'Knock'
"Your grace." The door creaked.
It was Jerome. How strange, usually the person who wakes me up was Sorin.
"He didn't come home?"
"Sir Sorin came back at dawn, drunk. I had him rest at the knight's dormitory. More importantly, your grace, it seems Lady Raina is in critical condition."
"What...?"
There it was again. The stinging feeling in my chest.
I felt my anger surge, and couldn't help but blame Sienna. For Raina's body to be in critical condition, what did she do?
Regret filled me as well, after all, what if Sienna hurt Raina to infuriate me further? Someone who isn't afraid of hurting herself to satisfy her desires, she seems like such a person.
Even so, blaming her solely would be wrong. Losing my composure yesterday was my fault, there was no reason to do so.
I knew the one responsible for yesterday was that knight, Sienna only did what she deemed right, yet, I... When I heard her do the things she did, I was inexplicably upset.
Despite never appearing in the social circle, Raina Atara von Aillard el Linor was somewhat known. For being the 'witch's daughter' and one of the 'ghost ladies of the ducal family.'
Her reputation was horrible enough, and so, when I thought that someone was deliberately trying to damage Raina's reputation, I was enraged. I wasn't thinking clearly. Sienna's purpose wasn't that, it was just that her personality was to fight those who wronged her.
Raina was already gone... Sienna had possessed her body unwillingly.
As my thoughts raced, I reached her bedroom. Seeing the crowd of people, I came back to my senses.
Panting, I took a step back, planning to turn and leave, but before I can do so, a maid called out, "your grace?"
My brows furrowed. "..." I combed my hair up and entered, the physician and maids looked at me simultaneously, "focus on treating her."
I looked around the room, finding somewhere to sit.
I caught my breath while the physician and maid were busy tending to Sienna. The dryness in my throat was itchy. I was tired despite the short distance between my room and this room. Perhaps, I have not gotten enough exercise lately. I was busy with the imperial affairs, and now that everything has calmed down, it was Sorin who was preoccupied.
I was going to ask one of the maids to fetch me water when the teapot on the table caught my eye, as well as the letter beside it. I opened it and froze.
Although there were ink smudges, the writer's penmanship showed its strength and elegance. It wrote:
'To his grace, the right hand of His Majesty, Duke Archen Richter von Aillard.
I have written this letter to offer my sincere apology, as well as to display my regret for how I acted in the past weeks. It wasn't my intention to say hurtful and taunting words. Calming down has made me realize how my actions during my stay in Rosenlite have been offensive. I would like to take responsibility and apologize.
I hope in the future, your grace and I can have a harmonious relationship. If you wouldn't mind, I have brewed a tea blend of Eberen, Fraim, and Haila.'
...
I turned but couldn't get a glimpse of the girl on the bedside, all I could see was the backs of those attending to her.
I decided to wait and inquire about her condition, in the meantime, I poured myself a cup of tea.
Tolerating her longer shouldn't be too hard.
After a while, the noise gradually faded, and 4 people remained in the room.
The physician spoke, "your grace, the lady's condition is stable now."
"Hmmm. What happened?"
"... I was about to check the lady's health to make an appropriate prescription, however, when we entered the lady's room, she was lying on the floor, pale. When I got close to her, she wasn't breathing, her pulse as well, it wasn't beating."
I paused at his words, and my hands tightly held the teacup.
"Although, the lady is 'stable' in the sense that her body is functioning normally. I cannot say for sure if there will be any side effects when she wakes up."
"Aren't you a physician? Can't you do something about it? Prescribe her medicine."
He gulped, "I apologize, your grace. Lady Raina... I don't know if what happened today is because of her weak constitution or a side effect of the Nimen plant."
"She didn't do anything to herself?"
"Pardon? Oh! No, no, no... I didn't notice any signs of poisoning or the kind. Lady Raina had a few bruises on her body but after checking routinely, it seems normal. I suspect it's the effect of Nimen."
"..."
"Your grace, if I may suggest, how about asking the church to send a holy priest to treat Lady Raina? In all honesty, your grace, my treatment of Lady Raina has only consisted of prescribing medicine to tend to her minor ailment. I have been researching for weeks, but I cannot find a single record of someone surviving a Nimen overdose."
I frowned hearing his suggestion. "You may leave." I turned to Sienna's maid. "You, as well."
