The Hated Empress Tames the Tyrant

The question was directed at Hills, but the one who became nervous was Arundel.

She didn’t know what nonsense this demon, who seemed to have a screw loose, would spout.

She only hoped that he wouldn’t startle Mary with creepy talk about stealing human souls or ripping out hearts.

“I am…just an ordinary merchant.”

Contrary to her worries, a perfectly normal answer flowed from Hills’ mouth.

“How about Mary?”

Arundel asked. Usually, when people ask others about this, they often want to talk about themselves.

Mary, who seemed to have a deep story, rarely started talking about herself first, but she thought that this might be a signal.

Someone wants to be asked.

“I am…”

Mary trailed off. Worried that she might have misread the situation, Arundel quickly extended her hand.

“Ah, you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to.”

“No… I want to talk. It’s the first time I’ve been so close to someone since I hastily left the Croyden Empire…”

The tension was palpable at the sound of Mary swallowing.

“As I told you before…I’m being chased. By my husband…”

“How did…”

“Someone who coveted my husband’s position framed me. They said I tried to kill my husband.”

Mary clenched her robe tightly.

“My furious husband didn’t even try to listen to me… When was it that he whispered that he loved me, that there was no one but me…”

Her knuckles turned white. Mary’s suppressed emotions were palpable.

“So, I…ended up running away like this… strictly speaking, not alone…”

As expected, it was a life as complicated as he had thought. Arundel let out a deep breath. She didn’t know what words would comfort her.

“You’ve had a hard time.”

Arundel comforted Mary by patting her back. Hills blinked slowly, seemingly unimpressed.

“To be honest, I’m scared. I’ve never worked before, how am I supposed to live in a foreign country…”

“…Mary.”

“But I endured thinking about the baby in my belly. I have to give it a chance to see the world. But now, even that seems like a wrong thought.”

Mary’s voice trembled. Arundel felt Mary’s emotions that she had suppressed for a long time, and her nose tingled.

“Even if it comes into the world, the baby won’t be happy… I’m being chased, and I’m not even sure about my livelihood…”

“Don’t jump to conclusions, Mary. No one can predict whether the baby will be happy or unhappy in the future.”

Whether Arundel’s comfort worked, Mary’s small tremor gradually subsided.

“Thank you…just talking makes me feel a little relieved.”

“Then I’m glad.”

Arundel smiled affectionately.

“When my baby is born, I hope it meets someone as good as Arundel…”

“If fate allows, we will meet.”

The wind brushed past Arundel and went by. The wind, salty, felt warm today, and her mood was good.

****

She leaned against the railing and blocked the wind with her hand above her eyes. Her vision was caught between the pouring winds. She could see the shape of an island in the distance.

“We’ll be arriving soon!”

Arundel said in an excited voice. But neither Hills nor Mary looked happy.

Hills didn’t care much, but Mary was different. Mary must have been uncomfortable on the ship, but she didn’t seem to welcome the land.

“Mary, let’s rest on land for at least two days.”

‘I’ll be leaving.’

Arundel swallowed the rest of her words and smiled brightly. But no answer came.

“Mary?”

Something was wrong with Mary.

She was biting her lips hard, and the bitten lips were torn and bleeding.

“What’s wrong, Mary!”

Arundel grabbed Mary’s shoulders. Mary was breathing heavily.

Arundel, who judged that it was not good, flipped Mary’s hood. Mary’s face was fully exposed, and sweat was beading on her forehead.

“Mary, Mary!”

“…I…my body…”

Mary’s shoulders sagged. Then, as if she couldn’t stand it, she sat down and curled up.

Arundel also sat down. She forced eye contact with Mary and examined her pupils.

She seemed to be in pain, but she was still conscious.

“Mary, when did this start?”

“…In the morning…a little…it hurt… but suddenly…”

Mary spoke with difficulty.

Mary looked fine just yesterday. She ate well and talked well.

But suddenly…

Arundel, calming her confused mind, spoke to Hills.

“Hills, move Mary to the cabin…!”

Hills nodded. And he swiftly lifted Mary and moved her to the cabin.

Fortunately, the cabin was empty. It was a long time since they had landed, so most of them had disembarked.

She wanted to lay her down in a warmer place, but all she had on this shabby ship was a blanket.

For now, she hurriedly piled up several layers of blankets and laid Mary on top.

“Mary, is there a particularly painful place?”

Mary couldn’t speak properly because of the pain. Her closed eyes were trembling.

“I need to know where it hurts to help you!”

Arundel urged Mary again.

She was thinking of using divine power. She had to know where the source of the pain was to increase the effect of divine power. Spreading it all over the body was inefficient.

“…I… don’t know…just… it’s hard to breathe…”

Mary barely answered. Arundel thought quickly.

Usually, when breathing is strange, there are often problems with the lungs or heart. It’s not an accurate prediction, but there’s no time right now.

Arundel’s hand went towards the lungs. The divine power emitted a white light and gushed out. After letting it flow enough, she took her hand off.

“It doesn’t seem to be the lungs.”

Hills said. Unlike Arundel, who couldn’t hide her confusion, Hills looked calm, if not indifferent.

“Try the heart.”

Hills seemed to have made a similar prediction. Arundel placed her hand near Mary’s heart and poured out her divine power again.

‘Please.’

She had spent only a week with Mary, but she had grown quite fond of her.

She was an ordinary person, not talkative and not clingy. Most of the conversations they had over the week were not memorable.

Her complicated story did not make her special. She had met many people with more tragic stories, though it was regrettable.

But what drew her so much to her?

Arundel thought suddenly.

Empty eyes. When the two of them were together, she would flip her hood and show her face.

