The first thing I noticed as the door opened was the scent of medicinal herbs filling the room. Despite being a large room, the air was stuffy, as if the door had been closed for a long time.
“Phew. It really feels like a patient’s room.”
Nile murmured, looking around the room.
A large bed was placed on the opposite side of the window, and in the very center, a person lay as if dead. Drushia’s face, pale to the point of being grayish, didn’t feel like that of a living person.
In that moment, Ashika even forgot to breathe.
Even though she had heard about the situation countless times, actually facing the unconscious Drushia in front of her, she felt as if the ground beneath her feet was sinking away.
‘A patient.’
That this man would show such a powerless figure. Wasn’t he the man who always relentlessly drove me and seemed as solid as if he would never collapse?
“The Duke is handsome, but let’s postpone admiring his face for later, my lady.”
Ashika suppressed her rising emotions and nodded. The medicine bottles she carefully took out from her bosom were three.
“You said I have to administer them in the order they’re marked, right?”
“Yes. The first medicine is for when he’s unconscious, the second medicine immediately after he wakes up, and the last medicine before a day passes. But will he be able to take the medicine in that state?”
Ashika held the first medicine bottle and approached the bedside. Her hand, hesitating about what to do, pressed against Drushia’s lips to slightly part them.
‘His body is so cold.’
A chill ran down her spine at the cold temperature that touched her hand. Despite the shivers, she carefully placed the medicine bottle against his lips and tilted it.
“My lady, if you just pour it in like that, the medicine might block his airway and he’ll suffocate.”
At those words, Ashika stopped. Having never handled a patient before, she had no idea how to do it. The same went for Nile.
“I’ll hold him, so please administer the medicine, my lady.”
Nile sighed and approached the bedside. However, Ashika’s actions were faster. Without a moment’s hesitation, she poured the medicine into her own mouth.
The taste was so bitter that it felt like her tongue was paralyzed, and Ashika’s face contorted.
“Ah, my lady?”
Ashika cradled Drushia’s head in one arm, lifted him up, and tilted his head. Feeling his cold lips touch hers, she created an opening with her tongue. The medicine she held in her mouth slowly flowed into Drushia’s mouth.
“Ah, you’re really impossible.”
Nile turned away with a flustered expression. Whether Nile was surprised or not, Ashika focused on what she had to do. It took a considerable amount of time just to make him swallow a single mouthful of medicine without spilling any.
After finally administering all the medicine, Ashika released Drushia from her arms.
Watching Ashika exhale a long breath, Nile frowned.
“Did you even ask if it’s okay for someone else to take that medicine? What if something goes wrong?”
“Then, will Nile do it instead of me?”
“Ew!”
“See? That’s what I thought.”
Nile stepped back in disgust. Looking at Drushia, who was still lying as if dead, Ashika wiped the wet corners of her mouth with her fingertip.
Just then.
There was a loud crash from downstairs. Nile stopped abruptly and looked around.
“Oh, really. Nothing’s going my way.”
“What’s that noise?”
“It would be troublesome if someone came into the room right now, right? Sorry about this.”
Nile suddenly grabbed Ashika’s hand and pushed her shoulder down to make her sit on the floor.
“Get down on the floor.”
“Wait a minute. Are you telling me to go under the bed?”
At the end of her gaze, there was a narrow space, barely a handbreadth high.
“We can’t leave right now, and we can’t get caught. You’re slim, my lady, so you’ll fit. Hurry up and get in.”
Nile pushed the bewildered Ashika all the way to the edge of the floor and shoved her under the bed. The room was so clean that there was almost no dust on the floor or under the bed.
“What about Nile?”
“I’ll take care of myself. Just don’t get caught, my lady.”
Nile pushed Ashika in deep and then tidied up the sheets so she wouldn’t be visible. Just as Nile was about to get up, Ashika reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Don’t get hurt.”
Instead of telling him not to get caught, she tells him not to get hurt. Feeling the worry contained in those words, he smiled gently.
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any problems as long as you don’t cause me any trouble, my lady.”
His voice was filled with laughter. Nile answered like that and then hurriedly left the room. He disappeared somewhere in an instant, without even the sound of footsteps.
The silence in the room didn’t last long. The moment the door opened, Ashika held her breath. She thought it might be a knight, but the bare white feet weren’t a man’s. The rustling sound of fabric could be heard in the quiet room.
‘Who is it?’
The person who approached barefoot stopped beside the bed.
“Haa, Dru.”
It was a woman’s voice. As far as Ashika knew, there was only one person who called Drushia by that nickname.
‘Lady Maiheller.’
Her heart was pounding violently. The man’s fiancée whom Ashika was trying to save. What had she done? It was a shameful sin that made her want to bite her tongue.
