45: Aella Wakes Up

Thump, thump, thump, thump—!

‘My heart… why does my body feel so heavy…?!’

Kael’s eyes suddenly flew open, and what he saw was a familiar ceiling. Turning his head quickly, he saw Aella lying next to him, breathing softly as she slept.

Kael shot up from his bed and gently touched Aella’s cheek.

“It’s warm… there’s warmth… I can feel it! Ah, Ella!”

As he caressed her cheek, Kael then pressed his ear to her chest.

Thump, thump, thump!

“Ah… Ella… El… sob… Ella!”

Holding Aella’s body tightly, Kael sobbed uncontrollably. Then, the door suddenly swung open, and people entered.

“Your Grace!”

“Matteo.”

“I thought… I thought neither of you would ever wake up… sob!”

Kael was puzzled as he looked at Matteo and the others standing behind him, all with gaunt faces.

“I wasn’t in the Middle Realm for long…”

“You’ve been unconscious for a month! A whole month!”

“!”

Kael couldn’t believe Matteo’s words. Waking up after an entire month? It didn’t seem possible.

“Your Grace! What about the madam?!”

“She’s warm. Her heart is beating.”

“Oh! Your Grace!”

Kina rushed over, gently stroking Aella’s cheek and pressing her ear to Aella’s chest. She then burst into tears, shouting that the madam was alive.

“Kina, don’t cry too much. You’ll make yourself sick.”

“Sob… sob… Ian… the duchess is breathing. Her body, which was always cold, is warm now, and her heart, which had stopped, is beating again. Ian!”

“Yes, both the duchess and His Grace have come back to life.”

Kina, sobbing in Ian’s arms, bowed her head to Kael, who was sitting on the bed.

“Your Grace… sob… thank you for saving the duchess. Truly… I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life.”

“Kina…”

“Sob… Your Grace, please forgive my past rudeness. Sob!”

Kael stood up and walked over to Kina, who was covering her face with her hands as she cried. He gently patted her shoulder.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing. Kina, I’ll make sure your wedding to Ian is grand…”

“When the duchess wakes up… sob… when she wakes up.”

“Yes, Kina. Please stay by Ella’s side.”

“Of course!”

As Kina approached the bed, Kael patted Ian on the shoulder as their eyes met and then stepped outside.

“Has anything happened while I was unconscious?”

“Nothing significant so far, but…”

“Has there been any trouble at the palace?”

“Well… sigh, a strange illness has been spreading recently, and people are dying from it…”

“!”

“Those who have died include people who condemned the saintess who was exiled for breaking the taboo… the dark sorceress. The illness started with her parents and family, and now everyone is terrified, saying her curse has begun. His Majesty the Emperor seems to be deeply troubled by this situation.”

“Ha…”

Kael ran a hand through his hair as he walked toward his office, where a pile of letters awaited him.

“What are those letters?”

“They’re addressed to the duchess, sent by Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

“…I see.”

Sitting at his desk, Kael’s expression turned serious as he fell into thought.

‘The dark sorceress… her name was Letia, wasn’t it? That woman who couldn’t ignore anyone in need… how did she end up like this…?’

Kael recalled the saintess Letia, who had once been more revered by the people than the emperor himself. She had been worshipped almost as a living god by nobles and commoners alike. However, her downfall began when she broke the forbidden law to resurrect her lover, who had died from an unknown illness. As a result, she lost her position as a saintess.

Branded as a traitor to the gods, she was abandoned even by her family. Whenever she appeared in public, she was pelted with stones and raw eggs. Despite once being a saintess who dedicated herself to the people, there were still those who pitied her.

Among them was Aella.

[The saintess is so pitiful. She broke the taboo, but it was for the one she loved… If I were her, I would’ve done the same.]

Recalling Aella’s tearful words, Kael furrowed his brow.

“Because of that woman, Aella lost her grandfather… and even herself! Sigh. I must meet with His Majesty. Perhaps Her Majesty the Empress knows where that woman is hiding.”

As Kael tried to stand, dizziness overtook him, and he sank back into his chair.

“D*mn… my body is still weak after a month. More than that…”

Growl—

Overwhelmed by hunger, Kael headed to the dining room. He ordered soup and bread from the chef, who teared up with joy upon seeing him.

“Your Grace.”

“Has Ella woken up?”

When Matteo shook his head, Kael let out a deep sigh.

‘Ella must be hungry too.’

Stirring his soup, Kael took a sip and suddenly paused.

‘This soup…’

It was the same soup his mother used to make for him whenever he had a fever. Thinking of his parents, whom he had met in the Middle Realm, Kael’s eyes grew moist.

“Your Grace? Does it not suit your taste?”

“…Matteo.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know who I met in the Middle Realm?”

“Who did you meet?”

“I saw my late mother and father.”

“!”

