CH 55

Chapter 55: Shining Knight (13)

“…Ah… Asena. Please take your sister out... Can you..?”

Asena opened her mouth, but because of the three men who immediately forced Cayden to lay down again, the conversation couldn't continue.

Without even being able to say words like "I love you" or "You have to stay strong, you can't leave our side," Asena stood there blankly.

At that moment, someone rushed to the room and handed Cayden a glass filled with some kind of liquid.

“Hey, it’s mugwort juice…! Drink it, sleep well, and you'll be fine when you wake up...!"

As soon as Cayden heard the man’s words, he took the glass and drank it without hesitation as the pain from the wounds all over his body was so severe that it was almost unbearable.

Cayden continued to struggle in pain after that, but after some time, his moans gradually faded away, and with a ‘thud’, he lost his strength and fell asleep.

However, Asena saw it differently. She was afraid that the light of life had gone out of her brother, who looked weak and helpless for the first time in her whole life.

In the end, she hurriedly approached the man who was breathing heavily as he had run too fast to bring the mugwort juice to Cayden and said.

.

"... Oppa... is my Oppa’s reaction normal?"

The man - who also wore a white uniform like others - looked at Asena and straightened up, trying to maintain his posture. 

Asena said, seeing him in agony due to being out of breath.

"You can breathe as your heart desires...! Just answer me..."

"Ugh...! Yes...yes… people usually fall asleep quickly like this - ugh! Duchess Pryster, you cannot stay here any longer. I will call for you when everything is over, will you wait outside?"

“I… I…!”

“Heo Eok… If you stay here, I don’t know how it will affect Cayden... Are you okay with that?”

It was a given that it could be detrimental to Cayden, but her anxious mind didn't like the idea of not being able to take care of him when he was so helpless.

Even so, Asena eventually nodded her head.

Keirsey had already been supported out of the room. Asena, too, now weak and hunched over, took one last look at unconscious Cayden, before going out with tears in her eyes.

****

Asena waited for Cayden, holding the unconscious Keirsey on her lap. As much as she wanted to cry, she refrained from doing so for fear that it would somehow mean that Cayden’s treatment had gone wrong.

Everything would work out well in the end. So there was no reason to cry.

Hypnotizing herself like that, as she waited, Asena's mind was filled with the memories of her last arguments with him.

For the past few months at the Academy, the only thing they did was fight. All the precious memories they could have made were wasted on meaningless arguments.

Although she hated to think about it, if this was the last time… Asena knew she would never forgive herself for spending the last few months constantly fighting with him. 

That assumption alone brought tears to her eyes. Because then, his last memory of her would be tainted by their fight and if he left like this, they would never have a proper reconciliation. No matter how much she prayed then, the fact that they had parted ways with bitter emotions wouldn't change.

‘I wish I could love you one more time, Oppa... I wish I could kiss you one more time. I wish I could…’

It wasn’t her will, but no matter how hard Asena tried, her head could only think negatively. 

And she couldn’t even imagine what would happen to her if he really left. At least, it was given that she definitely won't be able to maintain her sanity.

Maybe she'll have to release chaotic violence and anger into the world to keep herself sane. And perhaps resenting the god who took her Cayden away, she might even destroy everything he created.

Or maybe she could just…follow him.

Because the world without him was meaningless.

A loud noise was suddenly heard from the operation room, bringing Asena out of her thoughts. 

-"Press...! Press...!"

Asena felt the urge to cover her ears.

Although she didn't know what was happening, it didn't seem like a good sign. Unconsciously, Asena tightly closed her eyes at the sound and just prayed "Please endure it,",  "Please endure it," repeatedly.

****

After what felt like an eternity of agony, the doctor came out and spoke to Asena, who was sitting on a bench with Keirsey's head on her lap.

“…Duchess Pryster.”

Talking to the doctor was a natural procedure, but Asena felt her heart could explode out of fear at any moment. She couldn't even muster the courage to look at the doctor's face. This was the first time she had been so terrified.

She hadn’t felt this afraid even when she saw Ice Duke, the head of the hostile family, before becoming an adult.

But now, Asena was afraid of the words of a commoner and had no choice but to tremble.

Why did he speak in such a quiet tone?

Why did it sound like bad news was coming from his mouth?

“…..The wounds…?”

In the end, Asena could only force out one word. It was too difficult to say more. She could only wait for the doctor’s answer now.

“…The wounds have been sewn successfully….”

"Haah...! Haah...!"

