Chapter 12
“….Now that I heard it, she’s right.”
The servants, who were confused by Navian’s words, whispered among themselves.
“I’ve been walking around the hallway on the second floor, but I haven’t heard that our young miss is awake.”
“True. I heard a crying sound, but I thought it was because people are sad.”
“And the aide was still in the parlor until then.”
Amid the chattering, Navian asked.
“What do you think, butler? You came to pick my father up that day.”
“I didn’t know about that even when I went upstairs. I didn’t know until I saw you wake up.”
The butler’s expression became serious.
The reason why I didn’t notice anything odd was because I wasn’t in my right mind at that time, but now that I think about it, so many things were strange.
“If you’re a keen knight, you might hear it. But sir aide, do you have a knight title?”
When Navian asked, the aide bit his lips. Everyone knew he had no aptitude for anything. The butler murmured as if he understood the situation now.
“….And somehow you looked at your pocket watch.”
As if he was trying to confirm that I was alive at that specific time. Elaine, who was standing behind the door, also spoke.
“It’s also strange that he was here all of a sudden. I’ve refused the palace’s call several times, and I kept sending letters, so why did you come?”
The aide replied urgently.
“Because you won’t come even if I call you!”
“So why did you come that day? It’s too strange to be a coincidence.”
The aide rolled his eyes away. Then Navian spoke.
“You don’t seem to feel wronged. If it were me, I’d tell you to go to His Highness and check the facts right now.”
“You-you’re mistaken, I feel wronged! But…”
But Navian’s calm voice blocked him from opening his mouth more.
“Well, I understand if you don’t do that, His Highness might kill you. Let’s say it was a coincidence that you came.”
The aide, who was secretly relieved, hardened himself by the words of Navian.
“But I can’t understand how you knew.”
Her calm pink eyes pierced through the aide.
“Even Ulysse, who can read the celestial energy, didn’t know that I’m going to survive. So tell me how someone who was waiting under the stairs in such a chaotic situation can know?”
Everyone looked at the aide.
There was an easy way to deny everything.
He could just insist that he heard it from the first floor just like what he said before.
Everyone looked at him suspiciously and thought the aide was going to insist.
However, the aide was silent for a long time, said something completely different.
“….Please let me know what you want to say to His Highness.”
Everyone’s eyes opened wide.
It was as if he was saying: I’ll admit it as the truth, but I beg you to keep silent.
“As I said before, I’m going to postpone going to the palace.”
“Can you ask for something else? That way, my life….”
“Will he spare your life if he knows you’ve been caught?”
The fact that he knew I was alive was supposed to be a secret. Navian whispered to the aide who tried to open his mouth.
“I’m asking you to bet your chances of living a little longer.”
Two crossroads came to the aide’s mind.
Either you make excuses that I couldn’t go, or you get caught and die.
“Postpone it, no matter what. Blame it on the demon or His Highness. Take care of it yourself.”
The aide trembled. With a face as if saying, ‘how can you say that?’
Navian was calmly threatening him right on his ear.
“I’ll assume the aide has an unusually sharp hearing and accidentally hear that I’m alive.”
* * *
I leaned on the bed and looked out the window. An aide with a drooping shoulder and the Marquis who was seen shoving him with a very angry look.
I found the aide’s behavior was strange after hearing the occasional conversations of the servants.
‘It was definitely suspicious, but I’m going to let it go.’
If everything was really a coincidence, we wouldn’t be able to defend ourselves, and we might end up being exterminated.
‘It’s not even that much of money, it’s disgusting to be stingy about it.’
The Imperial Palace was overflowed with money anyway. So I should grab whatever I could grab. Even the cost of the door that Marquis Elaine broke.
But I didn’t feel good.
‘It worked because the aide looked down at me.’
‘Just how fragile this body looks that this is happening?’
Besides, there was one more thing that bothered me.
How did they know that I was going to come back to life?
‘How did you know? Did you torture the High Priest who has the ability to foresee the future?’
What are you going to do with that information, anyway?
At that time, the face that I tried hard to erase returned to my mind.
I put the image of black hair and glowing golden eyes away.
Actually, the reason for postponing going to the palace was simple.
‘I don’t want to see Signus.’
I hate to see his eyes that rolled back like a madman, and I hate to see him slaughtering people.
I just didn’t want to see him.
I didn’t want to hear anything.
‘Bastard.’
I felt a stinging gaze as I was cursing inwardly in my bed.
The remaining servants in the room were looking at me.
‘Whatever, I don’t care.’
I thought I should sleep, but I heard May’s anxious voice.
“Will His Highness really overlook it? What if he comes with a sword?”
I laughed.
“He won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“If he did, he wouldn’t have saved me.”
If he wanted me to die, he wouldn’t tell me to get lost and send me away.
Or just left me to die in a forest full of monsters.
“Oh my god, our miss must be a genius!”
All geniuses were dead.
