Episode 33

I couldn’t help but tremble as I spoke, remembering the debacle caused by myself and the retainers.

“Oh, no, it’s fine.”

Selena said quickly.

“Yes, we managed to get two hours of sleep.”

Renée added, trying to smile but failing as her dry lips barely moved. Selena nudged her arm, making her realize her mistake, and she quickly lowered her head.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to hold back.”

I reassured them, noticing Renée glancing nervously at Selena.

“Renée, could you bring me a glass of honey water?” I requested.

“Yes, right away!”

Renée hurried out of the room. I massaged my temples, feeling as though my head was about to split open.

The myth of Athena being born from Zeus’s skull came to mind. When his skull split open, did Zeus feel this kind of pain? I could empathize with Zeus’s agony.

“Your Grace, are you alright?”

Selena asked with concern.

I nodded, though in truth, I wasn’t alright at all. But I couldn’t let those who had suffered because of me see any more of my disgrace.

“Selena, what happened last night?”

“…You don’t remember?”

Her question sent a shiver down my spine.

“You don’t remember” was one of the questions I feared most.

“No, I don’t…”

“Oh…”

A heavy, awkward silence fell. I finally broke it.

“Selena, I’m fine. So, please, tell me everything that happened last night.”

“But…”

“I’m really fine. At least I need to know what happened in my own home.”

I spoke with a determination that seemed to convince her. Reluctantly, she began.

“…How much do you remember?”

“I remember Sir Creedman collapsing into his plate…”

“Then, do you remember tapping your glass with a fork and singing?”

“…What?”

“It seems you don’t remember that part,”

Selena said, brushing her now pale cheeks. Her words echoed in my ears.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Not a xylophone, but tapping on a glass and singing? Me?

“After Sir Creedman fell into his plate… For some reason, you seemed very cheerful, Your Grace.”

“…”

“At first, Viscount Idneus started singing, and you tapped along with your glass.”

“…”

“When the Viscount finished his turn, you…”

“What did I do?”

“You sang alone for about thirty minutes.”

“…”

“I don’t remember the exact lyrics, but something like, ‘Love is for everyone,’ ‘Act two of life starts now,’ and ‘Curl up in my heart…’ Viscount Idneus seemed to enjoy it very much.”

Oh, I really outdid myself this time.

“And then the others, who had sobered up, joined in.”

People who were already drunk kept drinking until they sobered up?

“Then you handed a spoon to His Grace, who couldn’t stand up, and sang together, arm in arm.”

“Who did?”

“…”

“Me?”

“…Yes.”

I collapsed onto the bed like a tragic heroine. It wasn’t enough to make a fool of myself in front of the retainers; I had to drag Apollion into it too.

“I didn’t vomit on the floor or anything, right?”

“No, but you kept stumbling and falling. The servants tried to help, but you insisted you weren’t drunk and could walk on your own.”

Insisting I wasn’t drunk was one of the behaviors I hated the most in a drunken state. And yet, I had been the epitome of that behavior.

“So, in the end, His Grace had to support you to the bedroom.”

“…Apollion did?”

I widened my eyes at the unexpected mention of his name. Why would he bother? Was it because I was his wife? Was he planning something?

“Of course, he nearly tripped several times and almost fell down the stairs,” Selena added, cutting off my suspicious thoughts.

So much for making it to the bedroom. We almost ended up on a direct path to the afterlife.

“…Nothing else happened?”

“No, after you reached the bedroom, the maids helped you change and wash. That was around ten in the evening.”

“I drank until then?”

“The retainers didn’t leave until nearly eleven,” Selena said with a bitter smile. It was clear the servants had a tough time cleaning up after us.

Unsure of what to say, I just opened and closed my mouth a few times. Just then, Renée returned with a tray carrying a steaming cup.

“Your Grace, I brought your honey water!”

“Thank you.”

Taking the cup from Renée, I blew on the honey water and sipped it. The warm liquid soothed my upset stomach slightly.

“Ah…”

I couldn’t help but let out a sigh as the warmth spread through my body. The tension in my body began to ease.

As the stiffness left my muscles, I became aware of the pain I hadn’t noticed before.

I lifted the hem of my nightgown to inspect my legs. My knees and shins were covered in dark bruises.

That wasn’t all. My elbows had deep bruises, and my arms bore red scrapes as if they’d been rubbed against something rough.

“That’s from all the falling you did last night…”

Renée commented on my bruises, which looked like they had been painted on with watercolor.

