Chapter 23 – You All Got Along Fine Without Me.

Why?

This was the first question that arose as soon as I woke up.

Why is Ian Keppel lying next to me?

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even breathe, and my vision blurred as I exhaled sharply. I tried to get up urgently, but it didn’t go well. Just managing to lift my upper body left me breathless.

“Merciful… Goddess. Save me.”

I recited the prayer I always said when I was in pain, but nothing happened. What was going on? I felt an inexplicable emptiness. I realized I was wearing only a thin muslin nightgown with nothing underneath. Lifting the blanket, I saw a thick cloth between my legs. Embarrassment made my face flush.

I needed to get out of here. As I struggled to lift my heavy body, I saw Ian’s eyelids flutter. Oh no, he’s waking up. Panicking, I hurriedly tried to get out of bed but my body tilted and everything went black.

“Liv?”

The darkness engulfed me, leaving me unable to sense up or down. All I could hear was Ian’s urgent voice.

“Liv!”

Terrified, I grabbed onto something solid. It was a strong arm. Ian was holding me. Forgetting my embarrassment, I instinctively clung to him. As my vision gradually returned, I slowly let go. Ian seemed to have laid me back on the bed. Our eyes met. He looked down at me, murmuring with a dazed expression.

“Is this another dream?”

“Ian?”

As soon as I called his name with my cracked voice, he embraced me.

“This isn’t a dream, right?”

Startled by his tearful voice, I froze.

“I missed you, Liv.”

Something warm started to wet my neck. Held in Ian’s arms, I finally recalled what had happened. Ian had been stabbed in place of Celia, and I had used holy power. Judging by my condition, I must have been asleep for a long time. Realizing I was alive, I sighed. So this tiring life would continue again.

“Ian…”

I pushed him away as he cried. He obediently moved back, looking at me with tear-soaked eyes. It was bewildering why he was acting like this all of a sudden, but I didn’t have the energy to be surprised. Avoiding his gaze, I awkwardly spoke.

“Please call Jane.”

Ian seemed overjoyed that I was awake, but I still felt uncomfortable with him. We weren’t close enough to be embracing while I was in just a thin muslin nightgown, not to mention I probably smelled awful. I urged Ian, who was sitting stupidly on my bed.

“Hurry.”

Ian pulled the bell cord for me. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

“Jane?”

As I called for Jane, the door suddenly burst open, and Jane entered.

“My lady?”

Seeing me, Jane looked astonished, then tears welled up as she rushed to me.

“My lady!”

Jane hugged me tightly. Ian awkwardly stood up and stepped aside for Jane. Ignoring him, I embraced Jane and patted her back.

“I’m sorry. You must have been worried.”

“Sniff, my lady…”

Jane was probably the one who suffered the most while I was unconscious, and likely worried about me next to my mother. I held the sobbing Jane tightly.

“Have I been asleep for long?”

“It’s… it’s July now…”

What? I was shocked. The Imperial New Year’s Ball was in March, so four months had passed in the blink of an eye. Had I really slept that long? Holding the weeping Jane, I looked at Ian. His eyes were still wet. Goodness. I never thought I’d see Ian Keppel cry. It was unbearably awkward.

“I’ll call everyone, Liv. They’ve all been waiting a long time.”

Sure… but why are you calling me that? Hearing him use my nickname felt so strange. Soon, Ian went outside and shortly after, Benjamin came running in.

“Liv!”

Following him, my mother, mother-in-law, an unfamiliar girl, and then Ian entered, crowding the bedroom.

“Liv, you… you’re so bad.”

Benjamin whimpered. I felt a bit embarrassed. Four months was indeed a long time. Jane stepped back from the bed, and my mother sat next to me. Her eyes were filled with regret, making me flinch.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Liv.”

“I didn’t think I’d sleep this long. Mother…”

My mother didn’t scold me, but I felt guilty and started to explain myself earnestly.

“I thought it wasn’t a big deal. The wound didn’t seem deep… I thought I could heal it myself.”

Without a word, my mother hugged me. I felt a surge of emotion and almost started crying. Behind my mother, I saw my mother-in-law, who had been silently tearing up, leaning on Ian’s shoulder, crying.

Oh, it seemed like they had reconciled.

As this thought crossed my mind, the unfamiliar girl approached me. Seeing that my mother calmly stepped aside to let her, it seemed like everyone knew her, but she was a stranger to me.

