As soon as she arrived in her familiar room, she practically threw herself onto the large bed.

Perhaps because the tension had drained away, fatigue hit her all at once. Her body felt heavy.

“Ah… I’m exhausted.”

Outside the window, darkness had already fallen completely.

So much had happened in one day.

‘At least I managed well.’

Fortunately, the divine power she had used after so long hadn’t caused any problems.

Her body was becoming limp rapidly after using her power, but that was to be expected. She had used a lot of energy preparing for the wedding, going through the ceremony, and at the banquet. It was natural that her body felt as heavy as lead, she thought as she closed her eyes.

Right now, she just wanted to rest without thinking about anything. She didn’t have the strength to move even a finger.

She regulated her breathing. As she inhaled deeply and exhaled, her lungs ached as the air left them.

Creak.

She heard the friction of the large oak door’s hinges opening.

It seemed like Marie had entered.

She needed to ask Marie to help her change clothes, but she couldn’t open her mouth. Her mind was awake, but her body felt dead—a strange sensation.

After a moment of silence, the sound of footsteps approached.

Marie doesn’t make noise when she walks. It might not be Marie, she thought. Despite this realization, her body, limp as a water-soaked cotton, refused to move.

As the footsteps drew closer and the shadow grew larger, she slowly opened her eyes.

‘Who is it?’

The moon, previously hidden behind clouds, gradually revealed itself, and faint moonlight entered through the window.

Only then could Eve identify the figure before her.

Medric, who had said earlier that he was going to the study, was looking down at her.

‘…Why?’

She wanted to ask why he had come, but opening her eyes was all she could manage.

Even her barely opened eyes closed again.

Her consciousness drifted away like sinking into a quagmire, descending deep below the surface of sleep.

***

“My lady! My lady has opened her eyes!”

Eve blinked and looked around. Judging by the position of the sunlight streaming through the window, it seemed to be midday.

‘This feels familiar.’

“My lady, are you all right? You’ve been lying down for two whole days. If the Duke hadn’t been here, who knows what might have happened…”

Marie held Eve’s hand with a tearful expression.

She wanted to tell Marie she was fine, but there was no strength left in her body. Even wiggling a finger was incredibly difficult; her body felt stiff.

A physician sitting nearby checked Eve’s condition.

“Fortunately, there’s no major problem with her body. If she continues to rest like this, she’ll recover soon.”

“Didn’t you say the same thing last time? If there’s nothing wrong with her body, why does she keep collapsing?” Medric’s sharp voice was heard nearby.

Come to think of it, she had promised to tell him if she felt unwell, but she had collapsed before she could say anything. She had clearly troubled him again.

The physician fumbled with his words as he continued his explanation.

“But her pulse is normal, and there are no visible scars or diseases on her body. I suspected internal injuries and checked, but that wasn’t it either… I’ve done everything I can…”

The physician spoke while watching Medric’s reaction. Medric ran his hand through his hair and spoke in a softer tone.

“Then what can we do to prevent my wife from collapsing? Tell me.”

“Well… As I said, I’ve done everything I can… Perhaps it would be better to show her to the High Priest?”

“The High Priest… I hadn’t thought of that.”

Medric rubbed his chin, considering the suggestion.

If there was a problem with her divine power, it might indeed be better to see the High Priest.

But when she had used divine power on Glishakov, she had actually felt her divine power recovering more than when she was at Count Renox’s mansion.

‘Is it really a divine power issue?’

She had never heard of side effects from using divine power. When someone used more divine power than their total capacity, they simply fell asleep—that was all.

Eve tried to sit up, but her body still wouldn’t move as she wanted.

Medric dismissed the physician and said to Hans:

“Summon the High Priest as soon as possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

Medric, who had approached without her noticing, helped Eve sit up.

“You need to take medicine. Even if it’s difficult, take this and rest.”

Medric personally brought a glass of water to Eve’s lips and helped her take the medicine. After barely swallowing the medicine, she lay back down on the bed with his help.

His face, which she briefly looked at, was full of concern.

