Emily's worries ultimately became reality.
Up until the third day, I was sleeping well enough and more or less keeping up with meals and bath time. But starting on the fourth day, I could physically feel that I was running out of time.
The clothes showed no sign of being finished, the design drafts were still piled up like a mountain, and half the allotted time had already passed.
Realizing that at this rate I wouldn't be able to properly complete either one, I finally pulled out a forbidden technique that would make Emily foam at the mouth.
The secret art of cutting my sleep down to two hours a day to gain six extra hours.
For three more days, I forced time into existence like that and pushed forward. Then, on the seventh day—the day before I was to show Mother the finished results—
"Heheh… heheheheh…"
"Young Master…"
I managed to complete the clothes and was left with just one final sheet in the design to finish—but in exchange, I lost my sanity.
"Uu… madia…"
As I spread out a fresh sheet of paper about the size of a sketch pad, I tried to say, "This is finally the last one." What slipped out between my lips, however, was nothing but baby babble.
I was completely out of it, but surprisingly, this was an improved state thanks to a short nap.
At least my mind was clear and I could produce some kind of sound.
Before the thirty-minute sleep, I hadn't even been able to speak—my head was so foggy that I just stared blankly at the paper.
But that was strictly by my own standards.
From Emily's perspective—watching me gradually fall apart right beside her—my babbling made her face twist in horror.
"Young Master, what on earth is that dreadful sound?"
"Uae-woong…"
I covered my mouth with both hands and took a couple of steps back, trying to speak to Emily again.
It meant "sorry," but with only air leaking between my lips, there was no way the meaning could properly get across. Emily's face only turned paler.
"Are… are you okay? Would you like to sleep a bit more? No, I think you really should. Please, just sleep."
Emily approached carefully and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"..."
I wasn't okay, and it was true that I wanted to sleep more, but I shook my head weakly and jabbed at the paper with my pencil.
If I just finished this, it would truly be the end. I could wrap everything up and fall into a deep sleep. It would be a waste to split it up now.
"You'll sleep after you finish just that?"
"Du…"
I reflexively started to answer, then shut my mouth and nodded vigorously instead.
"Please don't push yourself too hard. I'm sure Madam would understand."
"..."
I shook my head again.
I'd come this far. I had to put the period at the end properly.
I scribbled something small in the corner of a scrap sheet and tapped it, signaling Emily to read it.
[One cup of tea.]
"Ah, yes. I'll prepare it right away."
After drinking the tea Emily brought me, I sent her back around sunset. Around ten o'clock, I finished everything and lay down on my bed.
I closed my eyes for just a moment.
"Young Master."
"?"
A gentle voice.
A soft palm resting lightly on my forehead.
I was sure I had sent Emily away.
Why had she come back?
Did I ask her for something and forget?
If I couldn't remember, it probably wasn't important.
I shook my head lazily and let my consciousness sink deep into the bottom of the abyss again.
"Mm…"
It felt like my body was melting.
If I just slept like this and woke up…
"It's morning, Young Master. You have to get up."
"Ugh…?"
The words that followed snapped my mind awake just as it was drifting off again.
Morning already?
If Emily had come to wake me, it should be at least seven in the morning. Does that mean I slept nine hours?
I had slept so deeply I hadn't even registered that I'd fallen asleep.
But my body felt as heavy as if it were being crushed under iron. It had no intention of moving.
There's no way I can get up.
Realizing I couldn't possibly do it on my own, I forced my stiff lips to move.
"Ten more minutes…"
What slipped through my barely parted lips was a shriveled, dying voice.
Even to my own ears, it sounded pitiful.
Surely Emily would give up at this point—
"That's not happening. You've already said that three times."
She didn't.
Firmly rejecting my desperate plea, Emily removed her hand from my forehead and immediately grabbed the blanket, pulling it down in one smooth motion.
The cozy warmth wrapped around my body vanished, and the chilly air pricked at my skin.
"Uhhhn…"
(Meaningless garbled text)
Punishment for a fault I didn't even know I'd committed. I let out a miserable groan and curled onto my side.
"It's time. Please get up. You've been waiting for today, haven't you?"
Emily showed no intention of backing down. In a firm voice, she shook my shoulder.
"Ugh—ack—ughk—gek—"
As my head rocked back and forth, strange cries slipped out.
If this standoff continued, I wouldn't get any more sleep, and Emily would just tire herself out too.
"Yaaawn… Alright…"
I declared surrender with a long yawn.
Then I forced my uncooperative body upright.
My arms trembled like a newborn calf's, and my head kept drooping forward, but somehow I managed to sit up. I opened the eyelids that had been tightly shut until now.
"...?"
Something was strange.
