Gelda screamed. She sat Else up and had Mila bring water and a towel. Her stomach turned with nausea. When she covered her mouth, a surprised Gelda brought a basin from somewhere. Else folded her upper body in half and vomited out what she had eaten for dinner.
‘What if I lose Abel too?’
Since she wasn't eating properly, her milk supply would be empty. She asked her aunt to find her a wet nurse, but it wouldn't be possible to find one right away. Moreover, in a rural area like this, it would be even harder to find someone. Still, since Abelard was the son of the King, he had to find a wet nurse who was of noble birth, even if he couldn't find a woman of high noble birth. However, if things continued this way, she might have to find a commoner woman who had given birth and breastfed him.
Else was that weak? If she had known this would happen, she would have asked for a nanny. But Else was a criminal at the time. No matter how much Sybil tried to hide her, the Privy Council was watching her. Even if it was unknown how much of the inside story was known, everyone knew.
To that woman, a maid, a nanny, a knight... What good things did she do? Why should he send her away? Else, who had been complaining for a long time, raised her head. Gelda, who had been holding Else’s long hair together, lightly tied up her hair and put the basin away.
Else stared at the woman who was serving her with quick hands. If she were from Siena, she was probably...
“Did His Majesty send you?”
Gelda, who was accepting the towel from Mila, flinched and stopped. Else stared at her with heavy eyes. There was no way two maids speaking the royal language would come into this countryside. After all, Else was a country noblewoman.
“...How is His Majesty?”
Gelda turned around. Her face was stiff and silent.
“I hope His Majesty gets better soon.”
It was he, not her, who needed to get better. But Else said nothing. She smiled weakly.
The doctor came to the Baron's castle. He was the Baron's personal doctor, an old doctor who had been looking after the Baron and his family for a long time. The doctor examined Else immediately and prescribed some medicine. The cause was a decline in health due to deep sorrow, and it was a sudden death. Gelda and Mila looked at him with suspicion, but Else believed him.
It wasn't that he couldn't read the symptoms. Even if he spoke vaguely, that was the biggest cause. Thinking back on what Else had experienced over the past few months, it was something that would make even a healthy person sick and infirm.
After the doctor left, Else went back to bed. As the doctor had said, her stomach was upset from the heartbreak, so she didn’t eat any greasy food. Gelda brought some soup that was easy on the stomach, thinking about the night before. After eating the soup, she couldn’t sleep, so she stared blankly out the window, and a tall, muscular man was seen beyond the round window.
Else stared at him in surprise. A tall man was pruning the trees in the garden under the autumn sun.
“Sibyl?”
Else jumped up and went to the window. It was Sybil. Sybil was trimming a tree under the hot sun. Her fingertips trembled. Her pale lips quivered, and she ran out of the bedroom.
“Your Highness!”
As she ran down the hallway, she bumped into Gelda, who was bringing medicine and a wet towel. The steaming medicine splashed onto the back of her hand. However, Else paid no attention and started running down the hallway and up the stairs. Before Sibyl disappeared... She had to meet him before he dispersed.
“Sibyl, Sibyl...”
Tears welled up in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Else ran to the window of her bedroom. Her feet, not even wearing shoes, trod on the dirt and sand. Else, out of breath, finally stopped in front of him. The man was trimming the tree without even knowing that Else was behind him.
“Sibyl. Look at me.”
When she, who was catching her breath with her waist folded in half, reached out her hand, he turned around. Else touched the chest of the man who was looking back at her with an innocent face. The man was surprised and avoided her hand, taking two steps back.
“Your Highness. What is this...”
The man who had dropped the garden shears on the floor grabbed her arm as she was about to collapse. Tears fell from his large green eyes. The man’s face hardened in embarrassment. Sharp outlines were blurred on his inexperienced face.
“Sibyl.”
"Yes?"
The fat lips under the blunt nose made a stupid sound. Only then did Else’s vision return. She wiped her wet eyelids with her sleeve and stared at the man. Dark skin and large eyes. Blunt nose and fat lips. He was a man who had no resemblance whatsoever.