Looking at him, Eve felt a wave of guilt. Had she ever been helpful since coming here? She had always been a burden.

She worried, ‘Does he regret bringing me here?’

“I heard you helped His Highness.”

The story had already reached Medric’s ears. Well, she had been unconscious for two days.

Eve slowly nodded.

“He says he wants to express his gratitude personally and is waiting.”

What? Eve’s eyes widened.

It had been two days since the banquet ended, and he was still staying at the mansion? Could the Crown Prince of a country be away from the royal court for so long?

Of course, it was an urgent situation, so it wasn’t incomprehensible.

“You still seem weak, so I’ll call His Highness when you’ve recovered more.”

Eve mouthed a small “thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Even after responding, Medric showed no intention of leaving. Because of Medric’s presence, Marie had also left the room, leaving only Medric and Eve alone.

Medric pulled the blanket up to her chin.

It wasn’t that she was sick—she just lacked energy. Yet he was taking care of her with the utmost devotion.

Eve felt awkward lying there under his melancholic gaze, so she simply closed her eyes.

If she kept her eyes closed, he would eventually leave the room.

That’s what she thought as she passed the time.

Little did she know she would peacefully fall asleep.

***

Only after resting well for two days was she able to move her body more easily.

It was the first time she had ever had such difficulty moving her body for so long.

With no clear explanation, she could only vaguely guess it might be related to her divine power.

Perhaps the High Priest could find the reason when he examined her.

Glishakov, whom she had expected to leave while she was recovering, waited until the end. Now that she was feeling better, they immediately arranged a luncheon with Glishakov.

Eve and Medric moved together to the formal dining room located a short distance from the main building within the castle grounds.

“If the Duke hadn’t entered the room, it could have been serious.”

“When you lost consciousness?”

“Yes, I didn’t even realize I had lost consciousness. Thank you.”

Eve, though belatedly, expressed her gratitude to Medric. Medric glanced at Eve once before staring straight ahead.

“You have no idea how much my heart dropped at that moment.”

“I know you were very worried. I’m truly sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s just that your body is weak.”

She had been quite healthy as a child, but since her family’s extermination and all her hardships, she felt her physical strength had weakened.

“Still, I’ll be more careful from now on.”

She meant this sincerely. She thought she should focus on gradually recovering her divine power and physical strength.

By the time they finished their brief conversation, they had arrived at the formal dining room.

The dining room was decorated with elaborate ornaments and elegant tapestries.

Eve and Medric sat in their prepared seats, waiting for Glishakov’s imminent arrival.

Eve recalled the moment she had left Glishakov alone in the room.

‘Even if he was a patient, I should apologize for touching his body without permission.’

That included leaving him alone, even if it was what he wanted.

As she was wondering which apology to offer first, Glishakov arrived at the dining room shortly after.

Glishakov looked so healthy that it was hard to believe he was the same person who had collapsed recently.

‘Thank goodness. He looks healthy.’

His hair, which had been drenched in sweat and matted, now gleamed with a brilliant shine.

As magicians generally become stronger after awakening, he was probably now stronger than before.

Eve naturally withdrew her observant gaze, lowering her head to avoid showing her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I was a bit late due to some business.”

“Not at all. Thank you for coming, Your Highness.”

“What thanks? I’m the one who waited to express my gratitude. Thank you for arranging this meeting, Duchess.”

“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Highness.”

Glishakov smiled and responded to their hospitality. His smile exuded a sacred atmosphere, like facing the Pope.

“I heard you collapsed from illness. Are you better now?”

“Yes, I’m fine now. It seems it was just accumulated fatigue.”

“I was worried that you might have collapsed after treating me.”

“Not at all. The power I used on Your Highness was very minimal.”

Food was placed before them one by one as they sat at the table.

“That’s a relief. By the way, may I ask what method you used? I don’t remember clearly, but I vaguely felt the pain subsiding.”

Eve thought for a moment before continuing.

“I simply used divine power to organize the tangled magical power inside Your Highness’s body.”

“Oh, Duchess. You could use divine power as well?”