#33. Elizabeth Is Lucky
I couldn’t remember how I had returned to the palace.
No wonder—I had completely lost consciousness.
Was it because of that last smile, dangerously beautiful, that hit my heart?
Or because I had taken responsibility for the original tyrant?
Or maybe it was because I had gone swimming late at night. Whatever the reason, I had caught a terrible fever.
“Even idiots don’t just run into a lake under the moonlight,” Franz mumbled from the head of the bed, arms crossed.
Burying my face in the pillow, I let out a hoarse voice.
“Shut up, Franz…”
“Where’s the teacher who skips classes just like that?”
“I’m treating it like a vacation.”
“Reckless, that’s what you are. Hmph.”
“Douglas will take care of you until you recover,” I said.
“I don’t like that either! What am I supposed to do with all this damage?”
Franz puffed his cheeks out, full of air.
He looked exactly like a squirrel who had fallen from a tree while carrying food.
“Please, be quiet. Every time you make a sound, my head feels like it’s splitting.”
“You’re moving too much. Stay still. The towel is falling.”
Franz dunked the towel sliding off my forehead into a basin.
He struggled with the awkward movements of wringing it out.
Then, placing it back on my forehead, he looked quite pleased with himself.
He seemed oblivious to my wet hair and the damp sheets.
“Elizabeth is lucky. She has a kind disciple like me.”
“That’s true. The glory of the family. A kind Crown Prince.”
“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even have gotten proper nutrition.”
Behind Franz, I could see a bowl of steaming soup.
It was a special soup that Franz had insisted the palace cooks prepare.
The soup was full of unidentifiable ingredients—fish heads, bird feet, sharp twigs.
Its color was dark green, and it smelled of pungent herbs, making me feel nauseous just looking at it.
It was his way of showing care, but everything about it felt troublesome and annoying.
“Franz, could you leave me alone for a bit?”
“Are you saying I’m a bother?”
Franz opened his eyes wide like a rabbit.
‘Yes. You’re draining my life away. If I eat that soup made from Hulk, I might actually die.’
But could I really ignore my disciple’s effort?
Especially when that disciple happened to be a Crown Prince who constantly threw harsh words at me.
“I’m worried about giving you my cold.”
A decent excuse—I was getting better at thinking on my feet.
Franz’s light green eyes brightened with joy for a moment, then narrowed in disappointment.
“I’m strong. I don’t catch colds.”
“That’s a relief. If you got sick, I’d suffer even more.”
It meant I was dreading having to deal with his fuss while I was being cared for.
Franz looked touched, again.
“Now, back to the Crown Prince’s palace, okay?”
I reached out from under the covers and stroked Franz’s blond hair.
The soft crown of his head was smoother than silk, and I wanted to keep touching it.
Even when he acted like a territorial wolf, he became docile like a sleepy puppy when petted.
I couldn’t resist giving him gentle strokes whenever I had the chance.
“I’ll give you a get-well gift later.”
“Your thoughtfulness is enough, Franz.”
“I’ll bring a memorable gift, so look forward to it.”
Even though it would have been best if he didn’t come at all, I responded with a gentle smile.
As soon as Franz left, I drank my herbal medicine and fell asleep.
When I vaguely woke up, the sun was already setting.
Instead of the bizarre, jelly-like Hulk soup, I spooned a few bites of thin vegetable soup.
Sleepiness kept washing over me.
My body sank back into the bed as if unwilling to miss this long-awaited rest.
Morasinzia’s eyes couldn’t assess my condition.
I could only trust the palace healer and rest.
‘Why isn’t Nikolai coming to see me? The one who saved my life, and now I’m lying here sick…’
For the first time in a while, I didn’t dream of the guillotine.
There was no Claudia, no crowd watching my execution.
But Nikolai kept appearing, constantly bewildering me.
It was a side of him I had never seen before.
Nikolai riding a pitch-black stallion, marching with me on his back.
Nikolai beating up gangsters in the slums.
Nikolai slicing through water with perfect form to save me from the lake.
Nikolai giving me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!
It reminded me of the chaos when little Nikolai used to appear in my head.
But there was a difference.
Unlike the pesky little Nikolais, the dream Nikolai only spoke words that were dangerously stirring to my heart.
His words echoed in my ears:
“You saved me, so you take responsibility, Elizabeth.”
“You saw it clearly. He’s a madman in my eyes too.”
Could I expect anything from him now?
No one plays with life so recklessly without meaning it.
Even a womanizer wouldn’t say “take responsibility” so casually.
It was still ambiguous.
Was Nikolai really about to die on impulse, or was he threatening me in a twisted way?
I wanted, more than anything, to trust him one last time.
I was so desperate and anxious that I didn’t even realize I had completely forgotten the rules of the game of temptation.
I feared being disappointed by Nikolai again and being thrown aside.
A few days later, Kares came to visit, holding a white handkerchief to his mouth.
“Originally, His Majesty the Emperor does not pay visits to the sick,” he said, his tone businesslike and his eyes cold.
