Chapter 39
The rain did not stop and continued on into the next day.
Rubiana spent the entire day staring out the window.
Even when she tried to read a book or a newspaper, she just couldn’t focus.
Then she saw a horse carrying a soldier galloping through the front gate.
‘It must be a telegram!’
Rubiana quickly ran down to the first-floor lobby.
Her guess was correct.
Countess Virginia Payson, who had come out first, was holding a telegram in her hand.
“It’s from Stephanie. She says it’s still raining in Darrow as well. She wrote that she’ll probably be able to return sometime tomorrow.”
Virginia gave Rubiana a gentle smile, as if telling her not to worry.
But Rubiana couldn’t feel relieved.
“Is she okay? She didn’t get hurt or anything?”
“No. There’s nothing like that written.”
“What about the others? Is everyone else okay? There weren’t any big accidents or anything?”
Seeing Rubiana ask so urgently, Virginia’s expression softened with sympathy.
“Oh dear, Rubiana… is this because of His Grace the Grand Duke?”
“Ah… that’s…”
“You haven’t received any other word from him, have you? Well, I suppose you’d be worried then.”
Rubiana shook her head.
She wasn’t worried, really. She had only wanted to know what the situation was.
There was no reason for her to worry about Elion—certainly not enough to let it show right in front of her mother.
Virginia took Rubiana’s hand and spoke gently, as if soothing her.
“There was no mention of the Grand Duke in the telegram. That means he must be safe and unharmed, don’t you think?”
“…”
“If anything had happened to him, it would be serious enough that Stephanie would have written about it. Isn’t that right?”
“…Yes.”
Maybe it was her mother’s voice.
Or her soft, comforting words.
But the tension that had twisted inside her all night suddenly unraveled, and her eyes overflowed with tears.
Surprised by the tears, Virginia gently wrapped her arms around her daughter’s trembling shoulders.
“Oh dear, Rubiana… you were worried that much? I didn’t even realize.”
“It’s not like that… I wasn’t that worried. But I just… I don’t know why…”
Why am I crying? There’s no reason to cry. How ridiculous.
Even Rubiana herself was startled by the sudden tears.
She couldn’t understand what on earth was happening to her.
There was no way she would worry this much about Elion.
It had to be the formal concern one held for a partner in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Just a small, trivial bit of concern.
…So then what were these tears?
‘He’s someone essential for maintaining my health, so it’s normal to be at least this concerned. I can’t let the Saintess take him away. That’s all it is.’
Repeating that to herself over and over, Rubiana remained in her mother’s warm embrace for a long while.
The next day.
At last, the rain stopped.
But as Rubiana looked up at the clear sky, with not a cloud in sight, her heart felt only storm clouds.
The end of the rain meant the Imperial Knights would soon finish restoring order in the East and return to the capital.
And if things followed the original story, Elion would return injured.
Rubiana once again sat at the window, watching the front gate from early dawn until the afternoon.
She was fully dressed in outdoor clothes so she could run out at a moment’s notice.
Sophie poured fresh tea into her empty cup and spoke with worry.
“My lady, I’ll keep watch on the front gate. Why don’t you try to get a little rest?”
After two sleepless nights, Rubiana’s skin was dull and dry, and dark circles hung under her eyes.
She had barely eaten, and her face had grown noticeably thinner.
Rubiana forced a bright smile to reassure Sophie and shook her head.
“Even if I close my eyes, I won’t be able to sleep. I feel better just watching for myself. Thank you for worrying, Sophie.”
“…Yes, my lady.”
After taking a sip of the warm tea Sophie had just poured, Rubiana’s gaze drifted back to the gate.
“Ah!”
She suddenly widened her eyes.
The rider entering through the gate was unmistakably Stephanie.
“Stephanie’s back!”
Jumping up from her seat, Rubiana gathered her skirt and hurried downstairs.
Stephanie had just stepped into the mansion.
“I’m home, Mother!”
“Stephanie, welcome back! You worked so hard, my dear!”
“Good work, sis!”
Virginia and Rubiana each gave Stephanie a tight hug.
