CH 107

Nelia waited anxiously for what Zenuit was going to say.

“Before that… remember when I promised to you a favor for keeping the duke’s human form for a day?”

Favor…?

Nelia, who was still recalling about it, seemed to remember making such a promise vaguely.

‘It was time to go to see Carlos without telling His Grace.’

It rained and the duke must be in a poor condition at that time. It seemed that he would turn into a snake if he collapsed. Therefore, she had asked to take care of it.

However, to mention a favor at such a serious moment……

“Nelia, I’d like to ask you a favor.”

“Wait a minute. I can do you a favor, Zenuit. I’ve made a promise to you. However, when it’s now…… We were talking about His Grace.”

“I know, but I think there’s something you must know before we talk about His Grace.”

Nelia’s eyebrows narrowed.

“There’s something I need to know?”

“Yes, to understand why His Grace is in such a poor condition right now, you have to know what kind of fate His Grace was born to, not the story of the Hart Family.”

Nelia had no idea what Zenuit was saying.

However, when she saw the extremely serious condition of Duke Hart, she thought she should know first.

“What is your favor?”

“Carlos, I want to meet him.”

It was much more unexpected than she thought.

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

A moment of silence hung over them. Lastly, Nelia sighed.

“In all honesty, I don’t want to meet His Highness Carlos. You know very well what he did to me.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to meet him. I know it’s hard for you.”

Zenuit looked genuinely sorry. Nelia sighed and rubbed her face in frustration.

“I don’t know if it would reduce the chance of finding me if I visit him.”

“……”

Zenuit, whose eyes dropped, raised them again.

“Even if you refuse to see him, you have to force yourself. Don’t you think that you have me?”

Forcing herself……

“His Grace will turn into a snake when I visit His Highness Carlos.”

“I will maintain his human form when you go away from him like last time.”

“……But, I’m still worried about His Grace. He’s unwell, but in the meantime, he’ll be hurt if he finds out that I secretly went to see His Highness Carlos……”

“Nelia, as I said, this is for the duke.”

“I know…… but, can’t I go see His Highness Carlos after His Grace gets a bit better?”

Zenuit sighed.

“I think I need to tell you about this, too.”

Nelia felt her heart sank every time Zenuit spoke with a serious expression.

“This year marks the 1005th anniversary of the Empire.”

“Yes…… but what about that?”

“Shilin’s blood seethe every 500 years. The desire to destroy and his power will become stronger than usual.”

Zenuit spoke in a low, subdued voice.

“I’m not sure if the duke will be able to cross the door of the dimension safely.”

Nelia’s face was contorted.

It was the worst ending for now, not being able to even cross the door of the dimension.

“Why didn’t you tell me such an important fact earlier……!”

She understood that he didn’t tell her about the secrets of the Hart Family. However, that was not the point.

If she had known that, she would have tried to prepare somehow, but it was already too late to prepare anything.

“I also just found out about it a few days ago. I didn’t think this would be the year that comes every 500 years.”

Nelia bit her lips.

From what he told her, she knew not to blame Zenuit. However, she couldn’t help but feel like losing her strength in the desperate situation.

“However, it’s not like there’s no solution for this.”

Nelia, whose gaze was dropped, raised them and looked at Zenuit.

“If you want to know how, you have to meet Carlos. That’s my condition.”

She hated Zenuit for offering a condition ahead of such an important event, but there must be a reason why he was going as far to meet Carlos.

For now, she desperately wanted to believe in Zenuit. Therefore, she could think there was still hope for this situation.

Nelia struggled to stand straight and put strength on herself as she was on the bridge that seemed to collapse at any moment.

“I see. I’ll meet His Highness Carlos, just as you said, Zenuit.”

***

Nelia left the duke’s residence without further hesitation and headed for the palace by a carriage.

Before going, she told Ton that she wouldn’t be gone for ong, so if the duke were to look for her, she told Ton to say that she had gone for a walk near the duke’s residence because her head was a mess.

In the past, she couldn’t imagine making such a request to Ton, the duke’s right-hand man, but he eventually complied even though he got confused at first.

Nelia closed her eyes in the carriage and leaned her head in the corner side as the carriage moved. Her heart still seemed to pound at the sudden storm of truth.

However, she thought about the positive side, that she learned about all of this before the day of the total lunar eclipse.

If she saw the duke getting out of control on that exact day, she would have been bewildered and couldn’t do anything.

Nelia gently opened her eyes and looked at Zenuit.

“However……”

The words from Charlotte suddenly crept back to her mind.

Charlotte said there were no dragons that existed until now except for Sigrid and Shilin.

So, what is Zenuit……?

Why was there no trace of Zenuit everywhere? He appeared as a small dragon, but he was definitely a dragon.

Of course, the Legend of Sigrid might have been passed down and misinformed because it was very old, but all of Charlotte’s stories were true so far, so it must be credible.

“Hmm……”

Nelia stared at Zenuit and turned her head.

At that very moment, she felt doubtful of Zenuit, but she also thought he wouldn’t have deceived her with bad intentions. He had been hiding the truth, but the way he appeared didn’t feel like a deception.

After thinking about many things, the carriage finally arrived at the imperial palace.

Zenuit also knew that they had reached the imperial palace and told Nelia, getting ready to get off.

“I will be in my dragon’s form, invisible to others.”

“I see.”

Nelia got out of the carriage with an anxious mind and walked ahead.

She was quite worried on her way to get out of the carriage. She came all of a sudden, but would she be able to meet Carlos?

Nelia headed for Carlos’ abode right away, her direction was based on what she could remember from the last time she got there.