A holy priest... That would be impossible.
For one, in the last century, the church and imperial family have been at odds with each other. As the emperor's aide, surely, they wouldn't allow it. Even if they do, I doubt it would be someone remarkable.
...
"Hah..."
Of course, 'someone' with holy power uninvolved with the church isn't hard to find, I have one by my side.
The real problem was Raina and Sienna. Sienna possessed Raina's body due to black magic, if she comes into contact with holy power... Wouldn't that neutralize the black magic?
Then... They would die.
"Wha–" I was thinking when someone suddenly put my glasses on, my sight becoming clear, "Sorin?"
I raised my head, he was scratching the back of his nape, the man was guilty again. He stared at me, opening his mouth several times but no words came out. Sorin sighed and squatted, his hands ruffling his platinum-blonde hair.
"Sorry..."
"No need."
"Don't be mad."
"What? I'm not."
"But you look so tired, did you not sleep well?" He said as he raised his head, showing his horrible face.
"How ironic."
It has been 2 years since Sorin and I met, yet, he has never looked as ugly as this moment. His eyes were sunken and dark whilst his lips are purple.
"What's wrong?"
He sighed, "I haven't heard from my sister in 2 months. She sends me letters every fortieth day of the month or when something urgent happens, but... I don't know"
"...Oh. You're allowed to leave the duchy and Rielta region."
"Forget it."
"Are you not worried?"
"Worried? Nah. I'm sulking, sulking! How can that brat not send any letters to her big brother? After everything I did to raise her?! Ungrateful!" Later, his whole being deteriorated, "Hey... You don't think she hates me, right...? Haha..." He mumbled.
"Of course not, she wouldn't hate me, no... My baby is so understanding and lovable, she can't possibly hate me."
I couldn't understand it, Sorin was overprotective of her sister that when she sent him a letter that said she had a fever, the man sent sought-after herbs, even Drien, a herb that was auctioned for a hundred gold coins was mailed.
The package was so heavy that the messenger bird couldn't fly, in the end, I had to convince him to decrease the load. Now, that he couldn't hear from his sister, he only drank but didn't do anything.
I frowned, noticing this, he smiled. "When that brat was born, our mother used her last strength to bless us. When one of us is on the verge of death, the other would be alerted. My sister can't die of wounds while I can't die of magic attacks. So unless I am heavily injured or she's been attacked, we're safe."
"How lucky."
My gaze drifted to the lying body on the bed and I frowned involuntarily. Smoothing my forehead, Sorin asked, "What's wrong with Raina?"
"..."
"She collapsed earlier... Her heart stopped beating momentarily."
"...ah?" His hands hung still in the air with a dumb look on his face, "isn't that bad? Should I help?"
Sorin rolled his sleeves, revealing his slightly tan skin and strong arms, I panicked, immediately holding his wrist. "Don't."
"No?"
"Right."
"..."
"Instead... Do me a favor?"
"Don't look so desperate," he grabbed a chair and placed it in front of me, sitting down with his arms crossed, "I'll do it."
"That's great. All I ask is for you to be Raina's escort knight."
He stood up and slammed his fist on the table, "what?! No!"
My eyes were wide, not expecting his response to be extreme. Sorin quickly covered his mouth, glancing at Sienna who had no reaction and is sleeping peacefully.
"I apologize, was it too sudden?"
Sorin sat down and glared at me like a puppy who was wronged. "Why are you sending me away?"
Sending away...?
"What nonsense. You're still serving the Aillard duchy."
"But I'm yours!" Sorin said, then he covered his mouth with his two hands.
"You cannot even accompany me outside the Rielta region."
"That... That's..."
"Sorin, you are willing to act as the Rielta people's knight, charming everyone in your way without my order, but now that I am asking you to be my sister's knight you refuse?" Sorin dropped his hands and opened his mouth so I added, "were you being kind or was there an ulterior motive?"
"Of course not... Archen, Duke Archen, I was wrong. Lady Raina, I'll watch over her, yes?"
I nodded, "very well. Your duties would be that of a normal escort knight, however, do make sure that the Rielta knights are away from her, they do not like Maeve Linor and her family after all."
"Okay," Sorin looked at Sienna with displeased eyes, but he still smiled. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her."
To be continued.