Volume 2 - CH 4

I wrinkled my eyes softly at the man’s brazen question.

It was his own will that he got hurt like this.

He didn’t even counterattack, enough to get booed, just get stabbed!

And also, intentionally!

‘How did I heal this body?’

That’s a little upsetting, but… in fact, listening to Franz’s story about him, I threw away my resentment.

“When did I promise to treat you if you got hurt?”

“Then why did you come?”

Perhaps because of the extreme pain, his eyes and voice were drowsy.

“Why did you come?”

“I… thought it’d be better if you get treatment.”

My ears were hot at the thought that my words before and now didn’t match.

‘It’s hot, it’s hot’

Was it because of the man’s body temperature?

Recognizing that I was too close to him at the moment, I quickly leaned back.

At the same time, the man removed the chain and moved it aside.

As I flinched at the heavy noise of moving iron, he confirmed to me that he was empty-handed.

As if he was trying to say that I’m not in danger.

Having gained courage, I opened the cap of the poppy juice bottle.

Phong, a light sound echoed between him and me.

When I brought the poppy juice to him, who looked at the bottle, he turned his head and said.

“I don’t want to drink it.”

Did he think it’s a weird potion?

Yeah, that’s possible.

I heard he was experimented on for 5 years.

“This is a painkiller, poppy juice.”

“……”

“It tastes like cherries.”

However, the man stubbornly closed his lips and did not move.

“This will not harm you.”

I took a sip of the potion first.

Well, the scent and the taste was sweet and sour.

I put the bottle back in, but he still refused to take the painkillers.

I could force him to drink like last time, but I decided not to.

“Did you wait for me?”

“……”

It was a question I courageously asked, but this time again, the man did not give any responses.

Instead, his neck rumbled loudly.

Somehow I felt like I got an answer, so I took out the magic stone without bothering him any more.

“If I survive…”

I tried to start praying with my eyes closed, but a low echo occurred above my head.

“… what’s the benefit to you?”

“Well, what do you think?”

“Is it advantageous for you if I win? Or is it more important for you if I make the match worth watching?”

I suddenly opened my eyes to his absurd words.

Then, my gaze collided with his, who kept looking down at me.

His serious blue eyes moved as if looking at me.

“If you tell me… I’ll do whatever you want.”

The pathetic and desperate feelings in those eyes hung heavily and shook me.

Quickly avoiding my gaze, I grabbed the magic stone and asked playfully.

“What if I say it’s a benefit for me if you die?”

“I can do it for you.”

His answer, which came out without any hesitation, reminded me of my first meeting with him.

“Well, you did say that you want to die.”

“…I don’t want to die anymore.”

‘But you just told me that you could die for me.’

Instead of pointing out the man’s contradiction, I raised my eyebrows mischievously.

“Then why did you make your body become such a mess like this?”

Tsk, I kicked my tongue and caught his wound in my eyes as if engraved in my memory.

I was going to compare it with after treatment.

Franz said this Magic Stone life time was over, but I knew better that it wasn’t.

If treatment was successful again, either this Magic Stone was special or my divine power was special, or maybe both.

“I’d be glad if you survive.”

“……”

“So, please survive.”

After saying that, I started praying.

However, even though the Magic Stone had already turned purple, it was strangely difficult to concentrate.

What’s wrong? Is it because of the painkillers I took before?

‘Let’s focus.’

I fixed my gaze only on the wounds that were slowly healing.

The wound, which was so deep that the bone was visible, looked terribly painful.

But the flesh that had been opened was slowly closing as if it had a will of its own.

The excavated skin was filled with new flesh, and the flowing blood gradually decreased.

‘It’s fascinating every time I see it…’

By the time I felt that the wound had been treated to some extent, I stopped because I didn’t want to overdo it and laid the Magic Stone.

It would have looked strange if I kept getting dizzy.

The man’s abdominal wound was definitely better than before.

When I wiped the blood with my sleeve, it was confirmed that there was no more bleeding.

‘It’s been treated.’

I guess this Magic Stone was special.

There was a clear limit to believing that my credibility was special.

‘Let’s go out now.’

As soon as I was about to get up, my eyes were blurred.

My stomach felt nauseous.

“Eugh.”

The poppy juice that I drank earlier came up suddenly.

The cherry scent spread from the throat to the tip of the nose.

Surprised, I covered my mouth.

‘Was this such a strong medicine?’

I only had a sip, but my eyes were spinning.

How much did I give this strong medicine to him?

‘It’s understandable that he didn’t want to take it anymore.’‘

I was just relying on a lantern in a dark secret room, and I felt like my feet were shaking.

