Regarding the Duke with Gynophobia and the Eccentric Lady Scholar Chapter 15

Elsa felt weak. It was hot and cold. She couldn't get up. Her throat hurt.

She had a cold. She also had a fever.

"Ah…… The academic conference……"

She whispered hoa.r.s.ely and coughed violently. Ah ~, her voice leaked out.

Three days after the evening party at Duke Verdi's, Elsa was in bed with a fever. Did I catch Luca's cold? She thought, but that made her think of other unnecessary things as well, so she tried not to think about it.

When they heard that she had a fever her family said to her rudely, "Teething fever?" There's no way she would have teething fever.

Although she thought that, she couldn't answer back to them because she felt sluggish. Elsa exhaled in bed. She was quite busy earlier, so she wanted start preparing for the academic conference bit by bit.

However even if she did it now, she would definitely not progress at all. Even if she ran through it, it'll become the pattern of, "What am I doing?" So she decided to sleep.

"Elsa-sama. Duke Inglacia is here."

"…… Send him away."

Elsa bluntly said when Ashia said it with a surprising look on her face. Ashia, however, ignored Elsa and let Luca through. She had told him, "The Master has allowed you to come in". This was the Lombardini household so the words of her father, Dino, were absolute. It was something obvious though.

"I'm coming in."

Luca, who always barged in on her, also barged in today as well. Ashia, who had let Luca in, said, "Please call me if you need anything".

"Are you alright?"

Luca approached the bed and called out to Elsa. He pulled a chair towards him and sat down.

"Did you stay up late preparing for the academic conference?"

It was quite a horrible thing to say but she couldn't deny it. She couldn't deny that she had lost sleep because of it.

"Or did you catch it from me?"

"…… I've heard that you can catch colds but you can't catch fevers."

She had thought that she had caught it from Luca but Elsa had a fever not a cold, so she had gotten sick on her own.

…… There was no point in her telling herself that.

"Even if you have a fever, you're still yourself, huh Elsa."

Luca laughed and said. He roughly caressed her head and said, "It's hot". He was as rude as ever, but Elsa couldn't talk.

When Luca had a fever, he had told her that her hand felt good when he touched it. She kind of understood that feeling now, but she definitely won't say it out loud.

"…… A docile Elsa is also precious."

Since she didn't refute, Luca said such a thing. Well, it certainly seems like Elsa always rebuked.

"…… Anyway, what did you come here for?"

"…… No, I'm visiting you because you're sick."

Luca said bewildered, since sometime had already pa.s.sed since he'd arrived here. Elsa said in a small voice, "Ah, is that so? Thank you".

"I brought you some fruits."

"Ah…… You're really are visiting because I'm sick."

The things he brought were too much like things you would bring when checking on someone who was sick. Elsa didn't have any appet.i.te but she needed to eat something before she drank her medicine.

Elsa hazily got up. Luca reached out and supported her shoulders.

"I realised something."

"…… What is it?"

He said with a serious look on his face when Elsa looked at him with feverish, cloudy eyes.

"It appears that you're somewhat special to me."

"…… Would it be better for me to rebuke that?"

She felt as if her fever had gone down at once. No, it didn't go down? Luca's hands were colder after all.

"I'm serious."

"You're saying something so stupid with such a serious look on your face……"

Elsa sighed while relaxing her body and Luca embraced her. She was thankful that he was supporting her.

"Luca, don't you have gynophobia? Is it alright for you to treat me like this?"

Although she said that, she leant against him and got comfortable. Elsa was leaning against Luca.

"Elsa is Elsa, right?"

He said blankly like he always did and Elsa sighed once again. Can I really hit him just once?

"As long as you're you, then I like you Elsa."

"…… Ah ~, yeah, yeah. I like you too."

Perhaps Elsa had responded appropriately to the deadly serious Luca. Even so, Elsa who had known him for a long time didn't know whether or not he liked her reply, but Luca started behaving weirdly. In other words, he had kissed Elsa.

Two days ago, Luca, who had a fever, kissed Elsa. She thought that he had been half-asleep at that time but he was clearly wide awake right now.

She pa.s.sed it off two days ago but this time she…… Couldn't. Elsa was the one who was sick this time, so she was in a somewhat difficult position.

Elsa inadvertently bit the lips that were attacking her mouth.

"Mmm!"

Luca, who had his lips bitten by Elsa, was surprised and released her. Elsa breathed heavily.

"Th-that was painful……"

She retorted and licked the blood from her lips. Luca nodded as if he was remembering something, "Yeah".

"You have a fever, don't you? I'm sorry."

Elsa no longer knew when she should rebuke him. Luca touched her lips. He rubbed it strongly and wiped the blood off, and he laid her onto the bed.

"…… Even though you're always half-crying when young ladies approach you……"

She said bitterly while hugging the pillow and then Luca said as if nothing had happened:

"I know that you won't do anything like that, that's why. I'm fine even if I touch you."

"That's nice."

Luca wasn't discouraged by Elsa's adequate reply and continued, "And also…"

"I noticed that if I'm the one doing the touching, then it's fine."

"That's so unreasonable."

"But, that's only with Elsa."

When Elsa was confused about how to retort, there was a knock on the door. Ashia peeked inside the room.

"Elsa-sama. Marquis Toraetta and his wife are here to see you."

"…… Okay."

She had let Luca come in so she couldn't turn them away so she gave an ambiguous reply. Ashia had no intention of listening to Elsa in the first place and had let Rebecca in.

"How do you do, Elsa? You really do have a fever. Is it teething fever?"

"No, it's probably from staying up late too much."

Both Rebecca and Gaius were still the same. Why is that the first thing everyone asks? Elsa didn't reply and remained silent. Rebecca smiled wryly.

"Sorry. I'm just joking. Anyway, Luca you're here too…… You, what happened to that?"

Rebecca talked to Luca in her usual tone and then she asked curiously. Elsa adverted her eyes and Rebecca pointed at the cut on Luca's lips. Ah, Luca carelessly said.

"I was bitten."

"By what?"

"Elsa."

Rebecca, who by nature was unabashed, was shaken. Elsa didn't know anything anymore. She put the sheet above her head and closed her eyes. Oh, as soon as she closed her eyes she felt as if could sleep.

"Eh, what's happening? What's going on? What does it mean when you're bitten there?!"

When she was finally felt as if she was drifting off, Gaius's loud voice woke her up and she opened her eyes and said:

"Gaius, you're nosy."

"No, don't fall asleep when it's about you!"

"The person it's about is over there, ask them. I'm a sick person."

Elsa retorted in a mutter. She had thought that she would finally be able to have a pleasant sleep but was called out of it and was displeased. For some reason, Luca had a surprised look on his face.

"Huh Elsa, are you sleeping in this situation?"

"…… I'll say this as many times as it takes, I'm a sick person. It's something you did, so explain it by yourself. Then, goodnight."

Elsa said only that before closing her eyes again. This time she planned to fall asleep. She was a little tired.

"Hey wait a minute, Luca-san. Duke Inglacia? What's going on?"

Elsa heard Rebecca's voice pestering her with questions, but this time she did not open her eyes and fell into the deep abyss that was sleep.