Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Chapter 86

“But the two goddesses would not have changed their special love for you,” Helena said.

As she couldn’t stand it anymore, Marianne closed her eyes. Her vision became blurry. At first she felt like all the nerves in her body were burning as if cut by a sharp dagger, and then she relaxed as if she were covered with a warm blanket.

Although she could not understand anything, she felt a strange feeling that she understood everything. She felt her head was bleached white as if she was bewitched by something.

“Fate is not on the side of those who stop and accept it, nor on the side of those who reject it.

It is the weapon of those who only move forward,” Helena quietly preached.

Marianne opened her eyes again. Her vision was blurred all over. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She didn’t want to cry, but her tears kept coming as if her lacrimal gland had burst open.

Just like how one had to remove all the discharge from rotten wounds to heal, she cried out for a very long time.

“Lady Marianne, wasn’t my story fun? I’m sorry. I just thought it was so strange that there were only two stars…I won’t do it again. Please don’t cry…Boohoo… ”

Hilde, who was at a loss about what to do, also burst into tears, grasping her skirt.

Marianne collapsed before her.

“Lady Marianne…Please don’t cry… I was wrong…”

Hilde, who was still young, hugged her tightly. Marianne began to cry a lot, leaning on her small shoulders. Helena knelt down and patted her trembling back.

It was a sweet and warm consolation, just as Anthea put vitality in the body of the sleeping Kader.

* * *

The next day, Marianne woke up late in the morning.

She had a dull headache when she opened her eyes. It was perhaps because she cried too much last night. As she was rubbing her red, swollen eyelids, Hess brought a cold towel and covered them. If she could have her way, she wanted to roll on the bed all day long. But she had to get up and get ready to greet the group led by the grand duke that would arrive around noon.

“Priest Hess, did you deliver a meal to the emperor’s room?”

“Pardon? Oh no. His Majesty seemed to be still sleeping.”

“Really? What a relief!”

She let out a sigh of relief with a towel on her eyes. It was important to meet the grand duke’s party, but she didn’t want to break her promise to have a meal with the emperor this morning.

While Hess was massaging her swollen legs, Siel brought medicine and ointment. Marianne drank the medicine in the silver bowl, applied ointment to the wounds, and changed the clothes after washing. As if it were too much for her to do it, she was groaning all along.

“Aren’t you exhausted? Want to rest a bit?”

“I’m alright. As you know, if you do something hard today, you are more tired the next day. Yesterday, you walked along a steep trail for four hours, so it’s natural for you to be so tired now. His Majesty will be more tired.”

Although Siel said it casually, she knew she lied. Siel blinked with a worried expression.

“Let me add some more painkillers in your lunch menu. I happen to have little bit of refined opium, so if I mix it with …”

“Opium? You use the opium in the temple?”

Marianne’s eyes met hers in the mirror. Siel, who was combing her luscious hair, bit her lip and made an embarrassed expression.

“You know opium?”

“Of course. Opium is a highly addictive medicine with a lot of side effects, though it’s highly effective. It’s hardly ever refined before usage. I understand they don’t use it unless it’s an emergency…”

“Well, you’re right. That’s why we healing priests don’t use it often…”

Siel fumbled her words and quickly made a long excuse.

“But don’t worry. The opium used in our temple has been refined many times, and there are few side effects because we use only the proper amount in a safe way. Sometimes it’s more effective than using weaker drugs for a long time. I can guarantee we’ll never do any harm to both of you.”

Marianne smiled a bit and shook her head as she also showed an embarrassed reaction.

“No, I didn’t ask with that suspicion. I’m interested in herbs, but I haven’t seen opium that’s been refined properly. I asked you because it’s amazing.”

Watching her look, Hess hung a red diamond necklace around her neck. Marianne looked at herself in the mirror. While stroking the cool jewel, she suddenly grabbed Siel’s hands that touched her head.

Siel stiffened like a man caught stealing something. Her bright green eyes in the mirror showed she was a bit excited at the moment.

“Priest Siel. If you don’t mind, can you show me that opium? If you share it with me, it would be better.”

“Pardon? Oh, let me ask the cardinal.” Siel nodded, smiling awkwardly.

“I’m impressed with the great hall here to know you have precious things like refined opium on hand… ”

Although she said it as a compliment, Siel shut up instead of expressing gratitude.

Hess put a thorny rose stalk between her hair, matching her red dress.

Marianne liked that fresh rose. It was the plant of love that heralded the arrival of summer at the end of spring. She touched the thin petals delicately with her fingertips in excitement.

“By the way, didn’t you mention the two men? You said you would never do any harm to the two men…”

That’s true. In fact, Siel said that casually without attaching any meaning to it.

Marianne jumped up from the seat. As a result, a small round wooden chair rolled over. Surprised, Siel and Hess stepped back. At that moment, the front of her simple dress fluttered like the flag of the knights on the battlefield.

“Lady Marianne!”

She ran out of the room, leaving the two behind who tried to stop her.

Two guards were standing before the door of the emperor’s room across the not-so-wide corridor.

They were a priest holding a silver tray and Duke Kloud whose face looked tired.

“Good morning, Lady Marianne!”

While talking with each other kindly, they greeted her as soon as they found her.

Marieanne walked toward the room with a stride instead of answering.

Without giving them time to stop her, she reached out to the silver tray. The lid of the white porcelain bowl was opened quickly.

Inside was dark brown fine powder. The distinctive scent of opium tickled her nose before she touched her face.

Ferocious emotions were reflected in her green eyes, which were a mix of anger, deep concern, a little bit of fear that she couldn’t understand herself.

“How about His Majesty?”

Kloud sighed lowly. He beckoned to the priest to get out first.

“Let’s go in.”

He opened the door with a voice as if he were resigned to the emperor’s bad condition.

Marianne stepped into the room without hesitation.

The room was dark even though it was morning. Except for the beds and the furthest windows, they all had thick curtains. The window was slightly open for ventilation, but the scent of opium and the herbs was still everywhere. On the table were tea cups and silver cups that had been messed up. Of course it was not tea, but all kinds of drugs in them, she thought. Curtis, who was standing by the window with no curtains, looked at her and bowed. Briefly appreciating his greeting, she walked straight to his bed.

Eckart lay asleep in an uncomfortable position, lying on the side. His rough breathing was heard amid the heavy silence.

Marianne put her finger close under his nose. His breath was quite hot. She hesitated a couple of times and then put her hands on his forehead. Fortunately, his fever wasn’t that high. The fever on his forehead was better than his condition last night when his body temperature was way down.

“He fell asleep only a while ago,” said Kloud who followed her after closing the door.

“Because his temperature suddenly went up last night, we had no other choice but to use opium. He couldn’t sleep at all. Don’t worry too much because we used it with the cardinal’s guarantee and permission.”

Though he briefed her calmly, they must have had a hard time last night caring for the emperor.

Eckart was the type of man who didn’t want to show others that he was weak. As he was quite stubborn, he desperately concealed his weakness even though his back was torn and he had lost consciousness from hypothermia. He would not have screamed as long as he could endure pain. Perhaps he must have endured all the pain all through the night until Curtis or Kloud broke his command and went to call the priest.

Marianne slowly withdrew her hand. The back of her hand was not just warm but hot.

“Is he much better now?”

“According to the healing priest, yes, he is alright. She said he got the fever because he felt relaxed here. She added he could be up and running in one week once he gets over the hump, Kloud replied while roughly cleaning the bedside table.