Chapter Seventeen: Cooperation of the Dying
“Karen, I’ll cooperate with your research.”
As soon as Karen returned to Sieg’s room, Sieg greeted her with a calm smile. Karen met this ominous calmness with a bewildered gaze.
“Are you saying that you’d rather die serving a research that benefits the Ehlertt family?”
“Heh, you understand well.”
Helfried’s prophecy had hit the mark. As expected of a father. This young master had absolutely no intention of being saved. This attitude would only interfere with Karen’s research.
“Heh heh heh… Guess what this is!”
“Huh…? A contract seal?”
“Oh? Is it possible that you can’t tell what this contract is about just by looking?”
“Did you make a contract with Father?”
“Yes! If you don’t survive, I’ll die too.”
“What!? No way, I’ll tell Father about this, so hold on—”
“No, you’re the one who should wait!”
Karen hastily pushed Sieg back onto the bed as he suddenly tried to get up.
“Don’t move suddenly. If you were to collapse and die right here, I would die too, you know?”
“But if things stay like this, you’ll die anyway, right?”
“I’ve told you repeatedly that the Bloodline Blessing isn’t a problem. Surely you don’t mean to tell me that there’s another issue aside from that?”
Looking up at Karen turning pale, Sieg slowly shook his head.
“There’s nothing like that—”
“Oh, if that’s the case, that’s good.”
Karen let out a sigh of relief, while Sieg opened his blue eyes wide.
Seeking help, he wandered his gaze around, but Sara was just staring blankly at Karen and didn’t notice his look.
“Since you have decided to cooperate with my research, let’s hear the details. I have a question I’d like to ask.”
“A question?”
As Karen approached with paper and pen, Sieg came to his senses and responded.
“About that night when you woke up and called us. Sara said you called her around an hour after the sixth bell, so she thought your fever must have spiked around then. But that’s not right, is it?”
“Who knows? It was several days ago, so I don’t remember clearly—”
“You’re quite stubborn.”
When Karen sighed, Sieg’s shoulders trembled.
“At night, you avoid having people near you because you hate them seeing your sleeping face, right? That’s why Sara and the other maids only noticed your fever when you accidentally dropped the bell.”
“What of it? Anyone can make a mistake with their hands.”
“You endured the fever for hours, didn’t you? Since my childhood friend also had the Bloodline Blessing, I understand fever progression better than you do. Fever rises gradually and doesn’t immediately immobilize you.”
“I’m originally weak, and it differs from person to person.”
“I’ve seen my childhood friend in even weaker conditions, and it wasn’t like this. When Sara and I came to your room, you were barely breathing.”
Karen stared intently at Sieg.
“What’s the real effective duration of my potion? It’s a crucial number for future research, so please tell me accurately.”
Karen had known from the beginning that Sieg was maintaining a stubborn facade. But she knew he would never tell the truth if she asked normally. To stop this life-risking stubbornness, she had to make him believe he would survive. She had to make him understand that sharing information accurately was necessary for survival.
That’s why Karen deliberately provoked Sieg, trying to turn him into a research collaborator. She believed that as a collaborator, he would tell the truth, but she was exasperated by his attempts to evade even at this stage. He wasn’t interested in her research at all, didn’t believe in it, and merely wanted to look good as the Ehlertt family’s next heir.
For the sake of her research and Sieg himself, she had to make this steel-willed person talk.
“Really, you’re so stubborn.”
Karen had asked Sieg to let her conduct life-risking research. She understood that Helfried, Sieg’s father, wanted to have her risk her life too. And it was scary. Though suddenly being bound by a magic contract was astonishing, Helfried might have even anticipated his son’s stubbornness. As expected of someone who would promise any reward to save his son.
Perhaps that was why he had Karen risk her life in a way Sieg could clearly see. Karen immediately understood when she saw the contract seal. This would change Sieg’s consciousness more effectively than words. After all, Sieg was an incredibly kind child, as Sara said.
When Karen raised the contract seal, Sieg visibly flinched.
Karen grinned.
As expected, with her life at stake, this kind-hearted boy would be under her control.
“My life is on the line too, Master Sieg.”
“…We didn’t need to discuss this in front of Sara.”
Eventually, Sieg muttered sulkily.
He seemed to have finally resigned himself. Karen gave a nod and mercifully turned to Sara with a request.
“Ms. Sara, could you step outside?”
“B-But, leaving you and Master Sieg alone…”
“It’s fine! If Master Sieg dies, I’ll die too!”
“That’s not something you should say so casually.”
Sieg looked at Karen with an exasperated expression. Karen interpreted this positively, thinking they were gradually becoming more comfortable with each other.
“Sara, since Master Sieg wishes it, please leave the room. I permit it.”
“Mr. Volker!”
Appearing out of nowhere was the butler who had previously called Karen, Volker.
“Ms. Karen, I’m Volker, the butler. Allow me to reintroduce myself.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Karen, the alchemist.”
“I’m well aware. I’ve come with a message from his lordship.”
Karen flinched.
She knew Helfried was a caring person, but he was still intimidating. Karen instinctively straightened her posture, and Volker narrowed his eyes.
“He said, ‘Alchemist Karen, please take good care of Sieg.’”
“You can count on me.”
“After all, your life depends on it.”
When Sieg spoke in a sulky tone, Volker laughed heartily, "Foh, foh, foh.”
After Volker left and Sara departed reluctantly, Sieg began to speak, staring at the contract seal on Karen’s hand. Karen was astonished, taking notes about the numerous secrets Sieg had been hiding. His condition was more than just a fever. He had apparently suppressed everything he could, never letting it show on his face.
Kind-hearted Sieg had been carrying a mountain of secrets, but that same kind heart made it impossible for him to stay silent when he saw Karen’s contract mark, so he gave in and shared everything.
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