Chapter 168

Are you a gold-digger? (8)

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Something appeared in Aristine’s sight.

Scenery from a school field trip she went to as a child. Her previous life’s self was talking with her friend about what she had packed for lunch.

She had no interest in the museum exhibitions and kept walking while holding hands with her friend. She passed by the written explanations without even reading them.

However, she did see them so now Aristine could pause the scene and read the description.

‘I found it!’

Aristine’s eyes swiftly narrowed. She quickly read the description several times.

‘Alright, with this…’

Right then, she heard a loud noise from outside the bathroom.

Aristine scattered the mirrored surface and looked up at the bathroom door.

‘What’s going on?’

“Open the door.”

It was Tarkan’s voice.

But it was low and very sharp.

‘Why is Tarkan here…?’

She found it hard to think. Maybe it was the aftereffect of focusing for too long. Her head felt a little dizzy.

“B-But Your Highness!”

“The princess consort said no one should enter…”

“If something happens to my wife, will you all take responsibility?”

The sound of the court ladies blocking him, and the low growl of Tarkan’s voice.

‘I don’t know what’s going on but I need to stop…’

She thought and tried to get up but her limbs had no strength.

‘Oh, it’s a little cold.’

A waft of cold air struck her, causing her body to tremble. Goosebumps appeared on her exposed arm.

“Princess Consort, can we come in?”

Hearing a loud voice asking that, Aristine opened her mouth to reply.

“Mn, come in…”

Her lips were trembling, so her pronunciation was off.

“Princess Consort?”

Hearing the voice asking again, Aristine frowned. She thought she responded but did they not hear her?

She couldn’t really tell the volume of her own voice.

Aristine tried to get up again and answered in a louder voice.

“Come, ugh…”

The moment she forced herself up, her head started spinning. Her body broke out in cold sweat and her head was prickly and cold like it was doused in cold water.

‘I can’t get up.’

Aristine looked at her trembling body and gasped for breath.

‘This is so strange.’

It was very strange that she was finding it so hard to get up. She was just taking a bath and the water got cold so why…

“Move.”

Tarkan’s voice pierce through her fuzzy mind.

Aristine struggled to lift her head. Her condition was much worse than before.

By the time she managed to look at the door, it was already open. It looked like someone was standing there. But her vision was blurry so she couldn’t really see well.

“Aristine!”

She heard an urgent voice, but she couldn’t hold on any longer and closed her eyes.

‘I have…to answer.’

* * *

No answer came from the bathroom even after the court ladies called. At least, that was how it seemed to the court ladies.

But to Tarkan’s ears, Aristine’s faint voice was very audible. Her voice was so faint like it was about to disappear.

Feeling impatient, Tarkan pushed aside the court ladies and hurriedly opened the bathroom door.

“…!”

Aristine was lying in the water with her arms draped limply over the bathtub. She tried to get up several times but struggled, as if it was difficult to control her own body.

The moment she raised her head slightly, Tarkan knew what it meant to have your heart sink into your chest.

Aristine’s face was so white that you had to wonder if someone could be so pale. Her lips and cheeks had no color either.

“Aristine!”

As he rushed up to her, her eyes closed, and her purple eyes disappeared from his sight.

Power drained from her slender body. If she were to fall anywhere on that hard tub, the outcome would be terrible.

The moment that thought flashed through his mind, Tarkan was already holding Aristine. His body moved before he could even think.

Her slender body was incredibly light, even in its limp state. At the same time, she felt cold like he was holding a block of ice.

Blood drained from Tarkan’s face too.

How can a human body be so cold? Tarkan knew what it meant for someone’s body to be so cold. It was a temperature he had experienced many times while protecting but losing many people on the battlefield.

“Princess Consort!”

The terrified court ladies quickly rushed in.

The moment they saw Aristine’s condition, they moved like well-oiled hands of a clock. They covered Aristine’s body with a large towel and quickly ran out to get a brazier.

“Your Highness, you can punish us later. Please bring Her Highness this way.”

A court lady said and bowed deeply to Tarkan.

Tarkan didn’t even look at the court ladies and walked towards the brazier.

Several braziers were set up in front of the glass window that allowed the hot summer sun to peek in.

A magical flame burst out the furnaces, instantly warming the room.

Tarkan sat on the lounge chair, holding Aristine tightly. Even while unconscious, Aristine’s body was trembling so he couldn’t leave her alone to lie down by himself. The court ladies ran around, racing to dry Aristine’s hair.

“Call a royal doctor, no, call Umiru.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The court lady who replied quickly left the room and another court lady came in with a thick bath robe.

The towel wrapped around Aristine’s body had already dampened so it wasn’t good to keep it on her any longer.

“Your Highness, a moment please.”

Tarkan was reluctant to release Aristine from his arms, but he eventually gave her to the court ladies. They carefully clothed Aristine in the bathrobe and laid her on the lounge chair.

They even took out a thick winter blanket to cover her and began massaging her limbs to help with blood circulation.

Tarkan watched all this with anxiety on his face.

The room was so hot but Aristine’s complexion showed no sign of recovery.

“Is Umiru still not here?”

The moment that question fell, the door swung open.