Arriving in the room, I rummaged through it.
It was filled with all sorts of potions, from air fresheners to costics to bath salts.
They were gifts from Anais.
I picked up a bottle, undoubtedly a potion ant to aid recovery.
On my way back to Ella's room, I took out the ssage again.
However, no matter how many tis I read it, there was no information beyond what was written.
There were a few vague ideas, but at this point, they were just speculative thoughts.
There was a lack of clues to draw a conclusion.
What exactly happened between Wonderstein and Ella was a mystery.
If I pressed her about it, maybe I could learn sothing.
But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
It would be delving into the child's painful mories.
And there was another reason it was difficult to ask.
I was the one who caused it.
Asking what happened back then would be strange.
She might see it as another attempt by the devil to play tricks.
I closed the notification.
It was better to stop hasty speculations and focus on the clues given now.
Debulroots Immunity.
How should I interpret this?
I had attempted to use Debulroots on other mbers before.
Their desire for a 'normal body' was sothing I understood well.
If possible, I wanted to make them whole again.
I had consulted the Evolution Research Lab.
Their response at that ti was:
[Unique traits cannot be changed.]
The sa notification appeared as when I tried to remove 'The Smiling Man' trait.
It was impossible to alter their innate appearance using Debulroots.
Because of their unique traits.
Wonderstein wasn't simply gathering people who looked peculiar.
There was sothing behind it.
Organizing my thoughts, I arrived at Ella's room without realizing it.
In the room, an unfamiliar middle-aged man was holding Ella's wrist and checking her pulse.
Had the doctor arrived already?
Yurakne approached with a relieved face.
"We have a doctor among the guests staying here."
Due to the influx of tourists coming to see the Circus Grand Prix, Luz was currently facing a shortage of accommodations.
Even with plenty of money, so people had to sleep in carriages because there were no rooms available.
Anais and Vergsong's associates had temporarily left Luz, and during that ti, they offered empty rooms to guests with connections to the associates.
It was better than leaving dozens of rooms empty in the hotel, especially in the current situation.
And fortunately, there was a doctor among them.
"How is she?"
In response to my question, the doctor smiled, a smile he must have used thousands of tis to reassure worried family mbers.
"Don't worry too much. It's orthostatic hypotension. Did she sit crouched down and suddenly stretch while getting up? She fainted due to a rapid drop in blood pressure, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain."
Was Ella's body so weak?
He nodded as if understanding my gaze.
"It was probably a combination of stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, and irregular lifestyle. If she drinks a nutritional potion and gets a good rest, she will recover soon."
In the end, it was said that she collapsed due to overexertion.
Fortunately, it wasn't a serious illness.
It was easy to guess why she had pushed herself unnecessarily.
The circus was her sanctuary.
Minimizing reliance on Wonderstein must have been a matter of pride for her.
The doctor stood up, having done everything he could.
"You can get a nutritional potion at the alchemy guild once the day brightens."
"Can't we use this potion?"
I handed him a bottle of dicine from the room.
He examined the label of the potion and widened his eyes.
"Oh, this one is famous for being hard to find! But, using sothing like this for a child…"
"It doesn't matter."
Judging by the doctor's reaction, it seed like a valuable and expensive item.
It was probably a waste to use it for a simple illness.
However, what mattered now was her health.
I wanted to do everything I could.
I offered the potion to the doctor once again.
I insisted, and he finally accepted the potion.
He seed puzzled as he examined the label.
Then, he looked up at with a surprised expression.
"Ah, this is… a potion for n's stamina."
"…"
"Do you see the na? 'Wife's Tears.'"
Suddenly, embarrassnt overwheld .
If there hadn't been the laughing man, I would have blushed.
Why did Anais give this?
Was it a gift set from the alchemy guild, like costics and bath salts, packaged together?
Looking around, everyone was holding back their laughter.
But no one dared to mock Wonderstein.
Only Sven, whose clown nature had activated, was biting his lip, trying not to laugh. Chapter Continue:
At that mont, laughter emanated from the bed.
"Kik… Kik…"
Ella was looking at with her eyes half-closed, a trembling smile on her face.
She spoke with a faint voice.
"D-did… see everything… that day, in the bedroom?"
Maya suddenly intervened between us, appearing sowhat desperate.
Her actions seed a bit hurried.
She pulled Ella's blanket up to cover her chin.
"It's a high fever. She's been talking nonsense since earlier."
"Kik Kik… Maya, you too… saw it together…"
Ella mumbled, holding onto the blanket.
