The Cure That Came Overnight

Actually, her eyelids had been growing heavy for a while now.

The strong coffee she usually drank—more than five cups a day—had all been confiscated by Lucian, who insisted it was “bad for her health.”

‘Is this because of the medicine’s side effects? Still… he sure worries about my health a lot.’

Shana was staring at the moonlight pouring through the window, wondering whether there was enough light to organize her documents, when suddenly—

Lucian strode over and lightly lifted her into his arms.

His strong arms and broad shoulders supported her exhausted body with surprising steadiness.

“Alright, I’ll safely escort you to the bed.”

Before she could even protest, her body was already laid gently onto the bed.

Lucian carefully placed her head on a soft pillow and tucked the blanket neatly up to her neck.

“So you’re telling me not to move and just sleep?”

“If you can’t fall asleep… I could help you a little. Specially.”

He whispered in a low, secretive voice.

Shana recoiled in disgust and pushed his face away with her palm.

“I can fall asleep in three seconds the moment my head hits a pillow, Lucian.”

“That’s a shame. Otherwise I could’ve offered you a lap pillow.”

Chuckling quietly, Lucian adjusted the edge of the blanket around her once more.

“Sleep well, my Shasha.”

A faint laugh escaped him.

She felt his hand gently brush her hair aside.

That gesture definitely didn’t mean he was planning to pat her to sleep while singing a lullaby.

With the last bit of strength she had before drifting off, Shana grabbed the thick herbal medicine book beside the bed and lightly smacked Lucian’s lips with it.

“Why are you sticking your lips out like that?”

“Ah… I acted on impulse.”

Shana let out a quiet sigh.

Watching him like this suddenly reminded her of exam season at the academy.

Back then, whenever exams came around, Shana practically lived glued to her desk.

She would force her eyes open, trying to cram in even one more minute of reading—only to eventually lose consciousness right there.

Every time she was about to collapse asleep at her desk, a paper bird infused with Lucian’s mana would squeeze through the window gap and peck her head with its beak.

When Shana forced her eyes open and unfolded the paper bird, she would find Lucian’s neat handwriting inside.

‘Shasha, you’re not staying up again, right? Stop sleeping at the desk and go to bed. See you tomorrow.’

‘There are plenty of things in the world more important than sleep. Why are you so obsessed with it?’

“This research… my entire future and livelihood depend on it, you know, Lucian?”

But Lucian simply kept rhythmically patting her shoulder, looking oddly pleased.

Then suddenly he said something unexpected.

“Shasha, do you know what I’m most afraid of in this world?”

The idea that Lucian feared anything was surprising.

Except for when he was very young and suffering from Mana Rejection Syndrome, Lucian had always seemed confident and fearless—as if he possessed everything in the world.

“What is it?”

“Waking up one day… and finding you dead beside me.”

“What?”

Was that some kind of curse?

Shana blinked in disbelief.

“You eat like usual. You fall asleep like usual.

But while I know nothing about it… your body is cold beside me. Isn’t that terrifying?”

“That would never happen. I’m perfectly healthy.”

If anything, Lucian—who lived with the ticking time bomb called Mana Rejection Syndrome—was in far greater danger than she was.

Moonlight illuminated Lucian’s face.

“Exactly. That’s why it’s the worst.”

The playful smile he had moments ago had vanished completely.

Deep in his blue eyes lay an anxiety Shana couldn’t understand.

As if something like that had truly happened before.

‘…What’s wrong with him?’

Then Lucian said with a nearly tearful expression,

“So don’t overwork yourself, Shasha. I can see it, you know.

You skipping meals, not sleeping, burying yourself in research…

Until eventually you collapse and die from overwork.

When I dream about that… it’s so frightening I can’t sleep…”

As he spoke, he gripped Shana’s arm tightly, as though afraid she might disappear if he let go.

His whining tone and gloomy expression…

were almost cute.

‘Maybe I imagined how serious he looked earlier.’

Shana laughed in disbelief and placed her hand on Lucian’s forehead.

“I think you’re the one who needs sleep.
Looks like the side effects of the Mana Rejection medicine got worse.”

If he was worrying about death from overwork, that seemed likely.

Lucian closed his eyes happily under her touch and let out a quiet chuckle.