‘If I just save this man and disappear quietly…’
He has a fiancée, so he probably doesn’t want any trouble to escalate. If Ashika quietly covers it up and steps back, that should be the end of it.
Even though she was determined, her heart still ached.
“You’re such an iron wall. But I was still grateful for this.”
‘What does she mean?’
Come to think of it… the mansion is in chaos, how did she even get here?
She had no idea what Shafri was doing while she was in hiding.
Shafri didn’t stay long. Just like when she first came, she left the room with cautious steps and closed the door silently.
After Shafri left, Ashika came out from under the bed. Anxious, she checked on Drushia, but there was nothing unusual.
“What did she do?”
Why did Lady Maiheller come so quietly at this hour?
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t shake off the strange feeling.
Could it be that she came all this way because she was worried about her fiancé? But if that were the reason, she wouldn’t have left in such a hurry.
“And what’s with that ‘grateful’?”
Was there something between Talion and Maiheller that she didn’t know about? Ashika looked down at Drushia and imagined countless possibilities.
“Ah, his face color…”
Drushia’s face, which had been as gray as a corpse, was regaining its color. Ashika reached out and carefully stroked his face.
“He’s getting warm. Thank goodness.”
The medicine is working.
She had believed it would work when she administered it, but she was also worried about what if the medicine didn’t work, what if he never woke up.
“Rushia.”
Her slender fingers brushed back the disheveled short blond hair. The texture of the hair caught in her hand felt softer than silk.
“Wake up. It scares me to see you like this.”
Afraid that the dream might become reality. Her quiet, whispering voice was filled with sorrow.
Ashika herself didn’t know why she felt this way. She just thought that she wanted this man to open his eyes quickly, that she wished him to be alive and well like before, even if he hated her.
The time she quietly spent gazing at his face didn’t last long. Hurried footsteps were approaching from outside.
“Why is the third floor empty! Are you out of your mind? What happened to the Duke!”
“The front entrance was blocked.”
“How come there isn’t a single servant or maid in sight!”
The rough, shouting voice was definitely someone she knew.
“Aegonite.”
Should she hide under the bed again? While she was hesitating with that thought, Drushia groaned.
“Rushia?”
Drushia was waking up. The second medicine was supposed to be given when he woke up. If she hid now, she didn’t know when she would get another chance. Ashika looked back and forth between the closed door and Drushia.
There was no time to hesitate. Ashika took the second bottle from her bosom and poured the medicine into her mouth. She couldn’t escape like this anyway. Even if she hid, she would be discovered before long.
‘Even if I get caught, I have to give him the medicine.’
Ashika grabbed Drushia’s face with both hands and kissed him.
“Hmph…Ugh.”
Half-conscious, Drushia swallowed the medicine that entered his mouth. The tongue that penetrated along with the medicine felt warm and familiar, and he briefly wanted to hold on to it. However, the soft and warm lips quickly parted.
The door burst open, and knights rushed into the room.
“Who are you!”
As she raised her head, Ashika came face to face with Aegonite, who had entered first.
“Lady Igraine?”
Aegonite and the knights were bewildered to find Ashika.
“Why is Lady Igraine here… what are you doing right now!”
Outside the door, assassins and Talion’s knights were sprawled on the ground. Yet, the person in the room was the weaponless Lady Igraine of the Igraine family. The seemingly defenseless woman was beside Drushia.
Aegonite’s expression turned cold.
“Step away from the Duke.”
“Why? Do you think I would do something?”
“If you don’t comply with my order, I cannot guarantee what I will do.”
Despite Aegonite’s threatening attitude, Ashika didn’t move an inch.
Is the medicine working properly?
While glaring at Aegonite, Ashika’s thoughts were entirely focused on Drushia.
“Are you going to beat me down or something?”
“If necessary. No matter what Lady Igraine’s status is, it’s not more important than the Duke’s safety. So please step aside.”
When Ashika showed no sign of moving, Aegonite took a step forward.
‘There’s still the third medicine left.’
When else would she get a chance? Even while she was worrying, Aegonite was getting closer and closer to Ashika.
No matter how big the knights were, Ashika had never been afraid. Because they were knights, she knew they couldn’t recklessly harm a powerless lady.
But the situation was different now. He was approaching Ashika, ready to swing his sword at any moment, exuding a murderous aura.
‘How do I administer the last medicine?’
Her mind was filled with only that thought, and she anxiously bit her lip. But she couldn’t fight against the commander of Talion’s knights.
Just as she was about to step back,
A large hand slowly reached out and grabbed Ashika’s wrist.
“Duke!”
Aegonite was the first to notice the change. It was none other than Drushia’s hand that had grabbed Ashika’s wrist.
Oh my so exciting!