Following the wedding, Dietrian was once again separated from Leticia.
The planned reception was canceled due to Josephina’s collapse, and there was much to be done. With the departure from the Empire scheduled for the next day, he needed to organize his belongings.
While urging the delegation to prepare, Dietrian kept glancing at his watch. The night was far off, and the slow-moving hands of the clock only added to his impatience.
The delegation, misinterpreting Dietrian’s behavior, felt sympathy for him.
‘How distressed he must be to check the time every minute.’
‘It’s understandable. He has to spend his wedding night with that witch-like woman.’
‘There’s nothing we can do to replace him, alas.’
Banessa, among them, was concerned too. He kept sneaking glances at Dietrian, who appeared increasingly distracted, then nudged Yulken at his side.
“Brother, does His Highness really have to enter the bridal chamber tonight?”
“Of course.”
Yulken, busy packing, paused and turned sharply.
“Don’t be insane. You’re not planning to take His Highness’s place and do something crazy with the Saintess’s daughter, are you?”
“That would be absurd.”
“You could do that. You’re not in your right mind.”
“Hmmph.”
Instead of responding, Banessa hummed a tune. Yulken scowled and kicked at Banessa’s leg.
“Ouch! Why hit where it’s hurt?”
“You deserve it for the trouble you almost caused in the Empire! Do you know how sorry I’ve been to His Highness for all this time?”
“But why hit the injured spot?”
“It’s healed, isn’t it? You’ve already taken off the splint, stop overreacting.”
At that, Banessa flinched momentarily, then retorted with a boastful tone.
“Of course, it’s healed. Want to check? I can even jump…”
“Just pack up the luggage.”
Yulken nudged Banessa’s leg while continuing to pack.
Banessa held his breath and clenched his fist. Cold sweat dripped down his pale forehead.
Unaware of anything, Yulken moved away.
Banessa took a deep breath to ease the pain and cautiously took a step forward.
“Ah.”
It felt as if his leg was splitting. He managed to limp to an isolated spot and sat down, sliding down the wall. He rolled up his pant leg to reveal a severely bruised ankle, blackened and swollen. He recoiled at the sight and quickly pulled the fabric back down.
‘Damn. It’s worse than yesterday.’
His hand trembled with pain and fear.
‘Can it be fixed? Will medicine work?’
His injury had been worsening each day due to his actions while Enoch was dying. He hadn’t realized the extent of the injury until Enoch was saved, being out of his mind with worry at the time.
But he couldn’t tell anyone. The condition of his wound was too severe for the delegation’s medical supplies to handle.
Though it could be easily treated with sacred power…
‘I’ll never, ever, get treatment from those damned priests.’
He would rather amputate his leg than seek help from the priests responsible for his nephew’s death.
[Uncle, I… I don’t want to go to the Empire. Can’t we just not go?]
[What? You want to cancel your studies abroad now?]
His nephew had always had a stutter. The doctors in the Principality said it was difficult to treat. Then they heard that sacred power could cure stuttering. That’s why Banessa had recommended studying abroad.
[This opportunity is too good to miss. The Empire might be detestable, but they excel in treatment. It will definitely help you.]
[Really?]
[Yes, just trust me.]
Banessa had sent his fearful nephew to the Empire, believing it was for the best.
But then, the boy returned as a corpse.
[Lady Leticia is responsible. We know nothing.]
The body was bruised and covered in whip marks.
[He upset Lady Leticia and was punished.]
At first, Banessa was numb, as if in a dream.
[Help! Someone help!]
[Banessa! You’ve lost your mind! Get His Highness now!]
When he came to his senses, his limbs were restrained by his colleagues.
The despicable priests were nowhere to be seen, having fled the scene.
Banessa struggled violently. He wanted to kill everyone, or rather, he wished to die himself.
He had pushed his reluctant nephew to go, and because of him, the boy had died.
How could he continue living?
[Let him go.]
It was Dietrian’s voice. Banessa looked up sharply. His colleagues, looking uneasy, faced Dietrian.
[But, Your Highness…]
[I won’t say it again.]
With Dietrian’s firm stance, the knights hesitantly released their grip.
As Banessa sprang up, Dietrian immediately subdued him. Holding onto the struggling Banessa’s collar, Dietrian spoke.
[You didn’t kill him.]
Those words froze Banessa’s actions.
[My brother died trying to save me. We couldn’t even retrieve his body. But do you think I don’t understand your feelings? Snap out of it. You’re not responsible for your nephew’s death, just as I didn’t kill my brother. You didn’t kill him.]
Dietrian repeated these words several times until Banessa calmed down.
It was a comfort only Dietrian could provide.
From that moment, Banessa heeded his words.
