Leticia tidied up the bedding again and carefully laid Mano down. She did not show it to Mano, but her eyes clouded as she held her emaciated wrist.
‘Indeed, she has become very weak.’
Although her health was said to have improved recently, to Leticia, it seemed far from sufficient. Compared to other women her age, it was even more so.
‘I wish Mano would regain her health soon.’
How wonderful it would be if both her body and mind could recover. It would be a joyous occasion for the entire Principality’s royal family. Leticia gazed down at Mano, who kept yawning while curled up.
“Baby, why?”
“Madam Mano, there are people among the wings who can use the power of healing.”
“Healing power? What’s that?”
“It’s a power that can heal sick people. If I get the wing of healing, then I can use that power too.”
“Oh?”
“It’s so strong that it can even turn back those crossing the river of the dead. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Wow.”
As Mano exclaimed in awe, she soon tilted her head again.
“The river of the dead? What’s that?”
“What the river of the dead is…”
Leticia hesitated as she continued to explain. Mano’s eyelids drooped sleepily.
“I’ll tell you about it later.”
Leticia pulled up the blanket to cover Mano’s shoulders and held her hand, which kept yawning, whispering to her.
“Madam Mano, I promise you. If I ever obtain the wing of healing, I will definitely make you healthy.”
Mano looked up at Leticia with a vacant expression. It was clear that she did not understand most of what she said.
Still, Leticia continued her promise.
Just as Mano had prophesied happiness for her, she too wanted to promise her a bright future.
“I also… I also have something for you, baby.”
Then, with a voice half asleep, Mano murmured, clutching Leticia’s sleeve.
“I think baby might be cold…”
Her thin hand pointed somewhere and then drooped down. The breath of the soundly sleeping Mano rustled. Leticia’s eyes widened at the spot Mano had pointed at.
“…fur gloves?”
There were fur gloves on top of the dresser. Leticia picked them up with a puzzled face.
“Why do you want to give me these gloves?”
It wasn’t yet cold enough for fur gloves.
“These are something one would use in the empire…”
The Principality was located south of the empire, and winter came later than in the empire. It would be at least another month before fur gloves were needed. She wanted to ask more about the gloves, but Mano was sound asleep.
‘I’ll have to ask her when she wakes up.’
Leticia decided to put the gloves inside the dresser and went outside.
‘I should go meet Dietrian.’
Though they had been apart for only two hours, she already missed him. Her steps quickened as she descended the stairs.
* * *
“Your Highness!”
As soon as Leticia descended, the knights greeted her with wide smiles.
Before she could ask, they informed her of Dietrian’s whereabouts.
“His Highness is currently on a fortress patrol with the local lord!”
“Ha ha… I see.”
“Are you going to His Highness right now? We will escort you.”
“…No, not really. I’m not going to see him just yet. Thanks for letting me know, though.”
In fact, she had intended to go to Dietrian.
But she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it.
“Everyone must be tired; please rest well.”
“Understood!”
Hearing their robust response, she pressed the back of her hand against her burning cheeks.
Instead of going to the fort to find him, she sat on a swing chair in the garden and reflected on herself.
‘I think I’ve been too much lately.’
The knights were weary because of her.
These past few days, she had incessantly inquired about Dietrian’s whereabouts.
With their time together significantly reduced, she had unknowingly sought him out more frequently.
‘It’s because Mano and I shared a bedroom.’
The trip with Mano had been delightful. Yet, there was a drawback: she had to spend nights away from Dietrian.
‘Of course, it was my choice.’
Still, she felt the absence keenly.
Holding Dietrian in her arms as she slept was Leticia’s greatest comfort.
Thus, she tried to stay as close to him as possible while awake.
But to others, her behavior might have seemed excessive.
Leticia made a resolve.
‘I’ll try to endure until we reach the castle. For the time being, I should manage to be alone.’
Unaware of how this resolution would fare against the loneliness Dietrian might feel during the night.
‘After all, once we reach the castle, I’ll share a room with Dietrian. I just need to endure until then.’
There, she could hold him as before and sleep peacefully, so she decided to persevere until then.
‘I should stop thinking about him so much.’
Lately, just thinking about Dietrian made her face heat up. Her heart thudded, and her blood raced.
‘I need to think about something else.’
Leticia quickly shifted the topic in her mind.
‘What should I do as soon as we reach the capital? Let’s think about that.’
Her thoughts naturally drifted to Prince Calisto, whom she had thought of earlier.
‘What was Calisto’s cause of death?’
The emperor’s most beloved child had died at the young age of twenty. Preventing his death would undoubtedly benefit the Principality. As Leticia recounted the cause of Calisto’s death, she swallowed a sigh.
‘There’s nothing I can do.’
If her memory of the cause was correct, there was absolutely no way to prevent Calisto’s death. Because.
‘The cause of Calisto’s death was.’
A reason for his demise that she absolutely could not prevent.
‘Suicide.’
When a late winter arrived in the Principality, turning the world white,
Prince Calisto of the empire had taken his own life.
* * *
Noel eventually closed the book.
The words did not register at all.
‘Could Prince Calisto really be Josephina’s first wing?’
