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Chapter 7. On a Summer Night that I Can’t Remember
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A week has passed since I opened my eyes.
“My lady, are you able to walk now?”
“Yeah, I feel like I can walk now.”
Though I said that, I was out of breath even though I had only gone around the room once.
Marilyn smiled sadly, noticing that I was trying to hide my tight breathing.
“Please don’t push yourself. You’ve been lying down on a bed for a year, it’s natural that your body is not feeling all right.”
“I understand. I’ll be careful.”
How great would it be to have a monster-level body like Dietrich, where even if his stomach was torn by a knife, he was still able to get up the next day and cause a stir around the mansion.
Unfortunately, I was just an ordinary girl with nothing special except having Eredia’s abilities.
‘My legs are already numb just by moving a bit.’
Obviously, it was two healthy legs attached below my waist, but it wouldn’t move as much as I want.
I groaned, approached the mirror, and struggled to straighten my body.
This body, which originally didn’t have much flesh, was slender, but now it was thin enough to cause concern even as I looked at it.
“.....Marilyn, I want to eat something.”
“Right now? But you just ate thin rice gruel and then threw it all up.”
“I think fruits will be okay.”
My stomach, which hadn’t had food for a long time, refused to work even when Marilyn only chose foods that were easy to digest.
‘But I need to eat something to gain energy.’
I heard that for one year where no sustenance was able to nourish this body, they had called a priest of the sun god and a priest of Eredia without any hesitation to pour divine power into my body just to keep my life on hold.
Therefore, it wasn’t strange that my body, which have been unable to move for a long time, was stiff.
‘They didn’t call for an ordinary doctor but a priest for treatment. How expensive would that be?’
I thought we didn’t have money.
Cash was given to the royal family for my bail, and if it was someone else who had said that we had become beggars, I would have thought those words were a lie.
Veronica didn’t tell me the exact amount, but it must have been astronomical enough for her to burst out laughing.
‘Nevertheless, he still hasn’t come to see me.’
Dietrich wouldn’t even show his nose maybe because he’d feel like the money he poured on me was a waste.
I tried to sound out if he was out of the territory perhaps, but even a tactless servant like Lancel looked around avoiding my eyes, so he must be in the castle.
“Where’s Dietrich?”
“He’s extremely busy these days
”
Even Marilyn, who noticed my feelings, trailed at her words.
“Shall I ring for a servant to tell him you’re looking for him, my lady?”
“No, never mind. Don’t ever do that.”
I snorted at her question and laid back down on the bed.
‘So this is how it is, huh.’
I had no energy for the past few days and just kept on laying on the bed so I couldn’t think of looking for him, but now I was angry so I won’t look for him first.
Half of me didn’t want to yield, and the other half of me felt sad.
“I also don’t want to see Dietrich. Even if he looks for me, don’t open the door.”
Marilyn laughed awkwardly at my feisty command.
I understood that he was angry because I left Lagrange despite his opposition, but still, we ended up acquiring the holy sword.
Before I lost consciousness, I clearly checked that the holy sword was darkened.
All in all, my goal has been achieved.
‘If I didn’t take it, how could he handle Hermann who has the holy sword?’
Although Dietrich was said to be strong no matter what, Hermann acquiring the holy sword was nothing more than a cheat given by the original to give him the strength to defeat Dietrich in the first place.
‘For the rest of the relics, we need to figure out first how many the other side already has.’
I mumbled as I buried my face in the soft goose feather pillow.
“What about Marquis Deus?”
“A reply has just arrived that they will visit soon.”
He wasn’t the kind to leave debts behind. If he had heard the news that I couldn’t get up, he would have investigated the latest developments even if I didn’t ask.
“Princess, I brought some fruits. I picked the fruits that are easy to swallow.”
The maid served a few grapes and a few finely chopped peaches on a plate.
“Thank you. You may leave now, too, Marilyn.”
If it was up to me, I would have wanted to eat some well-roasted pork ribs, but I didn’t think I should use the energy that I had gained in vomiting.
‘It’s a bit upsetting.’
I moved the small plate I had in my hand to the window and buried my face in the cold marble railing.
It was fortunate that the North was running properly without major deviations from my plan.
‘Does he have to be angry like this?’
I just woke up, so what happened in the temple felt like yesterday for me, but it was a year ago for Dietrich.
I didn’t think that he wasn’t worried about me, but I still couldn’t understand.
