It all happened in an instant.
Ian’s eyes widened, and as soon as I escaped from the mage’s grasp, he moved.
In the blink of an eye, Ian closed the distance and swung his sword.
Sshhk.
With a sickening sound, the mage’s head rolled across the ground.
He hadn’t even been able to scream.
“Ugh.”
Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head.
My entire body trembled, my heart pounding as if it had become the only thing keeping me alive.
‘I-I really almost died….’
I couldn’t think straight.
From the sudden appearance of the assassins to the blade that grazed my body, to the corpses at my feet—everything was a blur.
Struggling to support myself with my arms as I gasped for air, Ian rushed over, frantic.
“Are you hurt anywhere…?”
‘Oh no, the blood!’
Before he could finish, I shouted urgently.
“Duke, don’t look this way!”
At the same time, I raised my arm to cover the sky-blue chiffon dress now soaked in blood.
With the immediate threat to my life gone, my rationality slowly returned.
The throbbing pain and the rapid beating of my heart told me I wasn’t fully calm yet, but that wasn’t the priority right now.
I knew.
This was the worst situation Ian could face.
Ian kept a distance from people, not just because of his cold nature, but because he had an obsessive fear of others getting hurt or killed because of him.
Especially after what had happened on his tenth birthday.
That was why I had tried so hard to help him overcome it.
‘How was I supposed to know this would happen to me?!’
Gasping for breath, I desperately tried to cover the wound, but the blood loss and the weakening of my body left me dizzy.
“Duke, don’t look this way, just….”
Trying my best to cover myself, I looked up, only to be dismayed.
Ian was already standing there, frozen, his face devoid of expression.
His pale face had lost all color.
The hand that had been gripping his sword just moments ago trembled slightly.
‘…It’s over.’
Yes, it’s over.
Even in my dazed state, that one thought came through clearly.
‘As if covering the wound would really stop him from seeing it….’
I recognized that expression all too well.
It was the same look he had when he lost the person he depended on most at the age of ten.
‘I’ve just pressed his trauma button….’
I couldn’t tell whether the dizziness overwhelming me was due to blood loss or the hopelessness of the situation.
As I staggered, Ian, snapping back to reality, rushed to support me.
“…My lady.”
“…….”
“You’re bleeding….”
With his face as pale as a sheet, he reached out to move my hand from the wound, but I stopped him just in time.
Then, with one arm, I pulled him close, hugging him tightly to prevent him from seeing the wound.
As I leaned my chin on his shoulder, gasping for breath, I felt Ian freeze.
“My lady?”
“Ugh….”
It really hurts.
At the same time, I realized with certainty that the drowsiness creeping in was due to the blood loss.
I had to say this before I passed out.
Still holding him, I spoke firmly.
Though, given how weak my voice was, I wasn’t sure how firm it came across.
“Listen carefully. I’m not dead.”
“…….”
“And I’ll be fine.”
Ian hesitated at the sound of my low, faint voice.
I regretted that I couldn’t see his face in this position.
“I’ve lost blood, so I feel dizzy. I’m getting sleepy, but call Kyle quickly. It’s not a fatal wound, so if we return to the palace quickly and get treatment, I’ll be fine.”
I meant to tell him that if I passed out, he shouldn’t lose his mind and should act swiftly.
He might not be able to make the usual rational decisions in his current state.
“…And.”
I took a deep breath, struggling to speak clearly to him.
Ugh, I’m losing consciousness.
“This isn’t your fault. Understand?”
“My lady? What do you mean….”
His confused question was the last thing I heard before my body lost all strength.
And then, the world turned completely black.
❖ ❖ ❖
I didn’t know how long I had been asleep.
Occasionally, urgent voices and the sound of bustling movement would stir me from my hazy state, only for the overwhelming drowsiness to pull me back under.
Eventually, when I opened my eyes, the surroundings were quiet, and through my blurry vision, I saw a familiar ceiling.
It wasn’t the ceiling of the grand duchy, but of the bedroom in the secondary palace.
