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Chapter 48




I narrowed my brows and focused on Reina’s lips, but soon stopped. There’s no need to figure it out.
‘She’s probably just cursing me again.’
Before I could even let out a snort, Dodolea quickly lowered the carriage curtain, completely blocking our view. Soon, the carriage carrying the three of them disappeared into the distance. Once the fight was completely over, the onlookers gradually dispersed. The group that had been chatting happily with my stepmother also dispersed without a trace, as if they had fulfilled their roles. As the last of the spectators vanished, Adeus approached me cautiously.
“I’m sorry for being rude just now.”
“What rudeness? It’s fine. You were trying to save me.”
“...Did Her Highness know that the medicine was fake?”
“No way.”
“So, you didn’t know it was fake and just took it on impulse?”
“Yeah, I had no idea.”
Adeus frowned, as if he couldn’t understand my casual response.
“You were too reckless, Your Highness.”
“Whenever I get excited, my emotions take over.”
To others, it probably looked like I was acting on impulse. But in fact, it was a thoroughly calculated show to make my stepmother give me the medicine.
“What if it had really been poison...”
Adeus clamped his mouth shut, as if even saying it out loud was terrifying. His complexion turned pale.
“Did you really worry that I might die?”
It was unexpected. I thought he wouldn’t even blink no matter what I did. In response to my question, Adeus calmly lowered his gaze.
“...I don’t know.”
If you worried, you worried; if you didn’t, you didn’t. What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?
“Maybe.”
“Huh?”
“...If something happened to Her Highness, I wouldn’t be able to become the ‘most cherished friend’ of the lady of Laphireon, so that’s probably why.”
Though his tone was playful as usual, there was no hint of a smile on Adeus’s face. He frowned, as if even his answer didn’t satisfy him, and then turned away.
“I’ll be going now.”
Today is really strange. He always sticks around annoyingly until he gets what he wants, but now he’s the one saying he’s leaving.
“Adeus.”
At my call, Adeus stopped and turned back with a complicated look on his face.
“Thank you for trying to save me just now.”
“...Me?”
“Of course, you. Who else?”
Adeus looked confused at my shout.
“Worrying about me like that made you seem like a real friend.”
Adeus scrunched up his face as if he had just taken bitter medicine. He tilted his head a few times, then disappeared without a word.
“Mom.”
After standing there for a while, Selphius approached me.
“I also tried to save you just now. I was worried! But you told me to wait... and I thought you had a plan, so I held back.”
“Of course, I know, Selph.”
I gently stroked Selphius’s head, and he looked at where Adeus had disappeared.
“And this is something I learned at the academy.”
“Huh?”
“People who smile without any reason fall into only two categories.”
“...Huh?”
Selphius emphasized his words.
“Either they’re fools or they’re pretending to be fools.”
Selphius clenched his teeth and muttered.
“But that guy seems to fit both categories. A foolish fool. Don’t even bother with someone like that, Mom.”
It seems Selphius really doesn’t like Adeus. I chuckled softly and turned to look at Terdeo.
“Selph, why do you think... Terdeo?”
His complexion was different from usual. Shocked by his pale face, I hurriedly approached him.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
As I supported Terdeo, his weight leaned heavily on me. For a moment, my legs wobbled, and I almost fell backward, but I gritted my teeth and held on.
“Your Excellency!”
“Call the carriage.”
Terdeo, leaning on me, spoke weakly to Selphius, who nodded and rushed off.
“Why are you like this? Are you hurt?”
As I reached out to touch his forehead, cold sweat was pouring down like rain.
“Sweat...! Terdeo, when did this start...!”
“Shh.”
Terdeo made a soft hissing sound.
“Don’t make such a face. Act as you usually do.”
“But suddenly...!”
“Quiet.”
Terdeo’s breathing was irregular.
“Someone might still be watching.”
“...”
“If they knew I was in bad shape, your plan would fall apart. After all, the reason I took the medicine would disappear.”
I suddenly remembered what Princess Dodolea had said earlier.
‘Rat...’
I leaned Terdeo closer to me and looked around. There was no sign of anyone else.
“...Is this because of the medicine?”
I tried to calm my shock, but my voice trembled. The last time I took the medicine mixed with mashed potatoes, I was fine.
“This is the first time... I can’t be sure it’s because of the medicine.”
Terdeo spoke calmly. I clenched my fists tightly.
“Why didn’t you let me take it...”
“If you had taken it, would anything have been different? I took it, and this is the result.”
Just as Terdeo finished speaking, Selphius returned with the carriage. We quickly helped Terdeo into the carriage. As soon as the door closed and the carriage started moving,
“Terdeo!”
“Your Excellency!”
Terdeo lost consciousness and collapsed.
