Translator: Nox
(23) The Golden Lion's Treasure and Contaminated Water (7)
Even Floyd yielded to Arsene when he spoke frankly. Arsene was stubborn, inflexible, opinionated, and arrogant.
To such an Arsene, Roxana was nothing more than a slave, regardless of her past status. The only reason he used honorifics with Roxana was because Floyd was present; if Floyd hadn't been there, he would have spoken to her as he would to any slave.
Yet, Arsene was silenced by a few words from Roxana. Frankly, Cain felt a sense of satisfaction at that moment.
'Serves you right, you arrogant bastard!'
However, regardless of Roxana's dignity, as time passed, he began to worry. Hexter's eyes were filled with both expectation and anxiety. Cain didn't want to see the small hope his comrade held crumble into despair. Cain placed his hand on Hexter's arm, but Hexter was too tense to notice.
-"I will save this child, even if it costs me my life."
Jewelry was also worried, but Roxana's words bothered him. He didn't know what method Roxana was trying to use, and he worried that she might be using some forbidden black magic unknown to the world.
He wanted to save Jewelry, but he couldn't save her by sacrificing someone else's life. That was something neither Jewelry nor his wife, Persi, would want.
But he didn't have the courage to rush in and stop Roxana. The thought that this might be the only chance for his daughter to live kept him from moving, even as he worried about her.
He felt pathetic and cowardly, and nausea rose in his throat.
"I can't stand it, Master!"
Hexter made a decision.
He wanted to save his daughter. He would do anything to save his daughter, but not at the cost of someone else's life. He shouldn't try to save his daughter with someone else's life, not his own.
"We have to stop the Princess..."
That was as far as Hexter got.
Swishhhhh-!
The sound of something swirling rushed out through the crack in the door. It was similar to the sound of heavy rain.
Crash-!
The sound of something breaking and falling was also heard.
The people in the hallway stared wide-eyed at the door of the treatment room, then rushed towards the door as if on cue.
The scene that greeted them through the open door was different from what they had imagined.
"Water..."
Water was dripping from the ceiling, the walls, and the beds. The floor was flooded as if there had been a downpour.
And in the middle of it all stood Roxana, soaked to the bone.
Water dripped from her wet hair. The way she stood there with her arms hanging limply made her seem unreal.
The sunset streaming in through the window dyed the water droplets clinging to her body crimson, making her look as if she were surrounded by orange jewels.
No, it wasn't just an illusion; light actually seemed to be flowing from her.
"J, Jewelry!"
Hexter, who was the first to come to his senses, rushed towards Jewelry's bed. Hexter's shoulder bumped into Roxana.
At that moment, the light surrounding Roxana disappeared, and her body collapsed. As Roxana crumbled, Floyd rushed forward and caught her in his arms.
And then.
"Ugh..."
"What? Where am I..."
"Ah, I slept well."
"Dad?"
The patients opened their eyes.
As if nothing had been wrong, perfectly fine.
+++
Floyd had no time to celebrate the revival of the patients he thought were going to die.
'Why...?'
Roxana's body was so cold. It was like holding a block of ice.
'Why...?'
It had been a very long time since Floyd had felt cold. The mad flame within him made everything that came near him hot, so even a huge piece of ice couldn't give Floyd a sense of coolness.
But now, just holding her made him feel like he was freezing.
Something very cold and sharp flowed into Floyd's body. The force seemed like it would freeze Floyd's heart, but Floyd didn't let go of her.
Whether his heart froze or not, he was more worried about her condition.
'Is she alive?'
Roxana's lips were blue, like someone who had been abandoned in an icy mountain for a long time. He could feel a faint breath, but even that was cold.
Floyd saw frost forming on his clothes and shoes. At this rate, he might freeze everything in the treatment room.
Floyd hugged her and headed to his room. All that was in Floyd's room was a bed made of steel; there wasn't even a single blanket.
"Damn it!"
Floyd shouted loudly and ordered someone to bring all the blankets they could find. While the servants rushed in and spread fluffy blankets on the bed, Floyd held Roxana the entire time.
The murderous coldness that had been flowing from her had disappeared, but her body was still cold, and her lips hadn't regained their color. Floyd laid Roxana on the bed and looked down at her, then carefully reached out and took her wrist.
