Chapter 117

‘I will end it in one swift blow, without getting hurt.’

Esadien, who had promised to return so quickly, was badly injured and still unconscious.

It was only in this situation that I could begin to understand, even a little.

His feelings when he guarded my side after I collapsed from running wild, and when he got angry at me for not taking care of my body.

‘So… that’s why he told them not to tell me?’

When he had his last moments of consciousness, Esadien had apparently asked Theodore and his grandfather to not tell me that he was injured. He didn’t want me to worry.

I’m not oblivious to that sentiment.

But I wasn’t told a day or two later; I only found out when the castle was in an uproar after Austin’s escape. I… felt like a fool.

– Minuelle, there’s no one in the army who curses like you… never mind.

Seeing my distorted face, Theodore, who was trying to lighten the mood with a joke, quickly stopped himself.

Instead, he repeated the same request.

– Anyway, could you just stay by His Highness’s side?

“How do I know when he’ll wake up?”

At my cold voice, Theodore’s jaw trembled slightly.

“I want to be by his side, too.”

I wanted to guard him, nurse him, and be the first person Esadien saw when he opened his eyes.

– Then do that.

“But the things I have to do and can do are outside the Imperial Palace.”

It was obvious where Austin had gone.

Animals instinctively return to their nests when they are wounded.

So the only place he would go is the Temple of Fire.

“To be precise, he’s in the south.”

– Mi, Minuelle, don’t tell me… No, that’s not it. Crossing the border at a time like this, that’s…

I brushed off his desperate attempts to stop me and said, as if driving a nail into a board:

“Theo, I have to go to Chitrum.”

***

With a clear destination, there was no reason to hesitate.

I moved faster than ever before, and not even my parents, sisters, or Ramande could stop me as I pushed forward like a bulldozer.

The first place I went was the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor, who readily accepted my request for a private audience, was surprised to see me, who had come without being summoned, begin talking about the spirits.

“You’ve truly suffered so much. So that incident from 10 years ago still hasn’t ended.”

The Emperor, his face weary, nodded once, then a couple more times, as if he was starting to understand what had happened.

“On the day Edi and you came to save me.”

“Yes.”

“I heard later how you fought, but I was still half in doubt… I see, it was the power of the spirits.”

The Emperor’s large, thick hand covered mine.

His voice grew more serious, and the eyes that looked at me became even deeper.

“Child, if you regain the power of the spirits, will you become the guardian deity of the Empire?”

Ah, of course.

I wasn’t surprised because I had half-expected this kind of talk, but I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

However, showing such feelings could be dangerous. No matter how much he doted on me, the Emperor was still the Emperor. He wouldn’t tolerate rebellion against his authority.

‘Especially now, when his authority has truly been compromised.’

I smiled as brightly as possible and replied.

“I want to live happily ever after with the Third Prince, ‘Father’.”

If I become a guardian deity, I’ll die quickly. How can I close my eyes and leave my cat-like Esadien behind?

Hearing the term ‘Father’, a title I returned to using after completely revoking the request to break off the engagement with Esadien, a glimmer of realization flashed across the Emperor’s face.

“Then, of course, you should. Will you think of it as an old man’s slip of the tongue, child?”

Old man?

While I glanced at his lush, shiny hair without a single gray strand, I had no choice but to answer quietly.

“I just hope you, Father, will stay with us for a long, long time.”

Because I had a request.

“My heart wants to hold the wedding soon, but to do that, I think I need to go to Chitrum first, Father.”

“…To Chitrum?”

The Emperor, who had been studying my face for a moment at my words, which were tantamount to asking him to issue a travel permit in exchange for forgiving his ‘slip of the tongue,’ soon patted the back of my hand.

“The wedding gifts should, of course, be prepared by the Imperial Family. But I suppose you might want to prepare a personal gift as well.”

Come to think of it, I had heard that there were many artisans in Chitrum who crafted magnificent works.

As I was tempted by this unexpected suggestion, the Emperor said to me in a hushed tone.

“The times are not good, so you must be careful, child.”

“I’ll prepare gifts for you and Sister Lumiere as well, so please wait for me.”

The Emperor laughed heartily and let me go. As I walked out of the main palace, I continued my thoughts.

‘Even though Esadien’s beauty makes jewels lose their luster no matter what he wears.’

The more, the better, they say. Beautiful things are always good to have more of.

“A crown made of gold pulled into a fine thread, or… no, should I just scout a few artisans?”

If I didn’t indulge in such frivolous thoughts, I felt like I would be crushed by the anxiety of not knowing when Esadien would wake up.

So I deliberately hummed as I entered the Prince’s palace for the first time in a while, where familiar faces had returned.

“It has been a long time, Your Grace.”

“I heard you were on probation, but everyone has returned.”

