Chapter 26

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Chapter 26

“Mmm…”

A small toss and turn could be heard from the side. Aiden wondered if Selena had woken up, but her eyes were still closed. Instead, a bright light was pouring down over the closed eyes.

Her white face looked whiter, and her light blue hair shone like the sky in midsummer. Aiden raised his hand and blocked Selena’s face.

As the girl, who was tossing and turning in the sunlight, stopped moving and fell asleep again, Aiden smiled a little and fixed his gaze out of the window again. It was a good day.

Among the increasing number of houses, he could see a clock tower rising. Aiden looked at the clock tower and recalled what Sir Lucas said to him a few days ago.

“Aiden, if Selena wants to climb that clock tower when I’m not around… you must stop her.”

‘If it’s the clock tower… Perhaps…’ Aiden clenched and opened his free hand several times.

‘If that ‘perhaps’ is correct, how would I act? Should I remember that day when I was seventeen, or should I think of this sleeping face now?’

Meanwhile, about three hours ago, another wagon was rattling its way. Aaron waved his hand until he couldn’t see his younger sister waving at him.

Aaron, who straightened his posture with a proud and moved expression, looked at Lucas opposite him.

“What?” Lucas, who had a smirk and an upright posture, asked calmly. How calm his voice was, anyone would think he really didn’t know the reason.

“Why? Why were you holding someone else’s sister’s hand so tightly?”

“Wasn’t it you who liked it the most when I said I would treat Selena as a dear younger sister?”

Aaron placed a hand on his forehead and shook his head as he raised the corner of his mouth sullenly. He felt fooled.

“Right… that’s true, but-”

“See? It’s true.”

“Wow, look at how shameless- I’m his older brother and I barely held her hand!”

“Aaah… Then you can try harder in the future. Stay strong, my dear friend.”

Lucas smiled brightly at Aaron, who had a sullen expression as if he felt wronged, and looked out the window. The clock tower was visible in the blue sky.

“Is that clock tower really necessary for this square?”

Aaron rolled his eyes, as if asking what the hell Lucas was talking about in his sudden murmurs.

“Of course it is. Most of the people of the estate are not wealthy enough to have a watch in their house.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Lucas raised his eyebrows and looked at the clock tower and shook his head. It was too extreme to have to destroy the clock tower. More than excessive, it was like a child’s fantasy. Such a childish idea… wasn’t proper of himself.

“Tell me more about that priest.”

“That Arianna’s priest?”

“You’d be punished for calling God’s name like that.”

“What about it, I even carelessly called His Majesty the great Emperor.”

‘Phew, yeah, this sly punk.’ Aaron looked at Lucas thinly and opened his mouth again.

“So, you’re saying that person, Arianna’s priest, really used healing powers?”

“Right. And not just on a healing level. He healed all the pain and all the scars.”

Lucas remembered the events of that day. The divine light in front of him and that knee that healed in an instant.

“The priest must be a big shot.”

But there was something strange. First of all, a priest’s power was weakened due to their divine power, especially the healing power, which would get weaker as time went by. Priests used to struggle to heal a single cut on paper.

Thanks to this, the profession of doctors was revitalized, and the priests belonged to the nobility and only did prayers. Those who were more capable joined hands with the magic tower to give some blessings to the medicines they made… In short, it became a profession with no skill, and only to show off.

But that priest was different. His healing powers could be recorded historically. Even the powerful priests of the past healed wounds in several stages, and even those were mostly treated for trauma injuries. Internal injuries such as broken bones were not easily treated.

“Nevertheless, he kept saying that his divine power was weak.”

Aaron spoke as if he did not understand the priest’s words. Lucas also agreed. If that wasn’t divine power, then all priests would have to strip off their uniforms. Even if they took it off, nobody would care.

“Yeah, I asked if there was a family to which he belonged, and he said no. Still, he said that his powers were weak, so he wouldn’t be of any help to the Duke’s family. To say it was a lie, though… it sounded sincere.”

The priest, with a stiff and sullen face, bowed his head as if in trouble the whole time he was talking to him. It was a shrinking attitude that did not match his appearance. As if he was truly feeling useless…

‘Come to think of it, it is very strange that the name of a person with that kind of ability is not known among nobles.’

“It’s a good thing for us.”

Lucas’ purple eyes, as he muttered, shone. Aaron sighed at his villainous smile and looked out the window. He glanced at the clock tower, which Lucas had asked if was absolutely necessary.

‘Clock tower… tower…’ Aaron remembered his younger sister, who was about to jump off the Duke’s bell tower. A cute little sister who spat out absurd words with an expressionless face. In the past, when she saw him, she was busy trembling with anger… But now she held his hand.

He felt glad and happy about it but… It also made him feel uncomfortable and anxious inside. It must be for the same reason why his parents were being overprotective.

“Lucas, what do you think of my sister?”

“What’s this? Are you thinking of pairing us?”

“Really—please refrain yourself from saying stupid things.”

“Isn’t that too harsh of a word to come out of Young Master’s mouth?”

“I know. I’d like it if you didn’t make me say harsh words.”

Lucas and Aaron burst into laughter at the same time. However, Aaron, who quickly straightened his expression, looked at him with serious eyes and asked Lucas again.

“You know, our Selena… Do you think she’s stable?”

Lucas wriggled with his fingers at Aaron’s words.

‘If you ask me if she’s stable… The answer, of course, is ‘No.’ Selena hasn’t given up on dying yet. She’s just hiding it behind such an unvarying expression on her face.’

There were things he wanted to say, but he was afraid that Aaron would be shocked by his direct words, so Lucas just shook his head without saying a word.

Aaron let out a small sigh and swept his face with his hand. He really wanted to bring the priest to the Duke’s residence. If the priest… If he could really cure everything… Wouldn’t it be possible to heal even the emptiness inside his younger sister’s heart?

“Please, let me bring that priest. I beg you.”

Clasping his hands together, Aaron prayed to Ariana. It was a truly reverent prayer that anyone hadn’t seen in a long time.

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