"Dilan's Melancholy Day"
Ienzo wanted to spend time with Aeleus on his day off, but Aeleus told him that Dilan was feeling out of sorts and so he'd switched his day off with him. "Next time, though, I promise," Aeleus assured the kid, leaving to guard the front gate with Braig. Ienzo was disappointed, but he decided to check on Dilan instead.
He found him in his room sitting alone in the dark. "Nii-san, are you okay?" he asked cautiously.
Dilan shook his head morosely. "No, kid. Just leave me alone."
"If you're not feeling well, maybe I could bring you some tea or -"
"I'm not sick. It's not something a boy your age would understand."
"What do you mean?"
"You've never been in love with someone before. You have no idea the kind of pain I'm in right now."
"What happened?" the child asked innocently.
"She broke up with me, okay? Now go play or whatever it is you do. Love is a stupid waste of time and energy..."
"That's not true," Ienzo murmured, a bit rattled by Dilan's angry outburst. "My parents loved each other very much. They loved me, too."
Dilan immediately felt guilty. "Of course they did. I didn't mean to suggest that...I'm sorry I snapped at you."
"It's okay."
"All right, now we're both sad, how about that tea?" Dilan offered, taking him by the hand. Ienzo nodded and the two of them walked toward the kitchen together. Lord and castle come first. He still firmly believed that, even though it had cost him the woman he thought he loved. This child and everyone else in the castle were his family, and for now that was enough. Maybe someday he would meet someone who understood that better, someone worthy of him.
"Even at His Wit's End"
Aeleus was about to leave the castle for his day off when he heard an explosion from Even's lab and decided to make sure everyone was okay first. He found Even and Ienzo in the hallway outside the lab, and though they seemed unhurt, Even was furious.
"What did you think you were doing, Ienzo? You could've been seriously hurt!" Even scolded.
"I'm sorry, Even," Ienzo mumbled ashamedly.
"The laboratory is not a place to play."
"But I wasn't playing. I was just trying to help."
"If I needed your help, I would've asked for it. I instructed you to observe only. You were not to touch anything. I'm a scientist, not a babysitter, and an assistant like you is no consolation."
Aeleus had heard enough, and although he was subordinate to Even, he could not let his words go without a stern reproach. "Even, you don't have to be so harsh with him."
"What?" Even exclaimed, unused to being spoken to that way by someone who didn't outrank him.
"You didn't have to say all that just because you're angry about what happened."
"Mind your place, Aeleus. If you're so concerned, perhaps you should look after the boy for the time being." With that, Even stormed off, leaving the sniffling child to be consoled by Aeleus.
"I'm fine," Ienzo muttered, declining the handkerchief Aeleus held out to him.
"Don't wipe it with your sleeve," Aeleus advised, dabbing the boy's face with the handkerchief himself. He then took him by the hand and led him outside. "Come on, let's get some air."
"Where are we going?" Ienzo asked.
"It's my day off, and I need to run some errands. Would you like to help?"
"Can I?"
"I think so."
"Thanks, Aeleus."
"Anytime."
Meanwhile, Even had been overworking himself, and getting frustrated with Ienzo hadn't helped his overall wellbeing. He ended up catching a cold but continued working, wearing a surgical mask over his nose and mouth so as not to contaminate anything or get any of the others sick. Ienzo knew it was bad when Even actually asked for his help; he did everything he told him and followed his instructions perfectly.
"Should Even be working while he's sick?" Ienzo asked Ansem later that night.
This was news to Ansem. "No. He should be resting in bed," he said worriedly. The two hurried to the lab to see if Even was still there. He was leaning against the examination table for support. "Even, take a few days off. Your health is more important."
"Lord Ansem, I-" Even had another coughing fit and collapsed to the floor from a fever. Ansem quickly went to his side and helped him up. Ienzo ran ahead of them and opened the doors to the lab and Even's room. As Ansem eased Even onto the bed, Ienzo prepared a cold compress.
"You of all people should know better than to push yourself when you're not feeling well," Ansem scolded out of concern. Even was mortified but didn't argue; if it was anyone else in his position he would have said the same thing. After taking his temperature and listening to his lungs to make sure it wasn't anything worse than a cold, Ansem advised him to take cough medicine and get plenty of rest. "As long as you remain lying down, you should be fine. Whatever you were working on can wait."
"I'm afraid it can't."
"Then the rest of us will handle it. You have nothing to worry about."
Even caught Ienzo staring at him and looked away out of embarrassment, covering himself by turning and coughing. He felt so pathetic being pitied by a child. However, he was in no position to refuse help from anyone. His cough was so bad he couldn't keep down the porridge Dilan brought to him the next morning, so Ienzo gave him a sea salt ice cream to help his throat. "Thank you," he whispered hoarsely. After he got better, it was like nothing had ever happened, and life went on as usual.
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