‘Ha… I can’t believe I actually passed out there.’
Barely managing to turn my stiff neck, I glanced toward the window. A reddish hue flickered in the room—outside, the sun was setting.
It seemed I had been unconscious for an entire day.
“Ugh….”
Understanding the situation, I slowly moved my stiff arm and carefully touched my chest.
Beneath the thin indoor clothes, I could feel the tight bandages wrapped around me.
‘Thank goodness, I didn’t actually die….’
Seeing the ceiling of the secondary palace, receiving treatment, and the dull, throbbing pain that confirmed I was still alive—I was certain I had survived.
Honestly, compared to the pain I felt when I was hit by the reincarnation truck and sent to this world, this level of pain was bearable.
Still, moving was difficult.
As I lowered my arm and blinked my blurry eyes, I felt a sense of discomfort and turned my head in the opposite direction from the window.
“…Huh?”
Ian was sitting at the edge of the large bed, dozing off.
Had he been here the whole time?
Surprised, I blinked, and as if noticing the rustling sounds, Ian lifted his head.
When our eyes met, his grew wide.
“My lady, are you—”
“A bit stiff, and the wound aches a little, but other than that, I’m fine. My mind is clear. As for the wound… ow, I’ll need a detailed diagnosis, but with bandages for two or three weeks, I should be fine.”
Before he could say anything, I calmly cut him off with my hoarse voice.
I wasn’t sure how clearly my words had come across since I had been lying down for so long, but I hoped it was enough.
Ian stared at me blankly, his mouth slightly open.
It felt like I’d been seeing a lot of unfamiliar expressions on his face since the moments before and after I collapsed.
I grimaced slightly from the dull pain and added,
“…I’m saying I’m fine. So, could you please call the doctor?”
“…….”
“You look paler than I do right now. Honestly, you look more like a patient than I do.”
After making a remark I wasn’t sure was a joke or not, Ian finally exhaled.
That’s when I realized he had been holding his breath this whole time.
‘He must’ve really been shocked….’
While I was thinking that, Ian pulled the bell cord, and not long after, servants and the doctor came rushing in.
“My lady!”
“Your Grace! You’re awake!”
Ugh, so noisy.
Watching Vivi rush to the bed, nearly in tears, followed by the doctor, I nodded.
“…Yes, I’m awake now. How long have I been out?”
“It has been three full days.”
So, it wasn’t just one day.
I briefly wondered if it was because I lost too much blood or if Eloise’s body was just frail, but I decided to stop thinking about it.
It was probably both.
“The first thing you should do is check the duchess’ condition.”
At that moment, Ian, who had seemed frozen, gave a calm order to the doctor.
Startled, the doctor quickly approached me.
“Yes, Your Grace. May I check your condition, my lady?”
“Go ahead.”
At my approval, the doctor carefully checked my pulse and examined my wound before letting out a sigh of relief.
“It’s fortunate. Sir Eloy performed emergency treatment right after the injury, and the wound hasn’t become infected, so you should recover quickly. There are no other issues.”
Though I had lost a lot of blood, it was just a wound near my collarbone. It wasn’t a vital spot.
I glanced at Ian, as if to say, ‘Did you hear that?’
But the reaction came from someone else.
“M-My lady… I-I was so worried because you were bleeding so much! I thought you might…”
“Vivi?”
I hurriedly stopped Vivi, who was about to burst into tears.
What on earth was she saying?
I briefly glanced at Ian and forced a mechanical smile.
“Don’t cry. I’m feeling a bit hungry, so it’d be nice if you could bring me something to eat.”
“Oh! Right, yes! I’ll go get it right away!”
Wiping her eyes hastily, Vivi jumped to her feet and left the room.
“Doctor, if your examination is finished, could you and the servants leave us for a moment? I have something to discuss with the Duke.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
At my words, the doctor and the servants quietly exited the room, closing the door behind them with a soft click.
I turned my head toward Ian, who was now looking at me.
Now was the important part.
“We need to talk.”
There was something I had to say.
♧♧♧
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