Chapter 21 – The Priest’s Vow

A soft, serene light like that of a candle surrounded them. Celia and Cade recognized the light emanating from Olivia. It was holy power. Ian, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening. Olivia slowly closed her eyes and collapsed onto his chest, as if she had fallen asleep.

“Olivia?”

Celia called her name, but Olivia did not respond. Ian felt his blurry vision gradually becoming clear. There was an oddly complete lack of pain.

“Olivia, wake up…”

Celia gasped as she tried to lift Olivia. Olivia’s dress was turning red with blood from her chest area. Olivia, clutching the blood-stained dagger as she fell, looked as if she had taken her own life. Celia laid Olivia flat and pressed down on her bleeding chest.

“Ian, are you alright?”

“…”

“Ian!”

Ian, prompted by Cade’s urgent voice, touched his own chest in shock. There was nothing. No pain at all. He groped around the spot where he had been stabbed but found no wound.

“Your Majesty. She…”

“Yes. She used holy power. Guards! Remove these and bring a stretcher! Call the physicians and priests!”

The guards moved with precise efficiency under the emperor’s orders. However, the crowd gathered at the entrance made it impossible to exit. Cade shouted in a frustrated voice.

“Open the Emperor’s Door!”

The captain of the guard quickly opened the door himself. This ballroom had two large doors, but only the door connected to the imperial palace was called the Emperor’s Door, as only royalty could pass through it. Guards ran in with stretchers through this door.

Ian, almost in a daze, followed Olivia as she was transferred to the stretcher. Her dress continued to turn red.

He regretted not telling her how beautiful she looked. All he could think of was Olivia’s disappointed face when he had shown his displeasure. Olivia was taken to a nearby room and laid on a bed, looking as if she were merely asleep. Ian couldn’t leave her side.

Screens were set up around the bed, and maids entered to undress Olivia. Her heart was weakly beating, continuing to pump blood from the wound.

Ian stood there dumbfounded, watching the scene. He had been the one stabbed, so why was she lying there?

Someone approached and poured holy water over Olivia’s wound, but a small bottle of holy water was insufficient. The wound, partly healed by the holy water, reopened with each heartbeat.

“We need more holy water. A large amount at once…”

The royal physician, Baron Jodel, was saying something, but Ian could hardly hear him. Cade was urgently ordering the servants to bring all the holy water prepared for the emperor, and Celia was pleading with Baron Jodel to save Olivia, who had taken the knife meant for her. The emperor and empress couldn’t leave the patient’s side, so the nobles gathered outside the door.

Half of the people whispered about the Duke of Keppel being stabbed, while the other half whispered about the Duchess of Keppel taking the blow for the empress.

The emperor’s commands echoed as the old chamberlain ran around with sweat streaming down his face, carrying a chest of holy water. It was clear from the frantic activity that the situation was dire. Amidst this chaos, Adriana arrived.

“Your Majesty.”

Cade quickly spoke upon noticing Adriana.

“Dispense with the formalities.”

Adriana approached without hesitation. When Phillip had ridden up to tell her Ian had been stabbed, it felt like her heart had stopped.

But when she arrived, Ian was standing there, uninjured. Turning her gaze, she saw the tearful empress sitting by the bed, holding a pale, white hand. The ancient duchess’s ring Adriana had placed on Olivia’s hand caught her eye.

“What happened?”

“Olivia took the knife meant for me.”

Adriana did not believe the empress. Her son, Ian, was standing there unscathed, though his chest was stained with blood. His torn clothes attested to the stabbing. Meanwhile, Olivia’s dress, hanging on the partition, showed no sign of damages, though it was drenched in blood as if it had been a red dress all along. Adriana steadied her trembling hands.

“What is her condition, Baron Jodel?”

The royal physician wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and replied.

“She has lost too much blood. While the holy water healed the heart wound, she could die from anemia or dehydration if she does not regain consciousness.”

Olivia, now dressed in a white nightgown, looked pale but peaceful. Adriana spoke with a trembling voice.

“We will return to the Keppel estate.”

“But Dowager Duchess, Olivia hasn’t regained consciousness yet…”

“Please dismiss everyone, Your Majesty. There are too many eyes.”

Cade and Celia exchanged glances. Reluctantly, they nodded in agreement with the dowager duchess’s suggestion.

Celia wanted to stay and take care of Olivia until she woke up, but there were too many eyes and ears in the palace. Moreover, it was understandable to feel unsafe in the place where the attack occurred.

Cade called the chamberlain and ordered the nobles gathered outside to be dispersed. With the emperor’s consideration, the Keppel carriage was brought right up to the entrance. Ian carefully cradled Olivia to keep her steady and got into the carriage.