It seemed the effect of the charm had worn off.
I considered trying to tempt him again but decided to wait.
“Why not?”
“It’s the law. His Majesty’s health is the foundation of the empire. If he were to catch even a minor illness, it could be disastrous.”
“It’s just a simple fever.”
I tried to hide my disappointment.
But the fact that he even mentioned it made me feel like he was expecting Nikolai to visit, and my face flushed.
“Miss Elizabeth, are you familiar with the ‘Death Blossom’ epidemic?”
“I’ve heard it nearly brought the empire to ruin twenty years ago. Red spots like petals appear, with a foul stench like a rotting flower, right?”
“Many people died from it. It was so terrible that they said even meeting the patient’s eyes could be fatal.”
“I thought it had completely disappeared?”
“…Better to be careful than sorry, don’t you think?”
But I was no ordinary patient.
I was the hero who saved the Emperor.
Couldn’t I at least receive a handwritten letter?
Would he use the excuse of being busy again?
Kares looked at me, noticing my tightly clenched sheets, and said, unconcernedly:
“Stress is not good for recovery.”
“There’s no contagion, so please don’t worry.”
“I would like to think so, but I can’t help it.”
“?”
“Even if His Majesty hadn’t ordered it, I would have come to see you. I was curious about your condition and your recovery.”
“Why are you curious?”
“Because I want to know too. It’s troublesome and inconvenient otherwise.”
‘Kares only knows work… could he have been influenced by persistent temptation?’
My curiosity was piqued at the thought of seeing the results of a new experiment.
I felt a bit guilty toward Kares.
If he knew everything was to prevent the coming bloodstorm, he would have willingly joined me.
“His Majesty sent this,” Kares said, handing over a small box.
My heart raced.
It was the perfect size and shape for a ring.
“It has long been Hartmann tradition not to visit a patient empty-handed,” he said.
“So that’s why Franz wanted to bring a gift too,” I thought.
Kares cleared his throat, perhaps displeased that I called the Crown Prince by name.
He averted his gaze and quickly changed the subject:
“Please convey my thanks to His Majesty.”
“This is my gift.”
“You prepared one too, Kares?”
“It is merely a custom,” he said.
Kares turned his head, avoiding eye contact.
His usually cold face was slightly red.
It was clear enough not to be a trick of the light.
Unlike Nikolai’s gift, Kares’ gift was large and weighty.
“It’s a book.”
“Thank you, I was getting bored lying here.”
“It’s the royal annals and Morasinzia theology.”
“That will be helpful.”
“I heard you are interested in the Goddess of Healing. This book was acquired through Cardinal Arkansas; you should find it fascinating.”
“Is this book not in the royal library?”
“No. Now that my business here is done, I shall take my leave.”
Kares gave a light bow, brief but proper.
‘He’s acting strange today… in a hurry, perhaps?’
I tilted my head, then looked at the box from Nikolai.
What could be inside?
I wanted to open it immediately and guess the contents.
I shook the box against my ear.
There was no sound.
It was almost weightless.
Could it be empty?
Just as I was about to untie the ribbon, a knock came.
“Marquess Douglas Nettleton and Miss Nettleton have arrived.”
As soon as they heard I was sick, the Nettleton siblings came to visit.
Only now was I finally in a state to see them.
It had been only an hour since the message was sent.
Thanks to the two of them coming straight away, I felt energized.
“Elizabeth, how are you feeling?”
“I’m relieved to see you getting better, Elizabeth.”
The Nettleton siblings comforted me with kind voices and bright smiles.
Though their faces were full of worry, it was clear they were careful not to fuss in front of the patient.
It was heartwarming to realize such gentle people cared for me.
“Here’s a get-well gift.”
The Nettleton siblings hadn’t forgotten their gift either.
I eagerly opened the package.
“The pink potion must be Susan’s gift, and this… a sword?”
I pulled out a dagger, finely crafted, and tilted my head.
Douglas, the writer, gave me a sword?
He detested violence.
I drew a palm-sized dagger from its sheath.
The bluish blade flashed—it was small but clearly a masterful weapon.
The silver hilt was inlaid with pink and red gems.
“It’s a self-defense dagger. Light and easy to carry.”
“An unexpected gift.”
“Even with guards, you are not completely safe. Always be careful.”
It wasn’t only Nikolai watching over me.
Apparently, Douglas had heard about my experiences in the slums.
His card read in elegant handwriting:
Wherever you are, I hope you are safe. Do not hesitate to attack if necessary. I will always support you. –
Some men might have scolded me for going to dangerous places so late.
Douglas gave me a dagger instead of nagging.
It was a declaration that the world’s conventions could not bind me, and that he would respect my choices no matter what happened.
“Thank you so much, Douglas.”
“I am glad you accept it, Elizabeth,” he said, his gaze softening.
His deep, vast brown eyes stirred something within me, as if whispering that I was never alone and he would always be by my side.
Susan interjected, clearly not wanting to lose to her brother:
“Please look at my gift too. I developed a potion that will surprise you, sister!”
