CHAPTER 120……………………………………………….
“Suddenly she started coughing up blood and passed out! What happened?!”
“Calm down, butler. I’ll take a look.”
A warm hand grasped my arm, feeling along my body as if checking every part of me.
“No… Duke, your health… why has it gotten so bad?”
“Bad? What are you saying! During the last check-up, there was no problem!”
“Y-Yes, that’s true. During the last examination, your body was weak, but there was nothing serious. Yet now…”
“Now? Are you saying the Duke has caught some illness?”
“It’s not illness… it’s as if you’re an elderly person who has completely exhausted all your strength.”
“What?!”
What about the engagement ceremony? Leonhart?
I wanted to ask, but my voice wouldn’t come out.
Soon after, consciousness slipped away entirely.
A voice, mixed with sobs, lifted my mind from its darkness.
How much time had passed?
“Ho… ho… Mom, don’t hurt….”
‘Piace?’
“Why isn’t it working? Sniff… M-My mom, heal… why… why won’t it work!”
I lifted my heavy eyelids.
Through the heat-blurred vision, I saw pink hair.
“Pi…”
When I tried to speak, it felt like my throat was tearing. I swallowed dryly and opened my mouth again.
“Piace…”
Piace, who had been burying her face in my hand, suddenly lifted her head.
“Mom? Mom!”
“Why… are you crying…?”
“Mom, I wanted to heal you quickly… but I can’t… no matter what I do, it doesn’t work. My healing power… it’s… gone… sniff…”
Tears streamed down Piace’s face as she pressed it against my shoulder, crying bitterly.
How much effort had she put into trying to heal me that her voice was all hoarse? Even her sobs were weak.
It was natural that Piace couldn’t heal me. Unawakened power wouldn’t obey its owner’s will.
The fact that she had been able to heal me every time I was sick until now was already a miracle.
‘Thank goodness.’
Healing someone before awakening would cause Piace herself to suffer.
It was better for me to endure the pain alone.
I stroked Piace’s small, round head.
“Don’t cry…”
“Mom, I’m sorry… I’m really such an idiot. Why isn’t it working… why….”
“Piace, let’s make a promise.”
Piace looked up.
“A… a promise? What kind of promise?”
“Until you awaken… don’t heal anyone. Unless it’s a truly life-threatening situation.”
“No… no one? Even… the butler or… even if Mom is hurt?”
“Yes. Even if I’m hurt, don’t heal me. Can you promise that?”
“….”
“Piace.”
“O-Okay… I promise… I’ll promise.”
“Now go back and rest.”
“C-Can’t I stay with you, Mom? I want to stay… by your side…”
“If you’re here, will I really be able to rest? Go back to the bedroom.”
“Ah… okay, Mom.”
Even on the way to the door, Piace glanced back at me several times before finally leaving.
As soon as the bedroom door closed, the spirits hiding in the air appeared suddenly.
“Waaah! Our Rian’s face is all pale! She looks so pitiful… Should we give her some water?”
“Yes…”
Undine placed clear droplets of water directly into my mouth.
The cool, clean water eased the burning sensation in my throat.
“What time is it?”
“It’s almost midnight.”
I had fainted around the time the banquet began, so nearly half a day had passed.
‘But why am I still in pain?’
In the past, even if I fainted from penalties, I would recover in an hour or two.
After that, I would feel perfectly fine, as if nothing had happened.
But this time was different.
Even after several hours, my chest still ached, my breathing was shallow, and moving my hands was exhausting.
‘I really look like someone with a serious illness.’
I pressed my aching chest with my hand, trying to smile inwardly.
“What about the engagement ceremony…?”
“Leonhart handled it well. Since you weren’t feeling well, everyone believed you went inside first.”
“Leonhart must’ve struggled a lot… And the Emperor? Did he get angry?”
“The dwarf-like man? He seemed very pleased! He even clapped Leonhart on the shoulder with a big grin.”
“He also said having three kids would be good. Why would he say something like that? Strange man.”
“….”
That man misunderstood. He thought I was pregnant.
Sigh…
I already had trouble with Leonhart, and now I had to clear up the Emperor’s misunderstanding.
‘Are we going to end up married to Leonhart? That’s really not okay…’
What will happen to my body when I return to the original world?
Will Adrian’s original soul return, or will this body die? Or disappear entirely?
Either way, my separation from Leonhart is certain.
But how could I possibly get married? We should be breaking the engagement, not moving toward marriage.
‘I shouldn’t have kissed him… no, I shouldn’t have even gotten engaged.’
But I had no power to change the story of this novel.
I was just a supporting character.
Sigh…
I closed my eyes, feeling a pounding headache. It wasn’t just my imagination; my head really hurt.
As I tried to endure the pain with my eyes squeezed shut, Undine placed her hands on my forehead to cool my fever.
“Still hurts? Want more water? Or some medicine?”
“You gave me medicine this evening. For now, just cool my temperature. I’ll blow some wind for you.”
Undine wiped the sweat from my forehead, Sylph blew wind to cool me, and Gnome held my fingers tightly.
“Contractor.”
Salamander’s gruff voice. I answered with my eyes closed.
“Yes…”
“Are you hiding anything from us?”
I finally opened my eyes and turned toward him.
Salamander was watching me from a distance with suspicious eyes.
“Hiding? What do you mean?”
“Even so, your body’s too weak. A healthy person shouldn’t be coughing up blood and collapsing like this. Something’s wrong with you.”
Undine and Sylph, who had been fussing over me, immediately froze.
“Salamander, what nonsense are you spouting?”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop with the unnecessary words.”
“Damn it! You heard what the attending doctor said earlier, didn’t you?! And you’re just gonna stay quiet after hearing that garbage?!”
“What did the doctor… say?”
Before Salamander could answer, Undine and Sylph glared at him.
“Salamander! Shut that disgusting mouth about the quack!”
“Salamander, I suggest you watch your words.”
Slap!
Even Gnome smacked Salamander’s tail, scolding him.
Though displeased, Salamander held his tongue, seeing that I was unwell.
Apparently, the attending doctor had come while I was unconscious and said unpleasant things.
It made sense. I knew the pain was from the penalty, but the doctor had no idea.
Coughing up blood and passing out would naturally seem like a serious illness.
“Everyone, compose yourselves. People might think I’m on my deathbed.”
I tried to lighten the mood, but Undine glared and shouted.
“Deathbed? Have you never heard that words have power? You can’t just say that!”
“Rian, why would you say something like that? We’re so sad.”
“Ah, no, I just…”
“It’s already past midnight. Just sleep through the night and you’ll be fine. Don’t worry yourself.”
“Exactly! If you’re going to say stuff like that, go sleep! Ugh, this is upsetting!”
Sylph’s face darkened.
Undine even had tears in her eyes. Salamander and Gnome couldn’t even look at me.
‘They must be really shocked.’
I was a little unsettled too. The penalty’s effect had never lasted this long before.
‘I guess my stamina has weakened. I’ve lost weight, and sleep doesn’t feel refreshing…’
It was accumulated fatigue from the engagement and preparing lectures.
But the engagement was over, and my Academy lectures were only until winter break.
Once I had time, I could exercise and recover. That should help.
Stronger stamina would make the penalty easier to endure.
‘Right… I’ve neglected my body too much. I have to stay healthy until I return to the original world. Now I even have a daughter.’
However, the situation was heading in a completely unexpected direction.
