/
The thing she was looking for was obviously not in her pocket. She violently turned the pocket, but there was nothing.
“Where did it go?”
Did Maris take it while I was washing? If Maris took it, then she would go straight to Madam Quillian. If that’s the case…. Alice felt her blood go cold as she imagined that.
“No, no, let’s think calmly. She couldn’t have come inside my room so suddenly.”
Maris was the type of person who wouldn’t knock on her door unless necessary. She wouldn’t have suddenly barged into her room today. She also saw her earlier today with Hans, walking with him arm in arm and giggling.
Hans was the man Maris was working on, so Alice is probably not in her mind tonight. So, it shouldn’t be Maris. So where did I drop it…?
It was definitely with her in the carriage, even when she got off. Then she met Madam Quillian in the lobby… then she went to see Kaillus. If it fell out in the hall, someone would have seen it with the number of people there. But no one said anything…. The only place left is Kaillus’ bedroom.
“Ah, uhm….”
Being at a loss, Alice glanced at the clock and narrowed her brows. It was already past midnight. But she was worried about looking for it tomorrow. If a servant who cleans Kaillus’ bedroom finds it and tells Madam Quillian… she will undoubtedly be questioned.
“… Let’s go now.”
Alice was troubled for a short time.
She cautiously went out of her bedroom with a thin shawl over her pajamas. She walked up the stairs silently like a cat, checking the deserted hallway, and headed to the Duke’s bedroom. She had already expected that no one was there. Kaillus’ bedroom was almost deserted except for the present butler. And now’s the butler’s time to return to his place.
Click! The sound of the door echoed in the hallway as Alice opened it.
“Haa, good grief. There’s nobody here too.”
She still wondered if she was that unlucky to have the butler turned back, but there was no one in the bedroom – except for Kaillus lying in bed.
Patting her chest in relief, Alice looked around the candlelit room.
“Where is it….”
Alice looked around the floor with her hawk eyes. Then, a white piece of paper caught her eyes.
“Found it!”
The application form for the priest fell on the floor and was under the bed. So you were here. She shook off the dust on the paper; her shoulders flinched when she heard a weak voice.
“… Kaillus?”
As she turned her head to where she heard the groan, she saw Kaillus’ pale face.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Kaillus was in an abnormal condition as if he would lose his breath at any moment. His forehead was drenched in a cold sweat, and harsh breaths came out of his pale blue lips. Something was obviously wrong with him.
Alice was startled when she felt his burning forehead under her hand.
“Doctor, I need to call Helkin.”
Alice immediately runs out of the room. She was at risk of getting caught, but nothing else matters now.
Alice ran so fast that her thin pajama skirt fluttered in the wind. There’s a high probability that Helkin had already left for work, but she had to try everything.
Bam! She suddenly opened Helkin’s office, and Helkin, who was just unpacking, looked at her with a startled look.
“Heok, heok….”
“Little Madame?”
“Helkin, the Duke’s condition is strange.”
“No, what is it all of a sudden… no, wait, Madam?”
“No time for this. The Duke is going to die!”
Alice didn’t answer Helkin’s question but dragged him by the wrist and headed to Kaillus. It wasn’t until they arrived in front of Kaillus’ bed that she let go of Helkin’s wrist.
“Heok, heok, you’re very strong….”
“Go ahead and take a look at the Duke first. He’s in a grave situation, can’t you see?!”
Helkin turned his gaze to Kaillus. He was panting and groaning in pain. His face and pillow were damped with his sweat.
“What’s wrong with him all of a sudden?” Alice asked in an urgent manner.
Helkin naturally knew what was wrong with Kaillus. The antidote he gave Kaillus had begun to neutralize his poison.
Helkin and Kaillus knew there would be severe pain, but Alice here didn’t know any of that.
“Why are you standing still? Do something. The Duke is going to die!”
Alice shouted at Helkin, who was staring blankly at Kaillus. It was because he had already given Kaillus painkillers, and there was nothing he could do with the pain he was experiencing. But he couldn’t explain it to Alice.
Helkin glanced at Alice. Why did Little Madam visit the Duke at this hour? The two of them don’t have any special husband and wife relationship enough for her to come to his bedroom at this hour. He had no idea what was happening, but she came here after Kaillus took the antidote.
Helkin pondered over what to do with this situation. With Alice’s chaotic eyes, Helkin pretended to diagnose Kaillus’ body.
“How is he? Is it serious?”
“This is… because the poison seems to be spreading throughout his body.”
“Poison? Why is the poison spreading again when he didn’t take any poison? Did you secretly poison him?”
Helkin hastily shook his head when Alice’s golden eyes went cold in an instant.
“That’s impossible. I will never do that. What I mean to say is… the poison the Duke had ingested seems to be spreading more inside his body.”
“What are you…? Is that possible?”
“Yes. The poison I made is very special… that it will gradually spread inside the Duke’s body… slowly gnawing on his life.”
Helkin did her best to make a clever excuse. Alice stared at Helkin. Is she not believing me?
Alice said to Helkin, who had a stiff face and sweat running down his spine, “Do you mean to say that you can’t do anything?”
“Yes? Ah… yes. There’s nothing I can do.”
Alice seemed to lose all of her strength at Helkin’s answer. You are in so much pain, but he couldn’t do anything about it.
“Little Madame, I am wondering… why you are in the Duke’s bedroom at this time.”
“I dropped something earlier here, so I came. More than that, do you really mean it when you said you can’t do anything about it?”
Searching for the last thread of hope, Alice asked him, but Helkin shook his head.
“Yes. When the time passes… the pain will go away once the poison has spread.”
“What does that…?”
The pain will go away, but that’s enough to kill him. She couldn’t bear to say those terrible words.
Helkin apologetically bowed his head.
As she watched Kaillus groaning in pain, Alice said to Helkin, “Alright. You can go back if there’s nothing you can do.”
“… Just me?”
“Hmm. I… I will stay a little bit longer.” Alice replied without looking at Helkin.
Helkin was bewildered with Alice staying. He feared Alice would find out the Duke was awake if she stayed here. But he had no reason to drag Alice out of the room. Looking at Alice’s face now, she doesn’t seem to listen to anything.
Helkin alternately looked at the two of them with anxious eyes. He wondered if it would be alright since the antidote would make him unconscious for a day or two. The antidote was really strong. At least he won’t be able to wake up tonight. Yes, it will be okay.
“Why aren’t you going?”
“… I am going now. Don’t stay here for too long because others might come… Little Madam. It can lead to some misunderstanding.”
“Okay.”
With a strange gaze, Helkin looked at Alice, who didn’t leave Kaillus’ figure until the end, so he left the room first.
As Helkin left, Alice repeatedly narrowed her eyebrows as if she was hesitating about something.
“… Will divine power work?”
Helkin said that there was nothing he could do with the poison. Still, maybe her divine power will work – because her divine power is simply unrealistic.
She managed to heal his wounds, so maybe her power will work again. But Alice hesitated, unable to carry it out immediately. She felt like she couldn’t turn away from Kaillus. She is the one to leave him in the future, so it is better to draw a line. Even if she reduces his pain now, the pain will repeat after she leaves, so what to do then?
Don’t feel sorry for him, don’t sympathize with him. She stopped herself but couldn’t take a step away from the groaning Kaillus.
“Ha, I don’t know. Just think right now.”
Eventually, Alice couldn’t turn away from him, so she clasped his big hand with both hands.
‘Please, help him out of the pain. Please don’t let him suffer anymore.’
Alice prayed earnestly as she closed her eyes. Right at that moment, a tremendous light shot out of Alice’s hand. It was as bright as the sun, enough to fill the room with white light.