“They still looked so happy together. I also met my mother-in-law and Aella’s grandfather.”

Kael nodded as he spoke, watching Matteo’s incredulous expression before letting out a chuckle and finishing his meal.

“I’ll be back soon, so take good care of Ella.”

“Of course, Your Grace. Would you like to take a carriage? Or perhaps ride with Ian?”

“…Matteo, bring the carriage.”

“Yes!”

When the carriage arrived, Kael took a step forward.

‘I’m no longer afraid of carriages. I’m not afraid anymore. I…!’

As Kael boarded the carriage, he smiled warmly at Matteo, who was watching him with wide eyes.

“I’ll be back.”

“Safe travels, Your Grace.”

As the door closed, Kael leaned back and closed his eyes as the coachman’s voice signaled their departure.

“Finally… I’m free from that nightmare. Ella… now I can ride a carriage with you and go anywhere. Anywhere with you, Ella… When I return home, I hope you’ll greet me with a smile. Honestly… I’m such a shameless man.”

Kael reflected on his actions after learning the truth about his father’s death. Among the memories that haunted him the most was the time he had ignored Aella, who had fainted after watching him tear apart the dress her late mother had left her.

“You bastard…”

Clenching his fists tightly, Kael punched himself in the face before slumping back and staring at the ceiling.

“Ella… from now on, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy. So… please wake up. Please…”

Tears welled up in Kael’s eyes, and they trickled down his cheeks as he fervently prayed.

—

For the past month, Elena had sent letters daily to the Duchess of Hormons and prayed for her recovery every morning and evening. Hearing that the Duke of Hormons was meeting with the emperor, she rushed out of her residence.

“Your Highness! Please slow down!”

Ignoring Azet’s voice behind her, Elena ran until she finally stood before the Duke of Hormons.

“Your Grace!”

“I greet Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

“Huff… Is… is Aella awake?”

“She has not yet…”

“Oh…”

As Elena nearly collapsed from exhaustion, Kael supported her by the waist and helped her stand.

“Your Highness, thank you for your concern and for sending letters for the past month.”

“…Your Grace, please don’t hate or resent her anymore. She… she loves you! Sob.”

Kael placed a hand over his chest, bowed his head, and then raised it again.

“I no longer hate or resent my wife.”

“Oh…”

“I swear to love her sincerely from now on.”

“Thank you… truly, thank you, Your Grace.”

Seeing the genuine joy on the Crown Princess’s face, Kael felt he finally understood why Aella cared so deeply for her.

“Your Highness.”

“…Yes?”

“Aella wishes for your happiness as much as you wish for hers.”

“Your Grace…”

“When my wife wakes, I will inform you immediately.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

After parting with the Crown Princess, Kael headed to the empress’s garden.

“I greet Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Duke!”

After exchanging pleasantries, Kael briefly recounted his experience in the Middle Realm and revealed the true reason for his visit.

“I, too, wish to find that woman’s hiding place… but she’s impossible to locate.”

“I see…”

“But I do know this.”

“…?”

Meeting the empress’s serious gaze, Kael spoke.

“Her final target is likely His Majesty the Emperor.”

“…!”

“She won’t harm His Majesty directly.”

“What do you mean?”

The empress explained that Letia, the saintess who had fallen to become a dark sorceress, had been abandoned even by the lover she had resurrected. She began her revenge, and just last night, the entire family of her former lover, Ramios, had died from an unknown illness in the most gruesome way.

“Then… that man…”

“No, he is still alive.”

“!”

“But he’s as good as dead. Watching his entire family die before his eyes… I hear he’s half-mad now, wandering around with a vacant smile.”

As the empress rubbed her forehead, Kael fell silent in thought before speaking again.

“Do you think her target is not His Majesty but the Crown Prince?”

“Most likely. Even if the emperor is ruthless, seeing his child suffer horribly…”

Unable to finish her sentence, the empress trailed off. Bowing deeply, Kael declared:

“I will protect His Majesty, the Crown Prince, and your family, including Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

“Duke of Hormons… thank you, truly.”

Leaving the tearful empress behind, Kael boarded his carriage.

“Letia… once I deal with her, Aella and I…”

Clenching his fists tightly, Kael resolved:

“To prevent further sacrifices… to protect my happiness with Aella, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Upon returning to the duchy, Kael went straight to Aella’s room.

“Ella…”

He gently stroked Aella’s cheek as she lay motionless in bed.

“I’ll wait until you wake up. Ella, I love you.”

Just as he kissed her cheek and raised his head, Kael saw Aella’s eyes slowly open.

“Ella!”

Kael’s loud cry of joy brought everyone rushing into the room.

“Your Grace!”

Meow!

Kael felt something was off. Sitting up in bed, Aella looked at Kina, who was holding the crying Charlotte, and wore an unfamiliar expression.

“Who… are you?”

At Aella’s words, the room fell into stunned silence.