CHAPTER 38
The warm sunlight gradually made her feel drowsy. She had been resting her chin in her hand, but before she knew it, her posture shifted to leaning over the table. Just then, a knock came at the door.
“Lady Blake.”
It was Raphael.
‘Huh? All of a sudden?’
Louisa blinked in surprise. She responded instinctively, telling him to come in, but she was puzzled—he should be too busy preparing for the departure, so why had he come?
The door opened, and Raphael entered, dressed in a pristine holy knight’s uniform. Their eyes met—his blue irises looked both cold and clear.
For a while after entering, Raphael said nothing. He stood at a distance, repeatedly opening and closing his mouth, and just as Louisa tilted her head in curiosity, he finally swallowed hard and spoke.
“Are you feeling well?”
“Yes.”
“Even with the portal, it’s a long-distance journey, so it might strain your body. Please speak up if it becomes difficult.”
“I’m fine. I haven’t really felt unwell. But…”
Louisa stared directly at Raphael, who had been particularly annoying lately. Her expression clearly asked: Is that really why you came?
She couldn’t tell whether he was genuinely concerned or just probing for signs of weakness to support a breakup. He acted like some kind of health evangelist, asking about her condition every time they met. It was exhausting, and even making up excuses was becoming tiresome.
Especially since, once they arrived in the capital, a team of medical experts from the East was already waiting. She dreaded the idea of how she’d dodge that scrutiny. Raphael pestering her again today made things worse.
“Is that all you came for?”
Her tone was disinterested. It was obvious she wanted to keep things short. Raphael looked at her for a moment, then said quietly:
“What about the banquet?”
“The banquet? I’m going. Isn’t that something I must attend?”
“I meant… your partner.”
“My partner? Hmm, I’ll probably go with my brother.”
Raphael’s mouth opened slightly, then closed. He turned his head slightly, fiddled with his right ear, and unnecessarily brushed back his neatly arranged hair.
Louisa, noting the redness forming on the tips of his ears, looked back at him when he gave a small cough.
His gaze, which had been lowered, slowly rose to meet hers.
“Wouldn’t it be better if I went with you instead of the young duke?”
Louisa’s eyes widened in surprise at his transparent blue gaze.
“…What?”
“We’re engaged. If we arrive separately, it could cause rumors.”
She was baffled. She had assumed Raphael would prefer that kind of situation. So why was he concerned about rumors now?
If gossip about their discord spread, wouldn’t it make the eventual breakup easier to bring up? Why avoid that?
‘Maybe it’s because he hasn’t met the original heroine yet, so he’s not eager to push for a breakup.’
Louisa rubbed her right cheek with her index finger expressionlessly.
Rather than arguing about refusing him, I’ll just go with it. I’ll be returning to the north anyway, so what does it matter afterward?
She stared blankly at Raphael, whose expression remained unreadable, then finally nodded.
Though there was a slight delay, her calm reaction made Raphael’s expression subtly shift.
A look that was partly relieved, partly as if he still didn’t quite understand her—complex emotions flashed across his face.
“…I’ll explain how to use the artifact once we reach the capital. It’ll be a valuable item if you use it properly.”
“You already figured it out? That was fast.”
“Well, it just happened… ahem.”
Louisa was inwardly surprised. In her case, she had learned how to use it from the original novel. But Raphael had no prior knowledge. She hadn’t expected him to master it so quickly.
He really is the male lead, after all.
His holy power was overwhelming, his swordsmanship unrivaled, and now his grasp of magical items was incredible.
He was practically a cheat character. It made her wonder just how powerful the other leads were going to be.
Now that the female lead had appeared, the story would truly begin, and the empire was bound to become chaotic.
Let’s just not get involved. Raphael will probably stop seeking me out once he meets the heroine at the banquet anyway.
She glanced sideways at Raphael, who had turned his head and covered his mouth with a fist.
Hmm. That holy power is a shame to waste… but I guess there’s no helping it.
Louisa briefly looked at his still-red ears—perhaps from good blood circulation—then turned her gaze without hesitation.
