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Chapter 30
“The auction will only be held tomorrow night, so shall we go to the market during the day?”
I just blurted out tomorrow’s schedule without thinking, and now I questioned myself because it sounded like a date invitation.
‘No, but, isn’t it normal for a married couple to go on walks together?’
But maybe I had crossed the line. What if he thinks I’m taking away his precious time for nothing?
Before returning to the past, I had already bothered him a lot, so I wanted to be considerate of him this time.
However, as I was pondering such trivial things, I came to realize that we weren’t completely a couple.
“As you can see, I already got what I needed.”
I went on talking, trying to ease the awkwardness, but Joseph looked at me as if puzzled.
“Isn’t that crown supposed to be up for auction?” Joseph said, his eyes fixated on the Holy Grail.
‘You don’t seem to like the crown.’
The Holy Grail’s power probably clashed with his Devil Hunter’s aura.
“There are other things I have to find besides this crown.”
I planned to make medicine to heal Prince Carlo’s legs.
Skele-potions that could heal broken bones were already sold on the market, but the potion that connects broken nerves was not yet developed.
‘Unfortunately, the Neuronian potion was developed after Carlo died.’
Las Vecchia was an empire that persecuted alchemy and magic practices, so the development of therapeutic drugs using alchemy or magic was particularly slow.
The Imperial family and the nobles mostly relied on the temple’s holy power or holy water, but broken nerves couldn’t be reconnected with holy power.
However, Katan maintained a close relationship with Odobelli of the wizardry empire that was very different from Las Vecchia. Because Katan’s people were poor, and they couldn’t afford to buy holy water.
Thanks to this, I was able to delve deeply into alchemy through active exchange with people.
‘Of course, all the tools and potions developed back then were used to fund George, but…’
Recalling the forgotten past, I tried to erase my bitter smile and looked at Joseph.
“Ah! Since Your Highness came all the way to Notte, why don’t you visit Prince Carlo on your way back?”
“….Will it be okay?”
As if my suggestion was unexpected, Joseph slightly raised one eyebrow.
“I’m not sure if you’re going to feel comfortable with my brother.”
I had only encountered Carlo a few times in my life. In order to hide his disability, he was confined to a monastery owned by the Imperial family.
‘Didn’t he throw a glass bottle at George back then?’
George was almost guaranteed to ascend the throne. He must have quite the temper to throw a vase at his own half-brother.
“He’s your brother, after all. I want to visit him once.”
The neurosis that Carlo is suffering from was a mental illness caused by inability to accept his situation.
So if I could fix his legs, he would naturally heal.
I had already memorized the method of manufacturing neuronia that could treat broken nerves.
Unlike the Skele-potions, the ingredients were quite complicated, but they could be easily obtained from Notte, a place where all the rare items in the world gathered.
“It’s also what it means to be courteous.”
Joseph, who had been biting his lip, soon nodded.
“I’ll send a message to Carlo.”
Joseph missed Carlo a lot although he didn’t show it much. A gentle smile spread on his face.
After establishing the method to produce Neuronia, I realized that I had nothing left to do and stood still for a moment.
‘I have to sleep now.’
Just as with the majority of aristocratic couples, we also used separate bedrooms.
The Imperial family was obligated to continue the bloodline and set a day for consummation. But of course,there was no such obligation for the deposed prince, Joseph.
‘It’s our first time sleeping together, isn’t it?’
Why does it feel so awkward to be in a bed alone with him even though we have been married for nearly three months?
Slowly climbing into the bed, I let out an awkward cough as I lay down beside Joseph.
“Nicola.”
“Pardon?”
“As he advised, sleeping with me will be helpful to reduce your insomnia.”
Joseph turned his body around and observed my face closely. I gulped nervously as his sweet eyes were right in front of me.
“…I suppose so.”
“Yes. Because you’re not used to mana.”
At that time, I thought it was nonsense, but on second thought, it wasn’t groundless advice at all.
The mana emitted from monsters and mana stones was also an energy equal to Holy Power.
Naturally, he would deduce that the cause of my insomnia was mana exposure.
‘But I can’t sleep well not because I’m not used to mana.’
In the past, there was a time when I had to adapt to Katan’s mana, but I didn’t have insomnia.
‘It’s because of Yvonne.’
I dreamed of George taking Yvonne away more often these days. It was a dream in which my feet were numb and I was out of breath.
The pain was vivid even though it just a dream and the fear was keeping me from sleeping well,
“It’s because I’m quite sensitive especially when it comes to sleep, so don’t mind me.”
I just stared at the ceiling to avoid Joseph’s gaze while mulling over something else.
‘But I still have a long way to go. I need to create an environment where Yvonne can be saved.’
“Do you find it difficult to fall asleep?”
“A little bit.”
Even if he was my husband, I couldn’t fall asleep easily because it felt weird lying on the same bed as him.
I closed my eyes, listening to Joseph’s steady breathing. He seemed to have already fallen asleep.
‘I don’t know if it’s possible for me to sleep for an hour.’
But those worries went down the drain as I fell asleep instantly.
Joseph actually stayed up all night and rose carefully so as not to wake Rita.
The white moonlight shown through the curtain that he forgot to close.
He looked down at Rita, shining white like a peach blossom, and smiled.
“…You speak as if you would never sleep.”
However, he was the one who couldn’t sleep. His heart was pounding as if to jump out of his chest.
Joseph fixed Rita’s hair covering her forehead. It was funny when he recalled how she told him not to worry about her insomnia.
As soon as his gentle touch arrived at her cheek, Rita flinched.
“…Vone.”
Joseph listened to her low murmur.
“….Yvonne!”
A faint cry that sounded like a scream rang out.
‘Are you having a nightmare?’
Joseph recalled Nicola saying that Rita rarely slept well.
‘Indeed, it must be difficult for an outsider to adapt in Katan.’
Joseph couldn’t make any excuse and blamed himself for what had happened to Rita.
He admitted that it was because of his greediness.
How would she look at me if she knew it was me who persuaded Carlo to accept Roscoe Cardinale’s proposal?
Even though she was the one who offered the marriage contract first, he’d be very happy if he could at least lessen her discomfort.
“Dulces Somnium.”
Joseph stroked Rita’s forehead and recited the spell he learned from his talented younger brother.
Only then did Rita’s face relax as if the spell worked.
‘I wanted to be your shelter.’
Joseph knew that the summer she spent with him meant little to her. Nevertheless, he hoped that Katan could be a small shelter for her.
He thought the smooth-tongued Roscoe Cardinale, his enemy and the one who married his daughter off, would still treat her badly.
If one day Rita asked for freedom, Joseph intended to let her go.
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‘Yeah, I’m just temporary.’
He would forsake his greed, and if she wanted to leave, he would let her go anytime.
Joseph muttered and lied to himself.
“It’s because I felt indebted to her.”
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