I Became a Sick Nobleman

Shuaa.

All of a sudden, I woke to the sound of the curtains being drawn.

‘Damn body.’

I could barely open my eyes.

After suffering the whole night in pain, I barely managed to get a wink of sleep after being constantly woken up due to pain.

“Are you up?”

Hearing Cassion’s words, Ruel didn’t bother responding.

“Hey, I know you’re awake. If you want to go out and come back before the slug comes, you’re going to have to hurry.”

Knowing I can’t pretend anymore, I opened my eyes and looked at Cassion.

Trying to get up, I was immediately overcome with weakness, causing my body to feel limp and heavy as if it was shackled by steel chains.

‘This damn body.’ Feeling limp, I laid back onto the bed cursing.

“Here, let me lift you up.”

Cassion raised Ruel’s upper body delicately without shaking him too much. After making sure Ruel was sitting comfortably on the bed, he brought water and medicine without a word.

“You still have a slight fever. You were sicker than usual last night.”

As if he was following a routine, Cassion lifted his body straight to wipe the sweat gathered on his body with a damp cloth and he did this with great familiarity, even helping him change his clothes.

I felt refreshed after my body was cleaned.

“I know you don’t like it, but I’ll bring you a meal.” Cassion said to him, after helping.

“Sure.”

Seeing Cassion leave the room, l took the medicine placed on the desk next to the bed.

Only after my body became more comfortable did I take in the surroundings. I realized that my room, which I thought was fine, had their windows blocked up by newspapers.

‘Could this house even be called a manor when there are no servants to even manage the house properly?’ I laughed lightly.

Although it was my second day of becoming Ruel, I felt good today, thinking of finally saying goodbye to this wretched disease.

‘If I get that power, it will be a great start.’

The most important thing for a person is to cherish their health. After all you have to be healthy for you to accomplish anything. I don’t want to go back to who I was before and certainly not the way I am right now either.

I just want to live a normal, healthy and peaceful life.

‘That should be very simple.’

***

After a light meal, I dressed before going out.

“Where did you find this?” Tugging at the loose clothes I asked. It felt like I was wearing someone else’s clothes.

Cassion complained of injustice.

“It’s only been half a year since I served you.”

“So?”

“What?”

“It’s good because you personally confessed your laziness of not doing anything for half a year.”

I took a breath and continued again.

“So you’re really letting me go out wearing these clothes?”

“Sorry. Among other spare clothes, that one is the smallest one.”

“Thanks for saving my face.”

“I’m sorry.”

Hearing the same thing over and over again, I noticed a fact.

That slug had more money to eat than I thought.

It’s been more than five years since he kicked Ruel out with the excuse of nursing him. As the condition worsened, his authority as the Lord also steadily declined paving a way for his cousin. Even the smallest clothes he’s wearing now would be taxing for him to buy now.

“Ha…”, I laughed at the scene.

I didn’t know that Setiria’s condition would be much more severe than I thought.

“Sorry.”

“Okay, I’m ready.”

“All right. Please wait a minute.”

Cassion, who left with the door open, dragged something in. It was an object resembling a wheelchair with a clatter. Cassion then carried Ruel to the wheelchair and gently pushed him out of the room.

“Ruel-nim, where do you want to go?”

“The backyard of this house.”

“… Pardon?”

***

Druck. Druck.

Followed by the echoing sound of the wheels, Cassion calmly pushed the wheelchair to the backyard, he couldn’t help wondering what kind of outing it was.

Seeing the backyard, unkempt due to the overgrown weeds wildly blooming, Ruel chuckled lightly.

Cassion, the ‘butler’ who couldn’t manage the entire mansion alone, felt uncomfortable considering he hadn’t seemed to have done his job well.

“It’s clean, no bloodstains. You cleaned it up very well.”

“That’s not the reason you’re here?”

“Cough, Cough.”

Just in time, I coughed.

“Of course not.”

Cassion could see the corner of Ruel’s mouth slightly rising.

‘Should I have tidied it up?’

Cassion gripped the handle tightly.

The assassins sent by slug stole everything from Ruel.

Even if they were dead, wouldn’t they have wanted to smile at the mess they made?

“Go over there.”

Looking around the yard, Ruel looked around and pointed to a tree.

