Chapter 54
Luke visited the castle with a few young men from the village.
He had gathered his companions from the winter hunt and brought the weapons and tools they normally used for hunting.
Just as Kylen and Caspian were interested in their hunting weapons, the other knights were equally fascinated.
Luke and the village youth were a little bewildered by the sudden attention but seemed pleased.
They were especially interested in the winter clothes and hunting knives, but the most intriguing item was the firearm.
“Can someone actually hold this and shoot?”
The youngest knight asked, astonished by its weight.
Luke laughed heartily.
“You can’t shoot while riding a horse, but holding and shooting it isn’t a problem.”
Hearing this, the strongest young man stepped forward and raised the gun skillfully.
With fluid, practiced movements, he took aim. Some knights flinched and stepped back.
“The guns used in other regions are usually for birds, deer, or rabbits, but such guns can’t pierce the thick hides of Winterford animals.”
The firearms used by nobles had short range and low firepower. They were also expensive and unsuitable for commoners.
Even the size of the bullets was different.
The village youth laughed at the nobles’ hunting guns, calling them toys.
The villagers were ready to demonstrate shooting.
As they prepared to step outside with the excited knights, Benjamin ran up in a hurry.
“Your Highness, you should come quickly.”
“What happened?”
“Princess April is sick.”
The firearm demonstration would have to wait.
Kylen hurried to April’s room.
When Kylen arrived, the physician had already finished examining her.
The doctor said it seemed like a cold.
After giving her the medicine, her fever seemed to drop briefly, but by evening it rose again.
“I’ll watch her. You two go rest.”
Lea placed a cold cloth on April’s forehead.
“No, no. Eri, I’ll stay here.”
April blinked slowly and held onto the hem of Eliana’s skirt, who was sitting by the bed.
Eliana placed her hand over April’s tiny, weak hand.
“Don’t worry. I won’t go anywhere.”
Finally at ease, April closed her eyes.
Kylen, watching April’s flushed face, ran a hand through his hair roughly.
“I’ll stay here. Go take care of your work.”
Eliana moved a chair close to the bed and sat down.
Only the soft sound of April’s breathing echoed in the room.
The cold cloth on her forehead warmed quickly and had to be replaced with another.
“You should eat.”
Greta cautiously offered dinner to Kylen and Eliana.
Eliana shook her head, so Kylen simply asked for something light to eat.
Watching his little sister breathe heavily, Kylen felt a tightness in his chest.
Lea assured him that children’s fevers rise and fall quickly and that the medicine would soon take effect, but Kylen’s expression didn’t relax.
There was nothing he could do.
For the first time in a while, he felt powerless.
He absentmindedly touched April’s tiny hand, wishing he could take her place in sickness.
Her warm heat traveled from her hand to his arm and pressed heavily on his chest.
He wondered if the sudden change of environment was to blame.
Was it right to keep April in the cold, harsh castle?
Should he send her back to the capital?
He closed his eyes, trying to think calmly.
Thanks to the physician’s medicine—or maybe the carefully applied cold cloths from Lea and the Duchess—April’s fever gradually began to drop.
It was past 8 PM.
“Your Highness, a moment…”
The food Greta brought had gone cold.
Eliana thought she should feed April and went to fetch it again, but Dylan came to Kylen.
“She’s sleeping soundly now.”
Eliana tidied April’s hair on her cheek.
Kylen nodded and stepped into the hallway with Dylan.
They regularly checked the purity of all torpaz from the empire’s mines and graded them.
The certificate from the Chegre mine, given to Kylen by his mother, had arrived from the capital.
The mine owner needed to sign it and send it to the royal office, so Kylen’s confirmation was required.
“And I’ve found a way for you to go to the capital soon.”
Dylan handed over an invitation stamped with the Macnulty family seal along with the torpaz purity certificate.
“There’s a birthday banquet for Count Macnulty. This would be a good reason to visit the capital.”
Count Macnulty was a longtime friend of Count Gasten and close to Kylen as well.
Attending the Count’s banquet meant Kylen could go to the capital without arousing Ferdinand’s suspicion.
After checking on April, Kylen nodded.
“I’ll go to the office for a bit.”
He replied to the Count, signed the torpaz certificate, and took care of a few documents due today before rising from his desk.
“I’ll be in April’s room, so come there if anything urgent happens.”
Kylen hurried back to April’s room.
He climbed the stairs two at a time, caught his breath, and carefully opened the door.
Lea and Mia, who had been in the room earlier, were gone.
The Duchess, who had been sitting by the bed, was also not there.
Where had everyone gone, leaving the sick child alone?
Kylen frowned and crept toward the bed, stopping abruptly.
His eyes widened.
Because April was cold, he had stacked more firewood than usual in the fireplace.
April had pulled her arms out, sleeping peacefully while snoring softly.
Eliana curled up next to her, holding her hand, asleep.
Kylen gently swept the fallen hair away from his face.
He realized Eliana had been even more worried than him.
Her light brown eyes, fixed on April without eating, seemed a little wet.
Kylen, frowning, reached out unconsciously.
Tap. Kylen’s finger lightly touched her forehead.
Eliana flinched, but Kylen withdrew quickly.
Thankfully, she didn’t wake. Her furrowed brow relaxed peacefully.
Kylen folded his tense fingers and turned away.
He sat on the chair by the bed, crossing his legs and leaning back.
The stack of documents rested heavily on his lap, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the two on the bed.
Unlike earlier, April’s breathing was calm. Her feverish face had mostly returned to normal.
Eliana beside her looked peaceful with her eyes closed.
Kylen’s green eyes darkened as he watched them.
After a while, he rose and brought a blanket he had prepared in case April got cold, covering Eliana.
“Mm…”
Eliana turned slightly under the soft blanket and smiled with her lips.
“Ugh!”
As Eliana moved, April kicked off part of the blanket.
Kylen chuckled lightly and tucked their exposed feet back under the blanket.
At that moment, the door opened quietly, and Lea entered.
“Your Highness, you’re back.”
Kylen held a finger to his lips.
“Shh.”
Lea nodded and crept to the bed.
“The fever seems completely down. I’ll leave now. If it rises again or she seems unwell, come immediately.”
“Yes, understood.”
Kylen gathered the documents from the chair, turned back to Lea, and said:
“It’s best not to wake the Duchess either.”
Lea bowed and replied, “Understood.”
Kylen then left April’s room.