Every time she saw her, she was amazed by her features, but before her beautiful appearance, her empty eyes came first.

As Arundel was reminiscing about the past, she stared at Mary at the sound of a cough.

Mary blinked weakly.

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

“…Yes…”

The dying voice earlier had changed to a slightly revived voice. It seemed that the divine power had an effect.

“…I’m weak… My heart… seems to be beating fast…”

“We’ll be on land soon. We’ll find a doctor as soon as we get there.”

Saying that, Arundel tightly held Mary’s hand. Mary, though her face was pale, smiled faintly.

“Thank you…”

How much time had passed, the ship rocked back and forth and docked.

As soon as the path to the land opened, Arundel’s steps quickened. Hills carried Mary on his back and followed Arundel.

They found a medical center by asking people.

Mary lay weakly on the bed in the medical center. Her slumped figure looked just like a corpse, and Arundel was anxious.

“How is she?”

An elderly-looking doctor examined Mary back and forth.

“Her pulse is beating too fast. Judging by the symptoms, it seems like a type of heart disease.”

“Heart disease…?”

“If she had been born with heart disease, she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant…”

The doctor, with his eyes narrowed, looked down at Mary’s face and spoke.

“If it’s an acquired factor, it’s usually due to a sudden shock, excessive work, and severe stress.”

“So what happens to Mary…?”

Arundel bit her lip and asked.

“In the current situation, surgery is not possible. If you rashly anesthetize a heart disease patient, there’s a high chance they won’t wake up… For now, we have no choice but to watch the progress.”

Mary looked a bit more comfortable than before. Arundel had a lot of questions she wanted to ask right away, but since she seemed to be asleep now, she decided to ask when she woke up.

Arundel quietly closed the door of the ward and came out. Hills was sitting there. Hills, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, quietly spat out words.

“I’m used to the faces of dying people.”

“…..”

“That woman, she’s going to die soon.”

His tone was extremely calm. The emotionless words felt like an undeniable fact.

Thus she was more angry.

“Are you God? Do you know everything about the future? Why do you talk like that? She’s still alive!”

“Why are you so obsessed with that woman?”

Hills looked up at Arundel and spoke. Arundel couldn’t say anything for a moment.

“You’re not seeing a dying person for the first time, are you? Are you doing this because you feel sorry for her? You, Arundel, must have met more of them.”

His tone was calm, but the content was sharp like a well-honed blade. Or maybe Arundel herself felt that way.

“I’m not saying anything. I’m just curious.”

“…..”

“Do you really think that woman can live?”

Arundel bit her lip for no reason and turned around. Her mind was already disturbed, and she was more confused because of the demon.

She didn’t want to be with Hills, so she moved her steps.

As she was about to leave the medical center, Hills’ voice came from behind.

“There’s not nothing. There’s a way to save that woman.”

Arundel ignored him and opened the door and slammed it shut with a bang.

Standing outside, looking at the endless horizon, the sound of the waves crashing echoed in Arundel’s ears.

‘A way to save her?’

Soon the sound of the waves subsided, and it seemed like the words he had said were echoing in her ears.

With her ears turning red from the sea breeze, Arundel turned her steps and returned to the medical center.

When she opened the door and entered, Mary was quietly lying on the bed with her eyes closed.

Arundel looked down at Mary’s pale face. As Hills had said, she looked like she’s near death’s door.

She had only bought time with divine power, she would soon face death.

“…Arundel…?”

Then Mary opened her eyes.

“Where…is this?”

“It’s a hospital room.”

“I see… what did the doctor say…?”

At Mary’s question, Arundel only slowly moved her eyes.

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“…They said it’s heart disease.”

At that, Mary gave a bitter laugh.

“No wonder…I thought my heart has been acting up lately… since I left home… but this is the first time I’ve had such severe pain…”

Mary clutched the edge of the blanket.

“Am I… going to die…?”

Her desolate golden eyes were directed at Arundel. Arundel slowly exhaled and answered.

“…The probability is high.”

“I see.”

Her eyelashes trembled, causing ripples. Soon, Mary’s brilliant golden eyes were filled with tears.

“Even though I decided to live by any means and even boarded a smuggling ship… this is the end I’m facing…!”

Mary pulled her legs together and buried her face.

“I don’t care…! When I left home, I gave up my status, my name… everything…! But my baby…sob…”

Mary’s back shook.

“I wish…my baby could live…”

Arundel knew that she couldn’t comfort her with any words. She just silently watched her.

After crying herself out, Mary fell asleep as if she had fainted. Arundel quietly left the hospital room again. Hills was nowhere to be seen.

When she came out, it was already evening.

While it was nice to leave the sea and come to land, she was also a bit gloomy at the thought of parting with Mary.

Arundel casually laid out a spot on the pier and sat down. Someone sat down next to him.

“How is she?”

“…”

“Have you thought about what I said?”

Ignoring Hills, who kept talking next to her, she fixed her gaze forward. A lighthouse blinked in the distance.

The faint blinking in the distance, she thought, was just like Mary’s life.

Her brilliant golden eyes suited the stars in the sky more than the lighthouse on the sea.

Come to think of it, she had never seen Mary smile brightly. If joy were to frost her brilliant eyes, she would shine brighter than the stars in the sky.

It’s a shame she couldn’t see that.

“Well, it’s not like I can force you.”

Hills said that and got up from his seat. He was brushing off the dirt that had stuck to his buttocks.

Then Arundel raised her head and looked at Hills.

Regret is indeed regret.

“The way to save Mary.”

Rather than regretting it later,

“Tell me.”

I should try what I can do.