“Then before the side effects get worse… let’s sleep now so I won’t have to worry about that.”

‘Seriously.’

She couldn’t believe him.

The truth was, she had been avoiding sleep partly because sharing a bed felt embarrassing…

But now she was getting used to it.

‘As long as we don’t wake up hugging again tomorrow.’

“…Fine. I’ll sleep, so move over.”

After saying that, Shana rolled up an extra blanket and placed it between them like a barrier.

That way, even if they tossed around in their sleep, they probably wouldn’t end up touching.

“Ah, adorable. How can someone be that cute?”

Lucian snickered beside her.

“So that’s another side effect—your brain’s gone strange—haaam.”

A yawn slipped out as the fatigue she had been holding back finally caught up with her.

Shana closed her eyes.

‘Well… I’ve been researching nonstop without rest…Sleeping properly for just one day should be fine.’

The next day, when Shana opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was how strangely refreshed she felt.

‘What? My body feels too good.’

The headaches she had lived with from constant all-nighters were gone.

She should have realized something was wrong then.

But it wasn’t until she looked outside the window that she truly understood.

The sun… was setting.

‘Wait. I slept at night and woke up at night?’

No way.

Surely she hadn’t slept the entire day.

That couldn’t be right.

She must have only slept a few hours.

A chill crept down her spine as she hurriedly felt around the space beside her.

It was empty.

Just then, Lucian opened the door and walked in.

In his hands were two steaming cups of tea.

“Shasha. You’re awake?”

The moment he saw her awake, his face brightened.

“Lu-Lucian. How long did I sleep?”

“About a day?”

She was doomed.

The delivery deadline was already tight, and she had just wasted an entire precious day sleeping.

Shana clutched her head in despair.

“Why didn’t you wake me up…?”

The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over.

Feeling empty after losing research time—and frustrated with herself—she spoke in a depressed voice.

Lucian set the tea cups down and walked over, gently embracing her.

“Why didn’t I wake you? Because you don’t need to stay up all night researching anymore.”

“Huh?”

Shana blinked through tear-filled eyes.

“While you were sleeping, I tried drinking the medicine you made last night.”

“You drank it?”

Her desk was covered with countless medicine bottles.

“Wait…Don’t tell me the one labeled ‘failed experiment’? The last failure?”

“Yeah. But it worked.”

“…Really? Mana Rejection Syndrome is cured?”

Lucian nodded with absolute confidence.

“I just went to the backyard and tried casting magic a few times.

There was no rejection reaction at all.

If I had to compare it… it’s far more stable than the Moon Dew those heretics made.”

Hearing that, Shana jumped up and ran to the desk, grabbing the empty bottle.

“…What? Why? The ingredient ratios are identical to the previous failed batch.”

The color, viscosity, and appearance hadn’t changed at all.

There was only one difference from the previous night.

The smell.

It carried a faint sweet-and-sour scent, like well-aged fruit wine.

“Wait…Did leaving it at room temperature overnight… make it effective?”

“Maybe.”

Just by sleeping one night, the medicine she had left sitting out suddenly worked.

“I see… the drink from the ritual was alcohol in the first place.”

It hadn’t just been a drink made from insect monsters.

It had been a mixture of insect monsters and alcohol.

‘I used alcohol a few times in the process too, but…’

More importantly, letting the medicine ferment overnight seemed to have made the difference.

“Ah…”

It was the first time.

For once, a result appeared without her desperately clinging to it with everything she had.

Feeling the strength leave her body, Shana sat down on the bed.

“Lucian… sorry, but can you make a small flame? Just to confirm.”

“If Shasha wants it.”

Lucian snapped his fingers.

A beautiful blue flame flickered to life at his fingertips.

“This much is nothing.”

According to the academy’s classification, it was the lowest-level magic.

Of course, for someone without mana like Shana, it was something she could never achieve in her lifetime.

But for Lucian, it was as easy as breathing.

“Y-you used to feel some pain or discomfort even with something like this, right?”

“Yeah. Every time. To the point it was unbearable.”

“And now you don’t feel it? You’re sure?”

Lucian nodded again without hesitation.

The moment she saw that, Shana slowly lowered her head.

“…That means… my research actually worked?”

“Shasha?”

In Shana’s large eyes, clear tears began to gather once again.