Chapter 29
Thud.
“Lady Arlesia!!!”
The red-haired young woman collapsed helplessly to the floor.
Osborne froze in shock at the sight. The woman who had suddenly fallen while vomiting blood was the very noblewoman she herself had invited—Elizabeth Arlesia. The moment Elizabeth collapsed, the surrounding ladies shrieked in terror and hastily retreated. Only one knight, who had been standing some distance away, rushed toward her and checked her condition.
“…My lady!! My lady, please wake up!!”
Despite the knight’s frantic voice, Osborne stood there, utterly stunned. She should have immediately called for a physician to save the woman who had collapsed so suddenly. But she couldn’t move.
Not because she wished for Elizabeth’s death—
but because the situation was so chaotic that she couldn’t think or act at all.
By the time she finally came to her senses and lifted her head, Elizabeth was already being carried away in the knight’s arms.
“There is a physician on standby at the estate! We’ll take her there!”
“…….”
As the knight moved to leave the Luciella Marchioness’s estate grounds, Osborne hurriedly grabbed him and spoke in desperation. But no reply came.
Only a cold gaze looked down at her.
No one had ever looked at her with eyes like that before.
And that terrified her.
“If you go to the Arlesia estate, it will take far too long! Her life could be in danger!”
Ain thought about it.
The woman’s words weren’t wrong. The Arlesia County and the Luciella Marchioness’s estate were not close to each other. Even by carriage, it would take nearly an hour. And if Elizabeth’s condition worsened during that time—if she were to die—
That could not happen.
And yet, he did not want to bring Elizabeth into that woman’s estate.
At present, the most likely suspect was Osborne herself—the one who had hosted the tea party and invited Elizabeth in the first place. There was no time to hesitate, yet Ain thought again and again.
His head knew it.
If Elizabeth was not treated immediately, her life would be in danger.
But his heart thundered with a single command:
Do not bring Elizabeth into that woman’s estate.
So Ain chose to trust his heart.
“We’re going to the Imperial Palace.”
With those words, Ain quickened his steps back toward the carriage. Elizabeth’s body—after having vomited so much blood—was growing colder by the minute. The Vincent estate was also far away, and Anais was already away at the Imperial Palace today.
There was only one destination.
“Please—head to the Imperial Palace immediately!!”
Shouting at the coachman, Ain listened as the carriage wheels began to move, then checked Elizabeth’s condition once more. Her body temperature was steadily dropping, her lips turning blue.
Ain was consumed by anxiety and rage, as though everything were his fault. Completely unaware that his clothes were already soaked in red, he held Elizabeth’s hand tightly and whispered to her.
“My lady… just a little longer. Please—endure just a little longer.”
Why did the carriage feel so unbearably slow today…?
With every jolt of the carriage, Ain’s heart burned more fiercely.
If something were to happen to Elizabeth—if she were to—
Elizabeth was his light.
Though the entire world called her a villainess, a witch, she was different to him. She was light itself—an angelic existence.
And that wasn’t true only for him.
At the very least, every member of the Guardian Knight Order would think the same.
Was it simply because she was beautiful? No. It wasn’t such a trite reason.
Elizabeth didn’t remember it—but long ago, something very small had saved him. One of her petty complaints, something trivial to her, had saved his life.
And not only him.
Most of the Guardian Knights were people who had survived because of her whims, her complaints, her unpredictable kindness.
Ain knew that better than anyone.
And because he knew, his heart grew ever more frantic.
“Damn it…! My lady, you mustn’t lose consciousness. We’ll arrive soon…! So please—please…!”
The rattling carriage finally came to a halt.
Ain hurriedly lifted Elizabeth into his arms and rushed toward the Imperial medical wing. She had already lost so much blood, her body growing colder by the second, her pulse barely perceptible.
When Ain arrived at the medical wing in haste, the imperial physician looked up sharply.
“What is the meaning of—!! You are—!”
“It’s urgent! My lady—my lady is—!”
At the words my lady, the imperial physician bent down and looked at the woman in Ain’s arms. Her complexion was growing deathly pale, her lips blue. And red hair—
The physician knew immediately.
The man carrying her was a Guardian Knight of House Vincent. That elegant uniform, bearing the silver-wing insignia of the Vincent family—only the Guardian Knight Order wore such attire.
And the woman in his arms was unmistakably Elizabeth Arlesia.