Certainly, she still seed disoriented.
Having lain in the cold rain for an hour, it was understandable.
"Director, it's ti to go to the theatre."
Maya, with a sowhat urgent deanor, pointed to the clock.
By now, it must be six o'clock.
The baggage that the lateen had brought and unloaded would be unpacked and set up.
"Is it already that ti?"
"Let's go and prepare for the performance."
"I think that's a good idea."
"But what about Ella?"
The room beca noisy.
At the sa ti, scattered side quests of the mbers ca to mind.
Opinions among the mbers were split in half.
I carefully read through each quest and sorted them all out.
At this mont, I couldn't be led by their wishes.
I stood in the center of the room.
The mbers, who had been shouting randomly, closed their mouths and looked at .
I smiled at all of them.
"Tomorrow is the performance. No one can skip today's rehearsal."
"But what about Ella?"
"We can ask the hotel staff for help. Honestly, the hotel staff can take care of people better than we can. Just try their massage service, and you'll know."
Sighs escaped from various places at my words.
"Everyone, please go to your rooms and bring your luggage. Let's et in the lobby."
mbers went to their respective rooms, leaving only Ella and .
After a few minutes passed like that,
"Ugh…."
She, who had the blanket pulled over her, peeked her eyes out from under the blanket.
As our eyes t, she was startled and looked elsewhere.
What's her intention?
I walked to where she was looking. As soon as I stood there, she quickly averted her gaze again.
I moved to where her gaze turned. She averted her eyes once more.
We repeated this eye-catching ga a few tis.
Finally, she gave up running away and mumbled while glancing at .
"What is it…"
"Hehe, surrendering?"
"Ugh… Why are you bothering ? I'm already tired…"
"Because you keep avoiding eye contact."
After taking a deep breath, I brought up what I had intended to say.
"Don't you have anything you want to say to about this incident?"
I hoped she would express her anger toward .
It was my fault that she ended up like this.
If I heard her venting her dissatisfaction, my heart would have felt a bit relieved.
So, I deliberately acted annoying towards her.
However, what she said was entirely unexpected.
"I'm sorry…."
I stared at her blankly.
She's apologizing?
Why?
"Ella, why are you apologizing?"
"Taking care of oneself is important. See, because I couldn't do that, I beca a burden to the team in the end."
This is not right.
No matter how diligent she is, this was not the case.
"No one thinks that way. Everyone knows how much you've suffered, Ella. Wasn't your hard work for everyone?"
She hesitated for a mont before responding.
"No. That's not it. I had a choice… I took on unnecessary hardships that I didn't have to endure. Do you understand why?"
She sighed softly and revealed her hidden feelings.
I sighed inwardly with regret.
Since when did this child's heart beco so troubled?
"Considering what happened between you and , it's understandable why Ella acted that way."
"No."
She shook her head.
"Performance is a commitnt… Even if the partner is soone you dislike, if you're cast as lovers, you have to act like lovers on stage. Even if they are enemies… if you took on the role of catching each other on the trapeze… you have to reach out. That's the principle. But for personal reasons, I ruined that. Then, the punishnt goes to the circus.
Like the ghost incident… Yeah, I received the punishnt…"
While speaking, her voice gradually regained strength.
She grabbed the edge of the bed and tried to get up.
"Stay lying down."
"I have to go… I have things to do…"
"Ella is unwell. You need to rest."
"The show must go on. I can't ruin it… Ugh."
Her attempt to stand faltered.
She supported herself with her elbows and fists, looking at with determination.
"If I'm not there… who will be the ringmaster…?"
"I will do it."
Her eyebrows furrowed.
"You…?"
"I wrote the script. Did you forget?"
Her breathing wavered a bit at my words.
"But standing on the stage is a completely different matter. You…"
"I told you. I perford in front of 30,000 people."
Although it was behind a monitor.
To reassure her, I put on the most confident smile I could muster.
"Trust us and take a rest, Ella. Understand? Recovering your health cos first."
I was about to leave the room like that but stopped.
I didn't say the most important thing.
I stayed in the room just to say this.
"Ella, Yang."
"…Yes?"
I took a mont to catch my breath and turned to her with a smile.
"I'm sorry for making you handle all the difficult things."
"What…?"
Leaving Ella, who was staring at blankly, I quickly went downstairs.
The mbers were all gathered in the lobby, each holding their tools.
"Let's go."
Three carriages, carrying all of us, dashed towards the cabaret, piercing through the pouring rain.
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