“Kailas!”
“Yes, my name is Kailas. You did very well, Madam Mano.”
Mano’s treatment continued steadily. As the treatment progressed, Mano’s condition slowly but surely improved. Recently, Mano had been able to call Kailas by name. She even started calling other people by their names one by one.
For those who had known Mano for a long time, it was an incredibly moving experience. Julia even burst into tears.
“Madam Mano knows who I am. She called my name.”
Victor was also delighted.
“Madam Mano no longer asks me why I don’t have a belly. She clearly recognizes that I am different from Her Highness.”
It was a great joy for everyone who knew Mano. Although some colleagues who used to tease Victor felt a bit disappointed, it was nothing compared to the joy of Mano’s recovery.
Mano offered a basket covered with a pretty cloth and smiled kindly.
“Kailas, I brought a snack. It’s the candy you like the most. Would you like to try it?”
“Yes, Madam Mano.”
Kailas smiled and accepted the candy from Mano.
After several months of treatment, the awkwardness from when she first met Mano had completely disappeared.
No, it was more than just not being awkward.
Mano had become as precious as Leticia.
Seeing Mano gradually recover through the power of healing and seeing those around her rejoice in her recovery made her feel recognized for her usefulness.
It felt like her heart, wounded for years in the Empire, was healing along with Mano’s.
Though she was naturally awkward and clumsy with expressions, the time spent with Mano accumulated in her heart like beautiful petals.
“Is it good?”
“Yes. It’s very sweet. It seems sweeter because you gave it to me, Madam Mano.”
“It makes me happy to see you smile.”
“Would you like some candy too, Madam Mano?”
“If it’s from you, I’ll like anything.”
Kailas picked the prettiest candy among the colorful ones and unwrapped it. Seeing Mano happily enjoying the candy, Kailas also smiled.
At that moment.
Knock, knock.
“Kailas. I’m here to pick up my mother. May I come in?”
“…!”
A familiar yet completely unexpected voice.
It was Julios.
Kailas froze with the candy still in her mouth.
‘Why, why, why is His Highness here?’
Julios, who used to always be with Mano at the beginning of her treatment, had not visited for a while. Being the Wing of Prophecy and a member of the royal family, he had many duties to fulfill for Zenos.
Since Mano’s condition had greatly improved, there was no need for Julios to be there. For the past few weeks, a knight had escorted Mano here.
Kailas felt relieved yet saddened by this change.
Because, since her first meeting with Julios, at some point she had…
‘Get a hold of yourself. His Highness will think you’re acting strange.’
Kailas wanted to slap herself to snap out of it. Unfortunately, she couldn’t because Mano was beaming in front of her.
As she waited for her wildly beating heart to calm down, Mano alternated glances between the tightly closed door and Kailas and smiled as if she understood.
“Kailas, you’re so pretty.”
Though she had gained some weight since their first meeting, her still-thin hand gently covered Kailas’s hand.
Kailas snapped back to reality as if cold water had been poured over her.
“Julios, please, ahem. Please wait a moment.”
Kailas, who had been trying to chew and swallow the candy, choked. She tasted blood, probably having bitten her cheek. She gulped down some water, swallowed the candy fragment like a pill, and patted her chest. After taking a deep breath, she approached the door.
Even in those few steps, her mind was a mess.
‘How was my outfit today? I didn’t pay any attention. My hair? If I had known, I would have dried my hair properly this morning…!’
Seeing her reflection in the mirror next to the infirmary door, Kailas wanted to die. Her hair, hastily left to dry after a sudden call early in the morning, was sticking out in all directions, and her eyes were hollow from staying up late studying medical books. She wanted to jump out of the window to avoid Julios. Kailas bit her lip tightly.
‘Kailas, will you never get a grip? Why do you care how you look to His Highness? You’re nothing!’