I smiled from the heart as I looked around at the familiar attendants. The people who had temporarily resigned from their attendant duties because of Lapheche’s incident had all returned.

“Where else would we be attached if not here?”

“Thank you. With you all here, His Highness will surely regain his strength sooner.”

The attendant who was guiding me to Esadien’s bedroom sensed a subtle nuance and looked back.

“Your Grace, if I may be so bold as to ask…”

“I have something I must do.”

That’s why I came to say goodbye.

Upon hearing my words, the attendant’s face darkened. He seated me by Esadien’s side, disappeared for a moment, and then returned with a basin.

“Well, it’s nothing, it’s just about time to wipe His Highness’s body…”

Huh?

Hmm?

‘So, are you asking me to?’

I looked back and forth between Esadien and the attendant, and then I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Pfft! Hahaha!”

“Should I… take it back? I didn’t dare to pawn off the work on you, Your Grace!”

Embarrassed by my sudden laughter, he started making excuses, and I quickly gestured for him to put the basin down.

“No. I know your intentions well. Thank you. Hahahah!”

It seemed this attendant remembered that I was very serious about Esadien’s muscles.

I asked with quite a lot of enthusiasm.

“Hmm, I only need to do his upper body? What about his pants?”

“…His Highness would be angry if he knew someone touched his lower body.”

“Haha. Of course, I’m just joking.”

I sent yeahthe attendant out, who was half-believing and half-uncertain if he could trust me, and plopped down next to Esadien.

At least on the outside, he just looked like a person in a deep sleep without any sign of illness.

“You’re a fool, you know that? Why would you say not to tell me you were hurt?”

I grumbled and hugged Esadien tightly. When I buried my nose in his neck, the unique scent of Esadien, reminiscent of the sea, wafted over me.

What I had said to Theodore wasn’t a lie. My heart just wanted to stay like this forever.

But there were many places I had to visit before going to Chitrum, so I reluctantly pulled myself together and stood up.

“Let’s see, I should wipe his face first, right? Heh heh. Heh heh heh.”

But the clothes might get wet while wiping his face, so I absolutely had to undress him first. Of course.

I smiled lecherously, no, I mean, reverently, and took off my gloves. I think I even hummed a little as I unbuttoned his clothes one by one.

But as my gaze passed over Esadien’s chest, where the necklace I had gifted him hung, and landed on his abdomen, I couldn’t laugh or hum anymore.

“This is…”

A scar, a dark brown, almost black mark, covered the edge of his tightly-muscled body.

I carefully wiped my hands and gently touched it, and the corner of the wound crumbled a little, like dry clay.

The priests summoned by the Emperor had likely been pouring divine power into him all this time, but just in case, I tried applying a bit of the potion I had.

But there was still no visible change.

“Damn… Austin, that bastard, really deserves to be drawn and quartered…”

I gritted my teeth, recalling Austin’s form as it turned into sand and scattered.

“Is this also the power of the Sand God…?”

If so, how could this wound be healed? It wasn’t disappearing with divine power either.

There were so many questions without answers.

When I looked at Esadien’s face, which seemed so peacefully asleep, tears welled up in my eyes.

I slowly wiped his body, having to hold back the tears that threatened to fall several times.

‘I can’t cry. Tears are mixed with impurities. What if it makes the wound worse?’

I repeated that thought to myself.

Because of that, the task was finished quickly, despite the large area.

“All done.”

I let out a big sigh, tossed the towel into the basin, and then infused Esadien’s body, which had cooled down a bit in the meantime, with warmth.

On his chest, his stomach, his arms, everywhere.

Then, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘If I can give him some energy, can’t I also take some out?’

Even if it’s not related to fire or temperature.

I immediately rolled up my sleeves and offered a prayer first.

“Lady Plendena, please, please grant me a miraculous power! Please help my beloved not to remain asleep like this!”

Light didn’t pour down from the sky, nor did I hear Plendena’s voice, but I released my clasped hands and took a deep breath.

I felt like I had been heavily influenced by Brassidas, to try something so haphazardly without being sure.

‘I don’t care what it takes, I just hope it works.’

Something I learned from using the power of the spirits a little was that the power follows you if you imagine it as vividly as reality.

So this time, too, I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly pushed forward with my imagination, like a person feeling their way around in the dark.

An imagination of groping for the very tip of the power that tormented Esadien, and pulling it out.

A moment later.

I slowly opened my eyes and mumbled in disbelief.

“…It worked?”

An energy, a power that I couldn’t tell was a poison or a curse, was burning away and disappearing from my fingertips.

“Wow. Am I more talented than I thought?”

I was in a daze, even as I smelled the pungent odor, but then I quickly snapped out of it with a gasp.

Still, this was a patient’s room, and I couldn’t have something bad burning in it. I quickly put Esadien’s clothes back on and opened the window to ventilate the room. Only then could I finally take a breath.