No wonder those injuries felt familiar; they were the kind of bruises one often found after a night of heavy drinking.

“Should we call the doctor?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I replied, glancing over my injuries.

Bruises would heal on their own over time, and the scrapes would heal quickly with some ointment. There was no need to make a fuss by calling the doctor.

More importantly, I wasn’t ready to face the doctor.

Unless I had fallen down a mountain, a noblewoman should not have these kinds of injuries. The doctor would surely ask how I got hurt, and I would have to admit that I fell while drunk.

This wasn’t a one-time meeting; the family doctor was someone I’d have to see regularly. I couldn’t bear to show such a disgraceful side to him.

“It really does look painful,” Selena said.

“Especially those bruises on your elbows… people will be shocked,” Renée added.

“It’s fine. This much is nothing,” I said, placing the empty teacup back on the tray and standing up.

The sudden movement caused the honey water in my stomach to churn violently, making me feel nauseous.

“Ugh…”

I clamped a hand over my mouth and leaned against the wall. Just when I thought my stomach was settling, it churned again.

“Are you alright?” Renée asked, supporting me as I wobbled. Selena quickly ran to the bathroom and brought back a basin.

“If you’re feeling sick, you can vomit here…”

“No, I’m… ugh!” I couldn’t finish my sentence and buried my head in the basin. The sound of retching filled the room as I heaved up the honey water.

While I was busy retching, Selena and Renée gently patted my back.

Afterwards, I wiped my mouth with the handkerchief Renée handed me and slumped to the floor, feeling completely drained.

“Perhaps we should call the doctor after all?”

“Yes, I think that’s for the best…” I agreed, staggering to my feet and making my way to the bathroom.

If nothing else, I needed some medication to deal with this hangover.

 

＊＊＊

 

At that moment, Apollion woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed.

Despite the common belief that drinking until you lose consciousness is harmful, Apollion felt lighter than usual.

“Maybe I handle alcohol well…” he muttered to himself.

That was nonsense.

Apollion usually lived in a constant state of fatigue. He rarely got more than six hours of sleep a night, and his constant tiredness had become so normal that he hardly noticed it anymore.

Last night, he had slept longer than usual because he had been drunk, so naturally, he felt more rested. He hadn’t drunk enough to get a hangover, either.

However, Apollion had little experience with drinking. When he did drink, it was usually just a sip or two. He had never experienced the kind of drunkenness that made you black out.

Having blacked out for the first time, Apollion was surprised at how well he felt.

“Consistent exercise must be good for health,” he mumbled, something that would have made Petunia laugh if she had heard it. He quickly dressed and grabbed his well-maintained sword before heading to the training grounds.

He believed that to fully enjoy good alcohol, one needed the strength to match.

Upon reaching the training grounds, Apollion drank deeply from his water flask. The cool water flowed smoothly down his throat.

He drank unconsciously, not realizing the flask was empty until the last drop fell. Today, the water tasted especially sweet, making him even thirstier.

‘That’s odd,’ he thought, staring at the empty flask. After a light warm-up, he began swinging his sword in earnest.

His swift, light movements cut through the cool morning air. The sound of the blade slicing through the air mingled with the occasional sound of waves, creating a beautiful harmony. Dawn was breaking in the distance.

Apollion spun in place, slashing the air diagonally. Suddenly, a dizziness he had never felt before overwhelmed him.

“Ugh…”

He clutched his forehead, losing his balance. He had to strain his lower abdomen and thighs to steady himself.

“…?”

He paused, deep in thought. This was an unfamiliar sensation. Even as a child learning martial arts, he had never felt this dizzy.

‘What’s going on?’

He frowned, trying to understand. He had felt fine when he woke up.

Shaking off his thoughts, he refocused on his movements.

He bent low, preparing to leap towards a pillar at the edge of the training ground. He planned to run up the pillar and strike down.

Just then, the dizziness returned, now accompanied by nausea.

Apollion stabbed his sword into the ground and landed softly. Though one foot wobbled slightly, only a highly skilled swordsman would have noticed the mistake.

‘Why…’

His brows furrowed under his mask. It had been a long time since he felt this irritated.

After standing still for a while, he sheathed his sword and gathered his belongings. It seemed today’s training was over.

“I’m so thirsty…”

Staring at the empty flask, he quickly gathered his things and left. The sweetness in his mouth suggested that he needed to drink water immediately.