The weather was beautiful again. It didn’t look like it would rain anytime soon. She figured she should go water the secret garden before leaving.
The capital was in the midst of summer. Between the thick leaves visible through the windows, the sound of cicadas buzzed loudly.
Despite the noise, Louisa kept the window wide open, enjoying the warm air she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Though the weather in the Blake territory had warmed, it still felt chilly to her. She had assumed she was simply more sensitive to the cold than others—but after coming to the capital, she realized she was more suited to the heat.
No matter how intense the sun was, she didn’t break a sweat. To her, the weather just felt pleasant.
“Louisa, it’s good to rest and recover, but shouldn’t you have a check-up?”
After arriving at the capital estate the day before, she had used the excuse of a long journey to rest undisturbed for the entire day. But the medical team, who had been waiting for days, couldn’t be kept on hold forever.
Damian had personally come to her room, likely because he was getting anxious.
“Alright. I’ll get checked.”
“Really? Good. I’ll call them right away!”
Louisa stared blankly at Damian’s retreating figure. He could’ve sent someone else, but he came himself.
If only she hadn’t coughed up blood last time, she could’ve insisted she was fine. But of course, it had to happen in front of everyone—how unfortunate.
She wondered what exactly they had learned in the East and what kind of treatment they planned to try. Could she even take the medicine they gave her?
Just because it’s medicine doesn’t mean it’s always good. If it’s a bad match, it might make things worse…
She sighed. Things kept happening. There was no time to truly rest.
Given the current mood in the household, it didn’t seem like they’d leave her alone anytime soon. Maybe Damian getting married would finally shift their attention.
Though since he’s supposed to have a one-sided crush on the heroine, who knows if he’ll even get married.
Wait… Wasn’t the heroine most interested in Raphael? Come to think of it, Seinfre and Damian always felt like side characters rather than true male leads. I don’t remember the ending that clearly…
Strangely, she seemed to recall the original heroine less clearly than the others.
She remembered the major events—probably because the male leads were involved—but not much about what the heroine actually did after becoming a saintess. Not even her name came to mind.
Ugh, whatever. Doesn’t matter now.
More than anything, she just wanted to prove she was fine. She planned to keep pretending to take the medicine and show everyone she wasn’t sick anymore.
“Louisa, may I come in?”
“Sure.”
True to form, Damian had brought the medical team himself. A physician and several unfamiliar doctors followed him in. Louisa greeted them politely and headed to the bed.
“My lady, how have your symptoms been lately?”
“I’ve gotten much better. Since going north, the number of episodes has definitely decreased.”
“I heard you coughed up blood once.”
“Oh, that… It was just a little. Really…”
“Hm. Let’s start with an examination.”
“Okay.”
“Then, excuse me.”
The physician began the check-up carefully. He examined her breathing, eyes, ears, and gave instructions to the doctors behind him.
Once he seemed to finish, he adjusted his small glasses and looked at her.
“Fortunately, your condition hasn’t worsened. However, while the bleeding has decreased, we cannot say it’s healed. Therefore, we recommend starting medicinal treatment.”
“Oh…”
“We previously suspected a condition similar to reverse constitution syndrome. After much verification, the medicine we’ve prepared should enhance your overall health. Even if it turns out to be a different illness, it won’t negatively affect you.”
“That’s… reassuring.”
“Yes. With regular use, we expect positive results. We’ll start decocting the medicine from today. Please take it after meals, morning and afternoon.”
So it was unavoidable after all. If they were going to decoct it, it was probably herbal medicine. Just thinking about it was awful.
Louisa sighed, gazing out the window with clouded eyes. How long do I have to keep up this act? Her chest felt heavy.
Silence filled the room. The people inside watched Louisa quietly, concern in their eyes.
Her deep sigh and faint lavender eyes made her look pitiable.
They assumed she must be distressed and overwhelmed by having to undergo uncertain treatment. They admired her strength in facing it all alone—and felt heartbroken at the same time.
