"Soleia, there's really no need for you to go through all this trouble," Ralph muttered weakly as his eyes darted warily to the bubbling concoction in Soleia's hands. "I feel a lot better now."
It was a particularly garish shade of green and it smelled positively rancid. Ralph felt himself retch as the smell carried through his home.
"Don't be ridiculous, you were burning up mere hours ago. In fact, your skin is still reddish," Soleia tutted disapprovingly as she held the back of her hand to his forehead. Just as she expected, he was warm to the touch, and slightly out of breath. He also seemed to be sweating.
Soleia frowned and shoved the cup of medicine into Ralph's reluctant hands. It had taken her the better part of an hour to boil it so that it was at least mostly liquid by the time she fed it to Sir Ralph, and not a strange runny paste.
However, Sir Ralph didn't seem to appreciate her good intentions. Soleia crossed her arms in front of her and stared at him evenly, until he realized there was no way he was getting out of it without ingesting it all.
If Sir Ralph dared to waste her money, there would be hell to pay! Not to mention the earlier humiliation she faced, thanks to Orion and his relatives. The very thought made her face darken further.
Sensing her anger, Ralph gulped and obediently drank his medicine, even as he choked and gagged through most of it. Eventually, the cup was empty, and Ralph slumped back against the bed, exhausted. He had never drunk something that tasted so disgusting in his entire life!
"Oh god, that was foul. I feel like I've walked through the gates of hell and back," Ralph sighed.
He chanced a quick look at Soleia, who seemed preoccupied with something. Ralph had assumed it was because she was concerned about him, but she remained distracted still.
"Now that I'm feeling more alive, would you mind telling me why you looked so pale when you returned? It looked more like you were the one deathly ill, instead of me," Ralph prodded humorously, but his tone turned serious. "Did Orion and his family give you trouble?"
After all, Ralph wasn't so ill that he couldn't notice Orion's absence. Soleia shouldn't have needed to run for a physician to begin with.
To his surprise, Soleia did not scowl or curse Orion. Instead, the frown on her face deepened. "Nothing that I couldn't handle."
"Really?" Ralph asked suspiciously. He hadn't known Soleia for long, but it was clear that there was something eating away at her, causing her to be more distracted than usual. "In that case, did something happen to you when you were out getting medicine?"
Soleia's mind still couldn't stop thinking of her encounter in the black market.
She desperately needed more information― she wasn't so altruistic that she wanted to save Orion at the cost of her own skin, but she also couldn't stand idly by while he was possibly poisoned to death by a woman he came to love.
But just as she was about to tell Ralph about her suspicions, an ugly thought raised its head as her mind helpfully reminded her of how Orion treated her.
She stilled her tongue as she remembered her own circumstances.
Her own fate was uncertain; how could she spare any energy to care for this man?
She needed to focus on herself. Her main goal was to leave― she needed to return to the black market to get the crystals she needed for her inventions. Once she succeeded, she'll be able to garner enough funds to leave.
Which meant that she couldn't let Ralph know about it. If he knew, he might order the rest of the guards to shut it down in his attempt to find a solution for Orion.
She got up immediately with that thought in her head, and marched straight for the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Ralph asked, panicked. He tried to get up to stop her. "You just returned, please sit down and take a rest. I can offer you some tea. After all you've done for me, this is the least I could do."
"I'm going out," Soleia said firmly.
"I'll go with you―" Lily said immediately, but Soleia shook her head.
"It's alright, you'll stay with him. Make sure he feels better," Soleia instructed. "I wish to go for a walk alone to clear my head."
Lily and Ralph exchanged helpless, worried glances that she didn't notice as she left Ralph's home.
She made a beeline for her new rooms in the servants' quarters, pulling out a brown hooded cloak from Lily's belongings. It was well-worn and frayed at the hems, which made it a good disguise. She then rummaged through her own trunk, trying to scrounge up enough coins for a possible purchase. She did not want to return empty-handed.
Hopefully it would be enough. Without a second glance, she left the estate.
***
Orion shook his head as though he was a waterlogged dog trying to get water out of his ears. He was still staring blankly at the corridor, even though there was no trace of Soleia in the distance. However, he could still detect the faintest hint of her fragrance lingering in the air, causing his head to spin.
He had been pacing the corridor for more than an hour after Soleia had left, and yet, the palm of his hand still felt overly warm to the touch. When he flexed his fingers, he even felt pins and needles shooting up his arm.
Suddenly, he was reminded of the time when he was younger. He had once bumped into a child of nobility which led to severe punishment. His servants held his hand over an open flame to teach him a lesson, and he felt its scorching heat searing through his skin, causing him to scream in pain.
His torture only stopped when one of the boy's companions, a young girl, screamed and ordered him to stop.
However, just like before, the pain gave him some much-needed clarity.
"Son, what's the matter with you?" Elise scolded worriedly. "I knew that woman was bad news. Did she do something to you?"
"I don't know," Orion murmured to himself. He clenched his fist, relishing in the ache. "I need to go."
"Go? Go where?" Lucinda exclaimed in surprise. "Elowyn is in the room waiting for you!"
But her words were unanswered, for Orion stormed towards Ralph's home. He refused to spare a second glance at anything else― Ralph was ill, Soleia had rightfully blamed him for his inaction, and his mind never felt clearer while his heart was mired with guilt.
He had to make things right again.
But when he arrived, only Soleia's tiny maid was present to open the door for him.
"What do you mean you're alone here?" Orion demanded in disbelief. "Where did my wife and my best friend go?"