Although their physiques and bone structure were somewhat similar, the fleshy body of this man and Sibyl were completely different. Else was surprised and pushed him away. The man who was pushed back looked at her with a bewildered face and clasped his hands together. Else's face turned red in embarrassment.
“Uh, sorry.”
Else, who had apologized out loud, tried to raise her buttocks from the floor. However, it didn’t work as she had intended. The man who had been staring blankly at her tried to help her up. Else was startled and slapped his hand away, which was like a pot lid.
"His Highness!"
Gelda's voice was heard from afar. Else turned her head. Gelda ran up to her with a servant of sturdy build and stood in front of her.
“...I can’t get up.”
At Else's words, Gelda glared at the gardener. The innocent-looking gardener lowered his head in fear at Gelda's gaze.
“The man did nothing wrong. I just misjudged the person...”
“People?”
“That kind of thing happens.”
Else stammered. Gelda stared at her with suspicious eyes. But she didn’t ask any more questions. The servant who had come running with her picked Else up in a hug. He was a man of large stature and thick chest, unusual for a servant. He looked like a knight. Else glanced at his face with her long eyes and turned away.
No show, no contact... Only his people are sent like this to check on Else. Then he must know how she is doing by now. He must also know about the ridiculous things that happened today.
The knight who silently carried her carried Else to the bedroom. Gelda returned to the bedroom and examined her stinging skin. It was the wound from when she had collided with Gelda.
“Why did you do this?”
Gelda, who was examining the back of Else's hand, scolded her with a displeased face. The back of her hand, where the hot medicine had been poured, was red and swollen. Else, who was looking at the reddened flesh as if it had been burned, stared blankly at Gelda. Gelda's face was distorted as if her own hand had been hurt.
“That servant from earlier.”
Gelda looked up. Else thought of his face. It seemed to her like the face she had seen near the bedroom. Perhaps one of Sybil's knights.
“It’s nothing.”
But she didn't say anything. Gelda lowered her gaze again. The cotton soaked in disinfectant touched her skin. It stung and hurt. But the pain couldn't clear her clouded mind. That's because the outline of Sibyl, which had been superimposed on the human face, was fading in the air.
And three days later, in the evening. Abelard was breastfed early. At Else’s request to find a wet nurse, the Baroness said she would try to find one, but it was not easy to find a woman who would be a wet nurse for a young baby Prince in this countryside. Gelda, who was watching her, said she would look into it.
Else was about to say that it was okay, but she left it alone, thinking that nothing was more important to Gelda than finding a woman to breastfeed the Prince. Perhaps it was because she had forced herself to eat. Fortunately, her breasts were not empty like before, so Abelard drank as much as he wanted and laughed heartily.
Else lay down on the bed after putting her young son to bed. Her eyes naturally closed, and her consciousness began to fade. Then she met Sibyl again. This time, he was dressed in royal attire. A man dressed in royal robes and a neatly tied cravat was looking at Else.
She jumped up from the bed and approached him with a bright face. The man was staring at her with heavy eyes, but Else didn’t care. However, as she approached step by step, he moved further away. Else began to walk, watching him as if he were within reach but not yet.
At some point, her forehead began to touch something hard, as if there was a transparent barrier. It was the same when she tried to reach out to touch him. She was blocked by a cold, hard wall and could not approach.
She was afraid that he would disappear without her taking a step.
'Your Highness!'
“Sibyl. Wait. Wait...”
A familiar voice was heard from somewhere. Else called out to him, afraid that he would scatter. A sad whisper flowed through her lips. Someone grabbed her. Else did not want to open her eyes, afraid that the dream would end. However...
"Your Highness!"
It was a man. A man who didn't look like a servant and who had come in pretending to be a servant. Dark blond hair and pale skin. A man who could fly to the King like a swallow and arrive quickly if he wanted to. Else wanted to tell the King to please take her with him.
“Are you okay?”
From afar, the voices of Gelda and Mila were heard. Only then did Else come to her senses and look around. It was a dark hallway. The servants were turning on the lights to turn them off, but it would take time for the hallway to be fully illuminated. The surroundings were noisy, as if the Baron and Baroness had run out because of the commotion.
