Nero's expertise lay in desserts—a skill she had honed under the tutelage of Edelweiss.
Cooking wasn't her strongest suit, but she could still manage some basic dishes.
She prepared a simple pot of porridge and carried it to Yunyun's room.
The warm white porridge, steaming and infused with the aroma of meat, was brought in by Nero. Knowing that people with fevers often lacked an appetite, Nero had kept the meal modest yet nutritious.
She had even gone out to consult Wiz at the magic item shop, Luna at the guild, and Darkness from Kazuma's team for advice.
Incidentally, Kazuma's group was also busy caring for the sickly Megumin.
Although Aqua, as a goddess, excelled in healing wounds and lifting curses, she wasn't particularly adept at treating illnesses. She was far from omnipotent.
For example, there was that one time Kazuma had secretly eaten a watermelon without telling his team. In this world, all fruits and vegetables were alive, and watermelon seeds, in particular, shouldn't be swallowed. Lacking this "common sense," Kazuma had been parasitized by the seeds, which sprouted and rooted in his stomach, leaving him writhing in agony.
Aqua's magic was completely ineffective against this condition, so they had no choice but to take him to the hospital.
Yes, this world had hospitals—but instead of angelic doctors in white coats, they resembled devilish figures clad in black, skilled in curses that could destroy or preserve life. In Kazuma's case, the doctor anesthetized him, cut open his stomach, and used a curse to kill the sprouted seeds before removing them.
But that's beside the point.
Nero sought out Darkness because she figured Kazuma and Aqua wouldn't be much help in caring for a sick Megumin, leaving most of the responsibility to Darkness.
Darkness's advice proved invaluable for Nero. Along the way, through Megumin's complaints, Nero also learned that Darkness, ever the masochist, had joined Megumin and Yunyun in their ill-advised winter swimming contest.
Yet while both Megumin and Yunyun ended up sick, Darkness, with her extraordinary physical resilience, emerged unscathed.
"Big sis… Yunyun doesn't feel like eating…"
"You should eat a little. It'll help you recover faster."
Nero found it amusing that Yunyun, seemingly delirious, had started calling her "big sis," just like Alice did.
Even with her wide, watery eyes, flushed cheeks, and soft, pleading voice, Yunyun's request was met with a gentle but firm refusal.
Scooping a spoonful of hot porridge, Nero blew on it softly before bringing it to Yunyun's lips.
"You don't have to finish the porridge, but make sure to eat the meat, at least."
After Yunyun managed to eat about a third of the porridge, Nero helped her wipe down her body once more.
Once Yunyun was comfortably tucked in and beginning to drift off, Nero stood up to take the remaining porridge away.
"Hm?"
She paused, looking down at the hand that had reached out from under the blanket to grab her sleeve.
"Big sis… don't go…"
Yunyun's delicate brows knitted together in a way that evoked sympathy.
Softening her voice, Nero placed her free hand gently over Yunyun's.
"I'm not going anywhere… I'll stay right here."
She hadn't realized how deeply Yunyun had come to rely on her.
Whether Yunyun heard her reply or not, her expression seemed to ease slightly, her complexion looking just a bit better.
As the sky outside darkened, night blanketed the room.
A soft, serene atmosphere filled the space, as though time itself had slowed to a gentle crawl.
When I was sick as a child, did my mother care for me like this?
The thought crossed Nero's mind.
She remembered how every cough had seemed to send her mother into a flurry of worry, how her mother would consult others for advice to ensure Nero recovered properly.
Quietly slipping away, Nero took the remaining porridge to the kitchen.
I'll wash the bowl later, she thought, setting it aside.
Returning to Yunyun's room, Nero checked her condition again. Yunyun's complexion had indeed improved. The tense, nightmare-plagued expression she had worn earlier was gone.
Nero had considered trying gua sha—an alternative therapy she remembered from her childhood fevers—but it didn't seem necessary now.
As a child, she had often been treated with this method when her fever wasn't severe enough for a hospital visit.
She didn't fully understand the mechanics of gua sha. It was likely similar to cupping, where firm strokes along the back and neck produced dark purple marks.
Her mother swore by it, saying the results were immediate—after wiping the body with a warm, damp towel and performing gua sha, the fever would subside after a good nap.
And it was free.
However, Nero vividly recalled the pain of the treatment.
Her mother had insisted that the more she cried and sweated during the process, the better the results.
In fact, Nero vaguely remembered her mother joking that the neighbors once thought she was being abused because of her wails.
Gazing at Yunyun's sleeping face, Nero murmured softly.
"When I was sick, my mother stayed by my side just like this. She couldn't even rest properly, waking up at the slightest sound of my cough."
Yunyun is only thirteen years old.
At thirteen, she had already left her village and family behind, venturing into a strange land as an adventurer, battling dangerous monsters daily.
Removing the ice pack, Nero touched Yunyun's still-cool forehead, smoothing her brows and adjusting her hair.
In her sleep, Yunyun murmured faintly, "Papa… Mama…"
"Umu. Sorry, your parents aren't here right now. But…" Nero smiled softly. "You can rely on me. I can't promise to be like your parents, but I'll do my best."
Moonlight filtered through the window, bathing the room in a silvery glow.
---
Yunyun's long lashes fluttered slightly as she opened her eyes to a sliver. Her vision slowly cleared, and she glanced toward Nero, who sat by her bedside.
"Nero… big sis?"
"Umu! That's me! Are you awake? Or would you like to sleep a bit longer?"
Hearing Nero's concerned tone, Yunyun shook her head weakly, then glanced out the window.
"Big sis… were you here all night?"
Her voice carried hints of guilt and regret.
"Of course I was," Nero replied matter-of-factly. "The walls here are pretty soundproof. If something happened to you while I was in my room, I wouldn't hear a thing. So, of course, I had to stay by your side—I couldn't sleep otherwise."
Yunyun clenched the blanket tightly, biting her lip.
Her heart raced. Why does my chest feel this way?
Her face burned, and she couldn't bring herself to look directly at Nero.
Suddenly, a loud growl broke the silence.
The sound of her stomach grumbling reverberated in the quiet room, startling both of them.
Yunyun yanked the blanket higher, hiding her face as red as a ripe tomato. Nero couldn't help but laugh softly.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? Being hungry means you're getting better. Besides, you barely ate anything today—not even a third of the meat porridge I brought earlier."
"Ugh…"
Kill me now…
Nero stood, stretching briefly.
"Perfect timing—I'm hungry too. Let's head out and get something to eat."
"…Now?"
"Consider it an early breakfast," Nero said with a grin.