On the second floor, inside Leo’s bedroom.
The air was thick with a rich, slightly bitter herbal scent, dispelling the room’s original incense.
Leo was lying on his stomach on the bed, bare-chested and pitiful.
His originally fair back, shoulders, and arms were covered in red, swollen burn marks from the high-temperature burns, along with bloody gashes from rolling across the blue stone floor. The sight was shocking.
“Hiss—it hurts, it hurts! Mother, gentle, gentle, please…”
Leo sucked in cold air in pain, his hands gripping the sheets tightly, his features scrunching together.
“Now you know it hurts? Where was that fear when you were playing the hero on the training ground?”
“It’s just skin wounds and mild burns?” Lady Elsa looked at her son’s injuries, her eyes full of undisguised heartache.
“You knew Cedric is a second-rank mage. Why did you provoke him? You could have just avoided him like usual.”
“I didn’t provoke him. He came looking for trouble!”
“Still talking back!” Lady Elsa smacked the back of his head irritably. “Do you think this is a street brawl? Between mages, any carelessness can be fatal. If I hadn’t arrived in time today, would you be lying here talking to me now?”
Leo deflated like a punctured balloon and muttered gloomily, “I get it…”
“I just couldn’t take it…” Leo buried his face in the pillow, his voice muffled. “I could handle him cursing at me, but who does he think he is to boss us around in our own house?”
Lady Elsa paused for a moment and sighed. “You’ve grown up, Leo. Today… you were brave.”
“Having backbone is a good thing, Leo. But backbone without strength to back it up usually just gets you killed.”
Though Elsa scolded him harshly, her hands moved with extreme gentleness. With her fingertips, she applied a thick, light green ointment carefully to Leo’s wounds.
“Mmm… so cool… so itchy…”
As the light green ointment took effect on his skin, Leo’s originally burning back felt an extremely refreshing coolness, like pressing an ice pack on a hot summer day.
Soon after, the wounds began to itch—a sign of granulation tissue growing rapidly.
As a potion master, Elsa’s personally brewed recovery potion, though stinging when applied, was nearly as effective as healing magic.
Within just over ten minutes, the shocking redness and burns had begun to scab over and peel off, revealing fresh new skin beneath.
“All done, the medicine is applied. Stay in your room for a few days and reflect.”
“Got it, Mother.” Leo obediently replied.
Lady Elsa stood up, pulled the blanket over him, and turned to walk out of the room.
The room fell silent again.
Actually, the wounds on his back no longer hurt much under the potion’s effect, just a numb, tingly sensation.
Leo tried moving his arm. Other than a slight tightness, it was basically fine.
Just as he was about to turn over and get into a comfortable position…
A faint sound of a food cart’s wheels came from outside the door.
Knock knock.
“Young Master, lunchtime.”
Ailiya’s signature voice, devoid of any warmth, came from beyond the door.
Leo, who had half propped himself up, froze.
His mind raced. A childish thought—one even he found ridiculous—suddenly arose from the depths of his heart.
He immediately flopped back onto the bed like a dead fish, even deliberately kicking the blanket his mother had just covered him with into disarray to look like he was severely wounded and weak.
“C-come in…” Leo’s voice was barely a whisper, utterly theatrical.
The door opened.
Ailiya pushed the food cart inside.
On the cart was a light, nutritious meal specially prepared for the injured by Chef Carter: a bowl of thick meat porridge, a few refined vegetable dishes, and a cup of warm milk.
She walked to the bedside and parked the cart.
“Young Master, the mistress ordered me to bring you your meal. Please get up and eat.” Ailiya stood to the side, her tone flat.
Leo, still lying on his stomach, didn’t get up immediately. Instead, he turned his head with extreme difficulty, looking at Ailiya with an “I’m about to die” expression, his voice carrying three parts grievance and seven parts weakness.
“Ailiya… I can’t get up. My whole body hurts, especially my arms. That guy’s flame explosion blew all the strength out of them.” Leo sniffled pitifully. “I can’t even hold a spoon.”
As he spoke, he let out a very theatrical sigh, looking utterly pathetic.
Ailiya watched his performance silently for a full five seconds.
She knew perfectly well that he was doing this on purpose.
Why fake being sick? Probably because he got beaten up in the training ground today, felt wronged, and wanted some attention—or, simply put, he was asking for trouble, trying to prank her.
“Since the young master cannot eat, I’ll take it away. Skipping a meal is good for intestinal detoxification.”
Ailiya turned without hesitation and reached for the plate.
“Hey, hey! Wait!”
Leo panicked and quickly pressed down on the edge of the plate, his movement swift as the wind.
“Suddenly… I think with a little effort, I can eat some…”
Seeing Ailiya’s expression as if she was looking at an idiot, Leo’s face reddened, and he weakly lowered his hand.
Ailiya stood by the bed, looking down at him. “So?”
“So…” Leo avoided her gaze, his ears burning slightly, but he shamelessly continued, “I’m a wounded patient here. As the head maid, you… you have to feed me!”
After saying this, Leo’s heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
‘Why did I make such a ridiculous request?’
‘I’m usually so scared of this woman, but today I want her to wait on me.’
‘Maybe it’s because she’s shot me down so many times before, and I want to enjoy some privilege while I’m hurt—maybe she’ll actually show pity…’
‘Or maybe… I just want to see if this always-icy woman can show any other expression.’
‘Would she show helplessness, disgust, or even contempt…’
‘Looking at it this way… I’m no different from a fool like Cedric—full of worthless thoughts.’
‘We’re both lowlifes…’
These complex emotions churned in Leo’s mind.
‘Faking illness to get fed?’
Ailiya mercilessly saw through his trick in her mind.
She couldn’t understand the logic of this behavior—it not only reduced eating efficiency but also added extra work for her.
Following her usual style, she would have just put the tray on the nightstand, said “Eat it or leave it,” and walked away.
But looking at Leo’s face, made comical by his forced pitiful act, and the faint scars on his body even though the wounds had healed…
Ailiya let out a very slight inner sigh.
‘Fine. Considering today’s drama was partly my fault, I’ll treat it as fulfilling my maid duties and earning a bit of special care experience.’
‘And… since I’ve transmigrated into this world, I can’t treat everyone as soulless NPCs. They’re all flesh and blood now.’
‘For now, it’s like feeding a dog.’
“Young Master, since you’re so seriously injured…”
Ailiya pulled a chair over and sat down by the bed, picking up the bowl of meat porridge.
“…I’ll assist you with eating.”
“Huh?!”
Leo was stunned.
He had expected Ailiya to mercilessly refuse, even mock him.
He’d already prepared a retort.
But this woman actually agreed?!
Now she sat by the bed, bowing her head slightly, gently blowing on the hot porridge in the spoon.
Her serious profile in the sunlight shed some of its sharpness, revealing a cool warmth.
Leo’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.
Ailiya brought the spoon to his lips, her voice cool, as if issuing an order.
“Open.”