Chapter 9 part  2

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“Have you heard about it? A guest is coming to the Duke’s house.”

“A guest?”

“Yes. I heard that the Duke’s cousin, Young Lady Meltain, is coming.”

“This is the first time that a guest would be coming to the Duke’s house since the Duke had fallen into a coma.”

“That was why Old Madam was very sensitive these days. Let’s all be careful.”

Alice listened to the conversations of the passing  servants as she left the dining room after dinner. In the end, it seemed like Young Lady Meltain, the female lead, was coming to the Duke’s house.

I would have rather wished Madam Quillian to stop her from coming by acting rashly.  

Will things be alright in the future when Young Lady Meltain arrives? I liked the female lead when I was reading the book, but I didn’t want to meet her now. Accidents will not cease if she gets involved with her. 

“I probably… have to get going.”

As much as possible, she would  only be able to survive only if she escaped the Duchy without being involved with Young Lady Meltain.

Alright, let’s find a solution – a way. What could be the safest way out of Madam Quillian’s grasp?

Just as Alice was racking her brain, Maris suddenly stopped in front of her.

“You scared me. I  almost ran into you, Maris.”

They were so close that she would have bumped her lips into her if she took one more step. Maris also felt the intimate and creepy distance between them, and took a step back.

I also don’t like it, alright? Alice swallowed the words that rose up to her throat.

“It was because Little Madam didn’t answer when I called you.”

“You called me? Why?”

“Why else? It’s already evening. It’s time for the Duke to have some medicine.”

“Ah….”

The time has come for Alice to do the most important part of her day – time to poison Kaillus.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Alice turned to Kaillus’ bedroom.

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“I met you twice today. Ah, I will see you twice a day from now on.” Once during the day to wash your body, and once when you have to take your medicine. 

Alice folded her fingers as she greeted Kaillus. Of course, he was asleep so he didn’t answer. But Alice was getting used to greeting him; it was nothing more than a monologue.

Seeing this for the first time, Helkin looked at Alice with an astringent face.

“… Little Madam, the Duke is in a deep sleep now and cannot hear anything.”

“Hmm, I know. But still, I have to greet him when I see his face, don’t you agree?” Alice shrugged.

“Ah yes. If that’s the case then….” Helkin looked at Alice as if she was crazy and turned his head away.

But Alice didn’t care how Helkin looked at her. “Maybe it was because I wiped his body during the day, but his face was glowing.” She just smiled proudly when she saw that Kaillus’ face had a somehow good complexion .

“What do you mean glowing when his complexion is getting worse?” Helkin said, hearing Alice’s words.

“Well… is that so?”

“Yes. He’s not dead, but a paralyzing poison is still  poison. It will destroy his body more and more as time goes by. It cannot make his complexion look better.”

Alice looked down at Kaillus. His complexion doesn’t look pale to her unless there was something wrong with her eyesight. His lips were also redder than yesterday. Could it be because of the divine power she used on him?

She obviously healed his wounds yesterday. Maybe it did something else? 

Alice turned her head to Helkin. “Helkin, you told me last time that the Duke’s body has no chance of getting better. Was it really something that can never happen…?”

“Yes. It was a poison that neither antidote nor divine power works. He will never wake up.”

“By any chance, is it possible that his wound can be healed, relieve its pain, or something like that using divine power?”

“No, the Duke’s body now is poisoned and there is no cure available.” Helkin said with a determined face.

Question marks were floating around Alice’s head. How did my divine power work on him when no treatment did? She clearly saw his  wounds healed with her own eyes. What is that? Is something wrong?

“But, why are you suddenly asking for such a thing?” Helkin asked as Alice was looking at Kaillus with a strange expression.

Alice thought for a moment if she should tell him the truth, and then answered as if it was nothing, “No, I was just asking if by any chance.”

She isn’t trusting Helkin even though she was holding onto his weakness. It wouldn’t be good for her if he finds out that she has divine powers.

He said he had no chance of waking up…. Even if she healed his wound, it wouldn’t change anything. Alice dismissed that useless idea and reached out to Helkin.

“Give me the medicine.”

She was handed the medicine and she opened the lid of the crystal vial, then she fed the sleeping Kaillus with the nutrient called poison. When it was halfway through, she stopped the bottle when a thought suddenly dawned on her.