Compared to her previous life, Marianne was a little better at weighing some options in her present life. It was something like her sense of reality that she learned after meeting Eckart.
Marianne began to rebuke herself a bit, but she soon finished justifying herself. And she looked straight into Kader’s eyes.
Kader again burst out into hearty laughter at her daring reply and attitude.
“That befits the size of your destiny!” said Kader, who seemed to be happy.
“Now, go!”
After she said that, Kader moved back three steps. She held the spear correctly, which she was grasping at an angle, and cut Mariane’s body. It was so quick and accurate that Marianne only realized it after she was cut.
“Kader…?”
Even though she was cut in half by the spear, she didn’t feel any pain. Embarrassed, she looked down at her body. What poured out instead of blood was a whitish, bright lump of light.
‘Didn’t she kill me?’
When Marianne wondered and lifted her head again, half of Kader’s image was already hidden by the bright halo around her.
“Let’s meet again on the day of awakening.”
Her strong voice rang in the light like an echo.
* * *
Calm air. The familiar smell of the trees and the wind blowing somewhere. A slight chill that tickled the back of her hands and fingers.
Marianne slowly raised her eyelids. The light of the crystals hanging on the ceiling was so dazzling to her eyes. When she frowned unconsciously, someones’ touch around her hands quickly disappeared. She felt empty, strangely enough.
“Ostashu!”
Somebody called the name with a low voice. Marianne recalled what happened. She seemed to have heard it several times somewhere.
So, Ostashu, Ostashu, Ostashu…Was it von Louiche?
“Have you come to your senses, Lady Marianne?”
He was Eckart’s primary physician as well as the director of the Imperial Medical Service. He was there when she was returning from Roshan. She had seen his face several times when he came to see her for her meal menu.
“…I’m alright.”
Mariane nodded slightly in bed. She felt nostalgia from the rustling pillowcase. Though it was hard to explain, it was clearly from the scent that she smelled when she met Kader, something she felt all the time in the real world.
‘Obviously I’ve come back to the real world.’
She took a long breath, lost in idle thoughts. Ostashu checked her pulse, body temperature, complexion and pupils. Although she wanted to say that he didn’t have to check so thoroughly, she didn’t want to bother to do it.
After doing the checkup, Ostashu nodded toward the other side. Then he left the room immediately.
Marianne turned her head to the side that he looked at, namely to his right.
“… Your Majesty.”
It was Eckart who was looking at her, about two steps away from her bed. His gaze that seemed more pale than usual looked heavy.
“… Are you alright?”
Marianne slowly got up and sat on the top of the bed.
“I’m okay. Did I pass out for a moment?”
“Yes. Ostashu says you fainted with hyperventilating. He also said you might have passed out because of a big shock.”
“Where is my father? Oh, I left Cordelli standing outside the study when I came here…”
“I had Duke Kling go back home. Your maid will be waiting in another room. They are supposed to think that you are staying late because you are meeting me alone. Nobody should know you passed out here.”
While going back to the mansion, she would have to be ready for Cordelli’s grumbling. But there was no better excuse for her late return to the mansion than this. She looked down with a big sigh.
“I’m sorry. I’ve disturbed you again.”
Eckart did not answer. She raised her head and checked his expression. Without approaching her, he was examining her condition with his blue eyes several steps away, which broke her heart.
It was funny. She passed out after having heard all kinds of terrible things and expressing anger. Despite that, she felt she didn’t like the way he looked down at her from several steps away, knowing that she was responsible for having disturbed his life.
“Are you upset with me? I’m really sorry. Don’t worry. Let me explain to Ober well… ”
“Marianne!” Eckart cut her off with a sharp voice.
“Why do you think I’m upset now?”
She bit her lip slightly. Obviously she misunderstood. Quickly looking around, she sat down with her back straight. Her clear eyes were open wide.
“… Ah, your arm… Does it feel okay? Because I suddenly fell… my father was a little further away, so you seemed to have supported me, I think…”
But that didn’t seem to be the reason why he got upset.
In fact, he didn’t blame her at all when he had his back wounded severely after he fell from the falls, holding her in his arms. He definitely wouldn’t get angry because of that.
“Can’t you tell me why…?”
In principle, she was wrong to sneak into his study and overhear his conversation with her father. She felt dejected. There were so many things that bothered her.
‘Is it because my father asked him to remove me from this fight? Mrs. Charlotte said Eckart didn’t like his plan would go wrong…’
While she was pondering over wrong answers, Eckart suddenly reached out.
“…”
What he placed on her palm was the ruby earring she was wearing. Not just one she dropped, but a pair. When she touched her earlobes belatedly, she found no earrings.
Marianne reached out and tried to take back the earrings in his hand. Eckart, however, withdrew his hand and hid it behind his back.
“I know you’ve been deeply distressed by what happened to the duchess. I’m very sorry too. Nobody can comfort your sorrow.”
Behind his back, he clenched his fist strongly. The sharp corners and the edges of the small gems caused pain on his palm when he gripped them.
“But Marianne. How can you try to swallow…?”
In the end, he complained to her as he couldn’t stand it anymore.
He desperately erased her mother’s illusion which was overlaid on her. His blue eyes trembled precariously. Obviously, his feelings were hurt.
Only then did she realize why he was upset about her.
“I’m sorry.” She got up, removing her bedding.
“I won’t do it again.”
Her dressing gown and other clothes were taken off as the doctor had to examine her physical condition. She stood up and moved one step with bare feet. Her white and light chemise dress gently tickled her ankles.
The moment Eckart was about to move back one step, Marianne grabbed his left arm.
A bigger shadow taller than hers toppled.
“I did it as I was so surprised and angry… I was mistaken for a moment. Seriously. Now I know I can’t solve anything that way.”
Eckart pulled his hand forward, as led by her. When he opened his palm and spread the faintly shaking fingers one by one, he finally saw it stained with blood.
Taking the earrings stained with blood from his palm, she smiled bitterly.
“Do not worry. You won’t lose your hostage if she commits suicide. I’ll tell my father about everything in detail. I’ll frankly tell him that this is a deal already agreed between us before he had a dialogue with you today.”
“Marianne…” Eckart frowned. Marianne raised her head to meet his eyes.
He hesitated for a moment as he looked at her shiny green eyes under his chin. After some hesitation about what he wanted to speak first, he opened his mouth, “Although your father’s request is rather reckless, I don’t think it’s too much. And I’m convinced that they are targeting you clearly…”
“Your Majesty.”
This time Marianne cut him off and said, “I want to ask you one thing.”
Eckart was silent. Marianne now knew that it was his patience and permission.
“Why did you accept my nonsensical deal from the beginning?”
“…”
“You needed me, right?”
“…”
“You needed me to punish those trying to steal what you had and reclaim the knights in the northern area and the remains of the late empress buried there because my father would never have moved to be on your side if I was not held hostage like this.”
Eckart knitted his brows a bit.
In fact, her guess was valid enough. Anyway, the reason why she offered such a deal to him was because she wanted to ensure the safety of herself and her father. As a ruler, it was very natural for him to respond to her political deal with a corresponding political deal.
“If my father had made the same request back then, would you have said the same thing now?”
Right this moment, what she said tormented him so much. As what she said now with a kind voice was true, he felt she was criticizing him now. He couldn’t defend himself with any excuses.
Eckart bit his lip.