Tears and sighs that she had been holding back burst out of Asena at the first piece of good news she had heard.

“Cayden-sama’s condition seems to be stable too. However…”

But at the word "however," Asena's heart sank.

“……”

Her lips hardened, and she couldn't say anything. She could only wait for the coming words.

“However, that’s just only on the surface… we don’t know how Cayden-sama feels on the inside. There’s nothing we can do about it… If any internal bleeding continues due to an organ injury… it’s better to prepare your heart. ..”

Asena jumped up from her seat without paying any attention to Keirsey, who was lying on her lap. And with all her might, she slapped the doctor's cheek.

-Slap!

"I didn't give up! Is the doctor giving up first?"

But no matter how hard Asena hit him, the doctor's cheek only slightly turned. The weakened Asena didn't have enough strength to hurt him.

But the doctor also blinked at her words and lowered his gaze.

“Listen to me. If my Oppa leaves my side… you will die too.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Asena sat back down, raised Keirsey’s head, and placed it on her lap.

The doctor was frozen for a moment, then told Asena,

“…Cayden-sama will wake up in a few hours. The effect of the medicine will last until then. Depending on Cayden-sama’s strength, it may vary, but... You can expect him to wake up around that time. And when he wakes up, please make sure he drinks more mugwort juice, as we have prepared more for him."

"...I understand."

"Also... please keep a close eye on Cayden’s abdomen while you nurse him. If it starts to swell... it's not a good sign, so please let us know."

“…How did Oppa become like this?”

After nodding, Asena finally asked the question she had been curious about since she first saw Cayden in that state. What could happen to make him look like this so late at night?

"We don't know what happened to make him like this. Besides being stabbed and slashed with a sword..."

"A sword...?"

At the mention of being attacked with a sword, anger enveloped Asena's mind.

Of course, seeing his wounds, she had somewhat expected it, but when she heard it in person, the feeling was different.

Who on earth did this to him? Who was the bastard that had stabbed him? Who had tried to take her treasure away?

She didn't know who it was, but if the culprit was caught, all those involved would have to pay a price.

Filled with anger, Asena looked up at the doctor.

The doctor flinched at Asena's gaze.

“…Is it okay to see Oppa now?”

"Yes. But please don't touch Cayden-sama or cause any disturbance. He needs proper rest."

When Asena nodded her head, finally, the doctor lowered his head and left. Many assistants, who were standing behind him, also lowered their heads and left

“…Keirsey.”

Asena shook Keirsey gently to wake her up. However, the unconscious Keirsey did not stir.

Maybe it was better this way. If she was asleep, she could forget about the pain for a while.

Asena gently lifted Keirsey's head from her lap. Then, quietly getting up, she walked into the room where Cayden was.

“…..”

He was lying there… on a white bed, with a red-stained bandage wrapped around his body.

Asena was alone with him in the room and seeing him like that, her tears, which had never stopped, began to flow even more profusely.

"...Huhuk...! ...Huep...!"

This time the tears were unbearable. She approached Cayden, and grabbing his bed, knelt beside it.

Unable to even hold his hand due to the doctor's instruction of ‘proper rest,’ Asena wept as she looked at unconscious Cayden.

****

How long had it been since Keirsey looked at Cayden taking shallow breaths? Keirsey, who had been awake for some time now, shed tears endlessly, as the twins stared blankly at Cayden.

They didn’t even blink their eyes, just in case something went wrong when they closed their eyes. 

The warm sunlight of dawn was already beginning to enter the room through the window, but they did not waver. They just looked at Cayen blankly.

At that moment, they heard the sound of someone hastily running down the hallway.

Despite the sound, the twins did not take their eyes off Cayden.

The person who immediately entered the room took a small breath and called out his name.

“…Cayden…”

As soon as his name was called, Asena turned her head to look back.

“……”

A shockwave went through her heart, which had been calm just moments before.

It was Judy… Just like Cayden, covered in blood.

Asena's eyes grew cold. Without thinking rationally, she asked,

"... Judy...It wasn't you, right?"

“….yes?”

Judy couldn’t be bothered to answer that question, but when she realized Asena didn't know anything, and given Cayden's condition, she was not in her right mind, Judy had to confirm the obvious fact for her.

"I didn't do it."

“…Then, were you there when this happened?”

If two knights were covered in blood on the same day and not involved in the same problem, it would be hard to explain.

".....I was there."

Asena slowly got up from her seat. She turned and started walking towards Judy.