He had hated Leticia for years, blaming her for his nephew’s death and eagerly awaiting the day he could repay the debt. But when Dietrian announced his intention to marry her, Banessa resolved to restrain himself. He might curse her with his words, but he planned not to lay a finger on her.
Banessa stood up, leaning against the wall. The Principality delegation was busy packing in the distance.
He looked down at his injured leg. Ignoring such an injury was madness for a knight, he knew. Dietrian would be furious if he discovered it.
But.
[There’s a sick child. The child won’t last until then. If not all of us can enter, at least let the child in…]
He didn’t want to witness that scene again.
To see Dietrian, because of his foolishness, begging the imperial priests.
The thought of his ruined leg’s future was suffocating. Returning to the Principality like this would mean the end of his life as a knight.
He felt guilty toward Dietrian for keeping such a reckless person as himself.
‘But what can I do? This is who I am.’
Banessa chuckled to himself.
He tried to walk as normally as possible. Each step, carefully taken to avoid limping, shot pain to his skull, but he didn’t show it.
In fact, he was more active than usual, poking and joking with his busy colleagues, laughing and chattering.
“What did you eat this morning? Why are you acting so crazy?”
“Just pack up the luggage!”
His colleagues scolded him, but they were secretly grateful.
After Dietrian left for his wedding night, the mood among the delegation had turned somber. Banessa’s antics provided some much-needed relief.
Exhausted, Banessa dragged himself back to his room. He had been causing a ruckus all day, and his body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. He flopped onto the bed without even turning on the light.
The pain in Banessa’s leg had worsened in just a day, feeling as if a giant were pounding it with a hammer.
He grimaced and opened a drawer, retrieving and chewing a painkiller without water.
He lay face down, regulating his breath until the medicine took effect. In the darkness, memories flooded in.
His nephew’s reluctant departure to the Empire, his corpse, bruised and battered. The mocking priests, his own charge at them, Dietrian restraining him, and Enoch vomiting blood.
‘I thought the same thing would happen again.’
Banessa blinked slowly.
‘But my benefactor appeared.’
The mysterious woman who miraculously extended her hand to the delegation at the most crucial moment.
She didn’t just save Enoch; she also saved Banessa’s life, and his future.
‘I feel like I’m wasting the life she gave me.’
Struggling, Banessa sat up and looked at his injured leg. After Enoch woke up and he heard about his benefactor from Dietrian, he resolved to spend the rest of his life for her.
The life she gave him should be used for her, even in death.
When he shared this with Yulken, the response was incredulous.
“When did you decide your life was for His Highness?”
Banessa felt a bit foolish then. His life belonged to Dietrian, but he also wanted to protect his benefactor.
“Why do I have only one life? Can’t I get another?”
“Just take it easy.”
Regardless, his desire to protect his benefactor was sincere.
‘I wanted to thank her before leaving the Empire.’
He was happy to leave the accursed Empire but regretted not finding his benefactor.
He considered staying in the Empire to search for her but abandoned the idea due to his injured leg.
With his impulsive nature, Banessa knew staying in the Empire might end up troubling his benefactor more.
“Brother, are you asleep?”
Enoch’s voice interrupted Banessa’s thoughts, filled with concerns about his injury and his benefactor.
“No, come in.”
As Enoch entered, Banessa quickly adjusted his posture.
“What’s up?”
“Brother, I found her. The benefactor who saved me.”
“Her?”
“Yes, the woman who saved my life!”
“Really? Where is she? Is she alright?”
“Of course, she’s fine. Actually, she…”
Enoch whispered, and Banessa’s eyes widened in shock.
“She married His Highness?”
At the same time, Dietrian stood outside a firmly shut door, his heart racing with tension.
It was his wedding night.
He only had to knock, and the door would open, but he felt incredibly nervous.
Knock. Knock.
“…Please come in.”
He cautiously grasped the doorknob. Despite feeling like his heart might burst, he tried to stay composed, thinking of what to say to her.
‘I am deeply in love with you. I find you so endearing that it’s driving me mad…’
He mentally berated himself for such thoughts and tried to organize his words more appropriately.
‘You must be very nervous. Don’t worry. As I said before, I won’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with. So…’
As he opened the door with practiced words in mind, the first thing Dietrian saw was neatly folded clothes placed on a chair.
He blinked in surprise.
There were many garments, and they all belonged to Leticia.
Even more startling was the garment on top, resembling a negligee. Surely, she wouldn’t…
Turning his stiff neck, he saw Leticia, barely covered with a blanket, looking tensely at him.
“Hello,” she said quietly.
Dietrian was speechless.
“I’ve already undressed, so you don’t need to trouble yourself.”
As her shoulders shone palely in the light, Dietrian’s mind went blank again.
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