‘Ah… I killed a man over there.’ Musing, Cassion slowly pushed the wheelchair, considering the road was rather bumpy.

Although he was careful, Ruel still turned pale. Cassion glanced at Ruel’s complexion, he looked happier the more he saw.

‘There!’

Ruel was as excited.

The power was asleep in that ugly tree.

The way to live, my second chance.

The power left by the original Hero.

It was a kind of power that grew the more it was used.

There were four forces left by the hero as he knew it.

Who would’ve guessed it would be resting in someone’s backyard? No one would even suspect something so extraordinary was hibernating here.

Although by claiming this power he will be depriving the main character of one of his abilities, but so what? The hero will be able to live well without it, but he himself could not live.

It was a necessary action for survival.

‘The power of recovery.’

The strength to recover from illness and to recover endlessly.

With this ability, I wouldn’t die unless I was decapitated or stabbed in the heart. He grinned happily at the thought.

I pointed at the tree and said, “Cut.”

A perplexed Cassion, compiled “Yes, sir.”

The lone tree was cut down mercilessly with that polite answer.

When the heavy tree fell with a thud, a piece of thumb was visible at the base of the truck.

You’ve got to say the protagonist is a lucky guy. Even the random tree he accidently cuts while fighting the assassins is full of opportunities. What a lucky guy.

‘It’s an amazing coincidence.’

I reached out to the thumb sculpture before Cassion said anything.

The moment I touched the thumb, it was as if time had stopped.

All sound and movement froze as if they were captured in a photo.

The trial had begun to see if I could inherit the power left by the hero.

―Do you know pain? Do you know the immensity of pain?

“I know.”

I spoke with confidence.

The main character was also seriously injured because of Cassion.

“I know more than anyone else.”

I gripped the thumb tighter.

I knew if I had this body, I would be able to pass the trial with ease.

Light stretched out from the sculpture. It formed into a hand which slowly caressed his body.

―… Huh.

A sigh flowed out. There was no such reaction in the novel.

― I see, you understand pain more than anyone else.

“Yes.”

Ruel laughed. As expected, He passed the trail successfully.

―Pitiful man, accept me. I will give you strength to overcome the pain.

“Anytime.”

The hands that were groping for themselves came into their bodies.

And finally, the sculpture merged into his body, and the light vanished.

“Be careful! I don’t know what it is… What?!”

Cassion was shocked to see the thumb sculpture missing, but with a weird feeling he looked up at Ruel. Who had a serious expression on his face.

“Ruel-nim?”

Ruel didn’t answer.

He just looked at the cut tree with a complex expression.

‘Is it a tree with a story?’

It was a tree that had existed even longer than the house it resided in.

Even when Cassion came here, it was such an unsightly tree that it did not fit in the backyard, but here it was left without any special instructions or care.

It was a miracle, such a tree was not cut until today.

Finally, after this day I can protect Setiria.

‘I made up my mind.’

Cassion, after looking around, decided to step aside.

“Ruel-nim, It’s cold. I’ll bring the blanket.”

When Cassion left, a sigh escaped from Ruel’s mouth, who had been staring at the tree for a long time.

Ruel soon quivered his lips and spat out a curse.

“… Fraudster.”

I only felt a little lighter, but the disease that is crushing my body did not disappear.

‘What kind of recovery is this? Wasn’t I supposed to get cured and should be relieved from all pain? Damn it!’

It’s completely different from the novel!

The power of healing was real.

Is it because I’m not the main character?

I looked around and picked a stuck stone under the wheelchair.

‘Huh?’

My body moved more easily than I thought.

After seeing the sharp stone in my hand, I thought really hard, and then hit my leg.

“… Ugh!”

Maybe it’s because the grip on the stone or my body is weak, but it’s bleeding.

And I watched it quietly.

‘… That’s weird.’

The blood stopped with the feeling of something warm moving inside the body, with that feeling the pain was also washed away.

By the time Cassion came back, the wound had healed.

‘What is this? It works?’

“Are you all right?”

Instead of covering me with a blanket, Cassion asked.

“No.”

It couldn’t have been all right.

It was because I just thought of one theory.

“Is that so?”

“Let’s just go in. Cough Cough.”

