Chapter 47
After designating Elizabeth as the contractor and placing the modified Teyera’s contract on himself, he had felt the surge of magic within his body.
Rixion, realizing that the forcibly enhanced spell had caused a problem, immediately left the Christener Marquis’ residence.
Judging by the fact that he had no memory after returning to the Duke’s mansion, it was highly likely that he had lost consciousness and collapsed around that time.
Since there was an appointment with the Mage Tower in the afternoon, it seemed that the Mage Tower’s master, having been informed of the situation, had personally come and secured these cuffs on his wrists and ankles.
“How much time has passed?”
Countless thoughts and calculations ran through his mind. He knew better than anyone the repercussions if the world found out that he had missed his official schedule with the Mage Tower.
But right now, worrying about that wasn’t a priority—Elizabeth, who was sleeping uncomfortably, came first.
After glancing at the clock and the window just once, he focused entirely on Elizabeth.
Rixion first confirmed that she was breathing steadily and had a peaceful expression. Then, he carefully lifted her into his arms.
He paused for a moment.
Although the bed was right in front of him, he didn’t want to lay her down on the mattress that had been soaked with his sweat moments ago.
Holding Elizabeth in a comfortable position, Rixion slowly walked toward the door.
“Your Grace!”
When he opened the door, the guards stationed on either side looked surprised but approached him.
Rixion gestured to indicate silence and spoke softly:
“Summon Edward here immediately, and prepare a clean room as well.”
After seeing two of the guards run off, Rixion returned inside and closed the door. He didn’t want Elizabeth to be exposed to anyone’s gaze.
“My lord! I’m so relieved you’ve woken up safely.”
Shortly after giving the command, the butler Edward arrived, panting. Seeing the mixture of worry and relief on the butler’s face, Rixion got straight to the point.
“The room?”
“Right this way.”
Edward, knowing his master well, silently led him to a meticulously prepared guest room without further questions.
Rixion followed, holding Elizabeth just as he had. He carefully laid her on the clean, orderly bed. Despite the movement during the transfer, she remained soundly asleep.
Whether she was naturally a deep sleeper or had simply fallen into exhaustion, he couldn’t tell. He also worried that the modified Teyera contract’s magic might have affected her as well.
“Summon the physician. And for caution, request a cleric at the temple.”
“Understood.”
Edward immediately instructed other servants to carry out the orders and returned to Rixion. Meanwhile, Rixion watched Elizabeth sleep quietly, his gaze unbroken.
“How long have I been asleep?”
Even after Edward returned, Rixion kept his eyes on Elizabeth as he asked.
“It has been two days since you collapsed.”
Rixion looked slightly surprised at this answer. Edward, noticing his reaction, added a brief explanation.
“The master of the Mage Tower personally came to check on you and brought the magical restraint device.”
“What about the outside situation?”
“Your condition wasn’t fully revealed, so they sent spies cautiously, but it wasn’t a serious threat.”
As they spoke in low voices, Edward continued with a stern expression:
“And as you suspected, there seems to be a rat in the house.”
Rixion slowly opened and closed his eyes. It wasn’t surprising; he had expected as much.
“We’ll find and deal with it before the Water Moon passes.”
“Yes, please do.”
Finally, his gaze shifted to Edward, still fixed on Elizabeth. Rixion gestured toward her with his eyes:
“Why was Miss Christener in my room?”
“She wanted to see you, Your Grace. With Her Majesty the Empress’ permission, she was guided to your room.”
“She was leaning on my bed asleep.”
His eyes asked if Edward knew why. The butler looked troubled.
“Halfway through, she called me to bring cold water and a towel. Until then, she seemed fine.”
Edward admitted that he didn’t know why Elizabeth was sleeping so soundly, either.
Rixion’s brows furrowed. Cold water? Why cold water? Then he recalled the cold towel that had been placed on his forehead when he woke up. It must have been her doing.
Rixion looked at Elizabeth with a complex expression.
“I’m so glad you’ve woken up.”
Edward, cautious, spoke. The butler’s eyes reflected the anguish of worrying endlessly while his master remained unconscious.
“There were several critical moments. The magic in your body was so twisted and tangled that there was a risk you might not wake at all.”
Rixion didn’t need anyone to tell him that; he knew it well himself. That’s why he was surprised when he learned it had only been two days, not a month, as he had assumed. Relief and astonishment washed over him simultaneously.
Moreover, his body felt unusually light. The internal magic hadn’t fully untangled, so he couldn’t freely use spells yet, but his physical condition was unexpectedly good.
There was no muscle pain either, unlike what is typically experienced by those who suffer from magical distortion. He was supposed to feel bones grinding and muscles tearing—yet none of that was present.
What happened?
Magical distortion, rampant on this continent, has no specific remedy. Physicians, clerics, or holy water are useless. One can only wait for the twisted magic to naturally realign.
Even someone like him should have been bedridden for at least a month in such a state. It was strange.
He had risked modifying Teyera’s magical formula, confident he could withstand it. The collapse and loss of consciousness had simply been a miscalculation—but showing Elizabeth his helpless state embarrassed him most of all.
“Please… don’t let her suffer any longer.”
Rixion’s habitual gesture of brushing his face paused at the fleeting thought, as a familiar voice seemed to whisper in his mind. He remembered the warm sensation spreading through him.
At first, he thought it was a fragment of a dream… but then he wondered if it wasn’t.
…No way.
Rixion stared at Elizabeth’s sleeping face, recalling the times she had been with the children infected by the plague in the carriage. The memory of her fainting into sleep and startling him, as well as the children miraculously recovering, flashed in his mind.
No, it couldn’t be… could it? His eyes remained conflicted as he watched her.
“Brother… brother.”
A tiny voice whispered beyond the border of his consciousness, drifting over him like a spring breeze.
“Shall we sing a song?”
A song? What song? He listened closely, instinctively curious.
“What if it sounds more like a lullaby?”
“Then let’s sing it loudly!”
“Hmm, but if it’s too loud, it might hurt their ears.”
“Hmm, that won’t do either. What should we do then?”
“Aunt Noi once said that a princess under a spell can be awakened by a kiss!”
“That’s the prince’s job! We can’t do that.”
The boy’s comment deflated the girl’s voice. Despite himself, he smiled.
Rowin and Lin.
He recognized their voices, though he had only met them once. He didn’t know why they were in his room, but the surprise felt pleasant.
“Let’s just keep talking to her like before.”
“Okay!”
The two seemed to have come to an agreement after pondering together.
“Sister, wake up.”
“Princess, wake up.”
