[Ronald's POV]
The next morning, the butler came to wake me as usual. His knock, his calm greeting, his precise bow — everything was as it had always been. Almost too perfect.
I sat up slowly, letting out a long breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
'He didn't catch on. At least… not yet.'
But nothing felt the same. Meals turned to ash on my tongue. Even the aroma made my stomach coil.
At breakfast, May — my dear wife — reached across the table, her warm hand closing gently over mine.
"Dear, you've barely touched your food."
I mustered a soft smile, placing my hand over hers. "It's nothing serious."
The butler stood beside me, ever watchful. He leaned in just slightly, voice measured and polite.
"I can call the doctor for you, Master, if you wish."
I shook my head. "No need. I'll be fine in a few days."
From across the table, Maria's round, earnest eyes locked onto me.
"Pa! No go work!"
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, Papa will play with Maria all day."
But Maria frowned, her tiny mouth set stubbornly. "No! Pa will rest! Maria will wait till Pa is all better."
A warmth spread through my chest despite everything. "Alright. Once Papa's healthy again, he'll play with Maria as long as she wants."
Her whole face lit up. "Really? Pa will?"
"Papa never lies."
She squealed, her small body bouncing with joy. May's soft laughter joined her delight as she gathered Maria into her arms and rose to calm her down. I watched them go, a bittersweet smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
After breakfast, I retreated to my room. The bed felt heavier than usual as I lay staring at the ornate ceiling.
'What should I do now?'
A thought surfaced, unbidden.
'I wonder if I could use the antidote Llyne gave me…'
Almost like answering a prayer, my inventory shimmered into view.
"Ah!" The yelp escaped before I could stop it.
A knock immediately followed.
"Master, are you alright?" One of the knights, posted faithfully outside my door.
I cleared my throat quickly. "Ah, yes. I was startled by a... lizard."
"Understood, Master."
Relief washed over me as his footsteps faded. My gaze returned to the floating window — the familiar list of keepsakes, weapons, and half‑forgotten trinkets.
Then, something caught my eye.
"Ah! Rona's present is still here."
A simple pink hairclip, adorned with a small floral pattern. I remembered buying it during a stroll with Llyne through the market — picturing Rona's bright laughter, Llyne's half‑amused, half‑exasperated expression beside me.
'That is... if we make it out of this alive.'
The thought dulled my smile. Silence settled in, cold and suffocating — until my fingertips brushed against a different shape.
The antidote.
A small, unremarkable vial. I pulled it free, weighing its hope and doubt in the palm of my hand.
"Would it work?" I muttered.
Llyne had handed it to me half‑jokingly, calling it something she'd brewed by mistake. "If my master finds out I wasted ingredients," she'd laughed, "I'll get beaten. So here, you keep it."
"A cure‑all... was it?"
I hesitated, then popped the cap. The stench slammed into me — pungent, acrid, worse than spoiled wine.
"Ugh... worse than alcohol." My nose wrinkled. "Well, all for nothing."
I forced down a careful sip. It burned worse than it smelled.
Tucking the bottle back into my inventory, I sank into the mattress.
"Now, I just need to rest... and let the antidote do its job."
Darkness swallowed me almost immediately.
After several hours, I awoke to footsteps echoing beyond the door.
A yawn stretched from my lungs — and realization struck like a spark.
'I felt... good. Better than I had in weeks. My head clear, my breath easy, my body light.'
"Master?"
'That voice!'
Panic flared. 'Right. The butler still thinks I'm dying. I need to keep up the act.'
I forced my voice into a weak rasp. "Come in..."
The door opened. He stepped inside, every movement measured, gloved hands folded neatly before him.
A faint smile curved his lips — soft, satisfied — as he approached the bedside.
"Are you feeling any better, Master?"
I coughed violently, slipping a small vial of red ink from my inventory. My thumb smeared a dab at the corner of my mouth.
The butler rushed forward, face etched with practiced concern. "Master!"
I let my body sag into the pillows, trembling.
Panting between ragged breaths, I whispered hoarsely, "It seems... my time is almost up..."
He dropped to his knees beside the bed, sorrow pooling in his eyes.
"Oh, Master, please don't say such things! I shall summon Doctor Stone immediately! He may still be able to save you!"
I shook my head, slowly, as if surrendering to fate.
"There's no reversing what fate has already carved in stone..." My words barely above a whisper. "Instead, I have but one final request."
"Anything, Master. Allow this lowly servant to fulfill your last wish."
I grasped his hand, adding a tremor for effect. "Please... protect my family. Watch over my people. Keep them safe."
Tears slipped from his eyes, trailing down his cheeks.
"I swear it. With all that I am... I will devote myself to protecting what you hold dear."
I nodded weakly. "Then you may go now."
He stood, bowed deeply, and left — the door closing softly behind him.
The moment it clicked shut, I let out a breath I'd been holding so tightly my chest ached. My body straightened, and I stretched my arms overhead with a groan.
"Ugh! Someone give that demon an award for 'Actor of the Year.' If I hadn't caught on, I'd still be eating poison with a smile."
A quiet laugh escaped me — dry, but real.
"But the important thing is, he's fooled. And thank Llyne for those acting lessons — without them, I'd be halfway to the afterlife."
My eyes narrowed, mind sharpening into focus.
Now came the real challenge.
"I can't keep acting like this, or else he'll notice. And for that, I'll need Doctor Stone's help."
I let myself sink back into the mattress, arms folded behind my head.
"Tomorrow. I'll think about it tomorrow."
And so I closed my eyes — no longer as a dying man, but as someone quietly, carefully preparing to outwit a devil.