Judy felt the chill as Asena walked step by step. It was a kind of chill that pierced the bones- much more intense than the chill of the northern part where she was born.

Asena came closer and spoke to Judy again.

".....But why didn't you stop it?"

“……”

"Why... Why is Oppa like that, and you're fine? Why did you only show up now...?"

“……”

"No... no... it's not that... But why did Oppa...?"

Asena staggered in confusion.

Judy wanted to go to Cayden, but she held herself back for now. Explaining to the two girls seemed more important.

So, holding back her tears from the pitiful sight of her unconscious friend, Judy spoke to Asena.

“I can explain.”

****

Judy only explained what she had witnessed herself:

First, how she’d met Cayden when he caught someone monitoring him and the people around him.

And how he strangely tried to solve the problem by himself instead of entrusting the work to the guards.

Then, the incident of infiltrating their headquarters. The battle, and how she found out about the children who were kept there in cages.

And how Cayden disappeared with Storm, and Judy eventually changed priorities again, rescuing the children first.

She also told them what the children said; they claimed that they had been kidnapped.

Surely while investigating the headquarter of the criminal organization, Judy could clearly see that their crimes revolved around a kidnapping. Various equipment and documents found afterward were also centered around it.

After rescuing them, she talked to the city guards and went through a series of procedures before returning to the academy.

Judy finished her explanation there.

“…”

At first glance, it might sound like a story about raiding a criminal organization to rescue children, but Asena's mind was elsewhere.

‘Oppa caught someone who was monitoring the people around him.’

That phrase carried a different weight. Asena felt like her throat was clogged with something heavy.

It couldn't be. She had clearly told Sharon not to do it, to forget about it. It couldn't be her.

“…Ugh…”

Suddenly, Cayden’s groan was heard.

Asena and Keirsey were startled. They knelt by the bedside of his bed and looked at him.

“Oh…Oppa…”

"Oppa, can you recognize me? I'm Keirsey...sob...I'm Keirsey."

“Ugh…”

But Cayden only moaned in pain. It was as if he hadn’t fully woken up yet. He seemed to be instinctually struggling against pain.

The twins didn’t even dare to touch him and just called him by name several times.

Soon, Cayden’s heavy eyelids opened with difficulty, and he looked at the twins with hazy eyes.

“…Asena…Keirsey…”

"...Uh...! It's me...! Huk...”

“Oppa…please…why are you like this…”

Cayden smiled weakly in that state, and then slowly began to raise his hand.

Asena quickly pressed his hand and said, "Oppa...you can't move. It might reopen the wound. It's frustrating, but just stay still."

But Cayden didn’t stop. He raised his arm again. Asena couldn’t press his arm twice.

His hand rose slowly and gently touched Keirsey’s face, who was kneeling. After that, he glanced at Asena’s face slightly and said,

“…Stop.”

It was the word he uttered whenever he told them to stop crying. But at that word, the twins’ eyes ironically shed more tears.

Asena finally bowed her head and said as if pleading.

“…Oppa…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

As soon as she got the chance, Asena began to apologize to him. Contrary to his words to stop crying, even with Judy by her side, she shed tears and apologized repeatedly.

Cayden’s eyes gradually started to regain their brightness.

“…it’s okay. Asena. it’s okay.”

His voice gradually regained strength. His previous shallow breathing became louder, and even the color of his body began to return.

Asena and Cayden didn’t need any more words. They didn't need to dress up their intentions with flowery vocabulary. What they wanted to convey - what intentions they had - was the only important thing.

Cayden’s eyes turned to Judy. She was biting her lip as she watched him. Cayden couldn't tell what emotion she was feeling, but it was certain that she was holding back her tears.

Cayden gave her a weak smile.

“…thank you, Judy.”

"Say that after standing on both feet." It didn’t seem she’d be able to speak anymore without crying herself.

Asena also shed tears for a long time, then suppressed the tears again and took a deep breath. She raised her head and looked at Cayden.

“Oppa… this… drink this. You are still in pain.”

Asena handed Cayden the mugwort juice and said. However, Cayden shook his head.

“…?”

Even Keirsey, who had been quiet, tried to persuade him with a coquettish voice.

“Oppa..you must drink…okay..? Please… when Oppa gets better I’ll do anything…”

"...I'll drink. But there's someone I have to meet before that."

Unyielding determination could be felt in his voice. It was clear the person he wanted to meet was important enough to endure this pain and he would not sleep before that.

Cayden looked at Asena and said,

"Bring… Sharon Payne to me. I have something to ask her."