The day after the servants of God came and caused chaos was Laslo’s birthday.
From that day on, he suffered from a high fever for three days and couldn’t regain consciousness.
Agnes stayed by Laslo’s side every single day.
“Madam, I’ll stay here, so please get some rest.”
“No.”
No matter how much Ney pleaded, it was no use.
Eugene said his recovery is guaranteed, but she couldn’t be relieved until Laslo opened his eyes.
“Then at least change your clothes, okay?”
“Alright.”
Agnes, with trembling legs, returned to the bedroom.
Ney, while taking out clothes from the dressing room, found a box.
“Madam, what’s this box?”
“Box?”
“Yes, a black box. I haven’t seen this before.”
“Oh, that’s for the Duke’s birthday.…”
Tears, which she thought had dried up, suddenly fell onto her hand.
A birthday present.
She suddenly remembered the armor and sword Theo had made.
She realized why it was carefully wrapped and placed there.
“Oh, Madam, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”
“It, it’s a present. I was going to give a present…”
“A present? Ah, for the master?”
Foolishly.
If she had given him this armor sooner, he wouldn’t have suffered this misfortune.
“It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Looking back, Laslo got hurt while trying to protect Agnes.
Agnes was overwhelmed with guilt, unable to lift her head.
She had done nothing for him, but he always risked his life to save her.
Unable to hold back her tears, she cried out loud.
“Madam, please stop crying, okay? You’ve cried so much that your eyes are all swollen.”
“It, hic, it’s because of me. Because of me…”
Those were the only words she could say.
It felt as if a heavy rock was pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
“The master will wake up soon. So, please wait a little longer. Oh, please don’t cry, madam.”
Ney did her best to comfort Agnes, tears forming in the maid’s eyes as well.
After crying for a long time on the bed, Agnes staggered as she got up.
“Where are you going?”
Agnes didn’t answer. She just kept walking.
The servant guarding the door silently opened it for her as she approached.
Agnes walked over to the bed where Laslo lay.
“I’m sorry.”
She grasped Laslo’s hand tightly. The coldness of his hand was even more heartbreaking.
“I’m sorry…”
She couldn’t say anything else.
Agnes stroked his sweat-drenched hair and prayed.
Please let this man wake up safely.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The first person Agnes remembered was neither his father nor his mother or Chavolti .
It was her elder half-sister, Vivian.
– Agnes. Try calling me sister.
– What’s a sister?
– It’s what you call someone pretty and smart like me.
– Then I want to be a sister too!
The two had a significant age difference, and Vivian found her youngest sister very adorable.
After their father collapsed, the atmosphere in the palace became somber, but to Agnes, who was not even ten, it was a distant matter.
She roamed the palace like a little foal, receiving affection and thinking that was all there was to the world.
So when Vivian collapsed in front of her after being poisoned, Agnes belatedly realized.
What does the pattern on the back of their hand mean?
– You must live long, Agnes.
That was all Vivian said before she died.
Crying over her sister’s coffin, Agnes made a promise to herself.
She vowed to survive no matter what.
She resolved to live for Vivian too, no matter what happened.
So, she obediently married into the Arpad duchy and lived as if she were dead.
That alone made her feel good. She lived in relief just with her life attached to her.
– Are you satisfied with this marriage, Princess? Are you happy?
– Is that important?
– It’s important. At least for me.
When Laslo first asked her that, Agnes was puzzled.
She never thought about it, so she didn’t know if it was important.
Her only purpose was to live and just stay alive.
She thought that was all.
But living a new life with him, she slowly began to understand.
What the happiness Laslo spoke of meant.
Why he asked that question.
Now, it’s hard to imagine a life without him.
Enough to be able to say the word “happiness.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
She woke up to the touch of a hand on her cheek.
Agnes, still half-asleep, blinked blankly.
“Are you awake?”
Laslo, lying beside her, asked with a gentle smile.
“Huh?”
Agnes, not fully grasping the situation, half-opened her mouth before suddenly sitting up.
“You’re awake!”
“Yes”
“When?”
“Just now. I woke up and was surprised to see you lying next to me.”