“Lay the young lady down here at once, and summon Marquis Vincent immediately!!”
Following the physician’s instructions, Ain gently laid Elizabeth onto the bed, then turned and ran toward the military training grounds where Anais would be. Biting his lip hard, he sprinted through the Imperial Palace with everything he had.
“What did you say?!”
Anais, who had been directing the knights’ training at the drill grounds, flew into a rage upon hearing Ain’s report. He had sent Ain precisely to prevent something like this!
Without even sparing a glance behind him, Anais rushed toward the medical wing. His pace was so fast that neither the knights in training nor even Ain could keep up.
Bang!
A heavy impact echoed through the medical wing. The sound of the door slamming violently into the wall—Anais had thrown it open without restraint, leaving a clear imprint of the doorknob in the wall.
“…Marquis Vincent!!”
“Ellie!! Where is Ellie?!”
The imperial physician, shaken by Anais grabbing him by the collar and shaking him, weakly pointed toward the bed where Elizabeth lay.
Anais immediately released him and rushed to her side.
Her pink dress was soaked in red. Blood stained her lips, her face pale beyond words.
For a brief moment, Anais saw his wife and daughter overlapping with her.
His wife Edna, whose health had weakened after giving birth to their daughter Cecilia, dying decades ago from an epidemic.
And then Cecilia herself—passing away the moment she gave birth to this very child, Elizabeth.
He had witnessed countless deaths in his life.
Yet the deaths of family were always the most cruel, the most unbearable.
That was why he had sworn to protect Elizabeth with his life.
It had been his daughter’s final wish.
‘Father… please… protect Ellie… our Ellie…’
As Cecilia’s words echoed in his ears, Anais clutched Elizabeth’s cold hand and spoke as though praying.
“No… Ellie…! You can’t… you can’t leave this grandfather behind…!”
It was all he could do to steady his emotions enough to speak.
Who dared—
who dared try to harm his only granddaughter?
He should have stopped her from going to that cursed Luciella estate in the first place!
“Ain! Explain what happened!”
“I did not witness everything clearly, but the young lady collapsed after drinking black tea brought by a maid of the Luciella Marchioness’s estate…!”
“…At once. Bring me Marquis Luciella—!”
Grinding his teeth, Anais ordered Ain to investigate the marchioness’s estate, while commanding another knight to inform Horn of the situation.
“Imperial physician. You must save her. By any means necessary.”
“…I understand! First, we must determine the poison—!”
Leaving the physician to examine Elizabeth, Anais exited the medical wing and ordered the Guardian Knights to guard the entrance. Then he began walking purposefully toward somewhere else.
That damn brat…
There were four people Anais referred to as “damn brats,” and it seemed he was heading to meet one of them now.
The palace he approached was far more ornate than the surrounding buildings—an unmistakable declaration of this is the Emperor’s Palace. Passing through its elegant gardens, overflowing with dignity and authority, Anais walked without hesitation.
No one dared stop him.
At last, he reached the Emperor’s office.
Anais flung the door open violently. As before, the tremendous noise caused the door to creak slightly—clear proof of just how immense his rage was.
“…Marquis Vincent. What is the meaning of this rudeness—”
Karlcia, who had been processing documents and looked up in irritation, tilted his head upon seeing Anais’s furious expression.
“You are aware that the Guardian Knight Order may act without the Emperor’s command.”
“…What is this about. What has happened.”
“The Osborne Luciella whom Your Majesty so cherishes attempted to poison our Ellie.”
“Ha…??? What nonsense is this? If anyone were to attempt such a thing, it would be Lady Arlesia—not Lady Luciella poisoning Lady Arlesia!”
“…Listen carefully, you damn brat. Even if you try to stop me, I have no intention of forgiving those who reduced Ellie to that state.”
Anais’s unyielding stance meant one thing—he was not lying.
Emperor Karlcia knew this well. He was the third emperor Anais had served. Anais had watched him grow since childhood, one of the elder figures of the Imperial Palace. For a man who valued etiquette and decorum to abandon all formality like this—
It meant the situation was grave.
“Even if I forbid it, you’ll move anyway, won’t you.”
“You’re finally saying something sensible.”
“…….”
Karlcia let out a deep sigh and rose from his seat.
Just how severe was the situation, for Anais to be this enraged?
He decided he would see it for himself—and turned his steps toward the medical wing where Elizabeth lay.