I could feel the muscles around my eyes moving, but everything in front of me was still pitch black.
It was morning—why was it so dark?
I turned my head anxiously, searching for Emily.
"Emily, what do I do? I can't see… I think I've come down with something."
"Young Master… you have to open your eyes."
"I did open them."
"Your eyelids are swollen like a fish's lips right now."
"Huh?"
What does that even mean?
I raised my trembling hand and touched around my eyes.
Puffy, swollen eyelids. Dried tears crusted and stuck them together.
I tried to force my eyes open, but my eyelids only twitched faintly without any intention of separating.
"Emily, I can't open my eyes… what do I do?"
"Haah…"
I heard Emily sigh, followed by the sound of water sloshing, then droplets trickling down.
After a brief silence, something cold and damp pressed gently against my eyes.
"Ah—cold!"
Startled, I shrank back and tried to pull my head away from the unknown object, but Emily's hand immediately came down on my shoulder, holding me firmly in place.
"It's just a handkerchief. Please bear with it for a moment. I think your eyes are swollen because you haven't been sleeping properly."
"Okay…"
The damp cloth moved along my eyelashes.
The coolness and moisture soothed my swollen eyelids, easing the discomfort little by little.
"How is it? Does it feel a bit better?"
"Yeah."
The swelling still made it hard to open my eyes, but now that my stiff, dry skin had become moisturized, I was at least able to open them a little.
The problem was that it was only a very little.
I could vaguely see Emily sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a handkerchief.
Is this what the world looks like to that good cook friend from that monster-hunting manga?
If I don't get this swelling down quickly, I feel like I'm in serious trouble.
"Emily."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Do we have any ice?"
"I'll bring some right away."
"Thanks."
Two hours of trying to reduce the swelling with ice Emily brought from the kitchen—skipping breakfast in the process.
"I thought I'd never be able to open my eyes again."
"You're being far too dramatic."
"Dramatic? I was seriously scared. I thought I'd come down with some kind of illness."
I had finally managed to calm my goldfish-lip-like swollen eyelids enough to open my eyes like a normal person.
The scenery was no longer blurry but clear, my field of vision wide open in a full 180 degrees.
Combined with my head feeling clear for the first time in a while, the visual refreshment was incredible.
"What time is it?"
"It's 9:20."
Mother said we'd have tea at ten…
"Not much time left."
"No, you'll have to get ready quickly. Madam said, 'If you're not here by ten, I'll leave immediately.'"
"She's in the garden, right?"
"Yes, she said she'd be having tea there."
"Then I'd better hurry."
It wasn't that I was short on time, but I certainly didn't have plenty either.
If she said ten and I showed up exactly at ten on the dot, Mother would subtly express her displeasure. I should aim to arrive about ten minutes early.
As I took off the outerwear I'd been too exhausted to remove last night, I looked for the clothes I had made yesterday.
"Emily, where are the clothes?"
"I put them in the basket in advance."
"Oh? I'll manage changing myself, so could you roll up the design drafts I organized on the desk and put them in the basket as well?"
"Yes, there are six sheets in total, correct?"
"Yeah, please."
Mother's evaluation, after elegantly sipping her tea while examining the results, was:
"Well done. You pass."
"!"
It was a concise remark without any unnecessary embellishment.
Her expression had been stiff the entire time she reviewed the designs, so I had been thinking of ways to persuade her. I was startled when she approved them outright without a single harsh word.
As I opened and closed my mouth, unable to find anything to say, Mother set her teacup down on the table, met my eyes, and began to explain.
"This time, I wanted to see your determination and your eye for detail—how sincere you are about clothing, and how well you understand a client's requirements."
"Yes."
"And William, you followed my requirements very well. I'm satisfied that you completed the drafts within the given period. I like that instead of choosing something flashy or strange, you slightly modified the tailcoat commonly worn by knights. The color coordination and design also go well with the uniform Emily is wearing now."
Mother took the tailcoat from the basket and spread it out.
"It's only basted, but I'm impressed you produced something this presentable in just a week. Among our family's tailors, perhaps only Sir Daniel could have managed that. And you've altered the maid uniform nicely as well. Is there anything I've overlooked in what I've said so far?"
"No, it's so accurate it's as if you've read my mind."
"Hehe, you're making too much of it."
Placing the tailcoat back into the basket, Mother picked up her teacup and smiled gently.
"Let's go visit him tomorrow. You've worked hard, so it would be better for both of you to rest today."
"Yes, thank you."
"Now, both of you attend to your own duties."
"Yes."
Mother lightly nudged the basket toward me, effectively signaling that we were dismissed.
Emily and I bowed to her, gathered the basket, and left the garden just as we were.