‘It was said that he’s not coming out of his room……’

She remembered that she changed her clothes in his room because her dress got spilled with tea during dinner.

However, there was a guard in the hallway to his room. The guard asked Nelia.

“Can I know what brings you here?”

“I came to see His Highness Carlos to convey Duke Hart’s words.”

They would not doubt that she came to tell the duke because they knew the faces who had been here with him.

However, they didn’t open the way.

“I apologize because His Highness Carlos said he won’t wish to see anyone for a while.”

“There’s something I must convey to him.”

The guards exchanged glances at Nelia’s solemn attitude.

“Can you tell me your name? First of all, I will inform His Highness that a guest is coming to visit.”

“I’m Nelia…… Nelia Benedict.”

The guard nodded and disappeared into the door of the hallway.

Her mouth became dry as she waited.

Carlos would figure out her remark that she came on an errand for Duke Hart was a lie.

He must have known there was no way Duke Hart would have asked her to run such an errand. Even after knowing this, would Carlos really want to meet her, just as Zenuit said?

And there was one more thing that bothered her.

‘……I saw Zenuit get into my body.’

The person she became after she got possessed by Zenuit was clearly strange to him. Therefore, he could not have wanted to meet her anymore.

The missing guard returned after she was engulfed in various worries.

“He wants you to come in.”

Nelia opened her eyes wide.

Zenuit said as he sat on Nelia’s shoulder in his little dragon form.

[Look, the guard said he wanted to meet you.]

In spite of that, let’s just say that Zenuit was also a little nervous when they were on their way here.

“His Highness is in the room furthest back.”

When the guard granted her permission to walk ahead, Nelia slowly picked up her pace and walked through the empty hallway.

The maid might be waiting somewhere, but there was no one in the hallway. The sound of Nelia’s footsteps resonated quietly throughout the hall.

Arriving at the front of Carlos’ chamber, Nelia exhaled deeply before knocking it. Only when her pounding heart was relieved a little did she raise her hand and knocked on the door.

A faint voice was heard from inside.

“Come on in.”

Nelia went in after permission was granted to her.

The room was dark. It was due to the curtain covering the window without a single gap for the light to get in. it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night there.

When her vision was adjusted to the darkness of the room, Nelia slowly looked inside. She spotted someone lying on the bed. It was Carlos.

How many days has he spent in this dark room?

“Come here.”

His voice was smaller and less powerful than usual.

Nevertheless, his body became stiff for no reason because he tried to lock her.

[Don’t worry, Nelia. He doesn’t seem to have the power to do anything for now, but if he tries to do something ridiculous, I won’t let it slide.]

Nelia was convinced by Zenuit’s earnest words and approached the bed. Standing beside the bed, she could see Carlos more clearly.

He looked…… more haggard and frail.

What on earth has happened to him in the meantime?

Nelia looked at Carlos silently, and he drew a faint smile.

“Why? You must be surprised to see me in this state.”

“……I’ve heard that you’re not feeling well.”

“Well, everyone in the empire knows that I’m bedridden by now. I didn’t even try to hide it.”

Carlos felt unfamiliar as he  talked to Nelia despairingly.

Carlos, whom she used to know, was not someone who said this. He would always open his eyes like an angry tiger, and have the edge so that no one would treat him thoughtlessly.

As such, pride was like a lifeline for him, but now he seemed to have let everything go……

“Why did you come to visit me all of a sudden? Even lying about Duke Hart’s errand.”

“……”

“Are you not the person I used to know again?”

Carlos seemed to be talking about when Zenuit possessed her body.

Nelia didn’t answer and glanced at Zenuit.

“From the look on your face, I guess you’re not. When you’re in an awkward moment, you would look away like that.”

Did I……

Fortunately, though, he seemed to have cleared off his own doubts.

However, an awkward question followed.

“Now tell me why you came to meet me.”

Zenuit was the one who asked to go see Carlos, so he should be able to answer this question.

However, Zenuit said nothing.

“Are you here to see me while I’m in this miserable state?”

When there was no answer from Nelia, Carlos laughed coldly.

When Zenuit didn’t say anything, despite being the one who asked her to meet Carlos, Nelia was bewildered and decided to ask another question.

“Does your right arm still hurt?”

Nelia waited anxiously for his answer.

“Yes, I can’t fall asleep without a stabilizer.”

Carlos confided in his condition calmly.

He was certainly way too honest about his condition. It felt as if he had given up everything, based on what she felt about what he said so far.

“Are you being treated?”

“Treatment is useless. This burning pain doesn’t go away anyway.”

Nelia asked with narrowed eyebrows.

“What about the symptoms of your stiffened right arm?”

“It’s still the same. I can’t move at all now.”

Nelia blamed Zenuit for Carlos’ helpless situation. What the h*ll did he want to get by asking her to come and see Carlos?

“I guess the reason you’d meet me is to pretend as a doctor.”

“……Don’t be sarcastic.”

“Then, tell me, why did you come to see me?”

The questioning voice finally gained its strength.

“I’d rather hear you say that you came to watch me couldn’t get out of bed.”

“……”

“Don’t give me any hope. You don’t care what happens to me anyway.”

Nelia regretted coming here with her whole heart.

Aside from her discomfort, this was not a good decision for Carlos at all either.

He still seemed to be obsessed with her, and her visit seemed to have made him suffer even more today.

Nelia looked at Zenuit on her shoulder. Zenuit had a bitter look on his face as if he just saw the most unfortunate existence in the world.

Zenuit slowly opened his mouth, he probably felt her gaze on him.

[That’s enough, Nelia. Let’s go home now.]