32 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior from Hell
The Duchess's room was shrouded in white cloth.
Henrik and Connie looked touched as they opened the door to the room, which was only opened once a month for cleaning.
Alisha quickly stopped the two from offering excessive greetings.
Alisha asked Daisy to bring the luggage she would need right away and to tidy up the room.
She announced that she would be staying here for a while to attend to the Duke.
Both the fact that she would be staying here for a while and that she would be attending to the Duke moved Henrik and Connie once more.
Annie and Liz's faces were filled with delight.
Alisha added that it was only for nursing care and had no other meaning.
Everyone in the room pretended not to hear Alisha's words, lost in their emotions.
Alisha asked Connie to give Daisy, Annie, and Liz their rooms.
She also asked her to bring a tray with warm water, clean water, and cloths of a suitable size to the front of the bedroom every hour.
She also asked her to provide simple meals on time.
She asked that the meals be prepared so that they could be eaten with one hand if possible.
After rattling off various instructions, Alisha left the words "please take care" and returned to the Duke's bedroom.
Alisha had only about ten minutes.
The distance from the Duchess's room to the Duke's room was considerable.
When Alisha returned to the Duke's bedroom and pulled back the curtains, Reikart's elbow was twitching erratically.
"Why is this house so big?"
Alisha grumbled, breathlessly gasping for air.
Reikart let out a sigh of relief and scattered laughter at the comforting warmth that enveloped his elbow and hand.
He spread a bright smile and whispered in a slightly steadier voice.
"There is a secret passage between the Duchess's room and the Duke's room."
Alisha, whose shoulders were shaking as she caught her breath, frowned.
No wonder.
Henrik had hesitated with a look that said he had something to say to her as she was about to return to Reikart.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
Reikart lazily retorted to Alisha's grumbling.
"Even if you come from that side, you can only enter the room if you unlock the passage from the Duke's room. The opposite is also true."
"Open it."
Alisha demanded confidently.
Her vision was still blurry from running here within the time limit.
Her head felt like it was spinning.
Her face, which had barely calmed down after the overloaded heart from running, was still flushed.
"Alright."
Reikart replied obediently, burying his cheek deep in the pillow.
Alisha stayed by Reikart's side, minimizing her activities.
She finished eating, changing clothes, and washing up in an instant.
Eating was the easiest.
Henrik and Connie faithfully followed her requests.
They often brought tea or easy-to-eat snacks on a tray, not only at mealtimes.
The clothes became simpler and simpler.
Instead of wearing simple dresses, Alisha brought her jewelry box to Reikart's room and wore accessories.
Rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, hair ornaments, brooches.
Without them, she felt like her presence would be erased between the luxurious bed and his strong presence.
Washing was the biggest problem.
No matter how quickly she washed, Reikart's breath was filled with pain when she returned.
Reikart said something absurd to Alisha, who was worried.
'It's okay for a little while.'
Then he told her to go quickly.
It was truly absurd.
However, Alisha couldn't give up on minimal humanity, so she got up.
On the other hand, Reikart neither ate nor washed.
Yet there were no problems.
He could easily endure a day without drinking a single drop of water.
Originally, he said that he hardly slept, except for briefly falling asleep when the pain subsided.
Looking at Reikart's condition, Alisha felt a sense of déjà vu.
She had been like that when she was in hell.
She hardly slept, except when the severe tension was released or when she collapsed and fell asleep for a short time.
It didn't matter if she didn't eat or wash.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Alisha was eating a cookie.
Connie's special cookies were studded with chocolate chunks.
The outside was crispy, and the inside was moist.
"Pardon?"
Alisha's lips, which were eating a chocolate cookie as big as her face, stared blankly at Reikart.
"Since four days have passed, there are six to seven days left."
Reikart answered and lowered his gaze.
He was very conscious of the cookie crumbs stuck to one side of her plump lips.
"It lasts for ten days?"
Fortunately, Alisha licked her lips and got rid of the crumbs.
Her face was clearly showing signs of exhaustion.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
Alisha shook her head at Reikart's apology.
"I didn't say that to hear an apology."
Ten days, 10 days. The lips that grumbled the same words slightly differently ate the crispy cookie.
After eating the butter cookie, she drank tea with a soft aroma.
When she fell into thought, she would stop drinking tea completely, then suddenly gulp it down like water.
In the silence, their eyes met.
Alisha, who had put down her teacup, said lightly.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"I'm not hungry."
Alisha and Reikart had become close in three days.
When Reikart fell asleep, intoxicated by the aftereffects of the pain, Alisha took care of him, and when Alisha, exhausted from guarding his side, fell asleep, Reikart took care of the sleeping Alisha.
