Arkan nodded and agreed with the Princess’s opinion.
“But fortunately, the King of Blatcherd is not such a fool. He has the brain to judge what is right, so there is plenty of room for persuasion.”
The Princess answered.
“I just hope that all your efforts so far will not be in vain. Since we are on the same boat as Vetor, your well-being will be my father’s well-being, and Vetor’s peace will be connected to the peace of the duchy.”
“I will do my best.”
A smile appeared on the face of the Princess of Limepale.
For a moment, the Princess, who had been quietly drinking her share of tea, asked Arkan, furtively observing his expression.
“Her Majesty, have she been...?”
Arkan’s expression quickly darkened.
When he nodded, the Princess lowered her eyes as if she was truly sorry, and put down her cup.
Arkan said,
“I made medicine using apples, but I’m not sure if it will work.”
Princess Limepale nodded. However, her expression was not bright.
“It is widely known in the duchy that yellow apples are good for fever and lungs. However, I have never heard of it being helpful for someone who has lost consciousness.”
“I know. However, even if it doesn’t help, even if it’s not certain... Isn’t it better than doing nothing? Also, even if the Queen doesn’t wake up, I will never forget the sincerity and kindness shown by the duchy.”
A bitter smile lingered on the Princess’s lips.
“I didn’t mean it that way, but thank you.”
She had an honest and straightforward personality. She could have been sly if she wanted to, but unless she did, her emotions and thoughts were revealed just by looking at her expression.
Arkan could tell that Princess Limepale was truly worried about Erdene’s condition, and he felt grateful for her kindness.
The Princess, who had set down her glass with a thud, said,
“I hope Her Majesty gets well soon. I have told you everything I wanted to say, so I should go back and go to sleep. The bedroom is so comfortable that I usually can’t sleep until dawn, but these days, I fall asleep as soon as I put my head down.”
Only then did a faint smile appear on Arkan’s lips.
“That’s fortunate. Please have a comfortable night.”
“I hope Your Majesty will do the same.”
After Princess Limepale left, Arkan sat alone for a while, facing the empty seat.
The Duchy of Stradhog grabbed Vetor’s hand... It was definitely a welcome development, but his mind became doubly complicated.
The duchy’s declaration that they would stand on Vetor’s side was proof that the alliance of the seven inland countries was on the verge of collapse.
Now Arkan had to think hard and think hard.
He had to keep in mind that there might be a war or riot in the inland, and he had to find a way to sow discord between Kensilom, Etonhorn, and Vinotin, who had already joined hands firmly.
'My head hurts.'
Arkan muttered to himself, covering his forehead.
He sat still for a while with his shoulders hunched, then suddenly got up and headed toward the Queen's palace. He had been lost in thought the whole time he was walking, but his mind went blank when he saw Sophia coming out of the bedroom door.
What was he expecting? Arkan thought.
He must have thought that Erdene, who had awakened without realizing it, would greet him.
Otherwise, he would not have felt such great disappointment upon seeing Sophia.
"Are you here, Your Majesty?"
"...The Queen."
Sophia shook her head slowly. Her heart sank.
Arkan tried to control his expression, but he couldn't hide his sigh.
As if to comfort him, Sophia said,
"She took the medicine my mother made twice. The palace doctor diagnosed and said that her pulse had stabilized and her breathing had become much more even. Her complexion also seemed to have returned somewhat. In this case...”
“That’s enough.”
Arkan cut her off. Sophia pursed her lips without much objection or a hint of resentment.
She knew the truth. That it was nothing more than empty consolation for Arkan.
The palace doctor’s diagnosis had not been fabricated, but what good would it do even if it were?
Erdene was still unconscious.
“What about your mother?”
Sophia lowered her gaze slightly.
“My mother has returned to the Marquis’ residence. She said that the medicine would be less effective if prepared in advance, so she decided to come back tomorrow morning.”
Arkan nodded.
“You should go home today. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen your mother, so I guess you two have something to talk about. Tell her my gratitude for making the medicine for the Queen.”
“Thank you for your consideration. I’ll definitely convey His Majesty’s words.”
Sophia went back to her bedroom, tidied up her bedding one last time, took a quick look at Arkan, and left the palace.
However, Arkan stood in the living room for a while after Sophia left, unable to make up his mind to go to his bedroom.
It felt like ten years had passed since he’d heard Erdene’s voice or talked to him.
He couldn’t believe that she had only been unconscious for five days.
Finally, he carefully placed his hand on the doorknob, but Arkan’s movements stopped again.
It’s been five days now, so how much longer could Erdene sleep like this? She’s neither alive nor dead.
Could she really have an autumn fever? What if it’s some unknown, fatal disease that has no cure?
If Erdene were to leave like this if she were to leave without giving him a chance to say goodbye or apologize, would he be able to endure the rest of the time? Would he be able to forget his regrets?
'I can't.'
Arkan admitted calmly.
If something irreparable happened to Erdene, he would never be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.
When he opened the bedroom door, a faint fragrance and the smell of medicine came out.
Thanks to Sophia, Sabnake, Anne, and the other maids who took turns working hard, there was no foul smell that usually comes from a sick person's room.
So Erdene looked as if she was in a deep sleep.
If he were to shake her awake, she would open her eyes dimly, feeling slightly irritated.
Arkan looked down at her face in the candlelight. With her eyes closed, she looked peaceful.
There was no trace of her fierce spirit or unforgiving air. That made Arkan even sadder.
The line of her face had become slightly thinner in the meantime.
Arkan, sitting quietly next to Erdene, let out a deep sigh.
“...I had a lot of annoying things today.”
No one answered, but Arkan took advantage of the silence and told a long story about the day.
From the trivial story of something he didn’t like being served for lunch to the story of how the administrator sent a bug that caused a pestilence and it was so disgusting that he almost threw up, he told a lot of good stories. However, even those stories gradually lost their power.
Arkan, who was talking about the newly appointed archivist, Viscount Kellerhan, suddenly let out a deep sigh and rubbed his face as if he were washing his face.
“...What good is all this talk?”
A sharp silence returned. Arkan let out a hollow laugh and touched his forehead.
“I think the alliance in the interior is about to fall apart. For so long... I guess the only reason it was able to be so solid was because there was one enemy. There was no such thing as a God in the first place. I was the only one who believed that. Foolishly.”
If the cracks in the Inland Alliance were not easily blocked, the consequences would be even more dire than Hirschsten’s frequent invasions.
It was obvious.
The seven countries knew each other’s circumstances as clearly as the back of their hands.
They knew what their weaknesses were and what their strengths were.
In such a situation, if a war broke out, the ones who would suffer the most were the helpless. The weak and innocent people.
“I am astonished and angry that the one who forcibly took away your... future and tried to secure it as collateral was so weak. In the end, the peace I was trying to achieve... an unbreakable peace, I guess, was just a pipe dream. I thought it would be okay for a few years, but it’s so shocking that it’s collapsed so quickly. If you were awake, you would have humiliated that?”
Then, Arkan looked back at Erdene as if she really wanted to humiliate him.
However, Erdene still had her eyes closed and was silent.
Arkan turned his head and muttered again as if he was talking to himself.
“...If I can give it back, I would. Your... life. Of course, if you become the Emperor of Hirschsten, we, I... will have a headache. We will have to fight an endless battle against someone like you. I cannot bow down to the Empire, so I will also face you on the battlefield. That... will not be very pleasant, to be honest. But I think I would like to do it. Now, at this point.”
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