“There is a priest who knows the heart well. He will come and help,”

Adriana said with unwavering belief. She refused to believe that Olivia would die like this. Olivia was only asleep. When the priest arrived and restored her vitality with divine power, she would wake up. Once they arrived, she quickly ordered the butler to fetch the priest and Lady Hershey. However, even after the priest arrived, Olivia did not wake up.

Ian stood dazed in a corner of Olivia’s bedroom. He had always felt like living in a dream, but this was the first time reality felt so distant.

His wife lay on the bed with a pale face, eyes closed, while his mother cried beside her. Priests came and went several times. Although quite some time had passed, Ian felt as though his mind was frozen, incapable of any thoughts.

It was when his mother, Adriana, was pleading with the priests to send more help that the door was suddenly thrown open, and Lady Hershey stormed in.

“Liv!”

Upon seeing Olivia’s pale face, she turned as white as a sheet, nearly fainting, then pushed through the people to reach the bed. She tried to shake her daughter awake.

“Olivia! Wake up! Mom’s here!”

Ian snapped out of his stupor when Lady Hershey’s figure blocked his view of Olivia. He suddenly felt like he could breathe again, but it was as if he were suffocating. He backed away in fear until his back hit the wall, and his mother, Adriana, had to hold Lady Hershey back.

“Lady Hershey, calm down. Olivia needs to rest!”

“Livia, let’s go home. Come home with Mother…”

“Lady Hershey!”

“Come home with Mother…”

“Olivia is not dead yet. She is not dead! Please let her receive treatment here. Please…”

It took Adriana, the priests, and the maids to pull Lady Hershey away. She collapsed on the floor, sobbing.

“I shouldn’t have sent you here…”

Ian slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. He relived the moment he had been stabbed, the terrifying feeling in his heart, the vivid scream. And then, Olivia appeared as those sensations faded. She looked at him with sad eyes.

At least someone would mourn if he died, he thought. But Olivia did not cry. She simply knelt by his side, smiling softly.

Through his blurred vision, her smile was all he could see. Her gentle touch on his forehead reassured him. He thought it wouldn’t be so bad to die if it meant freeing her. But Olivia quietly murmured.

“My death is not a testament to my love, but to my selfishness, for I desire to be a part of you. Do not spit on my altar or er*ect a tombstone, and I shall find eternal rest.”

Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on Ian. He realized he had spoken Olivia’s words aloud. One of the younger priests spoke up.

“Isn’t that the Priest’s Vow?”

All eyes shifted from Ian to the young priest, who flinched.

“Ah, well… The vow is made in the old language, but that’s the gist of it…”

An older priest admonished the young priest. Ian struggled to understand what the words meant, what Olivia’s prayer had signified. The priests offered quiet condolences to Olivia’s grieving family and left. Adriana escorted them out, pleading for more help.

Left alone with Lady Hershey in Olivia’s bedroom, Ian felt suffocated by her grief. Though still sorrowful, Lady Hershey spoke with a somewhat calmer demeanor.

“Olivia has always been devout. She could wield divine power from a young age.”

Ian tried to stand, feeling he should show respect, but his legs were too weak. Though he had never properly spoken to his mother-in-law, he felt this was not the time to remain seated. He struggled to his feet like a newborn fawn. Lady Hershey ignored him, looking only at Olivia with a sorrowful voice.

“When she recited passages from the scriptures, they came true. Healing wounds, purifying water… I once asked her if she wanted to be a priestess, but she said she read them for fun. She called them beautiful love stories.”

Ian finally managed to stand, but he didn’t know how to offer comfort or apologize. He felt that kneeling and begging wouldn’t suffice.

“Women can’t be priests, and I thought she said that to avoid worrying us. Though she could become a nun… I wanted her to marry into a good family.”

“When she debuted in society and I found out she had a crush on the duke, I was relieved. At least she loved a man, so she wouldn’t become a nun. When my husband died, leaving just me and Olivia…”

Lady Hershey choked back her sobs, her contorted expression revealing her deep pain. Ian felt wretched.

“I arranged a marriage for her despite her reluctance, thinking it was the path to her happiness…”

Lady Hershey swallowed her sobs and took a deep breath as if she had been holding it for a long time. Staring into space, she finally looked directly at Ian.

“When Olivia wakes up, I want her to live as she wishes.”

Her cold expression seemed to tell him he was an obstacle.

“Leave. I want to be alone with my daughter.”

Ian, unable to say a word, left Olivia’s bedroom. He stumbled down the hallway, not knowing where to go, until he found Adriana waiting for him.

The mother and son had a strained relationship. Ian braced himself for her reproach. She loved Olivia dearly, so surely she would have harsh words for him. He resigned himself to the expected scolding. But instead, Adriana embraced him without a word.

Ian broke down like a child.