“Excuse me.”

She suddenly placed her hand on my chest. Startled, I tried to pull back, but she held my shoulders firmly, preventing me from moving. She looked around Ophelia’s age, but her grip was incredibly strong. She began to murmur something in an ancient language. I felt my heart growing warm.

“Um, excuse me…”

“Liv, it’s okay. She’s healing you.”

My mother wrapped one arm around my back and held my hand with the other. Though a bit surprised, I stayed still since there was no pain. My heart grew hot to a bearable level, and then I felt a slight prickling as the healing concluded.

“Even though you’ve regained consciousness, your magic is still running rampant. Have you tried using magic since you woke up?”

I was puzzled by her question, but my mother clarified.

“She’s asking if you’ve used holy power.”

“Yes, but it didn’t work. Mother, who is this…?”

The girl standing before me suddenly smiled prettily.

“Oh, I didn’t introduce myself. Now that you’re awake, Olivia, let me formally introduce myself to everyone. I am Sara Eloise Laran, the First Ilegenia of Laran.”

I was shocked by the term “Ilegenia,” which meant “not a queen” in the ancient language. I tried to rise and show my respects, but she laughed and gently pushed me back onto the bed.

“I’ve spent three months trying to save you; I don’t want to see you collapse from overexertion.”

My mother knelt down to show proper respect to royalty from another country.

“Thank you for saving my daughter.”

Everyone followed my mother’s example, offering a brief bow, but they seemed uncertain about how to address her. Benjamin, grumbling from behind, provided an explanation.

“You should address her as Crown Princess Eloise.”

“Crown Princess? But isn’t that a term for the next king? I’m just the first in line. If the Regina finds a stronger holy wizard, I’ll be the second.”

“That’s not our concern, and we’ve decided to call you Crown Princess Eloise here.”

“Did our kingdom agree to this?”

“Yes. The Queen left it up to us.”

Eloise frowned.

“Such arbitrary decisions.”

Muttering quietly, Eloise looked at me.

“Anyway, Liv, your magic is out of control, which is why it’s not working properly. We’ll discuss it in detail later, but for now, you should rest. Oh, I called you by your nickname without realizing. After hearing about you every night for the past three months, I feel a sense of closeness. If you wish, you can call me Ellie.”

“Ellie?”

She smiled brightly as I quickly called her by her nickname. I smiled back. It never hurts to be on good terms with someone powerful. After everyone left, my mother and Jane helped me wash up. Thanks to Jane’s diligent care, my body was relatively clean, but soaking in warm water helps loosen my stiff muscles.

Then, I soothed my hunger with some gruel. I felt like I could eat anything, but I stayed calm and ate what was given, not wanting to worry everyone by overdoing it and getting sick.

The physician came to check my cardiopulmonary function and gave me some medicine as soon as I finished eating. Having been bedridden for so long, I had lost muscle and fat, leaving me extremely weak. Following the doctor’s orders, I was out of breath even from slight movements.

There were some benefits to being ill. I postponed all my duties as a duchess and spent the whole day resting in bed. Jane brought me letters that had arrived for me, and I read them, or I sat on the balcony, admiring the newly renovated, beautiful garden.

In the evening, everyone gathered in my room to see me, and I was shocked to hear that Lady Bailey, the head maid, was the one who caused the Empress to miscarry. Although the Bailey family was somewhat ambitious, in the original story, they were solid allies, and the daughter had a gentle, kind image. It reminded me that you never truly know people.

I also learned that Benjamin had become the head of the Imperial Wizard Corps and that the Hershey family would soon be elevated to a Marquisate due to his achievements. Benjamin blushed when I applauded him.

Despite the surprising and joyful news while I was asleep, the best part was that Ian had reconciled with his mother. The two of them sitting together on the sofa and talking no longer seemed awkward. My belief that time would solve everything had been right.

At bedtime, everyone hugged me and wished me good night before leaving the room, including Crown Princess Eloise. Though everyone cared for and cherished me, I felt strange. It was awkward, uncomfortable, and I felt an unexpected sense of emptiness.

‘You all got along fine without me.’

Seeing everyone grow closer in my absence made me feel a bit isolated. They all naturally found their places, conversing familiarly, and the world seemed to turn smoothly without me, perhaps even better. Just then, there was a knock at the door. I thought someone might have left something behind and asked,

“Who is it?”

“Liv, I’m coming in.”

It was Ian.