Chapter 48.1

Soon Villiers will come too. And there were a lot of people around.

‘It’ll be fine this time around’, Louella thought.

I left the room with my heart in mind. Everyone was moving around busily. It felt like I was standing alone in the middle of nowhere. I, absent-minded, was grabbed by Alexid.

“Lulu. What are you doing? Our father is arriving soon.”

“Oh, Yes.” I snapped myself back together.

I followed Alexid back down to the first floor. As Alexid warned, the first carriage was coming through the gate.

“Is our father here?” I grabbed Alexid by the sleeve.

“Maybe.”

“What about mom?”

“It’s okay. She just fainted because she was shocked. But she’ll be up soon.”

“Okay.”

Alexid took my hand. “Lulu.”

“Yes.”

“You did a good job earlier. Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine. You know that, right?

Alexid looked uneasy and comforted me.

“Yes, I know.”

‘I’m sure I’ll make it that way.’

Soon after, my father arrived.

The carriage looked shabby. It broke my heart to think that my dad was riding there.

The door of the carriage opened and the driver got off with our father on his back. The driver who greeted us entered the mansion.

Dad smiled awkwardly at us. It was the first time I saw my father’s lethargic appearance in years.

Tears burst from my eyes.

“Lulu, don’t cry. When you cry, your dad will feel that way too.” Dad said in a weak voice. Then he reached out his trembling hand to me.

“Father…” I cried my eyes out with my hands clasped.

‘What should I do..?’

“It’s all right, Lulu. Dad will be fine soon.”

Dad used to say the same thing to me when I was younger. But then he left me, and he left us.

Alexid wrapped his arm around me. He patted me and winked at the driver.

“The doctor must be waiting.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“……Thank you for your immediate assistance. But, what about the other party?

“They’ll be back soon. The Imperial Knights will return to the Imperial Court and report directly about the Duke’s situation.”

“Understood.” Alexid’s eyes darkened. He hugged me and exhaled a long breath.

“It’s all right, Lulu. It will be fine.”

Alexid soothed me, but seeing him like this, I was sure that he was not okay.

With all sorts of emotions swirling inside me, I cried for a long time in Alexid’s arms.

The people we were waiting for arrived one by one. My Great-Grandaunt exited the carriage that arrived first.

She came to study abroad from Turantot and settled here.

“Grandmother…”

Our Aunt smiled fondly at us. And she hugged us with her little arms.

“It will be alright. Arthur is a strong man.”

Yes, my father was a strong man. It was just that, Nisephor was more frightening.

I realized that this was the beginning that would lead to a chaotic world.

* * *

“Villiers, are you sure the medicine works?”

“You made the recipe yourself.”

Villiers smirked, “……because it’s you, not me, who did the experiment this time.”

Gerald muttered with a sunken face.

“Well, you’re right about that. Nisephor is better.”

“Any side effects?”

“That’s not it yet. Those who finished the first experiment went back to their daily lives normally. But not all of their physical strength was retained.”

“Is there a problem?”

Even Gerald didn’t have time to check that part.

“It was case by case, depending on the type of person affected. There were people who lost their hearing. Some couldn’t move their fingers. It was as if it was a side effect from getting Nisephor rather than a side effect from the medicine. There’s nothing wrong with the actual medicine.”

Gerald closed his eyes.

Of course, people will be delighted just by the fact that they saved their lives from Nisephor. It is the most deadly disease in the world after all.

But… Gerald had hoped for a better result than this.

“What is lacking?” What caused the side effects?

Gerald leaned his head against the window. Nothing is perfect.  Yet the uncertainty rattled his heart. Gerald’s eyes were on things that had already passed.

“……it’ll be alright, Gerald. There were people who did not have any side effects. The Duke is a knight and he trains everyday. He led a healthy life before getting struck with this illness. So I am sure he will be fine.”

However, Leander could not rest. When he was in battle, he was always at the forefront.

He was… not taking good care of himself.

Gerald covered his face with his palm. Fate may try him again this time. Not him personally, but the people he cares about.

“……Ha.”

‘What a bloody fate it was.’

Roland’s family was right. If he were undergoing a test of the White Uroboros, he would have harmed others.

“I’ll try my best. The fastest way to get the right effect is to fold the medicine into water and let him take it. I’ve explained it to Louella, so it’ll be fine.”

“Yes.”

Gerald nodded. He was already approaching Leander’s mansion.

* * *