at his ears. Within their locked gazes, darkened eyes whispered.

"In front of me, you promised not to hold back any longer, did you not?"