CHAPTER 95………………………………
Throughout tea time, Asterios’ corneas were deeply imprinted with the sight of Rogiana staring only at her teacup. Seeing her look as if she were lost in thought, his own expression gradually grew serious. Just then, a voice echoed in his mind.
[I’ve found her, Master.]
It was Nox.
It had been just a day since he had been ordered to find the white-haired woman.
[However, it seems you will need to confirm for yourself. She is near the fountain at the Shelburne Market.]
But he couldn’t leave immediately. He was waiting for Rogiana’s tea time to end. Just then, with the sound of footsteps, the Empress and the princess, having finished their first tea time, greeted His Majesty and moved to another location.
‘I’ll go immediately.’
[I’ll follow her as closely as possible.]
After quickly informing Marie of the situation, Asterios received permission from the secondary palace and rode toward the Shelburne Market. It was the busiest market closest to the palace.
Not wanting to draw attention, Asterios dismounted at the market entrance and walked directly toward the fountain he had arranged to meet Nox at.
Then, he saw a woman passing in front of him and instinctively stopped in his tracks.
‘Huh?’
She hurried along carrying a basket of fruit, her brown eyes shining innocently. Remarkably, she resembled someone he knew.
The only differences were her long brown hair instead of white, and her opposite gender; otherwise, her appearance was astonishingly identical.
‘Jezeph?’
Could it be that he was cross-dressing due to some circumstances? The thought crossed his mind. But seeing Nox silently following her like a shadow, Asterios clicked his tongue.
‘So it’s her.’
This was the woman.
The woman living in Dreart, hiding her white hair under brown.
‘So this is the woman His Majesty was looking for.’
Why was a woman who looked exactly like Jezeph living in Dreart?
Asterios briefly wondered if all of this was a trap set by Gregorian from the start.
He couldn’t act or judge recklessly until he understood Gregorian’s motives and the reason for seeking this woman.
The woman seemed to be buying fruit listed on some record, hurrying as if she worked somewhere. Her affiliation, true identity, and any prior connections with Gregorian all needed verification.
‘Nox. Follow her quietly.’
[Understood, Master.]
At that moment, one of Rogiana’s guards, Thomas, came galloping toward him from afar.
“Lord Tenebres!”
“Thomas?”
Asterios’ face immediately stiffened upon recognizing him.
Only Rogiana could have sent Thomas to find him.
His heart dropped to the floor.
“Has something happened to His Majesty?”
“No, but His Majesty urgently wishes to see you.”
“Then we go at once.”
Asterios dashed to his horse waiting at the market entrance. Moments later, he and Thomas rode toward the palace.
Meanwhile, Nox continued to follow the woman who looked just like Jezeph, keeping a slight distance while hiding under his black cloak.
Suddenly, an arm shot out from the middle of the street, dragging her into an alley in an instant.
‘Damn!’
Nox followed swiftly, but she had already been placed into a carriage waiting in another alley.
‘The Bastel family?’
It seemed someone from that family had been ordered by His Majesty. Nox confirmed the family crest and closely followed the carriage, sending Asterios a message from the shadows.
‘Lord, the woman has been abducted and is being taken to the Bastel family estate.’
Soon, Asterios replied.
[Be especially careful not to be noticed, Nox.]
The carriage carrying the woman was quickly leaving the bustling streets behind.
“Welcome, As. Something urgent… Jezeph collapsed, and even the physician doesn’t know the cause. I couldn’t do anything either.”
Rogiana led him into the treatment room. Jezeph, burning with fever, was in an unstable state, almost as if it were the first time Rogiana’s sacred power had manifested.
“When did it start?”
“I don’t know exactly. After tea time, Thomas immediately informed me. By the time he found him, he was already suffering from a high fever.”
Even in sleep, as if fighting someone in a nightmare, Jezeph groaned toward the empty air.
“Ugh… ugh….”
Seeing him writhing in pain, Asterios hurried closer.
“Jezeph, Jezeph?”
Though calling him didn’t improve his condition, Jezeph lifted his trembling eyes and spoke.
“L-Lord… Your Majesty…”
“I’m here, Jezeph!”
“Ah… y-you must… avoid… danger…”
Rogiana remembered the note he had given her yesterday and tried to reassure him.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened. But Jezeph, can’t you use your sacred power on your own?”
Jezeph nodded weakly, struggling to speak. Rogiana’s face darkened with worry.
Jezeph’s body was already burning like a fireball. Drenched in sweat from pain, yet unable to use his sacred power, Rogiana was distressed.
“I think we need to ask the Archsage or His Majesty for healing…”
Because Jezeph feared and was cautious around His Majesty, she could only summon a regular healer and the physician for now.
“Ugh!”
Jezeph grabbed his chest and lifted his body in pain, prompting Rogiana to rise immediately.
“This won’t do. I… I need to…”
At that moment, Asterios blocked her way.
“Your Majesty, please give me a moment.”
“Jezeph will be in serious trouble!”
“First, may I try using the potion you gave me?”
Asterios pulled out the potion Rogiana had given him, labeled a special witch’s remedy.
“The reason Jezeph is enduring this pain is because he doesn’t want to put Your Majesty in danger. To honor his effort, it’s best we try to resolve this ourselves without relying on others’ help.”
This meant they couldn’t entrust Jezeph to either the Archsage or His Majesty yet. Rogiana furrowed her brows but slowly nodded. He was right.
“Alright. I’ll make another potion for As separately.”
Originally made for Asterios, it would now be used for Jezeph.
“Thank you. Also, it would be better to ask Edwin, rather than Graham, if he can prepare more of the potion he gave me last time.”
“Ah! I’ll handle that. Marie?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
While Rogiana sent Marie to Edwin, Asterios helped Jezeph drink the potion, tilting his upper body slightly.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Jezeph swallowed the potion, still breathing hotly but gradually more evenly. Rogiana and Asterios stayed by his side.
All they could do now was wait, praying for the ailing Jezeph to recover.
Meanwhile, time passed, and the days of the second competition went by.
At an inn owned by the Bastel family, Nox still protected the woman resembling Jezeph from the shadows.
It seemed her family had been notified, as nothing else happened except she was confined. The woman, too, awaited without resistance, accepting meals. Perhaps Bastel awaited his turn to take her to the secondary palace.
[How is the situation now?]
Hearing Asterios’ message, Nox silently sent him an update.
‘Besides this woman, there seem to be several others who once had white hair. They are waiting their turn.’
Because the Archsage and His Majesty had not revealed identifying features, Bastel had failed several times. Now, he was bringing multiple women who had or currently had white hair and taking each to the secondary palace for verification by the Archsage.
‘How is the palace situation?’
[On the surface, the second competition is proceeding smoothly.]
Rogiana continued to meet the competition candidates twice a day as scheduled, and Jezeph gradually stabilized while drinking potions from the tower and Rogiana.
‘Are the seeds growing well?’
[Of course. They’ve already sprouted and grown quite a bit. Jezeph’s pot also sprouted yesterday.]
Even with a fragile body, Jezeph diligently tended to the plants each morning and evening. Still suffering intermittent pain and fever, he couldn’t leave the treatment room, so he tended to the pot there.
At that moment, footsteps approached the shadow where Nox was hiding near the woman.
Squeeeeak. The old wooden door creaked open, and finally, the room where she was confined opened.
“Come out. It’s your turn today.”
Finally, it was time for the woman resembling Jezeph to be taken to the secondary palace.
