With a splash, the screams of the young ladies echoed across the lake.
“Aaah!”
“Countess Rivolain!”
“Someone fell into the water!”
I quickly grabbed the railing and peered down.
Countess Rivolain was struggling in the white foam that had risen to the surface.
“Hemion, get the rope!”
Hemion rushed toward the side of the boat where the rope was attached, but the Empress was quicker. Swiftly grabbing the rope, the Empress, with a stern expression, tossed it downward.
“Hold onto it and climb up!”
The rope slid down near Countess Rivolain, who was floundering in the water.
The Countess, flailing her arms, attempted to grab the rope, but in a panic, she couldn’t swim, leading to futile attempts.
Observing this, Madam Thetman, who was nearby, rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.
“I’m sure she knows how to swim…”
“Does the Countess know how to swim?”
“Yes, Rivolain’s territory is by the seaside. I heard she’s been good at swimming since she was young.”
It made sense.
Curious, I watched Countess Rivolain’s movements.
‘She can’t be…’
Suddenly, I recalled Countess Rivolain’s sneezing a little while ago.
The water was filled with blooming water lilies, also known as Akeilac. There was an extremely rare chance of someone having a severe allergic reaction to it.
Starting with sneezing and escalating into coughing, prolonged exposure to sunlight in this state could lead to blisters resembling burns. In more severe cases, it could cause difficulty breathing and progress to paralysis symptoms.
‘This can’t be good.’
It seemed that the Countess had lost the strength to grab the rope; her movements were gradually slowing.
If it was indeed due to Akeilac, the situation was serious. More than being submerged in the water, being immersed in water full of Akeilac and swallowing it was potentially fatal, leading to heart failure.
“Throw something to float, now!”
The Empress searched for other relief items and threw them, but no matter how good they were, they were only effective if the Countess could grab them.
“Oh no, she’s sinking!”
Hearing a cry from one of the young ladies, I urgently discarded the heavy dress I was wearing.
“Oh my goodness, Your Highness!”
Zenid gasped and tried to stop me, but there was no time to waste. Zenid couldn’t swim, and Hemion, being from the inland, might not know how to swim. Noblewomen generally did not learn activities such as swimming.
“What are you doing?”
The Empress, surprised, asked, but I couldn’t afford to delay and quickly removed the dress, leaving only the thin chemise underneath. I tied a rope around my waist.
“Good heavens, Your Highness!”
“Your Highness, no way…”
The Empress, Zenid, and Hemion all rushed to stop me. However, without hesitation, I leaped into the lake.
“Your Highness!”
“D, did Her Highness just jump?”
With a splash, coldness enveloped my entire body. Underneath my feet, a deep green color extended endlessly.
‘It’s deeper than I thought.’
Seeing the intertwining roots of the water lilies, I quickly rose to the surface.
Countess Rivolain was sinking in the water, her strength gone.
Due to the heavy decorations and the dress, even if she tried to exert force, she couldn’t float and kept sinking.
“Countess Rivolain!”
I reached out to her. Unlike an ocean or river, the lake was relatively calm, making it easier to move.
“Countess, wake up!”
After grabbing her, I secured the rope around her waist. I was continuously swimming to avoid sinking, so my strength was gradually depleting.
“Zenid, pull the rope up!”
After firmly tying the rope, I tightly held onto her waist just in case. From above, Zenid and some maids were pulling up the rope.
‘If only Ares was here…’
I regretted telling Ares to wait by the lake. After all, this place was a lake in the middle of the Emerald Palace.
If anything was going to happen, it would have to be through the lakeshore where Ares was, so I figured it wouldn’t be too much of a risk.
Realistically, it was impossible for Ares to hide on the ship, so it was only natural to not bring him along.
“Princess!”
As I was finally pulled up, the Empress stood in front of me, receiving me first.
Her golden eyes reflected her concern for me.
In her warm yet piercing gaze, the image of Julion overlapped.
“What on earth were you thinking, doing something so reckless?”
She was just as worried and angry as Julion.
The Empress, who seemed about to say more, closed her mouth at Zenid’s urgent shout.
“Your Highness, Countess Rivolain, is not breathing!”
I quickly released the rope, immediately checking the Countess’s condition.
