~Chapter 63~
“Put pressure here! What are you doing, you idiot? Press down quickly!”
When Lovelace opened her eyes, she was in the middle of chaos. Wounded people were lying everywhere and loud shouts echoed nonstop.
Lovelace looked around. The temporary captain, Puglisi, a former mercenary, was shouting orders.
Lovelace quietly walked over. No one paid attention to her suddenly appearing out of nowhere. That’s how hectic things were.
“Captain Puglisi.”
“Huh? Oh… oh?”
Puglisi looked up at the gentle voice calling him. His face, messy with blood and black ash, caught Lovelace’s eyes.
After staring for a moment, Puglisi finally recognized Lovelace and let out a dumb moan.
Before she left, he’d been called in many times and warned to take good care of her.
He had led many battles as captain before, but a lord personally coming out to the battlefield like this was rare.
Making a mercenary the captain usually meant it was a fight you could afford to lose.
“You can guess why I’m here. Give me a report.”
“Uh, yes, I mean…”
Puglisi stood up awkwardly.
It felt strange to give a report outside, not even in a tent, but Puglisi didn’t care much about formalities.
“What are you doing? I can’t help unless I know what’s going on as soon as possible!”
“Yes! Understood.”
At Lovelace’s stern voice, Puglisi started to explain.
As soon as the border lord’s army left, the enemy attacked and stole all the food. They fought hard, but the enemy had too many soldiers.
Luckily, the enemy only took the food and left. All these wounded were hurt while fighting back. The knights in the rear weren’t hurt much.
“It was two days ago. Since they took everything useful, we can’t even treat the wounded properly.”
“Did you ask for help from nearby territories?”
“We did, but…”
They probably didn’t help.
Lovelace’s jaw tightened.
“Fortunately, the border lord sent some food, but their situation isn’t good either. He said he’ll ask the emperor for help again.”
“I see. So what do you need most—food and doctors?”
“A priest is better than a doctor.”
Lovelace’s face twisted. She realized she might have to ask Nikolai for help. Nikolai always said he would help, but for some reason, she didn’t like relying on him. It was different from refusing Larvihan’s help.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Now that she understood the situation, she started hearing the groans she hadn’t noticed before.
Lovelace didn’t know the history between the kingdom and empire, or why there was endless war.
She’d lived in a neutral country but had never seen the horrors of war up close.
She had always just thought, ‘I don’t like war.’ But now she had found a reason to end it.
“I want to help these people.”
At the very least, she wanted to do something for the wounded right away.
“P-please, help…”
Someone grabbed the hem of Lovelace’s robe. Lovelace looked down.
A dirty bandage was wrapped around one arm. Lovelace sat beside him and held his hand.
“I… want to live.”
He looked about the same age as Lovelace.
Did he grab her because he knew she was the lord? No, he would have grabbed anyone nearby. He was that desperate.
“Stand up, my lord. You might catch a disease,” Puglisi said, trying to pull the man’s hand away. But Lovelace stopped him.
The man was barely breathing. Lovelace signaled Puglisi to leave them alone—at least until the man could pass away in peace.
Puglisi clicked his tongue and stepped back, putting his hands in his pockets as he watched.
I thought she was just playing lord, but I was wrong.
He had met a lot of people in his mercenary life. He could usually judge someone just by their face.
Most people lived exactly as he expected. But Lovelace was completely different.
Maybe I should renew my contract… huh?
Just as Puglisi was thinking about signing on for longer, something strange happened around Lovelace.
“M-my lord?”
Puglisi found himself stuttering again because of Lovelace.
Tiny water droplets floated up around her, swirling as if dancing. Then, they clung to the hand Lovelace was holding.
Not just Puglisi—Lovelace herself was surprised and tried to let go of the man’s hand.
What’s happening?
But her hand wouldn’t move, as if glued.
[I’m healing him.]
It was Yak’s voice.
Yak? Did you do this?
[You said you wanted to save him. You did it yourself.]
Lovelace tried to understand what Yak meant. Then, something clicked.
So, if I wish for it, you can heal people?
[Lovelace, as long as your body can take it. I told you before, my power is healing! Aren’t I amazing?]
You really are the best!
Yak’s happy laughter faded away. The man’s hand, which Lovelace was holding, slowly relaxed.
The bandage unwrapped, and his hand was completely healed. The color returned to his face, and his breathing became steady.
“Is… is this a miracle?”
Puglisi collapsed onto the ground in shock.
“Shh, don’t tell anyone what you just saw. And bring me the people with the worst injuries first…”
Lovelace told him to keep it secret, thinking rumors would be bad. She needed a place to heal people quietly. Where?
“My tent! I have a tent,” Puglisi said quickly, showing good sense for a mercenary, and helped Lovelace up to guide her.
Lovelace didn’t return to the mansion until late at night.
“Count!”
Judith was waiting for her.
“Oh, Judith…”
Lovelace replied weakly, her legs giving out as she sank to the floor. Judith ran over, hugging her so she wouldn’t fall.
“Count, what happened to you? Why do you look like this?”
Her clothes were covered in blood, her face pale as a sheet… Judith’s mind went blank, thinking of the worst.
“Did you get stabbed?”
Judith’s voice shook.
“No, I didn’t. Calm down. Don’t shout in my ear.”
Lovelace gripped Judith’s shoulder.
“Judith, we need food. Clean bandages, too, and send more knights.”
“Just give up, Count. Go to the emperor and ask for help. Say you never wanted this job, so she should take responsibility.”
“Stop talking and take me to my bedroom.”
Judith supported Lovelace and took her to her room.
She took off Lovelace’s dirty clothes, cleaned her with a warm cloth, put her in soft pajamas, and brought some food. Lovelace ate just a little.
“Rest.”
Judith pulled the blanket up to Lovelace’s neck and stood up, but hesitated before leaving.
“I’ll help you.”
She remembered Larvihan’s words—words he always said like a spell.
“Wait, Judith. Can you contact Larvihan for me?”
“You finally decided? You’re going to ask Lord Larvihan for help? Good job, Count. If he steps in, everything will be sorted out. I can relax now.”
But that wasn’t it…
Lovelace had asked for him on impulse, but honestly, she didn’t know if she’d really ask for help. She smiled awkwardly.
Judith quickly ran to the office.
In the quiet room, the groans from the battlefield came back to Lovelace’s mind. To her, those groans sounded like death coming.
They were weak, painful moans. Screaming would have been better—it meant they still had strength.
Is it right to call Larvihan?
She still didn’t want to use his power. But if holding his hand with her eyes closed could save so many people…
“It’s hard. So hard.”
Why did Arwen give her such a territory? Was it because she didn’t ask for Arwen’s help? Or because she was slow to answer her offer of friendship?
“What’s so hard?”
Even though Judith had just left, Larvihan arrived right away. He sat on the bed and pulled Lovelace’s hands away from her face. His eyes widened with worry.
“You called for me, but I didn’t know you’d be crying.”
Larvihan held Lovelace’s hands tightly and gently touched her swollen eyelids.
“Who made my future bride cry?”
His voice was so gentle.
