Episode 24

Hestia entered the house and hurriedly sat Theo in a chair, lit a candle, and brought in a medicine chest, which she opened.

Theo still didn’t stir. His navy blue hair hid his expression, but Hestia could guess what it was.

“Frown. Don’t make a pretty face.”

Hestia lifted her index finger and gently traced Theo’s furrowed brow.

“Look up.”

Hestia pulled her chair across from him and sat down next to him.

Theo hastily covered his eyes with both hands and shook his shoulders. He was trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill out.

“Theo.”

Theo flinched at Hestia’s urgent call.

“Look at me.”

When he didn’t look up first, Hestia gently grabbed both of his wrists and pulled them down. Then she gently cupped Theo’s exposed face and lifted him.

Her touch was soft and delicate. Despite the fragile strength, Theo complied, though his gaze remained averted from Hestia.

“…….”

“You’re so insistent. Just look at me.”

At Hestia’s urging, Theo slowly lifted his eyes, finally able to meet her brown ones.

“Do I look angry to you?”

To the untrained eye, the expression might have seemed stony, even cold, but Theo knew better.

It was a warm expression, filled with gentle kindness. Hestia was that kind of person.

Theo held Hestia’s eyes for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

“No…….”

“This isn’t your fault. The bear would have attacked this house even if you hadn’t gone outside because the house is filled with sweet smells, and that would have put you in more danger than what just happened, Theo.”

“But.”

Theo spoke quickly, not wanting to justify his wrongdoing.

“That’s why I’d rather praise you.”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

He could feel a warmth enveloping him.

The last warmth she remembered was from her nanny, whose face was now a blur. But this felt different. No, it was very different.

Where the nanny’s embrace had been comforting, Hestia’s was more of a stimulus. Like every cell in her body was awake and craving something. That was it.

Hook, line, and sinker, a familiar scent wafted to his nostrils. Part grassy, part sweet fruit, part herbal, part medicinal, it was Hestia’s scent.

Dab, dab, dab.

The steady rhythm of Hestia’s touch thumped against Theo’s heart.

It wasn’t the palpitations he’d felt when he’d met the bear; it was a strange sensation he’d never felt before, a tingling sensation that ran through his entire body. It was like my body had broken down. My head went white.

My body temperature rose rapidly as if it was suddenly the middle of summer. She felt her face flush red.

Theo squeezed his eyes shut, worried that the heat would alert Hestia to his strange behavior.

He wanted to spit out a ragged breath, but with Hestia right next to his face, he held it in.

“You must have been scared, but you did well.”

Hestia’s clear voice rattled his ears.

“You did so well, you didn’t give up, you held on.”

The vibrations of her clear voice sent a shiver through Theo’s body.

It was too much.

He didn’t have the strength to hold on. He felt so helpless against this sensation.

“Now, wait a minute…….”

“Huh?”

“Wait!”

Theo grabbed Hestia’s shoulders and yanked her off her feet.

Thump-!

The chair clattered to the floor with a loud thud.

He didn’t dare look up for fear of revealing his flushed face.

My body felt so strange. I felt like I was floating on a cloud.

“Come on, Sue, I’m going to catch my breath!”

And without looking back, Theo ran into the room and slammed the door.

Hestia could only stare in disbelief at what had happened so quickly.

Breathe?

Does that mean I can’t breathe in here?

Why?

Why?

Hestia could not make sense of Theo’s behavior, so she just stared at the question marks.

“You don’t look like you’re hugging him that tight.”

Maybe I’m stronger than I thought.

Just to be sure, Hestia picked up a fork from the table, grabbed both ends and squeezed with enough force to make her arms shake.

But the fork was so peaceful.

“Hmm. There you go.”

Setting the fork down roughly, Hestia stared at the doorway Theo had entered.

She considered following him in to tend to his wounds but then shook her head and cast her gaze out the window.

“I hope Lou told him well.”

Tired of waiting for Theo, who seemed to have no intention of coming out for what seemed like an eternity, Hestia stood up.

A click.

The door swung open.

She turned to see Theo, his head bowed low, stalking toward her.

“……No, you’re surprised, aren’t you?”

“Not really, I was just wondering what was wrong with you.”

Pulling up a rolling chair on the floor, Theo turned to face Hestia again.

“I’ve been feeling a little off, so I thought I’d check on you for a bit. I’m sorry I startled you.”

“You don’t feel well? Where and how? You look a little flushed, you have a fever, let me see!”

At Theo’s words, Hestia’s eyes widened with concern and she reached out to touch Theo’s forehead.

Tsk.

But she didn’t get her wish.

Theo grabbed her wrist.