The hand of the servant who was holding her touched her forehead. Her forehead felt sore and painful for some reason.
‘What if I lose Abel too?’
Since she wasn't eating properly, her milk supply would be empty. She asked her aunt to find her a wet nurse, but it wouldn't be possible to find one right away. Moreover, in a rural area like this, it would be even harder to find someone. Still, since Abelard was the son of the King, he had to find a wet nurse who was of noble birth, even if he couldn't find a woman of high noble birth. However, if things continued this way, she might have to find a commoner woman who had given birth and breastfed him.
Else was that weak? If she had known this would happen, she would have asked for a nanny. But Else was a criminal at the time. No matter how much Sybil tried to hide her, the Privy Council was watching her. Even if it was unknown how much of the inside story was known, everyone knew.
To that woman, a maid, a nanny, a knight... What good things did she do? Why should he send her away? Else, who had been complaining for a long time, raised her head. Gelda, who had been holding Else’s long hair together, lightly tied up her hair and put the basin away.
Else stared at the woman who was serving her with quick hands. If she were from Siena, she was probably...
“Did His Majesty send you?”
Gelda, who was accepting the towel from Mila, flinched and stopped. Else stared at her with heavy eyes. There was no way two maids speaking the royal language would come into this countryside. After all, Else was a country noblewoman.
“...How is His Majesty?”
Gelda turned around. Her face was stiff and silent.
“I hope His Majesty gets better soon.”
It was he, not her, who needed to get better. But Else said nothing. She smiled weakly.
***
The doctor came to the Baron's castle. He was the Baron's personal doctor, an old doctor who had been looking after the Baron and his family for a long time. The doctor examined Else immediately and prescribed some medicine. The cause was a decline in health due to deep sorrow, and it was a sudden death. Gelda and Mila looked at him with suspicion, but Else believed him.
It wasn't that he couldn't read the symptoms. Even if he spoke vaguely, that was the biggest cause. Thinking back on what Else had experienced over the past few months, it was something that would make even a healthy person sick and infirm.
After the doctor left, Else went back to bed. As the doctor had said, her stomach was upset from the heartbreak, so she didn’t eat any greasy food. Gelda brought some soup that was easy on the stomach, thinking about the night before. After eating the soup, she couldn’t sleep, so she stared blankly out the window, and a tall, muscular man was seen beyond the round window.
Else stared at him in surprise. A tall man was pruning the trees in the garden under the autumn sun.
“Sibyl?”
Else jumped up and went to the window. It was Sybil. Sybil was trimming a tree under the hot sun. Her fingertips trembled. Her pale lips quivered, and she ran out of the bedroom.
“Your Highness!”
As she ran down the hallway, she bumped into Gelda, who was bringing medicine and a wet towel. The steaming medicine splashed onto the back of her hand. However, Else paid no attention and started running down the hallway and up the stairs. Before Sibyl disappeared... She had to meet him before he dispersed.
“Sibyl, Sibyl...”
Tears welled up in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Else ran to the window of her bedroom. Her feet, not even wearing shoes, trod on the dirt and sand. Else, out of breath, finally stopped in front of him. The man was trimming the tree without even knowing that Else was behind him.
“Sibyl. Look at me.”
When she, who was catching her breath with her waist folded in half, reached out her hand, he turned around. Else touched the chest of the man who was looking back at her with an innocent face. The man was surprised and avoided her hand, taking two steps back.
“Your Highness. What is this...”
The man who had dropped the garden shears on the floor grabbed her arm as she was about to collapse. Tears fell from his large green eyes. The man’s face hardened in embarrassment. Sharp outlines were blurred on his inexperienced face.
“Sibyl.”
"Yes?"
The fat lips under the blunt nose made a stupid sound. Only then did Else’s vision return. She wiped her wet eyelids with her sleeve and stared at the man. Dark skin and large eyes. Blunt nose and fat lips. He was a man who had no resemblance whatsoever.
Although their physiques and bone structure were somewhat similar, the fleshy body of this man and Sibyl were completely different. Else was surprised and pushed him away. The man who was pushed back looked at her with a bewildered face and clasped his hands together. Else's face turned red in embarrassment.