This time, he didn't feel a tingling sensation.
'Hey.'
Floyd spoke to the mad being within him.
'Why are you quiet now? I need you now, why are you so quiet now!'
As always, the mad being didn't say anything.
Floyd called a servant and ordered them to bring Kirshan as soon as the work in the treatment room was finished, then dragged a chair over and sat next to the bed.
Even though she was covered up to her chin with blankets, the faint coldness emanating from Roxana didn't disappear. Her face was so pale that she looked dead if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of the blanket.
Floyd rubbed his palms together for a long time, then placed them on both of her cheeks. After doing that a few times, he felt like her body had warmed up a little.
Maybe he was just used to the cold and was mistaken, but Floyd clung to the small hope and repeatedly transferred the heat he generated by rubbing his palms to her cheeks.
How many times had he done that?
At some point, the flame that hadn't revealed itself in front of Roxana appeared on Floyd's palm. Floyd stared blankly at the flame on his palm.
'If I put this on her as it is... she'll get burned, right?'
No matter how cold Roxana's body was, she would definitely get hurt if he put the flame on her as it was. He couldn't do anything, but then an amazing thing happened.
The thin flame on his palm flowed through the air on its own and touched Roxana's cheek, then spread out wide and thin. Even though the flame was on her skin, Roxana's cheek didn't burn. Just like Floyd's skin.
Floyd watched this amazing sight without breathing, then suddenly came to his senses.
It doesn't burn. The incident on the merchant ship wasn't a coincidence after all.
His flame can't burn Roxana.
Realizing that, Floyd became bold. He had to do something before Roxana's fading breath completely stopped.
Floyd stroked her cheeks and caressed her neck. He gently stroked her shoulders and arms inside the blanket. The flame on Floyd's hand burned the blanket and the clothes she was wearing, but not a single blister formed on her skin.
His flame passed over her arms, flowed over her chest, passed over the hollows, crossed the rounded hills, wrapped around her thighs and calves, and settled on the tips of her frozen toes before disappearing.
The flame continued to flow into her body, but she was still pale. As Floyd moved carefully and busily, a knock sounded.
"Master, did you call?"
"No!"
Floyd shouted.
Roxana was not in a state to be seen by Kirshan right now.
"Go away."
"Is something wrong? The Princess collapsed earlier..."
"I'm fine, so go away! Don't let anyone in."
The hesitant footsteps faded away.
Floyd was about to reach out his hand again, which he had stopped for a moment, but changed his mind after seeing her pale skin. Floyd climbed onto the bed and lay down next to her, whispering.
"I'm sorry, Princess. For doing this without your permission."
Floyd's thick arm went under her head.
"But I can't stand to see you die, Princess."
Another arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her towards him.
"So I have to keep you alive somehow. Even though you don't want me to, Princess."
His solid thigh touched her.
He pressed himself completely against her body and buried his face in her hair. Then, an astonishingly strong heat emanated from Floyd. It was such an intense heat that even Floyd himself, who was emitting the power, felt his head go numb.
In that hot inferno, Floyd thought he heard a voice he had heard briefly a long time ago.
-Damn it! Undi... you crazy bastard!
A rough voice, befitting a mad being, cursed someone before disappearing. As the heat that filled the room gradually subsided, Roxana's chest, which was in Floyd's arms, heaved greatly.
"Hah!"
Roxana, who had taken a deep breath as if her frozen lungs had melted, opened her eyes wide. She wasn't surprised even though Floyd's face was right in front of her.
Roxana, who blinked her eyes as if she were dreaming or wandering in unreality, asked in a hoarse voice.
"The children...?"
"They're safe. Everyone's safe."
She let out a small sigh as if relieved, then closed her eyes. At that moment, a smile spread across her face. It was very faint, so faint that one might doubt it, but the first smile she had made since coming to Torkan was engraved in Floyd's eyes.
Floyd unknowingly held his breath. A strange emotion he had never felt before welled up in his stomach.
"That's a relief."
"Yes, it's a relief. Everyone lived thanks to you, Princess."
He stroked Roxana's back with a hand that had more strength than before, and whispered.
"Sleep a little more. You've done an amazing thing, Princess."