She must have dozed off while nursing him.
“But your face looks quite gaunt.”
As soon as he woke up, Laslo worried about Agnes. His hand brushed lightly across her cheek.
“I …”
“Yes. Tell me.”
She was going to apologize.
That this is all her fault he got hurt like this.
“I’m happy being married to you…”
Tears started to flow. Laslo silently wiped her tears away.
“I’m happy I married the Duke.”
“……….”
“If I die and am born again, I will still marry you.”
Her vision blurred from the tears. Agnes stuttered and wept.
“Me too.”
Looking at her, Laslo’s heart pounded intensely.
“Even if I die and am born again, I will still marry you.”
Laslo couldn’t hold back and pulled Agnes into a strong embrace.
Agnes closed her eyes and hugged him tightly.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The aftermath of Eugene’s battle with the servants of the god was immense.
Various parts of the castle walls were half-destroyed and collapsed. Some places were completely ruined, making it difficult to recognize.
As a result, Laslo had to start working as soon as he regained his strength.
“You said it’ll be fine no matter what attack it gets!”
“That’s… it’s supposed to be normal att….…”
Theo couldn’t lift his head. Agnes glared at him sternly.
“Cast much stronger magic on the walls than before.”
“How strong are you suggesting?”
“Make them strong enough to withstand even dragon magic.”
“W-what? Dragons?”
Theo looked up in shock, but then quickly lowered his head, unable to meet Agnes’s eyes.
“Understood. I’ll gather all the magicians.”
Without his usual grumbling, he nodded and left immediately.
“When is the Duke expected to return?”
“He said he’d come before the sun sets.”
The maid answered politely.
Agnes frowned disapprovingly.
It had only been four days since he woke up.
As Eugene predicted, his body was recovering rapidly, to the point that the castle’s physician was astonished, but to Agnes, Laslo was still a patient.
“Inform me the moment he arrives.”
“Yes Madam.”
Agnes was attending to the remaining tasks when the maid informed her of Laslo’s return. She quickly tidied up and stood up.
“He doesn’t seem ready to be moving around.”
When she went to meet him at the entrance, Laslo approached with a smile.
“I wanted to try on the armor you gave me as soon as possible.”
“Put it on and sleep with it.”
“How can I stay in bed after receiving such magnificent armor?”
He seemed quite pleased with the armor and sword Agnes had given him. He kept drawing and sheathing the sword repeatedly.
“Oh, master, I have something to report,”
“What is it?”
“Hmm.”
While Laslo was talking to other knights, Zoltan quietly stood next to Agnes.
“When did you prepare the sword for my brother?”
“Well, I originally had it made by a magician a month ago to give it to the Duke for his birthday.”
“I was born in the summer, too.”
Agnes didn’t understand his point and asked,
“So?”
“Ahem. I mean, I was born during a very hot summer.”
“Congratulations?”
Zoltan’s shoulders slumped at the unenthusiastic congratulations. He kept looking back and forth between Laslo and Agnes.
“Oh!”
She finally realized what he meant.
“Would you like one too…?”
“Yes.”
The answer was so fast that she burst out laughing. Zoltan nodded with a very serious expression.
“Do you know how much my brother was bragging earlier?”
“Did he?”
“Yes. He boasted so much about the enchanted armor and sword that my ears were ringing.”
Zoltan grumbled, but his eyes were filled with envy as he glanced at Laslo.
“Don’t worry too much.”
“Hmm?”
“About my brother. Because he’s very strong. After being injured, he seems even stronger now.”
“That’s a relief.”
Agnes felt a bit reassured by Zoltan’s words.
Having finished his conversation with the knights, Laslo approached Agnes.
“How about the three of us have dinner together for the first time in a while?”
“That sounds good,”
Zoltan agreed readily.
Agnes walked between the brothers as they headed to the dining room.
“But why hasn’t the Princess grown taller?” Zoltan asked suddenly.
“Ahem. Zoltan,”
“No, really. It’s been a year since you came here, and you’re still the same height?”
”Zoltan.”
Laslo waved his hand, trying to dissuade his younger brother. Agnes’s face hardened.