“It’s just the heat! I haven’t moved in a long time, I’m just hot, so…….”

Theo’s exposed ears grew redder and redder as if they were on fire.

“Okay, okay. Okay, just let go of my hand. ……What was the second rule I have to follow to be here?”

But Hestia’s gaze was so focused on Theo’s wound that she didn’t notice the change.

“……Cleanliness.”

“Right. If I leave your wound open now, it could get contaminated and add to the scarring, so hold still.”

Hestia’s hands were free. Theo hadn’t squeezed it hard, but it didn’t hurt.

“Now, lift your head.”

Hestia picked up a cotton ball soaked in something and tweezed it.

“…….”

Theo looked up, still.

Without hesitation, Hestia moved closer to Theo’s face and examined the cut on his forehead.

“This might sting a little, but it’s not going to kill you, so just hold on.”

Then she dabbed at the wound with a cotton ball.

“Ouch!”

A soft squeal escaped Theo’s mouth as the sting was more painful than he had imagined.

“Still, it works, Jibba.”

“Jik, bread?”

Theo scratched his head at the unfamiliar term.

Was it a newer bread?

“It works great. You haven’t heard, adults.”

“…… again.”

“Oh, sorry. But cut me some slack now. I’m busy.”

Hoo.

Hestia’s breath brushed against his skin. The hairs on his back stood on end, and Theo cringed as hard as he could.

His eyes had long since closed, unable to face Hestia so closely.

“……hhh.”

Theo sucked in a breath.

They were so close he could feel Hestia’s warmth even if they weren’t touching.

He didn’t dare to open his eyes to see what Hestia looked like.

She was sure she would run back into the room.

It was a near-certain assumption, judging by the way her ears were already perking up.

He didn’t even feel the sting anymore.

“Enough with the forehead.”

Hestia’s scent drifted away.

Theo opened his eyes softly, wishing for something.

“Now let’s take a look at your left arm. Bear scratches can be ugly.”

Hestia, who had just pulled another bunch of nameless things out of the medicine chest, urged him on.

“Ah…….”

Theo slowly held his wounded arm out in front of him as Hestia’s urging brought him back to his senses.

“This is deeper than I thought. It’s going to last a while. I’m going to have to get rid of some of my clothes.”

“Vern, do I have to take them off?”

“Yeah. It’s better to cut off the torn clothes, sleeves and all, in case I touch the wound when I pull them up to take them off.”

“Oh.”

Theo’s bare ears pricked up again in embarrassment.

“What were you thinking?”

Hestia let out a small, adorable giggle.

Then she quickly picked up a pair of scissors and carefully snipped her sleeve down to her elbow.

“This is going to hurt a little or a lot.”

Theo instinctively winced at Hestia’s outright scare tactics.

“Ouch!”

Theo braced himself, but the burning was so intense that tears stung his eyes. There was even a reasonable suspicion that he was picking at the wound.

“He says he’s being gentle, but I’m going to finish.”

Huh.

Once again, Hestia’s breath touched Theo’s flesh.

Theo’s heart pounded loudly as it rose and fell through the air and earth.

“……an, it hurts.”

And then, strangely enough, it didn’t hurt anymore. I didn’t feel any pain.

He almost wondered if the wound on his arm wasn’t real. Hestia’s hand felt so good against his arm as she applied the medicine.

“You’re bluffing.”

Hestia glanced over at Theo, who insisted it didn’t hurt, even though it should have.

I looked up, wondering how long she’d been looking at me, and locked eyes with Theo’s clear golden eyes.

“Hang in there.”

Hestia smiled softly out of the corner of her eye and returned her attention to her treatment. By now, the sun had completely set, and I had to rely on my vision in the twilight seconds.

Theo stared down at Hestia’s face, bathed in an orange glow. Something fluttered like a soap bubble, tickling his heart repeatedly.

“It’s done!”

“Thank you …….”

Theo glanced away from Hestia’s upturned head and down at his arm, which was tightly wrapped in a white bandage.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and come back and see about the other minor wounds. I’ll even put a tarp over it, so it shouldn’t be too uncomfortable to clean.”

“Just in case.”

“I’m not a doctor. I’ve never been formally trained. I just picked it up as a survival tactic.”

“Well, ……, just in case.”

“I’m not a mind reader.”

“…….”

“Your face says what you want to say, doesn’t it?”

Hestia smirked and ruffled Theo’s hair playfully.

“If you don’t feel comfortable washing it because of the wound, I can…….”

“Never mind.”

Theo cut off Hestia’s words firmly. Red-faced, Theo hastily gathered his clothes and headed for the bathroom.

The candles that lit the house were red, and it was dark outside. Thank goodness.