Translator: Nox
(21) The Golden Lion's Treasure and the Contaminated Water (5)
Arsene, who had briefly stepped outside, approached Floyd and whispered.
"There's no damage outside the Grand Duke's palace yet. Considering that only the Lily Palace has been affected within the Grand Duke's palace, it seems only the water in the Lily Palace is contaminated."
"How could such a thing happen?"
"This is just speculation, but it seems the monster is quite clever. It may have hidden in the most splendid place in this capital, contaminated only the water, and then fled."
"For what purpose?"
"For moments like this."
Floyd took a deep breath and looked around. The unexpected attack had shaken not only himself but also the captains of the royal guard. The courtiers and employees outside the treatment room must be in even greater chaos.
If he didn't pull himself together, it would become increasingly difficult to stop the monster's actions.
Floyd nervously swept his hair back.
"If it infiltrated last night, it couldn't have gone far. Select those who are good at finding traces and form a subjugation squad. I want that damn monster burned to death right now."
+++
It was always them who spoke first. Roxana had never tried to speak to them first.
Because of that, she didn't know how to summon them.
"Please."
Roxana whispered desperately.
"Please answer me. Please let me hear your voices."
The voices that used to chatter incessantly when she didn't want them to were silent today.
Had they left because the water was contaminated? Was it too late? Was she unable to do anything this time as well?
Come to think of it, Jewelry had nothing to do with Roxana. No one had asked Roxana to ensure the child's safety, and the child wouldn't have expected anything from Roxana either.
No one would blame Roxana for not being able to help.
-"There's nothing the princess can do."
Because no one expected Roxana to be able to do anything.
Yet, Roxana couldn't give up. She couldn't abandon Jewelry, who had smiled brightly at Roxana, Dennis, who had looked up at her, blinking his eyes.
If Jewelry died, Dennis, unable to protect his sister, would fall into despair and be unable to escape. He would live with guilt, despair, sadness, and a sense of defeat for not protecting his family, just as Roxana was now.
'You always chattered so well!'
Roxana cried out inwardly.
'You were annoyingly noisy! Why aren't you saying anything now! Why! Why!'
-We can't grant what you want, Lotty.
A very faint and thin voice, unlike usual, was heard. Roxana's hand holding the vase tightened.
'The child... the child is dying. Please help me. You can help me, can't you?'
-We can't. A monster infiltrated the Lily Palace last night.
-Before we could do anything, the monster contaminated the water. It's small and fast.
-All the friends who lived in the pond have left. We're the only ones left. We have no power.
-Even if we borrowed your body, we couldn't do anything with our power. Our power can't reach the water that has entered a human body.
At the hopeless explanation, Roxana's hand lost strength. Roxana quickly regained her senses before the vase fell and firmly grasped it.
'Then there's nothing I can do? Am I unable to do anything this time as well? Is it because you hate humans? You're gods, aren't you? And yet you can't?'
-We are not gods, Lotty. We are merely lower Spirits born in places with water and floating on the water.
Spirit.
People living on the continent were forbidden to say that name, and people gradually, little by little, forgot the unmentioned name. But even under persecution, Spirit Users with the power to communicate with Spirits were constantly being born.
Angelia, Roxana's mother, was one, and so was her daughter, Roxana.
-We can keep this Adelia Flower alive for you for a long time.
-We can make the water you drink taste better.
-We can help the bathwater you enter make your skin softer.
-But we can't cure humans affected by Magical Energy with our power. We are lower Spirits.
-But Undine could...
-No, Lotty is weak. If you accept Undine, Lotty's body will be greatly damaged. She might even die.
Undine.
A long time ago, Roxana seemed to have heard such a name. But what was important now was not that.
'How can I call her? How can I accept her?'
The Spirits stirred. They whispered something among themselves for a while, as if reluctant and worried. Roxana waited for their answer with a prayerful heart.
-We're worried you'll die, Lotty.
Roxana hugged the vase tightly and whispered.
"It's okay. I wanted to die anyway."
