Translator: Nox

Chapter 50

Episode 47

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Grace's condition was bad even from a distance. But when Jessie stood beside her, she realized that Grace's condition was beyond bad, it was serious. As Eliza left the hall, Jessie grabbed Grace's arm. The body temperature felt through the damp clothes was abnormally high.

"Miss, this won't do. Let's go back now."

Grace also thought that standing any longer was impossible. It wasn't easy to keep her balance as if she were standing on undulating ground, and she was unbearably cold.

Grace nodded slightly and turned her body in the direction of Ares. Even with that small movement, the world swayed as if water was pooling in her head. With a movement close to unconsciousness, Grace bowed and began to walk towards the main door of the hall, trying not to stagger.

She felt the aftermath of the underground dungeon rushing in like a burst dam.

As she stepped out of the main door of the hall, a chill she had never experienced before enveloped her entire body. Every time the wind swept over her body, it felt like dozens of knives were cutting into her.

"Mi...ss... Are... you... al...right..."

Jessie's voice stretched out long and sounded distant.

Muttering that she was fine and to just go, she tried to take another step when a large, solid form crashed into her. Before she could even realize what was happening, his face came into Grace's blurry vision.

Ares held Grace in his arms and stared down at her, and Grace also stared blankly up at him. Even as the world swayed back and forth, his jet-black eyes were clearly visible.

The time she was imprisoned was only a few days, but it felt like years to Grace.

She had to witness the deaths of her mother and father hundreds, thousands of times. The smell, humidity, temperature of that day, the tears flowing down her cheeks, and even the small hands she had to use to cover her mouth.

Everything was so vivid that at some point she even forgot that it was an illusion. Forgetting that this was just part of the plan and that she only had to endure for a few days, she simply floundered in unbearable despair and sorrow.

In that terrible illusion, what Grace clung to and endured was, once again, this man with the jet-black eyes.

Ares, Ares Dekan.

She called his name hundreds, thousands of times, just like she did when she was a child.

But, it seemed that there was something different this time. It seemed that there was something that grabbed her every time she was about to lose her mind, when she would rather go crazy.

A large form wrapped around her back, warmth, a hand stroking her hair...

And,

'Ares...'

To her empty call,

'I'm here.'

It seemed that an answer had returned.

"Grace."

Ares watched until the clear eyes disappeared behind her eyelids. As soon as her eyes closed, her body went limp. The body temperature felt through her clothes was incomparably hotter than it had been the previous evening.

"Miss!"

"Stop."

Ares stopped the fidgeting Jessie and walked as if nothing had happened.

"Bring a trustworthy doctor within an hour. A man named Eric, he's been within Richmond until now, so you should be able to do that much."

But unlike his seemingly heartless gestures, his tone was clear and quick, like a general commanding a war.

"Yes, sir."

"I'll send someone to the northwest gate, so have him come there."

"Yes, Your Excellency. ...Please take care of the Miss."

Ares quickly walked away as if he didn't even have time to answer.

＊ ＊ ＊

Eliza slowly walked along the castle, where autumn was in full swing. When she was in the detached palace, it was difficult even to get out of bed, but she didn't know where the strength was coming from, her body didn't feel heavy.

"Shall we go back to the detached palace?"

Mrs. Isaac, who was following beside her, asked cautiously, and Eliza slowly shook her head.

"Now that there's nothing to hide, and no reason to hide, why would I go there?"

The oak tree in the courtyard was still there, and the thick pillars of the corridor were still the same. There was no place in the castle that didn't have her life melted into it.

She slowly looked around the castle and was about to climb the magnificent landing of the Main Castle.

An unusual presence and heavy footsteps were heard from behind. When Eliza and Mrs. Isaac simultaneously looked down below the landing, Ares, holding Grace in his arms, was already climbing the stairs.

Mrs. Isaac gasped in surprise, but Eliza clicked her tongue as if she expected it and ordered.

"Arwen, call a doctor."

"Yes, Grand Duchess. But the doctor who resides in the castle is the Marchioness's cousin, so I will send someone outside the castle. It will take some time."

"Just bring a fever reducer for now and send someone to the northwest gate. Grace's maid said she would bring a doctor there."

Ares threw out the words abruptly as if he didn't have time to stop walking and went straight up the stairs. Eliza also gestured as if to tell her to do as he said and went up the stairs.

The two looked so much alike that they could be believed to be blood-related grandchildren, and Mrs. Isaac muttered that blood was thicker than water and hurried down the stairs.

