Chapter 34
The Duke of Castanea awaited the Chancellor’s opening words. Though filled with anxiety, he suppressed his urge to rush and steadied himself by sipping his tea.
“Duke Castanea, please refrain from any further actions. It’s because of you that things have gone awry.”
“The Chancellor agrees?”
“Elohsha. I came here at her request.”
“You’ve met her? Then… does Her Highness share similarities with Elohsha?”
“Somewhat. But I haven’t met Elohsha in person.”
The Duke’s eyes trembled violently. Perhaps there was hope that she might still be alive.
“Will His Majesty also come to Brivente?”
Loann nodded.
While the excuse of coming to give blessings was given, ultimately the Pope would come here to see Leticia.
The Duke’s face turned pale. Unable to contain his joy, he grabbed Loann’s hand and wept, “Thank you. Thank you so much…”
And so, Loann couldn’t speak about Elohsha. What decision she had made, where she was.
Leticia didn’t leave until the conversation ended. As soon as the awkward conversation between the two was over, the chamberlain came in and guided Cadius to the guest room.
He glanced at her with a lingering expression of regret, then quickly left the reception room.
“Well then, I’ll go to my room now.”
“Go ahead. Do you need me to call a physician?”
She shook her head gently. She was too exhausted from all the stress. She wanted to go to her room quickly, feeling such acute fatigue that she might fall asleep as soon as she lay down on the bed.
Her head was pounding, and she felt unwell.
She needed to rest quickly. It wouldn’t be good if she collapsed. Now was a crucial time. The baby inside her might be at risk.
“Even if it all goes wrong, I’ll be the only one to mourn.”
The physician, knowing she had a child, would tremble with fear rather than sadness. Having hidden the king’s child, she would face severe consequences.
“I’ll rest in my room today, so please take note of that.”
“When have you ever listened to my opinion and acted upon it? It’s your room, so do as you please.”
Leticia spat out her words as calmly as possible. Then she left the parlor, leaving Arden behind. Walking to her room with the maid, she saw someone’s silhouette at the end of the long corridor. Unconsciously, she stopped in her tracks and stared blankly at the figure.
“It’s okay, don’t show any signs.”
She kept walking forward, focusing on the path ahead. As she got closer, her heart pounded louder and she wanted to scream and run away, but she suppressed the urge with difficulty. Her body wasn’t feeling well due to excessive stress. The only thought in her mind was to get to her room quickly.
One step. Another step.
As the distance between her and the Emperor narrowed, she lifted her chin and fixed her gaze. Her resolute demeanor seemed almost threatening.
Just as she was about to pass by Cadius standing in the corridor, a warm voice tingled in her ears.
“Oh, it seems you’re quite angry.”
“I didn’t expect you, so there’s no need for anger. It might be misunderstood if we continue this private conversation, so I’ll leave now.”
“Have you really reconciled with the king?”
Leticia turned her head slightly to look at him. His red pupils seemed to scan her body.
The scent of blood pulsated. The memories of that day were still vivid in her mind.
She clasped her hands together and smiled faintly.
“Isn’t a marital fight just wielding words instead of knives? I was just throwing a little tantrum.”
“It didn’t seem like just a tantrum… You were quite sincere with me, your friend. I remember it vividly.”
He approached her with a gentle smile.
“Whenever times were tough, didn’t we eat sweet food together and joke around to ease the tension?”
Unaware that she was trying to maintain her composure with falsehoods, she had opened her heart to his sincere conversations and actions.
“I can’t do this. Should I give up my soul? How can I regain my sanity then? Sometimes losing something precious teaches us its true value.”
“…Would stealing a heart that doesn’t even want to be taken cause any wavering?”
“I can make you regret it. If that’s what you want.”
Just by speaking, he comforted her. His eyes, as they looked at her, were endlessly warm and always empathetic to her words.
“As for me, I can truly make you laugh. How about it? Am I not better than someone who doesn’t even give you love?”
Sometimes he would say such foolish things, but she thought they were meaningless words to simply please her.
He was always the one who made her feel like she was loved enough. He listened to her stories without wanting anything in return, sharing a warm cup of tea and chatting, the only person she could confide in about things she couldn’t tell anyone else.
A friend who always listened to her stories, supported her, and seemed like they would never change. An irreplaceable presence.
But now…
As the distance between them closed, she stepped back, creating distance between them.
“Your Majesty, I’m concerned that the people of the Empire might worry about the sudden disappearance of their ruler. So, I hope you’ll rest well and return to the Empire safely.”
It was a hint for him to quickly return to his homeland.
She smiled brightly, bid him farewell, and hurried her steps. Although her pace quickened slightly, she had no energy to spare.
Leticia rushed into her room as if escaping from Cadius, breathing heavily, and closed the door.
She still felt uncomfortable with his gaze stuck on her, unable to shake it off.
She had once seen that gaze as the warm gaze of a friend, but now that she knew better, it felt like the eyes of a beast.
Like the gaze of a predator meticulously observing its prey before the hunt. Unrestrained desire, hungry for blood, was evident in those eyes.
She wanted to wash her body. Perhaps soaking in warm water would make her feel a bit better.
As she tensed her body to head towards the bathroom, Leticia let out a groan.
“Ugh…”
With the severe pain overwhelming her, her vision once again blurred. She clutched her stomach and collapsed.
❖ ❖ ❖
Arden, startled by the sound of the physician rushing to the bedroom, quickly ran over.
“How bad is she feeling to collapse like this?”
It wasn’t the first time. He hadn’t heard of the physician being called separately before. Not eating well, her body was frail, and recently, half of her face seemed to have disappeared.
Why was she deteriorating day by day?
He glanced at Leticia, his tongue clicking in disapproval. Berotin, who had been observing, quickly responded.
“It seems she has been under a lot of stress lately. She needs to rest adequately.”
Berotin, the attending physician, looked at the sleeping Leticia.
Judging by the king’s demeanor, he seemed unaware of her pregnancy. It was probably too early to tell.
“Well, considering her condition, it wouldn’t be surprising if she miscarried at any time.”
Her overall physical condition was too weak. Even with medication, there was no improvement. He had carefully examined her, wondering if there was any other reason for her condition, but nothing else seemed apparent.
“If the queen eats well, sleeps well, and rests, her health will improve.”
“…Is she not even doing that properly?”
Arden squinted at her, observing closely. He knew she was weak, but he hadn’t expected her to collapse so easily. Her face on the spacious bed was pale.
Suddenly feeling uneasy, he reached out and touched her nose. Confirming her shallow breaths, he withdrew his hand. Despite that, his unease didn’t fade, and he had more questions.
“Besides that…”
“She needs to eat well. She needs to rest well… If there’s anything she wants to eat, make sure she eats it.”
Arden tilted his head at Berotin’s words. There was something odd about what he heard. It sounded similar to when someone had a child.
“It’s about a child, isn’t it? Ridiculous.”
Arden chuckled softly. It was still an absurd story to think about.
