Why wouldn't it be there?
Although Millea was careful and reserved with her words, Bridget knew of Julian's serious condition without even having to hear it from her mouth.
Having become a hotbed of magi, he seemed no different from the shadow knights he commanded.
Can we really call him human, since he has no life, and instead of breathing he exudes magical energy?
'The shadow curse may have had an effect on his constitution becoming susceptible to magic, but....'
Magi was fundamentally a sign of the misfortune he harbored.
"I was kicked out earlier without even having time to purify his magi, so... I couldn't do anything. Please make room for me to see His Majesty again. I will do my best."
"Yes. So you can meet again."
Millea muttered meaningfully.
If she had been with Julian in the inner chamber for quite some time, why couldn't Bridget have purified him then?
Millea's thoughts, which had been sidetracked for a moment, returned to a moment ago.
What on earth were they doing during that time?
Again her questioning gaze fell on the wound on Bridget's lip.
On that wound, a suspicious scab was newly formed, different from the morning.
"...I will tell you when His Majesty sobers up a bit."
***
"Where is this?"
Julian looked around blankly.
The place he stood was the main hall of the blood-stained palace.
From the entrance of the hall to the throne room, the blood of many people dyed the floor red.
Julian walked towards the throne, stepping over the corpses and rolling around at his feet without much emotion.
He stepped on Josephine's body, and also on the body of his half-brother who had been sitting on the throne just a moment ago.
He fell down on the throne he had touched.
As he slapped away the crown that was hanging precariously on the armrest as if it were an annoyance, the beautiful crown that symbolized the King's glory fell limply and rolled on the floor.
'I thought it would be relaxing.'
Not really. That was driving him crazy.
What is this empty feeling?
'I feel like I lost something."
When he realized that, his heart suddenly sank. Julian looked up and looked around.
He lost something. He lost the most important thing somewhere.
He thought it was a throne, but when he sat down, he realized it wasn't.
'Where did it go? I have to find it."
He got up from the throne and ran around in a hurry.
'What did I lose? What was it?"
His breathing became rapid and tears welled up in his eyes.
'I have to find it. I can't do without it."
What could be the one thing I couldn't live without?
He doesn't know, but the thought of losing it breaks his heart.
"Please..."
Julian felt suffocated and anxious. He wandered around like a madman, howling and throwing tantrums.
Then it finally occurred to him.
Bridget.
"OMG!"
Julian gasped and jumped out of bed.
Before he knew it, the background had changed to a bedroom.
No, was it a bedroom from the beginning?
Because he slept so lightly, the boundary between reality and dreams was ambiguous.
"Ha... Which time is this?"
When he realized that it was a dream... He felt a sense of emptiness.
Julian clutched his still throbbing chest and collapsed back down on his bed.
"The woman who sold me out to be like a living being and said she would kill me."
She was a woman worth killing. She drove him to his death. There was ample justification for punishment.
But instead of killing her, he rescued her and brought her to his bedroom.
'So don't have dreams like this again.'
It was a time when Julian was laughing at himself, thinking how upset it would be if the people who died by his hand found out that he was such an indecisive person.
"Your Majesty, I will go in."
After a short knock, Millea's voice was heard.
As always, she entered Julian's bedroom without expecting an answer.
"You're awake. You're making a sound. The sun is already high in the sky. You should eat."
Millea placed the tray of food on the table and pulled back the curtain.
The dark room suddenly became bright.
"Millea, you're dazzling."
As Julian frowned and turned his head, Millea pushed a tray in front of him.
"Eat it. I made it myself."
Because Julian did not trust cooks, Millea cooked his meals herself.
The nobles learned to paint or hunt, but they did not learn to cook, Millea learned to cook solely for Julian.
"I don't have an appetite at this hour."
"It's not like you have time to eat. Please eat quickly. If I can't even feed Your Majesty, then there's no reason for me to be here."
It was a subtle threat that if he didn't eat, she would quit her job as a maid and leave.
Julian forced himself up, his body as heavy as a boulder, and picked up the dishes.
"Eat it all. I even cooked one side of the chickpeas myself for Your Majesty."
"..."
Millea watched Julian chew and swallow his food with a stern face.
"You don't run to your son these days."
For the past month or so, Millea has been packing lunch and dinner for Julian and rushing back to her parents' house, only to return in the morning. With sons dying at home and in the palace, Millea's daily life has been very hectic lately.
Julian spoke bluntly as if he was rebuking Millea, but Millea easily understood that he was asking about Eric's well-being.
"Eric has improved a lot. He's doing fine, but he still has the occasional out of screaming and panic attacks, but he's coping much better than before. He doesn't need me. He's a grown man who can take care of himself."
There was a bone in that last remark. Julian snorted.
"What kind of child is this who is paralyzed by the fear of death?"
She wanted to say that it wasn't because she was a child that she was afraid of death, but because she was human, but Millea didn't say anything.
That statement could be heard as saying that Julian, who does not fear death, is a monster.
"As I told you last time, it's thanks to Bridget that Eric has become better."
Julian's hand holding the utensil stopped.
The crushed chickpeas in his mouth felt rough like sand.
"Isn't it because you brought Bridget here that you find her abilities interesting?"
"..."
No. bringing Bridget here was an accident.
An accident happened while he was watching over Millea, who was loitering around her, out of curiosity.
He didn't keep her alive to be some bastard's puppet.
How dare he kill a woman who was barely breathing thanks to the mercy he bestowed, a woman he had generously sent away.
Julian simply could not allow his mercy and generosity to be trampled upon.
"Call her and order her to cleanse you of the impurities that cling to you, Your Majesty. You almost always have nightmares."
Julian chuckled.
"Who is responsible for having nightmares?"
"Yes."
"Eric isn't better yet. If her powers were effective, he should have better by now."
"Bridget said that the remaining symptoms would just take care of themselves over time. It helped him get through a big crisis, so that alone..."
"What should I do? I don't have much time."
Julian got out of bed, pushing aside the half-eaten food as if he had lost his appetite.
He reached for the alcohol and drank it as if it were his habit.
Only he and his close aide Milea, knew best that he did not have much time left to live.
"Will I see any results when I get into the coffin?"
"Your Majesty."
"How reassuring. I will sleep well in the grave._
After much fussing, he motioned for Millea to leave.
"Leave me alone."
He had a cold expression.
Millea sighed inwardly, tense at his emotional ups and downs. She reproached herself for saying something unnecessary.
"I misspoke, Your Majesty."
"Yes, then get out."
"I'll come and clean up the dishes later."
Millea paused as she was about to go out, then added a few more earnest words.
"I know for myself that Bridget's abilities are great. If you know how much I care about her, please consider it just once before she goes away."
Julian, who had been turning around to look at the window, stopped and looked at Millea.
"That girl is going back? Where? Why?"
Why? Up until 'Where?' it was natural, but 'Why?' was unnatural.
Indeed, there were more than a few unnatural things, such as the way Bridget was brought to the palace and the bloodstain on the corner of her mouth.
"As I said, as soon as she recovers, she will return to Winston Manor. That is her home."
"She's still going to go back to that guy after all that?"
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