"Oh! Please come in." With a brief pause, Eldric opened the door completely and invited the old man in.
Stepping inside the old man took a look around before speaking softly. "I can presume that your parents have left, right?"
"Umm..." With a nod, Eldric filled a cup with warm water and a few tea leaves before placing it in front of the old man.
Sitting on the opposite seat, he looked at the old man and asked "Can you tell me more about her condition?"
Even though he heard from his adoptive parents, he still wanted to know more about her condition. Till now his entire focus was on completing the trial and earning as many tokens as possible. But now that everything was going smoothly, it was time for him to take care of things that he previously neglected, and that included taking care of his wife.
"You might have heard from your parents, but her situation isn't as simple as it might seem." Taking a sip of the tea, the old man's hazy eyes looked towards Aria's room as he continued in a hoarse voice.
"During the sudden beast tide, she was poisoned by a rare beast we had never seen before."
"We might have saved her life that day, but the damage was already done. Instead of her body, the poison acted on her mind, making her lose herself. She would only regain consciousness for a day at most before drifting away in the same state as before.
If I don't treat her monthly, then the poison will spread all over her body, possibly ending her life."
Listening to the old man, Eldric didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, he was worried about her, but on the other hand, he was at complete apathy. She was his wife in this world, but she was also a complete stranger.
On one hand, he was overwhelmed by the feeling of wanting to do everything for her, while on the other hand, he felt like a mere passerby who shouldn't be worried about her state, After all, their marriage wasn't based on love, but on convenience.
In this battle between emotions and reasoning, in the end, emotions prevailed. For the first time in life, Eldric felt like he was the one in charge of anything. For the first time in his life, he was the one taking care of someone else. For a sixteen-year-old boy, this was something completely new... Something he had never felt before.
And while Eldric was lost in his train of thought, the old man was observing him silently. The boy didn't seem like an irresponsible person like he was told. Instead, he could feel his silent determination.
"Is there really no way?" This was the only thing Eldric could ask. But in his heart, he wasn't too confident. After all, they have been treating Aria for the past twenty or so years and yet there were no signs of improvement. If there really was something that could help her, they would have already done so.
The old man forced a smile while shaking his head, before adding a small sentence.
"At the moment there is nothing that could treat her. But..."
With some hesitation, he spoke further.
"I have achieved some success in minimizing the effects of the poison to a small degree. With this new treatment, she can now stay awake for an entire day every week."
"Huh!?" Opening his mouth, Eldric wanted to say something but no words came out. He still hadn't talked to her after their marriage. And now that the old man told him that he could possibly talk to her once every week... He didn't know how to react.
Though he was feeling excited, there was a sense of dread too. He was afraid of her reaction once she woke up and found herself married to her own younger brother. What will she feel then? Is he even worthy to be with her? Even if it was her parents who decided on her marriage, he too was equally responsible for it. After all, he too didn't reject this idea.
The more Eldric thought about it, the more flustered he got. There was a feeling of guilt as well as the feeling of shame that was eating him up from the inside.
This inner struggle went on for a while and in the end, Eldric just let out a helpless sigh. He might have taken advantage of her, but now it was time to make it up for her.
With this in mind, Eldric looked at the old man and gave him a nod.
"Please..." He only spoke one word but it was enough to express his emotions.
The old man nodded in understanding. "Invite her out, please."
After speaking he took out a small bottle of red liquid and placed it on the table.
Eldric didn't ask too many questions but stood up and walked to Aria's room. Surprisingly the room which was usually closed was open today. Walking inside, he saw Aria just sitting there in silence while looking blankly at the scenery outside the window.
"Sigh..." Looking at her condition, Eldric couldn't help but shake his head. Slowly arriving near her, he raised his hand and grabbed her wrist gently.
Holding her wrist Eldric felt her body trembling for a moment before returning to normal. He didn't think too much about it and just presumed it was her natural reaction.
Gently leading her outside the room, he nodded to the old man.
The old doctor didn't say anything but stood up and arrived near her. After placing his palm on her forehead he closed his eyes. Soon, both of them were covered by a dim white glow.
Looking at the two of them who were standing there motionless, Eldric just gritted his teeth and hoped for the best. There was nothing he could do at the moment other than praying in his heart.
It took a while but the dim white glow was beginning to diminish. And sure enough, it didn't take long before the white glow disappeared completely.
"It's you...!?"
Just when Eldric was nervously waiting to see what would happen next, he heard a completely unfamiliar voice. The voice seemed to be filled with some hesitation and confusion.
Looking at the person speaking, Eldric's breathing stopped for a moment. He just looked at the girl whose eyes were now filled with life constantly looking around with some confusion and curiosity.
"Aria..?" He didn't know why he said that, but as soon as he said it, the girl turned her head and looked at him with some confusion before widening her eyes in disbelief.
"El... Eldric!?" Rushing towards him, she stood in front of him before raising her hand and touching his face gently.
"It is you." With a smile, she looked around as if wanting to see someone else too.
"Dad and mum aren't here." Eldric knew what she was looking for, so he gave her an answer.
"Where... Where are... They?"
Aria seemed to be having some difficulty while speaking as she spoke slowly.
"Gone to attend some business. They didn't say much, just that they will be back soon."
"I see." With a nod, she went silent. Though she said that, Eldirc could feel the bitter disappointment in her voice.
"You will have plenty of time to catch up later. But right now, you need to drink this potion. It will let you regain your senses once a week."
Interrupting Eldric and Aria, the old doctor picked up the option before handing it to Aria.
It wasn't until she gulped it down before he nodded in satisfaction.
"I need to observe her for some time to see if there are any negative effects."
"Hmm..." Eldric just nodded in response.
"Do you think I can start here for a week!? It will save me the trouble of going back and forth constantly."
Eldric who was ready to send him off was stunned after hearing this request of his. He wouldn't have any problem if he was alone, but with the presence of Aria, he couldn't make a decision all by himself and just leave her alone with a stranger. Even if that stranger was her doctor.
How could an old man like him couldn't notice his worries? So with a smile, the old doctor spoke again.
"Don't worry. I don't need to check her constantly.
I heard from your parents that you are working as a shopkeeper. How about I accompany you there every day for the next week? This way you won't have to worry about leaving Aria with an old man like me."
There was a simple on his face as he spoke these words.
"....." Eldric didn't give him an immediate reply but looked toward Aria as if wanting to know her opinion.
"I have no problem." Aria just nodded with a smile.
"Okay then." Since she doesn't have any problem, Eldric too doesn't have any. Agreeing with the old man, he took out the small paper from his pocket and looked at the time.
"Damn it. I am late." Almost crushing out loud, he rushed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Aria and himself. But before he could even take a step forward he was stopped by Aria.
"How about we eat outside today?"
"Sure, I have no problem." As soon as she gave this suggestion, the old man agreed immediately, as if he were waiting for this moment.
Looking at the two of them, Eldric could only curse inside his mind. Before their departure, his adoptive parents left him some money, but it wasn't much. By now he had spent most of it on the daily necessities and the robe. He still needed to pay this old man for the treatment. And now that the old man was able to improve her condition, Eldric could only imagine the ever-increasing amount of bills.
For a moment he wanted to refuse.
What a joke. Since the day he came to this new world, he had never eaten out, and now suddenly someone was asking him for a treat outside..... For a moment, Eldric wanted to refuse, but after seeing the hopeful look on Aria's face, he couldn't bring himself to say no.
"Let's go." Helplessly, he could only shake his head before walking towards Aria, holding her hand under her surprised eyes and making his way towards the market.