“Uh, sorry.”
Else, who had apologized out loud, tried to raise her buttocks from the floor. However, it didn’t work as she had intended. The man who had been staring blankly at her tried to help her up. Else was startled and slapped his hand away, which was like a pot lid.
"His Highness!"
Gelda's voice was heard from afar. Else turned her head. Gelda ran up to her with a servant of sturdy build and stood in front of her.
“...I can’t get up.”
At Else's words, Gelda glared at the gardener. The innocent-looking gardener lowered his head in fear at Gelda's gaze.
“The man did nothing wrong. I just misjudged the person...”
“People?”
“That kind of thing happens.”
Else stammered. Gelda stared at her with suspicious eyes. But she didn’t ask any more questions. The servant who had come running with her picked Else up in a hug. He was a man of large stature and thick chest, unusual for a servant. He looked like a knight. Else glanced at his face with her long eyes and turned away.
No show, no contact... Only his people are sent like this to check on Else. Then he must know how she is doing by now. He must also know about the ridiculous things that happened today.
The knight who silently carried her carried Else to the bedroom. Gelda returned to the bedroom and examined her stinging skin. It was the wound from when she had collided with Gelda.
“Why did you do this?”
Gelda, who was examining the back of Else's hand, scolded her with a displeased face. The back of her hand, where the hot medicine had been poured, was red and swollen. Else, who was looking at the reddened flesh as if it had been burned, stared blankly at Gelda. Gelda's face was distorted as if her own hand had been hurt.
“That servant from earlier.”
Gelda looked up. Else thought of his face. It seemed to her like the face she had seen near the bedroom. Perhaps one of Sybil's knights.
“It’s nothing.”
But she didn't say anything. Gelda lowered her gaze again. The cotton soaked in disinfectant touched her skin. It stung and hurt. But the pain couldn't clear her clouded mind. That's because the outline of Sibyl, which had been superimposed on the human face, was fading in the air.
***
And three days later, in the evening. Abelard was breastfed early. At Else’s request to find a wet nurse, the Baroness said she would try to find one, but it was not easy to find a woman who would be a wet nurse for a young baby Prince in this countryside. Gelda, who was watching her, said she would look into it.
Else was about to say that it was okay, but she left it alone, thinking that nothing was more important to Gelda than finding a woman to breastfeed the Prince. Perhaps it was because she had forced herself to eat. Fortunately, her breasts were not empty like before, so Abelard drank as much as he wanted and laughed heartily.
Else lay down on the bed after putting her young son to bed. Her eyes naturally closed, and her consciousness began to fade. Then she met Sibyl again. This time, he was dressed in royal attire. A man dressed in royal robes and a neatly tied cravat was looking at Else.
She jumped up from the bed and approached him with a bright face. The man was staring at her with heavy eyes, but Else didn’t care. However, as she approached step by step, he moved further away. Else began to walk, watching him as if he were within reach but not yet.
At some point, her forehead began to touch something hard, as if there was a transparent barrier. It was the same when she tried to reach out to touch him. She was blocked by a cold, hard wall and could not approach.
She was afraid that he would disappear without her taking a step.
'Your Highness!'
“Sibyl. Wait. Wait...”
A familiar voice was heard from somewhere. Else called out to him, afraid that he would scatter. A sad whisper flowed through her lips. Someone grabbed her. Else did not want to open her eyes, afraid that the dream would end. However...
"Your Highness!"
It was a man. A man who didn't look like a servant and who had come in pretending to be a servant. Dark blond hair and pale skin. A man who could fly to the King like a swallow and arrive quickly if he wanted to. Else wanted to tell the King to please take her with him.
“Are you okay?”
From afar, the voices of Gelda and Mila were heard. Only then did Else come to her senses and look around. It was a dark hallway. The servants were turning on the lights to turn them off, but it would take time for the hallway to be fully illuminated. The surroundings were noisy, as if the Baron and Baroness had run out because of the commotion.
The hand of the servant who was holding her touched her forehead. Her forehead felt sore and painful for some reason.
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