Kailas resisted the urge to check the mirror again, hastily ran her fingers through her hair, and opened the door. She lowered her gaze as soon as she glimpsed Julios’s silhouette, fearing he would be shocked by her appearance. Even though she knew Julios wasn’t the type to care.
“I greet Your Highness.”
She spoke in a flat tone, suppressing her emotions as much as possible.
“It’s been a while, Kailas.”
Kailas flinched at the gentle voice, like spring sunshine. In the end, unable to resist, she glanced up to check Julios’s expression. Despite her indifferent attitude, he was smiling softly. She quickly looked back down at the floor.
‘Heart, please calm down. I’m begging you.’
As always, Julios was entirely harmful to Kailas from head to toe. His clear and upright eyes without a hint of shadow, his neat features, his kind demeanor.
The most lethal was his sunny smile, just like Mano’s. A warm smile that seemed to melt a thousand-year-old ice wall made Kailas harbor ridiculous feelings.
“My morning schedule ended earlier than expected, so I came to pick up my mother myself.”
“Oh, I see.”
Kailas avoided looking at Julios any further to avoid stumbling over her words.
“Madam Mano, Julios is here.”
“Julios!”
Mano smiled warmly and hugged her son.
“Mother. Did you have a good treatment today?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Did you enjoy the candy?”
“Of course.”
Kailas tried to ignore their conversation by counting the patterns on the floor, but all her attention was on them.
She wished Julios would leave the infirmary quickly, but at the same time, she selfishly wanted him to stay a little longer.
Well, regardless of which feeling won, there was nothing Kailas could do.
“Shall we go now?”
“Kailas, goodbye. See you next time.”
Julios supported Mano and left the infirmary. Despite wanting to escape from the infirmary just moments ago, Kailas bit the inside of her lip in sadness. Even though she knew there was no hope for her foolish crush, she still wanted to hear Julios’s voice a little more.
Then, something suddenly came into her view and touched her lips. It was a handkerchief. Kailas jumped back in surprise. Julios, with one hand extended, smiled awkwardly.
“Oh, I’m sorry to startle you, Kailas. It seems you have a wound on your lip.”
“A wound?”
Kailas barely tore her gaze away from his white, straight fingers holding the handkerchief. Trying her best to ignore her pitiful reflection in the mirror, she checked her lips.
Good heavens. Her lip was split.
It must have been from forcing herself to chew the candy earlier. Kailas quickly covered her mouth with one hand and summoned her healing power.
After a brief flash of white light, the wound healed cleanly. She scrubbed the bloodstain off her sleeve and clasped her hands respectfully.
“Thank you for telling me. Your Highness. Have a safe journey.”
She wanted to flee immediately but mustered all her patience.
Kailas anxiously picked at her clasped hands.
She saw the shadow of Julios’s hand, holding the handkerchief, slowly lower to the floor.
After a moment, his usual gentle voice was heard.
“Thank you again today, Kailas.”
Julios slowly walked away. Kailas, who had been holding her breath until he was completely out of sight, closed the door. Leaning against the door, she slid down to the floor.
Next to the spot where Mano had been sitting, there was a candy wrapper. Unconsciously touching the place where the wound had been, Kailas let out a small laugh.
“How foolish I am.”
It was a one-sided love.
She had dared to harbor such feelings.
She didn’t know when it started, but it had happened anyway. Maybe it was inevitable. Meeting such an attractive person every third day, how could she not fall for him?
“Please get a grip and focus on your work, okay?”
A person should know their place. Kailas suppressed the feelings that kept rising and started her work.
She had no intention of revealing those feelings.
It would pass like a breeze soon enough.
Chapter 2. Two Gifts
Not long after Mano and Kailas first met.
Finally, the moment came when Kailas could clearly distinguish Leticia’s babies.
Until then, the gap between the two children had been faint, but now it was clearly visible.
It was a line so faint that it could not be seen without careful observation, but Kailas didn’t miss it because she remembered that Mano had given two of each gift.
