For a while, peaceful days continued. It was a winter where everything seemed perfectly in place.
Similarly, Julia felt that her body was gradually recovering.
However, one seemingly ordinary morning, Julia woke up coughing up blood.
“…Cough!”
She looked at the blood soaking her palm, her lips trembling.
The droplets of blood that fell stained the bedding laid on her knees with a deep red hue.
Shocked by the sudden bout of coughing, which had not troubled her for some time, Julia couldn’t hide her confusion.
She hurriedly grabbed a cloth to wipe her mouth and hands, pressing her chest absentmindedly.
Thump, thump—her heart beat weakly, and she faintly sensed her divine power stirring within her.
At the same time, she could feel that her divine power was growing fainter than before.
No one had told her, but Julia could somewhat anticipate what was happening.
The weaker her divine power became, the closer she was to the end of her life.
Julia slowly rose to her feet, her face pale.
“Should I tell Cedric? But…”
Cedric was still traveling from place to place, searching for a cure.
However, he had yet to see any results.
If he found out that her condition had worsened, he might feel burdened.
“…I’m fine.”
Julia muttered to herself, as if saying it would make it true.
She stood up and changed her clothes, putting the blood-stained bedding aside for now.
As she was doing so, someone knocked on the door.
Walking slowly, she opened it to find Gabriel standing there with a shocked expression.
“My dear, you look so pale. Are you alright?”
Julia’s cheeks, as white as a sheet, made it obvious that she was unwell.
Not wanting to cause unnecessary worry, Julia simply nodded.
“I’m fine. I think I just didn’t sleep well.”
She forced a faint smile, but Gabriel was already full of concern.
Reaching out with her wrinkled hand to touch Julia’s forehead, Gabriel gasped.
“You’re burning up!”
Gabriel grabbed her hand and quickly sat her down on the bed.
“Wait here. I’ll fetch the doctor right away.”
Before Julia could say anything, Gabriel hurried out of the room.
Julia blinked slowly, pressing her lips together.
Even if she saw the doctor, nothing would change. Her condition was beyond the help of conventional medicine.
She sat there in a daze for a while, until Gabriel returned with the village doctor.
Julia had met him a few times before. After examining her, the doctor diagnosed her with a fever caused by a cold and prescribed some medicine to reduce the fever and aid in her recovery.
Even though Julia knew the medicine wouldn’t help, she took it dutifully for several weeks at Gabriel’s insistence.
But her condition didn’t improve.
Time passed without any progress, and then suddenly, a well-known physician from out of town visited the convent.
He was a renowned doctor, one whose services were usually reserved for the nobility—meaning he was expensive.
Julia couldn’t hide her surprise as she received the consultation.
“Hm…”
The physician carefully checked Julia’s pulse before slowly withdrawing his hand.
Then, in a polite tone, he began to speak.
“It appears that you have a problem with your heart. The blood flow near your heart is not smooth, causing your body to feel cold, while heat rises to your head. You must also feel occasional chest pains.”
Julia’s eyes widened in surprise at the accuracy of his diagnosis.
The village doctor had dismissed her condition as a simple fever just weeks earlier.
“I will prescribe medicine for your heart condition. Additionally, I’ll give you a temporary stabilizer to help with blood circulation. Take it when you feel chest pains, and you’ll feel much better.”
Still in a daze, Julia nodded.
The physician also provided a basket full of herbs to boost her energy and calm her nerves.
“If you drink tea made from these herbs, it will help restore your strength.”
“Thank you so much.”
With that, the physician bowed politely and left the room.
After he left, Julia turned to Gabriel and asked.
“Gabriel, how did he come to see me?”
Doctors like him rarely made house calls, even for a price.
Gabriel smiled gently and replied.
“A devout believer introduced him to us, saying he was a famous and skilled doctor.”
“…Did such a person come here so easily?”
“Yes. I was planning to take you to see him, but he offered to visit you instead. Either way, it’s fortunate. Now, let’s have some food so you can take your medicine.”
Still feeling puzzled, Julia nodded.
The physician had accurately diagnosed her symptoms, so she was certain he was skilled.
However, she didn’t know if the medicine would be effective.
After eating, Julia took the medicine and drank the herbal tea that Gabriel had brewed for her.
Being cared for like this made her feel like a child again.
For the past few days, Julia hadn’t been able to get much rest. Her body ached and she often felt chills that kept her from sleeping soundly.
But tonight, she felt much more comfortable. Perhaps it was the medicine.
For the first time in a long while, Julia slowly drifted off to sleep.
After taking the prescribed medicine for a few days, Julia noticed that it was effective in alleviating her visible symptoms.
The fever and rapid heartbeat that had been troubling her disappeared, and her sleep improved.
It seemed as though her condition was improving bit by bit. Even the doctor who visited periodically said so.
Ironically, though, her divine power remained as unstable as ever.
“Cedric.”
One evening, while walking alongside Cedric, Julia spoke up.
They were taking their usual evening stroll.
“What is it?”
Cedric asked kindly, looking down at her. Julia lowered her gaze.
“How much of my divine power do I have left?”
Her quiet, calm question made Cedric freeze for a moment, his face turning serious.
He looked taken aback, as he had never told Julia the specifics of her condition.
But it seemed she already knew that her divine power was slowly fading.
“I’ve been able to feel it for a while now. The divine power in my heart is gradually leaking away.”
Julia explained softly as she looked up at him. Cedric, hiding his surprise, nodded.
“…I see. It’s your body, so it makes sense that you’d feel it.”
Cedric sighed and continued.
“I can’t sense your divine power, but Lord Matheus can. After all, he is the original owner of that power.”
Since they had returned from the temple in Ilion months ago, there had been no word from Matheus.
Cedric, too, didn’t know exactly what condition Julia was in.
“For now, the best treatment is for you to refrain from using your divine power.”
Though the power would still gradually fade away, as long as she didn’t use it in large amounts, her body wouldn’t deteriorate rapidly.
Cedric spoke with his usual kindness, though his voice was a bit heavy.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be alright. You are loved by the gods.”
Julia forced a small smile.
“Yes, I believe I will be alright, too.”
To say she wasn’t anxious would be a lie. But she didn’t want to disrupt the peace she had finally found.
She was finally beginning to understand happiness. Every day felt precious to her.
She didn’t want to waste those precious moments with meaningless fears, wondering when she might collapse again or if she wouldn’t wake up the next time.
Being sick wouldn’t change anything. All she had to do was continue living her peaceful life as always.
“…Yes.”
Julia took a deep breath. Then, turning to Cedric, she smiled faintly as if to reassure him—and herself—that everything would truly be alright.