At the same time as my eyes met him, as if I were drunk, the words in me were uttered without filtering.

“You…  What’s your name?”

I could see his beautiful blue eyes stare straight at me through my blurry vision.

The moment I leaned against the wall as if I were almost collapsing, a large hand supported my head.

I avoided hitting my head… But my eyelids were heavy.

I tripped over my leg, and the poppy juice bottle fell down.

Rolling… 

The sound of the bottle rolling sounded like thunder, and the quarantine room was full of cherry scent.

My lips moved completely regardless of my will.

“I’m curious about your name.”

“I don’t have a name.”

“There’s no one without a name…”

“I don’t remember.”

“That’s… no way. Your family or friends…… they would have called you by your name.”

“I don’t remember anything.”

“That’s… too… I feel bad for you.”

The man just laughed.

I slowly took my hands near his tough chin and cheeks.

He closed his eyes without saying a word, as if he allowed my somewhat rude touch.

The skin on the back of my hand was cold, but I didn’t hate it.

“If you win, I’ll name you…”

I couldn’t finish talking and exhaled.

He slowly opened his eyes, and his intense gaze reached out to me.

It seemed like I was eagerly waiting for the last words, but I couldn’t overcome the drowsiness and closed my eyes.

Instead of waking me up or urging me to get up, the man just whispered quietly.

“I want to know your name.”

… was what he said.

* * * * *

Clank clank.

I opened my eyes wide to the sound of a metal falling down.

‘Oh, my back hurts.’

It wasn’t a bed. I wasn’t even lying down.

I was half leaning on a hard cushion.

‘Why is it so dark?’

I couldn’t see anything.

It won’t be this dark even at late night.

I feel like I’m trapped in a box without a single light.

“It’s daytime.”

I groaned at the voice that reached my ear.

Only then did I think of what happened at dawn.

The memory of treating the man in the quarantine room and falling asleep.

“The priests will come soon.”

“… What?”

That’s a big problem.

I didn’t know what rumors would spread if people found out that I fell asleep here.

A Count Daughter!

“I have to go.”

My voice cracked badly.

I tried hard to raise my body, but I had no strength in my legs.

I was thirsty belatedly.

‘But I didn’t overdo it last night.’

But, more than that, the cause of this might be because I took a sip of the poppy juice.

As soon as I took a rough breath leaning against the cushion, the cushion wrapped around my arm, and I raised myself at once.

“… You were the cushion.”

No wonder it was hard.

Awkward by the smell of herbs hovering around the tip of my nose, I barely took a step with my legs shaking like a newborn calf.

It was then. Something was stuck in my foot and rolled around.

Clank.

I was startled by the loud noise, and when I stiffened, he explained it to me first.

“Lantern. That’s what you brought.”

“Oh.”

It was this dark because the wick was burnt out because it was on all night.

‘I’m thirsty. And my head hurt!’

Even though it was only a few steps to the door, it was hard.

When I touched the cold iron door, I naturally burst into relief.

‘First of all, I should go to the infirmary  and drink water first.’

That’s what I thought and pushed the door… Strangely, the door was stuck.

‘What? Why is this like this?’

My head went blank.

‘Is it locked?’

Was that the clinking sound I heard earlier?

This makes me crazy.

“But I have to go out…”

I put my ears on the iron door, but I couldn’t hear anything outside.

As soon as I was in a hurry and tried to hit the iron door with my fist, the man gently stopped my hand.

“Backwards.”

When I stepped back as he asked, he pushed the door slowly and little by little light began to enter through the gap of the door.

The iron door was opening.

He opened the door in a formidable thickness.

Soon enough, the gap widened enough for me to go out.

‘What is this?’

I was shocked at the fact that he opened the door with his bare hands.

Even though I already could escape, I still had not left.

‘Why?’

I didn’t understand.

But I couldn’t afford to think long.

Because I heard someone walking down the stairs.

When I left the quarantine room in a hurry, he closed the door again.

Somehow I felt sorry that I had to leave him behind that closed door.

However, he did not move a step inside the quarantine room.

It was cowardly, but fortunate for me to avoid difficult situations.

Before closing the door, I said thank you before leaving him.

“Thank you.”

We, who couldn’t see each other even though we were together all night, barely faced each other through the gap of the door.

He narrowed his eyes as if he was stinging at the sunlight from behind my back.

He added, asking to hang a latch when the door is closed.

“If I survive, give me a name.”

I nodded heavily.

“… I promise.”

Before closing the door, I felt like I saw his sincere smile for the first time.