So if she could save the child and die, that would be good enough.
+++
When Roxana went to the treatment room with Petria and stood in front of the door, taking a breath, the treatment room door burst open and Floyd and the captains of the royal guard came out.
The heat surrounding Floyd disappeared in an instant. Only then did Floyd discover Roxana standing in the hallway.
The captains of the royal guard, who were strangely wondering why the sweltering heat had subsided, also discovered Roxana standing in front of the hallway, hugging a vase tightly.
'What, is she here to visit the sick? Does this woman not understand the situation?'
Adrian felt even worse because of Roxana, who had come with flowers, unaware of anything.
'She looks like she's about to collapse... Come to think of it, she was by the pond, is she okay? She didn't get splashed with water, did she?'
Cain was worried about the pale Roxana, and Arsene just wanted to leave quickly to subjugate the monster.
Then Floyd asked in a rough voice.
"Why are you here? I told you to stay in your room."
"I want to help."
"There's nothing the princess can do here. I don't need any help, so go back. Don't let the Magical Energy get to you too, princess."
Cain couldn't understand why Floyd was using such an angry tone.
'This princess seems to have come with good intentions, shouldn't we appease her and send her back with kind words? Besides, why isn't our lord hot when he's so angry?'
Roxana showed no signs of being intimidated, even though most people were afraid when Floyd used harsh language. Roxana, wearing a white dress, stared silently up at Floyd with a face whiter than the dress, and said.
"A child is dying. I heard that many of the employees have collapsed as well. So shouldn't we try to do something? Please let me try to do something."
Floyd frowned and strode towards Roxana, grabbing her arm roughly. Instantly, an electric shock-like pain struck Floyd's palm.
Floyd let go of Roxana and looked down at her, growling.
"Try to do something. Is that the excuse you've come up with this time? Do you think I don't know your intentions, princess? You're going to go in there and die together. Isn't that right? There are no Adelia Flowers in the treatment room, so it's the perfect place to die."
Roxana stared at Floyd's angry face and then moved slightly. The movement was so smooth, like flowing water, that Floyd didn't realize she was passing by him.
By the time he realized the situation, Roxana was already inside the treatment room.
The treatment room was busy. Doctors and pharmacists were moving busily, unable to do anything for the patients groaning in pain, but trying to do something.
Roxana found Jewelry lying on the bed. Jewelry was distorting her face in pain even while unconscious. Tears streamed down Jewelry's eyes.
The rash had worsened since the beginning, making her face look as if it was red and festering. She was having difficulty breathing, occasionally panting and occasionally coughing.
And Hexter was guarding his dying daughter's side. Hexter carefully held his daughter's hand with gloved hands and called out the child's name, "Jewelry. Jewelry."
He hunched his broad back, making it look small, and repeated the child's name as if praying.
"Leave if you've seen enough. There's nothing the princess can do to help."
Floyd, who had placed his hand on Roxana's shoulder, felt a stinging pain again and removed his hand.
'What the hell?'
If it could be dismissed as a coincidence the first time, it wasn't a coincidence the second time. Something inside Roxana was rejecting Floyd's approach.
No, rather than rejecting, it felt like scolding. It felt like slapping his palm.
'It was like that before too.'
When he had cornered her in Roxana's bedroom, a wind that seemed to be hitting Floyd had blown. Several times, even though the door was closed.
"Stop being stubborn now. Can't you see everyone is busy?"
Adrian stepped forward in place of Floyd, who was stopped looking down at his palm. Floyd's eyes widened at the sight of Adrian grabbing Roxana's arm roughly.
"Get your hands off her!"
His voice was so loud that even Hexter, who had been immersed in sorrow, was startled and turned around. Adrian blinked his eyes and quickly raised both hands.
"Ah, yes. I apologize, my lord."
Roxana was the only one who wasn't surprised.
While even the doctors stopped working and looked at Floyd with uneasy eyes, only Roxana moved quietly as if nothing had happened and approached Hexter.
