~Chapter 43~
“What’s going on?”
“The princess seems strange.”
“What?”
“She’s so hot, we can’t even touch her.”
I quickly turned and ran into the room where Isabel was staying.
“Y-Your Highness the Duchess…”
The maid was holding her burned hand.
I quickly sent her to the physician.
“She seemed fine just a while ago.”
“Yes, then she suddenly started groaning, so I checked her body…”
At Ana’s words, I looked at Isabel, still asleep.
‘Has the price begun?’
I carefully reached out and placed my hand on Isabel’s forehead.
“Ugh.”
Even I couldn’t keep my hand there—it was burning hot.
“Your Highness!”
Lien quickly ran out of the room and returned with an ice pack.
She wrapped my hand with it to cool it down.
“I-I’ll bring water and towels to lower the fever right away.”
Ana left the room, and I pulled back the blanket covering Isabel.
Looking closely, I saw her body was shaking slightly.
But her expression was peaceful, almost like a dead person’s.
‘She’s too calm.’
They said she was groaning earlier, but now there was no sound at all.
Her body was so hot, we couldn’t touch her.
Soon, the maids returned with towels and a silver basin to help lower the fever.
They removed some of her clothes to make her more comfortable.
“It’s hard to move her body, so try not to touch her directly. If she gets burned, it’ll be a problem.”
“Please don’t worry, and go rest. Your Highness needs to take care of yourself!”
I wanted to stay and help, but the maids insisted, and I was eventually forced to leave.
“Eeeing.” (Looks like the price is starting.)
“When did you come back?”
“Woowoo! Woof!” (It got noisy, so I just came to check.)
“She’s so hot you can’t even touch her. Her expression is calm, and she looks like a doll just breathing.”
“Woof! Woof, wooooof!” (No idea how long it’ll last, but it won’t be easy. Who told her to use her power so recklessly?)
Zeno snorted and wagged his tail.
“She’s too hot for it to be just sleep. Is this really okay?”
“Woof, woooorf. Woof.” (She looks calm, but who knows what’s happening in her dreams? Her power inside might be going out of control.)
“…That’s not good.”
“Woof!” (Worried because she’s family?)
“If her power’s going out of control, doesn’t that mean Father would feel it too?”
“…”
Chilly silence.
This wasn’t going in a good direction.
Zeno and I looked toward Isabel’s room at the same time.
“Is there anything we can do?”
“Grrrr.” (How can I stop an outburst? I’m not her contractor.)
“If we leave her like this, Father will come straight to the Duke’s mansion.”
Then I remembered something I had forgotten.
“I think I can stop it.”
“Woof?” (…You? I don’t remember giving you that kind of power.)
“Listen. Humans are still animals, right? I have the power to heal animals, so maybe I can help Isabel too.”
The reason I said this was because I had the same thought when I helped the Grand Duke, who was caught in the monster trap.
And he was completely healed.
Zeno seemed hesitant, but I couldn’t just sit around.
I turned back and entered Isabel’s room again.
“Your Highness?”
Ana and the maids looked surprised to see me.
I walked to the bed and looked down at Isabel, taking a deep breath.
I carefully reached out and placed my hand on her forehead—it felt like my hand was burning.
“Ugh!”
I bit my lip hard, and then placed my other hand on her body.
Suddenly, my vision blurred.
My body swayed and almost fell over, but someone caught me.
“Claire.”
A slightly angry voice made me flinch.
I turned my head and saw blue eyes glaring.
“…If Father finds out, it’ll be trouble.”
“Even so, you shouldn’t let yourself get hurt like this!”
Cedric ran his hand through his hair, trying to hold back his anger.
Even as he spoke, I didn’t remove my hands from Isabel.
Despite the extreme pain, I held on, refusing to let go.
Cedric couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed my wrist.
“It’s okay. I can heal myself, so just a bit more…”
I could feel her fever slowly dropping.
But Cedric pulled my hand away from Isabel.
“Ah…”
“Your Highness! Her fever’s going down!”
I felt relieved at Ana’s words, but then the pain in my palm hit me hard.
“U-um, Your Grace…?”