Nothing was certain.
It was all just speculation.
Yet Noel couldn’t shake the possibility.
‘If Calisto wasn’t a wing, there would be no reason to ask about escaping the pain of the oath.’
Noel bit her lip anxiously. There was another wing who held resentment towards Josephina.
From Noel’s perspective, who had been in a similar situation, it was not something to dismiss lightly.
‘I too suffered so much I wanted to die.’
Fortunately, Noel did not feel the pain of the oath. Yet life had been hellish. Without Ahwin, she surely would not have survived, likely having taken her own life.
‘If Calisto was indeed Josephina’s wing and felt the pain of the oath, he must have been on the verge of madness.’
The more he hated Josephina, the more unbearable pain surged through him. Noel could not even imagine how intense that pain might have been.
‘They said it felt like being shattered into pieces.’
Although I have never experienced the pain of the oath, I have heard about it from Ahwin.
He said it felt like the fingertips were being scraped alive.
He also said it felt like thousands of needles were stabbing him.
Someone said it was torturous, like someone was wringing his heart.
‘Maybe that’s why he’s still resisting Josephina despite the pain.’
Noel’s heart beat wildly.
‘Because he was destined to be with Lady Leticia’s wings?’
Noel took a deep breath.
‘Calm down. Nothing is certain yet.’
She wanted to ask Calisto right away if she was Josephina’s first wing.
But she couldn’t do that.
If her guess was wrong, the anger might affect Leticia.
So, she had to be even more careful.
‘If only Ahwin were here.’
If Ahwin were here, she could have discussed Calisto with him. She regretted not being able to do so.
Then, it happened.
Knock, knock.
There was a sound of knocking on the door.
Noel quickly got up and opened the door.
“Lady Noel, a priest from the Sanctuary has come.”
“From the Sanctuary?”
Following the servant’s gaze, Noel saw a familiar courtier standing at the entrance of the library. She quickly approached the courtier. The courtier clasped his hands and bowed his head.
“Lady Noel. The escort that accompanied the Principality delegation has just passed the city gates.”
“The escort?”
Noel asked back, delighted. If the escort had returned, it meant Ahwin had returned as well.
“We need to prepare to welcome the escort.”
“Yes. The Saintess has ordered to move as quickly as possible. She also commanded to prepare a welcome banquet.”
“I understand. I’ll start right away.”
After the courtier left, Noel hurriedly moved.
Maybe it was because she had been burdened with heavy worries. The steps to welcome Ahwin felt lighter than ever before.
Then, as Noel looked out the window, her eyes widened.
The central street from the city gate to the Sanctuary. The knights who had escorted the Principality delegation were neatly lined up, heading towards the Sanctuary.
At their forefront, Ahwin was prominently displaying his presence.
Noel smiled broadly.
‘It’s Ahwin!’
She knew Ahwin was okay thanks to the spirit of the wind, but seeing him with her own eyes made her so happy she felt like crying.
Noel smiled widely and quickened her pace.
Then, a familiar voice was heard.
“It seems you have something joyful happening.”
Noel flinched and turned her head. Calisto, who had been standing in the darkness, stepped forward.
Noel asked incredulously.
“Are you still following me?”
“More precisely, I’ve been waiting here for you.”
Noel slightly furrowed her brows. She had been caught off guard by the news of the escort’s return and missed sensing Calisto.
‘A real expert is indeed an expert.’
To think he could deceive someone like herself, Leticia’s first wing. Calisto’s skills were apparently more formidable than she thought.
‘If he is indeed Josephina’s first wing, it makes sense.’
Although not loyal to Josephina, his magical abilities could reasonably offset that. Noel, gazing intently at Calisto, blurted out.
“Why are you waiting for me?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
Calisto asked coldly.
“You ignored my question and disappeared. I clearly asked you. What is the way to escape the pain of the oath?”
Noel pondered for a moment. Should she ignore Calisto and leave again, or not? This time, although Calisto had caught her, it wasn’t impossible to shake him off.
Noel glanced out the window. The escort was getting closer. If things moved quickly, she might have a private conversation with Ahwin tonight.
‘Alright. Let’s dig as much as we can this time. The more information about Calisto I have by the time I meet Ahwin, the better.’
She needed as much information as possible for an accurate decision.
“Why would you ask such a thing? Surely, Your Highness isn’t seeking to escape the pain of the oath.”
Noel said in a deliberately exaggerated tone.
“Of course. Since you are not a wing. I know all of Lady Saintess’ wings. Ah, there is one I haven’t met yet. I haven’t met the first wing yet. So, I really can’t understand why Your Highness would want to know how to escape the pain of the oath.”
Noel shrugged her shoulders.
“I need to know the reason to tell you, don’t I?”
“…If you don’t know the reason, you can’t tell?”
“Obviously, it’s not a topic just to satisfy curiosity.”
Calisto glared at Noel as if he wanted to kill her.
Noel remained nonchalant.
Outwardly indifferent, her heart was beating loudly and tumultuously inside.
Then, a moment later.
“Right.”
Calisto lifted the corners of his mouth.
“I am that devil’s first wing. How about that? Are you ready to be honest now?”
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