Reikart told her about the political situation around Tessen and the clans scattered throughout the continent.
The structure of the clans and the abilities of the clan masters.
The advantages and disadvantages of the clans.
The most effective way to dispose of the clans.
The reason why the clans had no choice but to go through Tessen to enter the Empire.
The artifacts and lost treasures of each clan.
The painting styles most favored by the Imperial family and the behind-the-scenes stories related to their portraits.
The points Alisha should consider when choosing a portrait painter in the future.
Recommended painters.
The characteristics of the Emperor and the direct Imperial family members. Points to be careful of when dealing with them.
Numerous stories surrounding the Imperial Academy.
All the stories he told made Alisha happy.
Alisha reacted most actively to the Imperial Academy's dueling episodes.
Her eyes shone brightly at the stories of the clans' artifacts and lost treasures.
She sometimes stared blankly at one place with a thoughtful gaze at the portrait stories.
And Alisha witnessed Reikart Tessen, whom she had never imagined in her life, flattering her with his whole body.
When he asked with concern if she was okay and if she was in pain.
Reikart held Alisha's hands tightly in both of his and pretended to pray like a devout believer.
But the man had dissed Alisha twice.
Alisha tried not to forget that even as she got closer to him.
Sometimes Alisha stared intently at the man.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because I pity you."
Reikart smiled and faced his arrogant fiancée.
"Yes, I'm pitiful. So don't let go of my hand."
"Your Highness."
"Speak."
Alisha said without taking her eyes off Reikart's face.
"How did you endure ten days alone when you couldn't hold my hand? Isn't there a last resort medicine you take in extreme situations?"
"There isn't."
Alisha's face became serious.
Reikart released the hand he had told her never to let go of and mumbled, "Just a moment."
As soon as he let go of her hand, he felt a surge of pain, and he got up and tightened his eyes.
"Hand…."
"It's okay for a moment. I'm not attacking you."
Reikart confidently spouted nonsense and pulled out a dagger from his waist.
Alisha was taken aback that a patient who had been lying down all day was carrying a knife.
But the absurd thing happened next.
The sharp dagger swirled in the air.
Reikart rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing his left wrist.
The sharp dagger plunged down onto his smooth arm, which had no scars.
"……!"
The sight of him unhesitatingly stabbing his own wrist with a knife was quite grotesque.
But when the stabbed knife was pulled out and the wound healed in an instant, except for the thin stream of blood that welled up, she felt goosebumps.
"You mustn't run away."
Reikart belatedly asked.
"……."
Alisha watched the man put away the knife and said nothing.
She cautiously took the hand that was reaching out to her.
"It's a way to temporarily shake off the pain with greater pain."
Reikart said to her frozen face.
Alisha's expression did not soften easily.
It was amazing that she was still holding his hand.
Her purple eyes stared at Reikart's face, then gazed at his arm, which had no traces.
Her honest gaze was blatant and unreserved.
"The wound……."
Even as she spoke, Alisha was not sure if she was speaking properly.
"I don't know the reason either."
Reikart said carelessly.
I don't know either.
Alisha bit her tongue to swallow the words that were trying to pop out on their own.
"……."
Reikart thought that anyone who saw his condition would ask if he was a demon or a monster.
It seemed like the face in front of him also had a lot of questions to ask.
He expected her to avoid him, be afraid of him, or find him strange, but a questioning gaze looked at him.
Have you ever been to hell?
Alisha tried not to say nonsense.
She shouldn't say anything until her thoughts were organized.
Reikart, who was staring intently at the face that did not take its eyes off him, cleared his throat.
It was an open expression of discomfort.
However, the questioning purple eyes did not back down.
"I'm not a demon. I've never been to hell. It doesn't seem to be contagious."
Reikart smiled slightly as if joking and whispered secretly.
You've never been to hell. I have.
Alisha didn't smile.
She rolled her eyes and subtly looked around.
Suddenly, she felt a little wronged, and the days of hardship came to mind, making her annoyed.
I have.
She had the urge to say it suddenly and surprise the man.
But Alisha desperately held back.
She slowly withdrew her gaze, which had been blatantly looking at Reikart.
It wasn't a good thing, but she felt a little amused that it was also an experience.
How do you know it's not a demon? You don't even know if it's contagious. I used to be like that too. Maybe….
It was a fleeting moment.
A clue of suspicion bloomed in her mind and then scattered like smoke.
Something that was about to suddenly come to mind slowly disappeared.
The direction of her thoughts changed in an instant.
Reikart at this time was a suitable target for attack.
But because he had such unbelievable wound recovery, it was meaningless to attack him.
Even though he was overwhelmed by pain, he was an undefeated warrior and someone who could easily sweep away anyone who approached him for assassination.