Cedric’s face turned cold when he saw the terrible burns on my hand.
Then, without a word, he suddenly lifted me into his arms.
“Forget everything you saw here today.”
“We understand.”
Here is the accurate and simple English translation:
“Stay by Princess Isabel’s side and report to me immediately if anything happens.”
Without waiting for a reply, Cedric left the room. He carried me in his arms and went somewhere.
“Woowoooo.” (Wait, did you actually do it?)
Zeno followed behind, his voice full of suspicion.
I shrugged and showed him my palm.
“Woof?” (But why is your hand like that…?)
“If you’re going to follow, do it quietly.”
Cedric glanced behind and said sharply to Zeno. There was anger in his voice, and my mouth went dry.
‘He’s angry. Definitely angry.’
“Woooorl.” (It’s understandable. You tend to treat your body carelessly.)
‘Hey, you’re supposed to take my side!’
Zeno suddenly stopped walking and turned his back on me. I called out to him in disbelief, but he didn’t look back.
“Madam, moving like that will hurt you.”
“…Duke, are you very angry?”
“I’m not angry.”
He was definitely angry. His face and voice clearly showed it.
“I’m really okay. I can heal the burn myself.”
That was a lie. My ability only works on others, not on myself. When Father slapped me, I couldn’t even reduce the swelling.
‘Well, I’m not a trained healer, so it makes sense.’
This was the first time my power had truly worked as healing, so I didn’t have much information. Even the original story didn’t go into detail.
I was still learning about it myself.
“Duchess! Are you alright?”
“Bahala. I’m okay. It’s just a minor burn.”
The butler shook his head and quickly went to call a doctor. The Duke brought me into a room, sat me on a soft couch, and started checking my hand.
“The wound is deeper than I thought. But the North has many herbs, so it shouldn’t take long to heal.”
“The North really has everything, huh?”
I gave a small smile. My palm still felt hot from the burn, but it didn’t hurt as much anymore.
“I really am fine now.”
“Please don’t do anything dangerous again. You need to rest.”
Cedric let out a deep sigh. When there was a knock at the door, I looked toward it with a face that said I’d been saved.
“Come in!”
Hurry up and come in. I can’t stand this kind of tense atmosphere.
Bahala came in with the doctor. I quietly held out my hand for treatment.
‘Ouch… but I can’t show it.’
If I made a fuss, Cedric’s blue eyes would turn toward me. Just imagining those piercing eyes made me shiver.
“Duchess, please bear with it for a bit. It’ll feel better once we apply the herbs.”
Healing priests did exist on the continent, but they needed royal permission to be called.
“Since we can’t summon a healing priest, you must do nothing for at least a week.”
“A whole week…?”
How am I supposed to do nothing for a week? I already felt restless.
“Madam, you heard the doctor. Please rest for now.”
Even though calling a healing priest required permission, there was always a way to find someone unofficial.
“If I recover quickly, then it’s okay, right?”
“…”
A strange glint appeared in Cedric’s blue eyes. He looked like he already knew what I was planning, and I turned my head away awkwardly.
‘I’m sure there’s a healing priest in the North.’
Whenever someone with talent or special ability appeared in the North, my father would snatch them up.
He couldn’t stand Cedric having anyone better than him. My father tried to take everything from Cedric.
Until Isabel became Cedric’s wife, Father tried to steal and corner him in every way.
So Cedric must’ve struggled to fully care for Claire. But when Isabel seduced him and kept him by her side, things changed.
She welcomed Cedric with the kindest face of all. Just because she became his wife.
The problem now was how to call for someone quietly. What should I do?
Keeping secrets between husband and wife only creates more misunderstandings. Sometimes, it’s better to be honest.
“Duke, I have a favor to ask.”
“If it’s your request, I’ll do anything.”
“Then please find someone for me.”
“A person?”
I nodded. From now on, I had to protect the things my father was trying to take.
Her name… Serena, Serena…
“Serena Adel. She has silver hair. She’s someone I really need right now.”
“You seem to need a lot of people, my lady.”
His voice was a bit flat, and I blinked. He looked oddly upset, and I reached out and grabbed the edge of his clothes.