‘Is he worried to the point of being angry?’
I screamed a little bit but as expected, he’s a petty man more than he looks.
I hit the cold marble for no reason but only my hand hurt.
I closed my eyes at the night breeze blowing through the open window. Since it was summer, the cool breeze gently caressed my cheeks.
Even though I had been sleeping as if I was dead, I still found solace in the silence.
‘I have to go back to bed and sleep there.’
The window was wide and comfortable enough for three people to lie down, so when I laid down with my arms crossed, my eyelids quickly became heavy.
‘Well, I can just move at dawn.’
I didn’t have a bad sleeping habit, so I didn’t fight my drowsiness fearing that I might roll over to the other side.
".........."
It was around the time when the wind seemed to have gotten a little cooler.
I could tell even without opening my eyes whose shadow fell over my cheek.
It smelled like the cold air of dawn.
Dietrich came up to me quietly without a sound of breathing and hugged me.
When I woke up at the sound of the rustling of clothes, I grabbed his collar first because I was afraid he would run away.
“I thought you were sleeping.”
The first thing I saw was his eyes.
It showed a little surprise, but no sign of agitation.
Next were his slightly wilder look and a strong jawline.
“Why did you come?”
“I saw the window open from the outside.”
In a place where there was no light, his black eyes were absolutely calm and I became a little angry.
“What does it matter to you whether I sleep with the window open or not?”
“Then, did that cold wind bring you back to your senses?”
I couldn’t read his feelings at the blunt criticism. His thicker aura was indistinctively dark, but there wasn’t even a trace of being swayed.
‘Is he not angry?’
Dietrich put me down with a deep sigh as if he had no idea he would be visiting for the first time in a year.
‘Could it be that he really didn’t come because he thought it was just bothersome?’
“Your face is pale. Close the window.”
“I don’t want to. It’s hot.”
It was neither hot nor cold, however, his face which I hadn’t seen for a long time didn’t have a trace of being happy to see me so I was unnecessarily cranky.
I stood up following him and he pushed me back by the shoulder when I reached out my hand to the window.
“Why are you pushing me! It hurts!”
“You’re wearing many layers of cotton and you’re complaining of being hurt?”
“Didn’t I tell you it’s hot? Don’t close the window.”
Dietrich ignored my words and slammed the window shut. I was worried that the glass might break due to the strong force, but fortunately, it was fine.
I hurriedly grabbed his sleeve as he turned his back to leave the room.
“W-where are you going?”
“My room.”
“Why did you come here?”
“I came in to close the window as I told you.”
I was firmly determined to release him if he got angry, but he gave off a cold air although his attitude was calm that I didn’t know how to respond.
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I hesitantly opened my mouth, forgetting that I was upset with him.
“I mean, didn’t you come to see me after a long time?”
“No.”
“What do you mean no? It’s been a week since I woke up.”
“Because I saw you when you were sleeping.”
“Why didn’t you come to see me when I woke up?”
At my question, he gritted his teeth as if swallowing something unpleasant. His handsome forehead was deeply creased.
I flinched and clenched my fist at the first sign of irritation I saw on his face.
“We have a lot to talk about. About Euclid, or about the rose war–”
“Let’s talk when you regain your energy. Go to sleep.”
He cut off my words and shook off my hand holding unto his sleeve.
“Wait!”
I hurriedly stood up after collecting my hand that was left in the air.
“Ack!”
Fortunately, Dietrich was quick to support me before I fell rolling to the floor. A ferocious groan fell over the back of my embarrassed head.
“Lie down. Do you think my words are a joke?”
Ah.
It was because he was angry. That was the first time he showed his anger.
I raised my head for joy because he showed his feelings.
“I asked you why you didn’t come to see me when I woke up.”
“Because I’m afraid you might collapse again.”
“Why would I collapse? I’ve recovered.”
As Dietrich stared at my forearm, which I extended to him and flexed, he loosened the collar of his neck as if he was suffocating and couldn’t hold back his irritation.
“Put that away. What is there for you to brag about that dry firewood.”
He spoke quite beautifully.
I pouted at his harsh scolding.
“Anyway, why would I collapse again?”
“Right now, I’m barely holding back this anger that’s about to make me go crazy.”
“And?”
“Even I can’t stand this anger, and I don’t know if you could withstand this when you’re in that state, reduced to all skin and bones.”