“Yes, sir.”

l heard the wheel rolling and bit my thumb.

‘Is it because the power only works after being inflicted with wounds? It speeds up recovery?’

It seemed so. Hasn’t it just been proven earlier?

‘What a fucking joke.’

Plans don’t always flow the way one wanted them to.

Haaa… My second chance to overturn my fate ended in failure.

Soon I didn’t have time to think about anything else. My stomach ached.

A whole lot.

***

‘… Huh?’

I could taste again.

The moment I saw Cassion looking at me with anticipated eyes, my appetite dropped sharply.

“How is it?”

“… Somewhat good.”

Cassion seems to be pleased with the reply because he was looking at me with delight.

“Cough, Cough!” In a sudden fit of cough, I stopped eating and grabbed my chest.

Not sure how long, but even after a long time, my coughing didn’t stop.

Cassion stopped looking at Ruel and calmly pulled out the basin he had left under the bed and placed it beside him.

Something hot flowed up my throat.

“… Wek!”

Pitch black blood formed puddled on the basin.

After a long time the coughs stopped, but my whole body felt even weaker than before.

“Are you all right?”

Cassion wiped Ruel’s mouth and moved his eyes toward the door.

He seemed to be letting me know that someone was here, the slug appeared earlier than expected.

‘What a crazy timing.’

I stretched weakly on the bed and laughed inwardly.

Knock. Knock.

“Come in, please.”

The door opened as soon as Cassion’s words were finished.

A middle-aged man dressed up in luxurious clothes from head to toe walked in.

Mineta Setiria was a man who glistened just like he was described in the novel. Especially his hair, they were shining even in this darkened room.

“How have you been, My Lord?”

Mineta bowed gracefully.

When he lifted himself up again, he asked with a surprised look.

“… Are you okay?”

Don’t pretend you don’t know. You clearly heard it from outside. I’m really powerless right now, so I waved my hand weakly.

“Cassion.” Mineta said.

“Yes sir?”

“What happened?”

“He suddenly vomited blood during the meal.”

Cassion glanced at the basin and carefully moved it out of the bed.

“Did he take any medicine?”

“He did.”

“Then how is he not better!”

Watching this farce, l wanted to applaud him for his performance, if one didn’t know his true character they would have thought that he was really concerned about his family.

What a sly man.

“That’s enough, get it out of here.” I said.

Cassion lowered his head and carried the basin outside.

“Oh, how come you’re getting so weak.”

Mineta sat in Cassion’s seat and clasped Ruel’s hand.

‘Cheeky…!’

I wanted to shout, but didn’t have the strength to speak.

“Please live a long life for Setiria, we need you.”

Unlike his consoling voice, Mineta’s eyes were filled with desire.

“No matter what anyone says, the Lord is the rightful blood of Setiria.”

The words had thorns mixed with it. Ruel was the only child of the main house, the heir to the throne of Setiria.

His parents died in a sudden accident, so he naturally became a head of the household.

“You don’t know how much the previous Lord cared about you. I have no doubt that you will be a great Lord just like your father.”

‘It smells. This guy stinks.’

Although Mineta tried to hide his wiggling desire, every time he spoke the stench that leaked out made one nauseous.

Looking at the scene before him, Ruel thought of a familiar cliche.

‘You must be the one who killed Ruel’s parents.’

Then just as these thoughts drifted in his mind, a warm current flowed throughout his body.

The power that disappeared earlier slowly returned. As it flowed through the body it became easier to breathe. The pain that was crushing my chest, also eased.

This power. It might be possible for me to stand now.

‘Ha.’

I’m not wrong, this path is correct. It’s not a failure.

To be exact, it was half successful.

The disease remains the same, but the power of recovery will not let him die. It will steadily heal me after a trauma.

‘That’s enough, for now.’

“Mineta.”

It may be because of a cough, but my voice sounded hoarse. They were like iron chains being dragged across the floor.

‘That sounds terrifying.’ He sounded like he was in a very serious condition and even felt sympathetic toward himself when he heard it.

“Yes, My Lord.”

For a moment, I saw Mineta’s grin.

l almost laughed when I saw that. He wasn’t aware of the fact that I was being vigilant.

“Thanks.”

Thank you so much.

For misunderstanding things yourself.