Meanwhile, the servants who were tidying up the hallway where the Duke's bedroom was located were surprised once by the Duke who appeared with a fearsome momentum, and again by the woman who was limp in his arms.

"Open the bedroom door."

They quickly opened the bedroom door at the Duke's cold command, and Ares, holding Grace, walked straight towards the bed.

One quick-witted maid ran ahead of the Duke and pulled back the blanket, and Ares laid Grace on the white bedding. When the maid quickly tried to cover her with the blanket, he stopped her hand and quickly ordered.

"Draw lukewarm water in the bathtub, and call four maids to help with the bath. Bring washcloths and comfortable clothes, and raise the temperature in the room higher than this."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

At that time, Eliza, who had followed Ares, who had gone ahead, entered the room. Ares, standing blankly and watching Grace, came into her eyes. Eliza's eyes reflexively narrowed. Then, when the maid who had received the Duke's order went outside, she walked to the bed and placed her hand on Grace's forehead.

"Her body is burning. Well, she endured three days in that terrible room."

"......"

Eliza got up and glanced at Ares. He still only had Grace in his eyes. Eliza tilted her head. It was because his expression and actions didn't match. His eyes and expression seemed heartless at first glance, but his actions seemed to be tinged with impatience for some reason.

But when Ares, who felt her gaze, raised his eyes, Eliza realized that what covered his black eyes was not heartlessness, but a very thin layer of ice. Even Eliza Richmond didn't dare to look into what was hidden beneath the thin layer of ice covering the unfathomably dark water.

While she was at a loss for words, Ares opened his mouth.

"Have you slept well?"

"I'll have to sleep in a coffin for the rest of my sleep, won't I?"

"How was it to see Richmond's wide yard after a long time? Did you see the well-kept garden?"

It was a very figurative and bony remark.

"...Many weeds have grown. It's largely the fault of the garden owner who left the land unattended and only slept."

Eliza took a long breath and said quietly.

"Thank you. For not setting fire to the garden because weeds grew."

Ares glanced down at the sleeping Grace. Grace was shivering, curling up as if she was too cold even in her unconsciousness. Ares reflexively grabbed the blanket in his hand, then put it back down.

"When the fever reducer comes,"

"I'll take care of it myself without you telling me, so leave now."

Eliza also hated unnecessarily long words. She cut off Ares's words in one stroke and shouted sharply towards the outside.

"Isn't the washcloth ready yet?!"

"Yes, yes! It's ready, Grand Duchess!"

"Move quickly. Come here and undress the Princess... Are you still standing there without leaving?! Do I have to push you out?!"

Ares turned around, as if he didn't want to see such an uncouth gesture.

"Where on earth did you learn such uncultured movements!"

She heard nagging behind her, but she listened to it with one ear and let it out with the other. And he went straight to the underground prison. As soon as he entered the basement, he felt the cold and damp air sticking to his whole body like a magnet. Joseph, who had seized control of the underground forces, greeted him with a disciplined gesture.

"I've locked them up in separate cells, Your Excellency."

"Good job."

At that time, a frantic cry echoed from somewhere.

"Hwaaaaa, uwaaaaa."

The knight who had stepped aside and was standing there vaguely realized that the cry was the voice of his superior, Count Lewen. His hair stood on end, and when he rolled his eyes to look at the Duke, Ares was sitting in the Judge's chair that the Marchioness had usurped a few days ago.

With his elbows on his knees, he was immersed in thought, like a god of war pondering what punishment to give to the loser. At that time, the sound of banging and shaking the iron door was heard loudly.

"Let me out, let me out, please!! Fire, fire!! It's dark, uh, ugh!!"

Ares slowly raised his eyes and stared at a dark hole. It was the entrance to the stairs leading to the dungeon where Grace had been imprisoned.

Thoughts popped up again before he could even grasp them. Her body, which had been so cold that she was afraid of dying, was as hot as a fire today. Ares clenched and unclenched his palm, which still felt hot, and muttered bitterly.

"How long has it been since she was locked up that she's crying and screaming."

He pressed his eyelids hard with his fingers. His eyes were stiff because he hadn't slept for the past three days. Ares roughly swept his face with his hand and straightened his back and said.

"I will interrogate them one by one."

"Who should I bring first?"

"Bring 'Metal Foot' first."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Just as the south wind suddenly turns into a north wind one day, the air currents circulating in the Duke's castle changed. No, it wasn't just the air currents that changed, it felt like a storm was about to hit.

The soldiers cowered, unable to even guess the scale of the storm, or whether anything would be left after the storm passed.