Chapter : 27
People kept coming and going through the room in a chaotic flurry. I stood alone in the hallway, staring blankly at the constantly moving figures.
“Quick, more water and towels!”
“Yes!”
Through the door, which barely had a moment to close, I could see the attending physician wiping sweat from his face as he looked at Sirinu. Sirinu, lying on the bed, was hidden from view by the people around him.
Every expression I saw was grim. I grabbed the maid carrying a basin and spoke to her.
“…Is the Grand Duke alright? What’s happening…?”
The maid shook her darkened face and said,
“He was fine for a while… I don’t know. The doctor says he doesn’t know either…”
“For a while? Has this happened before?”
The maid hastily shook her head in response to my urgent question.
“Ah… no, it hasn’t.”
“I want to go in and help too…”
As I reached out to stop the maid who was about to leave, another maid came forward and bowed her head.
“The butler said to guide you into the room, Miss.”
I shook my head firmly.
Everything happening here was because of me. I couldn’t just lie idly in a room and wait.
When I stayed silent and didn’t move, Arcas, who had come beside me, spoke.
“Celly, you must be very shocked. Go into the room and rest. Luckily, there’s no injury, but just in case.”
“I’m really fine.”
Arcas glanced inside the room, then lightly took my arm and said,
“Don’t worry about the Grand Duke. The doctor and butler are with him, so he’ll be alright.”
I lowered my head for a moment, then looked at Arcas and said,
“I want to take responsibility for what I caused.”
“What did you do? It’s not your fault.”
Arcas’ eyes drooped in sympathy. Still, I had no intention of changing my mind.
“I forced him to go out, and this happened. So at least let me help take care of him.”
“……”
“If that’s too much, I’ll just watch over him until he wakes up…”
Seeing my determined gaze, Arcas fell silent. Even though the butler had conveyed his message, when I didn’t budge, the maid went back into the room.
This time, the butler himself came out. His expression was unchanged, but the sweat on his brow revealed how flustered he was.
“If the Grand Duke finds out, he will scold me severely.”
“I’ll explain it well. Since it’s my fault, I’ll take full responsibility.”
“……”
“Please… I just want to see if he’s alright…”
Seeing my expression, the butler let out a small sigh and turned to Arcas.
“I will allow Miss Weden to see him briefly.”
Arcas nodded reluctantly. I followed the butler into the room.
Sirinu lay on the overly large, far-from-cozy bed, his face pale and eyes tightly shut.
I approached the bed carefully. The attending physician, standing by the bedside, shook his head while looking at the butler.
“This is the most severe fever he’s experienced among those he’s had.”
“Does the medicine not work?”
“These symptoms are unprecedented. Did something happen to him recently?”
The butler seemed to ponder the doctor’s words. The doctor, after standing for a moment, organized his medical tools and said,
“There’s no other way but to let him rest for now. If his condition worsens, please call us again.”
The doctor left the room. The butler then spoke to me, who was watching Sirinu.
“Miss, I will guide Count Weden to his room and return.”
“Alright.”
I sat beside the bed and stared at Sirinu. The familiar blindfold was gone, and his pale face glistened with cold sweat from a high fever.
The maids had all left. I dipped a towel into the basin of water and wrung it out tightly.
My hands, holding the towel, trembled slightly. When I wiped his forehead, Sirinu’s breathing, which had been shallow and uneven, seemed to even out a little.
“Miss? I’ll do it.”
A maid hurried in, but I shook my head.
“Could you change the water? And another towel…”
“Yes, understood.”
While the maid fetched a towel, I placed my hand on Sirinu’s forehead.
“Gasp.”
Curious about his temperature, I touched his forehead—it was scorching. I put the lukewarm towel down and placed my hand directly on his forehead. My hand, cooled from tension, felt strangely cold against his heated skin.
“……”
Sirinu’s breathing steadied. I gently brushed his forehead and cheeks, hoping to make him feel even a little more comfortable.
As I moved carefully, I heard a small sound escape his lips. I leaned closer to listen.
“I… I’ll do well…”
Hearing that, my heart seemed to sink. It was impossible to believe these words had come from Sirinu, who always seemed so confident.
Just as I tried to hear his murmurs more clearly, the butler’s voice came.
“Miss, I apologize for being late.”
I removed my hand from Sirinu and rose.
“Your face is very warm…”
“I’ll take care of him now. Let’s go into the room so he can rest.”
“……”
When I hesitated, the butler prompted me.
“It’s very late. The Count also requested this…”
“Understood.”
Reluctantly, I left the room. A maid waiting at the door guided me.
As I walked down the hallway, my mind was full of thoughts. At the door, I called out to a maid who was about to leave after greeting me.
“Excuse me…”
“Yes, Miss?”
“Have you been in this mansion long?”
The maid blinked in confusion and replied,
“Yes, I was born here.”
If she had been here so long, she might know something about what I wanted to know. I spoke carefully.
“Could you tell me about the Grand Duke?”
The maid widened her eyes, clutching her apron.
“I… I don’t know much.”
“I just want to know what happened when he was young…”
“Ah…”
“I’ve heard stories that he was cursed…”
Before I finished, tears welled up in her eyes.
“…Our Grand Duke is not that kind of person.”
Tears ran down her cheeks. I hugged her from behind and quickly opened the door. Inside, Yurie was unpacking my things. Seeing me gesture, she swiftly made room.
I seated the sobbing maid on the sofa and found a handkerchief. I gently patted her back until she calmed, and soon her tears stopped.
I poured water into a glass from the tea table and handed it to her. The maid slowly got up.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright. You can sit. It’s just the two of us.”
I gently held her arm and spoke kindly. She hesitated, then sat down.
I held her hand and said softly,
“I’m just worried about the Grand Duke…”
“……”
“I don’t think this is the first time he’s been this sick.”
“……Yes. That’s true.”
The maid spoke cautiously. I asked what I had been curious about.
“The Grand Duke’s parents died because of the Demon King, right?”
She sighed softly and pressed her lips together, holding back tears.
“The young master, no—the Grand Duke, is destined to seal the Demon King… He was born with only one eye with the inherited power.”
“I see…”
“Some ignorant people said he was cursed… but that’s not true.”
The maid’s words revealed details not in any guidebook. His red eyes were powerful, capable of immense force, but using them could harm his body. In childhood, he often suffered from overusing his power and wore a blindfold to avoid misusing it.
“The Grand Duke is really struggling to control the monsters… and the Empire doesn’t even know…”
“I see…”
“He hasn’t had a proper sleep in ages… Miss, please help our young master.”
The maid buried her head in my hand and began crying. I patted her trembling shoulders and replied,
“Alright. I’ll do whatever I can.”
Thinking that he had overexerted himself to come save me hurt my heart.
Everything felt real—the warmth of his cheek I had touched, the labored breaths I had felt so close.
‘From now on, any attack on Sirinu will be considered an attack on me.’
I sent the teary-eyed maid home and left before Yurie returned.
Standing in front of Sirinu’s room, I hesitated. I wondered what to say if the butler was inside, but I decided I’d manage somehow.
I knocked, but there was no response from inside.