“Lady Leticia. They are indeed twins. Congratulations.”
Kailas looked up at Leticia with a flushed face. She was delighted to be the first to deliver such an exhilarating moment to her master.
“I can feel the power of both the dragon and the goddess. Now I understand why the babies were cursed before. It was possible because the two babies were together. They supported each other and protected you, Lady Leticia.”
“Twins…”
Leticia wrapped her trembling hands around her belly. It was still flat, but it was gradually growing.
Her nose tingled.
She had always been lonely as a child.
Sometimes, the loneliness was more painful than Josephina’s abuse. Even her siblings, who shared the same blood, ignored her.
‘You two relied on each other and protected me.’
Because of the loneliness, she wished even more desperately.
That her children would not be lonely. That they would not cry alone like she did as a child.
So this news was all the more welcome.
With twins, they could always rely on each other.
“I must inform Dietrian and Madam Mano of this news.”
“Madam Mano probably already knows.”
“Madam Mano?”
“Actually, I saw the baby gifts Madam Mano prepared before.”
Kailas spoke about the gifts she had seen before from Mano.
“I thought I should wait until it was certain to tell you. Now that I have confirmed it myself, the joy is even greater.”
“I see.”
Could this be what it feels like to have all the happiness in the world?
When she first told Dietrian about the baby, she thought that was the greatest joy. But it wasn’t. There was an even greater happiness.
Leticia wanted to share this happiness with Dietrian first.
“Our baby is a twin?”
But why was it that Dietrian’s reaction was different from what she expected?
Unlike her, he didn’t seem so pleased. He simply smiled ambiguously.
“Dietrian, aren’t you happy?”
“I am. I’m very happy. It’s just.”
Dietrian’s expression became complicated.
“You’ll have to endure twice the pain of childbirth.”
Others might call him overly cautious, but he couldn’t help it.
Several of his knights were fathers of twins.
Although they loved their children dearly, they all shook their heads when recalling the pregnancy period.
Pregnancy is hard for all mothers, but it’s especially difficult with twins.
Not only is there a high risk of miscarriage early on, but the belly grows much larger as the months go by with two babies.
One knight’s wife, who gave birth to twins, had such severe back pain in the last month that she had to lie down all day. Not to mention the higher possibility of a difficult delivery.
“I’m worried that you’ll have to endure all of that alone.”
There was another reason why his thoughts were complicated.
It was because of the surprise gift he had prepared for Leticia.
‘Let’s talk about that later. It’s not as important as Leticia’s safety.’
Putting aside his thoughts about the surprise gift, Dietrian honestly shared his feelings with Leticia.
Leticia, who listened carefully, burst into a clear laugh. She then hugged Dietrian tightly. She loved her husband so much for worrying about her when there was no need to.
“Dietrian, you don’t need to worry about that. Have you forgotten who I am?”
“What do you mean?”
“I am the only saintess chosen by the goddess. I am also the master of the Nine Wings.”
Leticia smiled playfully.
“I have Kailas by my side. She will help with her healing power until the babies are born. You know how powerful her healing is, don’t you?”
“……”
“Healing power not only heals wounds but also eliminates all pain. I will probably be the most comfortable and safest mother to meet her babies.”
Dietrian’s eyes widened at Leticia’s confident declaration. A bright smile spread across his face.
“You’re right. I forgot.”
The healing power was strong enough to withstand Rehir’s torture.
Which means!
There was nothing to worry about.
He could let go of all his concerns and fully enjoy the happiness!
He was going to be a father.
A father of two!
“Leticia!”
Dietrian cheered as he hugged Leticia. He picked her up and showered her with kisses. Leticia laughed brightly and hugged him back.
“Thank you, Leticia. Thank you so much.”
Two children. He was going to meet two children who resembled both of them at once. His heart swelled with delayed emotion. An indescribable happiness filled both of their hearts.
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