…
About an hour later, Chloe was still sitting in the same spot, although now that the day shift nurses had left, she was only stirring her tea with such anger as if the beverage had personally insulted her. The other night shift nurse, Jane, was keeping her distance to escape the scalding look of annoyance and even volunteered to sort the supply closet just to attempt to appease the slightly older colleague.
"...?"
At a time like this, no one expected any actual patients showing up, but that was exactly why when the main door opened, Chloe straightened her back before leaning as far back in her chair as she could to check who graced the hospital wing with their presence. At most she expected one of the teachers or maybe her adoptive parent, the Academy's Guardian, Great Fae of Nature checking in like he often did.
"Oh, hello~"
"...!"
But as she did, she made eye contact with not any of the people she expected but rather a certain bleached-blond-haired youth who smiled at the sight of her, Chloe's face turned bright red and she flinched so hard she ended up almost falling together with her chair.
Almost.
"!"
She did not fall because Rotsard rushed in immediately and stood behind her, holding her shoulders and delicately setting the chair back up properly.
"Don't worry, I'm not here with another wild request. Just here to see you~"
"..."
Rotsard looked straight down at Chloe, and she was looking straight up at him. He was smiling brightly, she was blushing so hard her face was tomato red, her eyes started glistening and her lips started quivering…
"Wait… Miss Chloe? Are you feeling unwell?!"
"...!"
Since she didn't say a thing, her reaction caused Rotsard to worry. He moved his hands from her shoulders, placing one on her forehead and the other on her cheek, and his beastly yellow eyes widened.
"You're burning up! Miss Chloe…! Oh, dear, your work ethics are way too strong for your own good…"
Rotsard gasped and hurriedly moved from behind to the front before crouching down in front of the stunned Chloe.
"It's okay now. I'll get you to the bed. Come."
He then moved, sliding one arm under her knees and the other behind her back, picking her up effortlessly despite what his appearance would suggest.
"!"
Chloe tensed up but did not protest out loud… When Rotsard started walking, he ended up pulling her close, basically hugging her unintentionally, and despite his actions being nothing but protective and motivated by genuine worry about her health, Chloe's heart was beating like crazy.
What her colleagues said earlier wasn't wrong. Back then, she was merely angry that someone openly aired out her secret feelings. Now, with Rotsard holding her, she could no longer deny nor escape it.
"..."
"Everything will be okay, don't worry."
Once she accepted the fact, she relaxed and ended up leaning into the bleached-blond-haired youth, but he misunderstood it as her simply being in a weakened state and did his best to reassure her.
Without thinking, Rotsard carried Chloe to the private room in which he usually received the treatment, as it felt most natural.
…the moment he nudged the door to close it, the woman in his arms had already made a decision…
"...Rotsard, I'm not sick…"
"You don't have to push yourself."
She spoke up with her face nuzzled against his neck, but he took it as her trying to act brave.
"!!!"
"M-Miss Chloe…?"
That's why the youth was quite shocked when he attempted to place the nurse on the bed, but she threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him with all her might, stubbornly refusing to let go.
"I… I'm really not sick…! I'm just shameless! B-but let me stay like that for a bit longer!"
"O-okay…?"
Chloe ended up crying out while even moving around in Rotsard's arms just so she could wrap her legs around his waist too, this time getting a slightly flustered response from him.
"F-first, tell me, why did you want to see me? I-I thought we aren't that close…"
Chloe then muttered, still clinging to Rotsard as if her life depended on it.
"Umm… well.. You see… I was hoping that you might have figured out what you would ask of me for helping out the other day… I just didn't want to… to leave without making things right."
"...!"
His voice when he answered sounded so vulnerable that Chloe didn't even get confused about why leaving on summer break would be such a big deal.
After all, she had no idea that Rotsard was acting under the time limit, and he would have to die soon after the summer breaks ends, only a few days into his third year in the Royal Academy,
But even without that knowledge, something in his voice made her take his words with utmost seriousness.
"..."
"Miss Chloe? Are you feeling unwell after all?"
She gritted her teeth and wrapped herself even tighter around him, making the youth worry again.
"...Rotsard… My request…"
Chloe muttered, raising her head slightly so she breathed directly into Rotsard's ear.
"Yes?"
"Can… can my request be… inappropriate…?"
He asked back, but her next words took him by complete surprise.
"!?"
His eyes widened even more and he leaned his head away so that he could properly look at Chole's face.
"..."
"..."
She wasn't looking away and met his gaze with the longing look of her own, her flushed face, moist eyes, quivering lips, hot breaths… the sweetness and slight spiciness of her smell that finally hit him…
There was no need for Chloe to explain the kind of inappropriateness she had in mind.
A hero would reject her, putting her down gently and leaving after reassuring her that she's worth more than that.
… only that Rotsard Vallhall at his core was a third-rate villain, he willingly put himself in the situation where he either dies alone or with the entire humanity… but it wasn't like he was a moral compass when it comes to other, more earthly temptations...
Not to mention the day of his death looming ever closer was straining his mind to its limits.
And he was so in need of human contact and reassurance that... well...
"Just this once… just tonight… please…"
"..."
Chloe cried out both pitifully and sweetly, and Rotsard faltered…