　 *** As soon as we returned to the mansion, Terdeo was suffering from a high fever. The doctor, who had been waiting after receiving an advance notice, quickly examined him but couldn’t determine the cause. When I asked for help from Phineas, the reply was that even the fastest horse in the duchy would take five days to arrive. He added that while he needed to see Terdeo in person, the symptoms didn’t seem to be related to the consumption of Ailette’s blood. He sent all the medicinal herbs and methods known to reduce fever, but they were useless. It had already been three days since Terdeo fell ill with a high fever.
“...Mom.”
A small tap on my shoulder startled me awake. In my blurry vision, Selphius looked at me with concern.
“...Did I fall asleep, Selph?”
“Yes. You were nodding off in your chair.”
Selphius weakly smiled and mimicked my drowsy appearance.
“Mom, are you okay? I’ll stay here, so go get some rest. You haven’t eaten or slept properly for three days.”
Since the medicine wasn’t working, I had been wiping Terdeo’s body with a cold wet cloth every hour, regardless of day or night. It didn’t seem to help much.
I rubbed my blurry eyes and said firmly,
“I feel better after a short nap, Selph.”
Looking out the window, I saw that night had already fallen.
“It’s too late, Selph. I’ll stay here, so don’t worry and go to bed.”
“But...”
Selphius gently wiped the dark circles under my eyes.
“Your eyes are so dark, like they’ve been painted black.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Yes. You look like a black cat with only your eyes.”
Selphius forced a smile. Then, his face darkened like a storm cloud, and he hugged my neck tightly.
“What if His Excellency doesn’t wake up?”
“Then we’ll have to keep hitting him until he does.”
At my firm response, a pleasant laugh from above my head echoed.
“I’ve never seen His Excellency get hit by anyone.”
“In fact, this is a secret, but I’m a powerful person who hides my strength. I can easily overpower Terdeo.”
I made a joke, and Selphius laughed, asking what I meant. I laughed along and patted Selphius’s back.
“Don’t worry. Do you trust me?”
Selphius nodded, somewhat relieved. I stroked his head and ordered the butler.
“Take Selph to his bedroom and bring him warm milk to help him sleep. Stay with him until he falls asleep.”
The butler, following my orders, took Selphius to his bedroom. The silence in the bedroom, now empty, was heavy and suffocating.
“You should have just let me take it.”
If I had died and then woken up, I wouldn’t be in pain like this.
‘Was I just weak lately? Did the curse act more strongly because I drank Ailette’s blood then?’
But it was just a guess, and I couldn’t be sure. I sighed softly and touched Terdeo’s forehead. His fever had risen again. I wiped his forehead, neck, and arms with a cold wet cloth, as I had done many times before. His well-defined muscles, which I had seen many times, still didn’t feel familiar.
‘He’s just a sick person. A sick body. A sick doll. A sick ironing board.’
Even though I had done this several times, I still couldn’t get used to it.
‘Sick muscles. Muscles are just necessary for forming tissue. Sick skin. Just sick leather.’
I repeated these words in my mind to maintain my composure and diligently wiped Terdeo’s body with the wet cloth. My actions were a form of guilt and self-justification. He took the medicine because of me, so his pain was entirely my responsibility.
“When will you wake up?”
Putting down the wet cloth, I slumped into the chair, feeling weak.
“Selph is worried. He’s probably scared that you’ll change and leave him again.”
As usual, there was no response.
“You are Selphius’s guardian, responsible for protecting him. It’s your duty to keep him from feeling anxious.”
The mansion was quiet as night fell. The footsteps in the hallway and the bird sounds from outside the window indicated it was bedtime. The darkness swallowed everything. Every night, I feared that the darkness would consume Terdeo’s hot breath.
“I’m scared too, you know.”
“...”
“You are also responsible for me, right? So, you shouldn’t make me feel anxious.”
Even with my small complaint, he remained silent.
“Get rid of this fever and wake up quickly. The great Duke of Laphireon, who runs around battlefields like his own backyard, can’t be defeated by a little fever, can he?”
“...”
“If you don’t wake up, I’ll do all the things you hate.”
If you don’t wake up, I’ll make sure you have to.
“I’ll go eat steak with Adeus.”
Even hearing the name Adeus, which he detests, didn’t change Terdeo’s expression.
“I’ll go see an opera with Adeus.”
What a ridiculous thing to do. The tension in my shoulders drained away.
‘What if he really doesn’t wake up?’
Just thinking about it made my chest feel tight, as if I had eaten twenty boiled potatoes in a row. I lowered my head, feeling choked up, and gripped my dress skirt tightly.
“And then I’ll have...”
“Lemon sorbet, no.”
“...!”
A hoarse, low voice sounded. I was startled and lifted my trembling head. After a long time, my reflection appeared in his red eyes.
“I clearly said last time... that guy is suspicious.”
“T, Terdeo.”
“No opera, no steak. ...If you want to eat or see something, tell me. I’ll go with you.”