I closed my eyes. I really wanted to rest now.
As the sight became dark, I thought of Signus’s strong arm that hindered the hand of the monster.
‘He must have saved me because I’m on the verge of dying.’
He even stroked my cheek for a while. He seemed gentle at first, but then he poked at my wound.
‘But why do you need the esteemed daughter of Yeronimo?’
Was it because it’s a family who supported the empire back then?
I thought about a lot of things, but then I heard footsteps.
“This way.”
At the guidance of the servant, a man entered my room.
The man who was looking at me was wearing a white cloak, the symbol of a doctor.
The man whose appearance was similar to Ulysse looked at me with an arrogant face and said.
“Are you Ulysse’s sister?”
What’s wrong with this guy?
The arrogant man came to the bedside and observed me.
“Well, it’s worth seeing.”
Suddenly he came and evaluated my face?
Another madman?
I thought I was done seeing all the ridiculous things for today, so I sighed.
The urgent treatment was over anyway, so I wanted to tell him to go, but the man walked toward the table.
“He still uses old stuff.”
He frowned as he carelessly picked up Ulysse’s medical tools.
What was this bastard doing?
“I heard that your body was weak. If you didn’t feel the need to answer, just stay still, okay?”
No, I was just holding it in.
According to the doctor’s words, that arrogant man was Ulysse’s colleague.
“Ah, is that it? Strip off?”
“Sir….”
When the servant who was watching intervened, contempt rose on the arrogant man’s face.
“How dare you intervene. You lowly subject.”
He beckoned the servant to stay still.
The arrogant man laughed as he twirling Ulysse’s glass mortar with his fingers.
“I’m asking you. Are you sick?”
It would have been humiliating if I really couldn’t talk.
As such, there wasn’t any consideration in that man’s question.
‘How can that bastard be a doctor?’
As I looked at him quietly, the arrogant man approached me and sat down on the chair next to the bed.
“Now that I see you, the brother and sister are similar. Your brother is a medical genius, and he’s good at cleaning up others’ mess. The only thing worthy of him is his face. Just like you.”
The arrogant man shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated gesture.
“Don’t stare like that. It’s a compliment.”
Only fools thought it was a compliment. I looked at his face and asked.
“Is that what you want to say?”
“What? So you can talk?”
Said the arrogant man, leaning against the chair.
“Why do you think your brother crawled all the way to the north? It’s obvious that he’s trying to attract the royal family and save a seat for himself. Just tell him to live quietly as it is now. Your family’s glory is something in the past anyway.”
An arrogant man gently stroked my wrist with his thumb.
“Well, I don’t know about you. You may have a chance to tempt the crown prince with your good look.”
I gestured to the servant who was angry to stay still.
In this situation, it was better for others to remain still.
If there were a knight around, they would have restrained him, but the knights went out of the mansion for a while. I was wondering what to do with him, but a small voice was heard from below.
“The guards have finished their treatment. Where is the Lady’s room?”
“It’s on the second floor.”
Then the doctors who were guided by the knights came in with fluttering white cloaks.
“Your pulse is weak. Are you eating well?”
As I nodded, the chubby doctor said kindly.
“The more your body condition is in this state, the more nutrients you need to fill with food. I’m sure you’ve heard it from Ulysse.”
She laughed shyly.
‘I was wondering why you were so kind to me. You must have feelings for Ulysse.’
Seeing the arrogant man standing behind him frowned unpleasantly, I asked back.
“What kind of person is Ulysse as a doctor?”
“He’s a cool guy! Because he has both his looks and skills.”
“Is he really excellent at his field?”
“Ah, what are you saying. Are you using the word ‘excellent’ on purpose to hurt me?”
The arrogant man’s face was even more distorted.
Soon, the skinny man next to him helped him.
“We are the disciples of Verus, the best medical doctor in the Empire. That’s something to be proud of. It’s every doctor’s dream.”
“Among us, Ulysse is by far the best!”
The skinny man laughed bitterly at the words of the chubby doctor.
“That’s right. He’s excellent at surgery.”
Then the arrogant man muttered bluntly.
“Yeah, right. Excellent my ass.”
The other doctors standing behind reprimanded him.
“Bernard. Stop being jealous.”
“Jealous of what?! Just wait. I’ll read the celestial energy soon.”
A feeling of inferiority spread to the arrogant man’s face. Looking at his reaction, his fellow doctors spoke simultaneously.
“You make it sound so easy. There’s no guarantee that you can do it even if you work hard.”
“That’s right. Ulysse also reads medical books in his spare time.”
“I can study too!”
The gentle doctor replied to the haughty man’s cry.
“Oh, that’s why you’re staying in the palace? To study?”
“You must have finally come to your senses.”
“What’s gotten into you?”
So you stayed in the Imperial Palace? I laughed quietly because I finally heard the story that I was waiting for.
You’re dead meat, bastard.