Her entire body was cold, and her lips were blue. I lifted his eyelids and checked her eyes. They were heavily congested, and surprisingly, the whites of her eyes had a bluish tint. Even her sun-exposed skin rapidly reddened; blisters began to form, reminiscent of severe burns.
Her entire body swelled instantly, transforming the Countess into a grotesque figure, causing the ladies to scream in horror.
“What, what’s happening?”
“It’s gross……!”
“Could it be poison?”
I tried to avoid exposing the Countess to sunlight and led her to a shaded area. Then I spoke to Zenid, who had followed closely.
“The Countess has an Akeilac allergy. Zenid, did you bring the medical bag?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll bring it right away.”
“And Your Majesty, I need the petals of the akeilac; I mean the water lily. Can you bring the boat closer?”
“Of course.”
The Empress, realizing the gravity of the situation, ordered the boat to be moved closer to the water lily as per my request.
Meanwhile, the ladies around were whispering anxiously.
“What should we do? If only I hadn’t suggested going to see…”
Madam Thetman, who was closest, teared up and spoke with a choked voice. Hemion, too, unsure of what to do, rushed over in confusion.
“Yo, Your Highness. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“When the ship stops near the akeilac, gather the flower petals. We need at least more than ten.”
“Got it! I’ll do that!”
“I-I’ll help too, Your Highness.”
In addition to Hemion, Madam Thetman also volunteered to assist and rushed to the forefront.
Soon, Zenid returned with the medical bag.
“Here it is. What should I do?”
Zenid efficiently unpacked the bag, setting it up for my easy use. I took out the tools to prepare the medicine first.
“Fortunately, we have the ingredients. Once Hemion and Madam Thetman bring the Akeilac flower petals, I’ll make the medicine right away.”
Akeilac emits allergens through its roots and seeds. Mysteriously, the petals contain substances that neutralize allergens.
“I need to maximize the effects of the substance in the petals.”
Countess Rivolain is already paralyzed, and her heart has stopped. Without using a potent remedy immediately, there was no hope.
“Zenid, prepare a solution of Laphento powder.”
“Understood.”
Laphento is a basic, soothing herb that is dried and ground into powder for long-term storage. I watched Zenid make the dilution for a moment, then pulled out the other medicines.
“Your Highness, I brought them! Here are five petals for now, and Madam Thetman will bring more.”
Hemion, holding Akeilac flower petals, arrived just in time. Taking the petals, I immediately placed them in the tools and started grinding them finely. Madam Thetman also arrived shortly after, handing me more flower petals.
I mixed the well-ground petals with the dilution Zenid prepared, allowing the unique fragrance of Akeilac to spread.
“Zenid, the sieve.”
I then added various components to the prepared strainer, blending them into the concoction.
‘How much time has passed?’
It was impossible to tell exactly how long it had been since the Countess had fallen into the water, struggled, and finally become paralyzed.
The crucial point was that danger would arise after five minutes.
“Syringe.”
I filled the syringe that Zenid quickly handed over with the prepared medicine.
If it were a mild allergic reaction, I could have had her drink it. However, since her whole body was paralyzed, swallowing was impossible.
“Okay.”
There were a total of five injection points: both wrists, ankles, and finally, the heart.
It was preferable to administer the medicine slowly, starting from the extremities, rather than placing it directly on the heart from the beginning, as it could be too abrupt and could have adverse effects.
First, I lifted the hem of Countess Rivolain’s dress and held her ankle.
Without needing to say anything, Zenid wiped the area with a disinfectant swab.
“I’ll administer the injection.”
As I prepared to pierce her with the injection needle, the ladies who were observing let out a collective gasp.
However, it wasn’t the same kind of awkward voice as when I was treating Natya.
I swallowed dry saliva and injected the medicine into each designated point.
“Last one, the heart.”
With a knife in hand, I tore apart the front of the Countess’s dress.
Madam Tetman, surprised, quickly unfastened the shawl the Countess had been wearing and used it to cover her.
Glancing at Madam Thetman, I refocused on the Countess.
‘I need to pierce precisely.’
It wasn’t the first time I had done this.
However, handling the most critical area—the heart—always brought tension.
Concentrating, I slowly, very slowly, inserted the needle where the heart should be.
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Happy Holidays!
انه بسبب اختها الشريرة 😡😡