“I’m only stopping by for a moment. I need to change clothes and head out again. I also have to write the report on the field work and submit the planning document for the follow-up tasks.”
“Oh dear, you must be exhausted, my daughter. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
Virginia looked her over carefully.
Fortunately, she seemed unharmed.
“I’m fine. But…”
Stephanie paused mid-sentence and looked at Rubiana.
Thump, thump.
Even though Rubiana was almost certain what she was about to hear, her heart trembled violently.
‘Just say it, Stephanie. Say His Highness is hurt, but not seriously. Please, hurry!’
Rubiana stared desperately at Stephanie’s lips as they parted.
“Grand Duke Klitzmann was injured. He was rescuing children trapped in a half-collapsed building when the other half suddenly caved in… It seems his head and shoulder were injured quite badly.”
“…”
“It would’ve been better for him to stay in Darrow and receive treatment, but he insisted on returning to the capital. He should be at the Grand Duke’s residence right now, receiving care.”
“Injured badly? Ah…”
It wasn’t that she hadn’t imagined the possibility.
In the original storyline, they had even summoned the Saintess to treat him, so it must have been more serious than a minor wound.
Still, because things had already diverged from the original, she had hoped—just maybe—the severity of his injuries might differ as well.
But heaven seemed to mock her hope by delivering terrible news.
“I need to go see His Highness.”
Holding back tears on the verge of spilling, Rubiana spoke to Virginia.
“Mother, may I go to the Grand Duke’s estate?”
“Of course. Be careful, dear.”
Virginia gently patted her shoulder and nodded.
Just then—
The door opened, and a man entered, introducing himself as a coachman from the Grand Duke’s household.
“His Grace the Grand Duke requests Lady Rubiana Payson. Would you be able to come to the estate now?”
“Yes, I can go.”
With her mother and sister seeing her off, Rubiana climbed into the Grand Duke’s carriage.
As the carriage sped forward, Rubiana clasped her hands tightly.
The fact that Elion had sent a carriage was both a good sign and a bad one.
Good—because he had called her, not the Saintess, to stabilize his unstable mana.
Bad—because sending a carriage in such haste meant his condition was dangerously poor.
‘Elion, please be safe!’
Rubiana closed her eyes tightly and prayed to whatever god might be listening.
“He hurt his head and shoulder, but the wounds themselves aren’t too severe.”
“That’s a relief.”
“He’s currently asleep after taking a fever reducer and a sleeping draught.”
Rubiana looked down at Elion, who slept as if dead, while listening to Haley’s explanation.
Normally, Elion’s sturdy build—or perhaps the aura of a Swordmaster—made him seem quite imposing.
But now, under the effect of the sleeping medicine, he looked like an ordinary man.
‘Well… he is normal, in the end. If you cut him, he bleeds, and if he has a fever, it hurts—just like everyone else.’
Rubiana’s eyes softened with deep pity as she looked at his pale face.
“But the real problem is his unstable mana. Since the symptoms first appeared, this is the worst it’s ever been. That’s why we urgently called for you, my lady.”
“…I see. You did the right thing. Thank you.”
Rubiana meant every word.
It had truly been a godsend that Haley contacted her first, not the Saintess, out of concern for his lord.
“From now on, I’ll stay by His Highness’s side.”
“Yes, please. If you need anything, call me anytime.”
“I will.”
After Haley left, only Rubiana and Elion remained in the room.
Rubiana took Elion’s hand.
At once, she felt his mana flowing into her.
It was hotter and more agitated than usual.
Remembering Haley’s words—that this was the worst his symptoms had ever been—Rubiana held his hand in both of hers.
Her body, starved of mana for the past two days, eagerly absorbed it.
“Your Highness, I’m here. So don’t worry and sleep peacefully. I’ll stay right here by your side.”
She whispered toward the sleeping Elion.
Perhaps it was because she hadn’t slept properly for two days.
Or because the mana flowing into her felt so warm and gentle.
Or maybe because she felt relieved that Elion’s injuries weren’t as severe as she had feared.
Before long, Rubiana began nodding off, and soon she fell asleep, slumped over the bedside.
