Chapter 12 Saintess Giselle

When Marquis Evansi arrived at the capital, those who saw him in good health were very surprised.

Who wouldn’t be surprised that the Marquis, who had been on his deathbed just a few days ago with the incurable White Ghost disease, came up to the capital by carriage?

As soon as the Marquis arrived at his townhouse in the capital, he sent a letter opposing Giselle’s adoption.

Giselle and Richard hurriedly invited the Marquis to the imperial palace, but he declined citing health reasons.

And for the same reason, he declined Giselle and Richard’s visit to the Marquis’s residence.

While they were pushing and pulling, patients with White Ghost disease and their families visited the Marquis to ask about the treatment.

The butler who came from the marquisate told them the treatment method and spread the word around that it was Lydia who discovered it.

Thanks to this, rumors circulated that Lydia must have received divine revelation after becoming a priestess.

As Lydia’s reputation rose, it was natural that Giselle’s image worsened as the one who pushed Lydia out and took her place.

The date of the imperial wedding was approaching rapidly. Unable to leave things as they were, Giselle barged into the Marquis’s residence.

When she insisted she wouldn’t return to the palace unless he met her, the Marquis finally surrendered.

“……Marquis.”

When Marquis Evansi, who had been practically a corpse, appeared not just healthy but robust, Giselle was startled as if she had seen a ghost.

However, Giselle quickly erased her surprised expression and squeezed out tears.

If the Marquis questioned how she could steal Lydia’s position, she planned to blame it on the child in her womb.

She made one mistake and got pregnant, she had no choice for the sake of the child.

If she appealed to his sympathy, she might be able to change the Marquis’s mind.

After that, she planned to appease him by offering whatever he wanted, whether it was a ducal title or anything else.

“I’m sorry, Marquis. I really didn’t want to steal Lydia’s position. It’s just, just……”

“That’s how things turned out, right?”

However, the Marquis wasn’t angry about the matter between Giselle, Lydia, and Richard.

“Human hearts are often beyond our control. It must have been the same for you. And for His Majesty too. I’m not disappointed in you because of that. It’s because you’re an ungrateful person.”

“That’s not true, Marquis.”

“If it’s not true, why didn’t you visit me even once when I was sick? Even if you couldn’t come yourself, couldn’t you have sent someone?”

At the Marquis’s words that he wouldn’t have felt this hurt if she had shown even the small courtesy of sending a famous doctor if not the imperial physician, Giselle had nothing to say.

Everyone died when they caught that disease, so she thought the Marquis would die too. If there had been a chance he would live, Giselle would have personally taken care of the Marquis.

But everyone died, so that’s why, that’s why……

“You must have wished for my death. It would be easier to manipulate my foolish son. Yes, Devon can’t win against you. That’s why I cannot let you into our family.”

“I absolutely did not wish for your death, Marquis. And Devon is plenty smart, he’s not someone who would be manipulated by someone like me.”

“No, that’s not true. If you become part of our family, our family will be controlled by your hands. I’m sorry, but I can’t stand to see that.”

The Marquis was adamant. When he said the next time they met would be as Empress and subject, Giselle gave up trying to persuade him.

Even after hearing this, Richard insisted they must somehow change the Marquis’s mind, but Giselle was certain it would be impossible.

“If the Marquis won’t give me even that measly title, I won’t give him anything either.”

So Giselle gladly stood on the opposite side of the Marquis.

“Alice.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Get yellow mountain dandelions and plant them in the garden. When the imperial physician makes the cure, distribute half to the nobles and half to the commoners for free. No, no.”

Giselle, who had been giving orders, shook her head briefly.

“I’ll distribute them myself. So arrange the schedule.”

“You personally will, Your Majesty? To the commoners too? Won’t that be dangerous? You’re not alone anymore.”

Giselle stroked her belly. This was something she had to do for this child.

When the child is born and grows up, she wanted to make sure Lydia’s name wouldn’t be heard whether in the palace or outside.

At this rate, Lydia would become famous as the priestess who discovered the cure for White Ghost disease. She couldn’t just watch that happen.

Although Lydia discovered the treatment method, spreading the treatment and eradicating White Ghost disease from the Empire would be done in Giselle’s name.

In the end, Lydia’s name would be forgotten and only Giselle’s name would remain.

* * *

“Commander, do you know what happens when you stand so close to the door if it opens?”

“What happens?”

“It looks like you’re eavesdropping and becomes very embarrassing.”

At Kedrick’s words, Arsen cleared his throat unnecessarily and stepped away from the door.

“If you’re so worried about Miss, why didn’t you just tie up that Wellington guy?”

“I’m not worried about Lydia. I’m concerned she might say nonsense to that man.”

“Ah.”

Ah? Arsen frowned at that ambiguous response and turned to look at Kedrick.

Kedrick, leaning obliquely against the wall, was giving Arsen a sly smile.

It was quite an unpleasant face to look at.

When Arsen glared at Kedrick, Kedrick winked at him like he’s sending a signal as Lydia would, and Arsen almost gagged in nausea.

“Did you eat something bad? Instead of doing this to me, you should get examined by that doctor later.”

Although Arsen spoke seriously with a straight face, Kedrick ignored him and continued to look at Arsen with meaningful eyes.

Does he have an eye infection? Or does he want his eyeballs gouged out?

“Commander, just say you’re worried about Miss if you are. Who would believe you when you say you’re not while making a face like you’re dying of worry?”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I said I’m worried about the information in Lydia’s head, not Lydia herself.”

“Really? Do you really have no feelings at all, not even a little, for Miss?”

Arsen frowned as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

“None? I don’t think so. Why do you do muscle training every morning when there’s nothing to show off to Miss?”

Since that day when they were traveling from the Marquis’s castle to the borderlands, after Lydia judged Kedrick’s body to be the most beautiful, Arsen often did ‘good-looking muscle’ exercises that he didn’t usually do.

His excuse was that he wanted to increase his strength to switch to a heavier sword, but it was really body maintenance.

“……It’s not like I’m the only one doing it? Then shouldn’t we say everyone in the knight order has feelings for Lydia?”

Of course, Arsen wasn’t the only one. After Kedrick took first place by a landslide, the other knights seemed shocked and were all building muscles too.

So this couldn’t be seen as just Arsen’s problem.

“Really, you don’t?”

Kedrick scratched his head. He still hadn’t removed his look of doubt. Arsen insisted again that he didn’t.

Strong denial is strong affirmation, and in truth, Arsen felt his true feelings had been exposed.

Yes, it’s true he had wavered because of Lydia.

Perhaps because he didn’t have to hide his identity from Lydia, he had let her get close unusually easily, which was unlike his usual self.

Because Lydia’s situation was pitiful, because he found his wet nurse and teacher thanks to Lydia, because he was pleased by her showing affection for the borderlands.

He rationalized his tilting towards Lydia with such excuses.

But this couldn’t go any further.

Adding another person to care about always required caution.

Just because he got some grain and seeds, did he think everything was finished?

Arsen didn’t hesitate to whip himself.

There was still much work to be done. Perhaps blood might be shed in that process.

So he had agonized a lot about keeping Lydia alive instead of killing her.

He had forgotten that worry for a while, but now he remembered it again, and it was fine since nothing had gone wrong yet.

If he could maintain balance even now, then……

“…Watch out!”

Arsen reached out toward Lydia who was losing balance and stumbling while looking down at the bottom of the ship.

Thankfully she didn’t fall thanks to Wellington who was next to her catching her well, but it could have been a serious accident.

This is why he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Although he didn’t run to Lydia since he decided to keep his distance from her, Arsen’s gaze remained fixed on her and wouldn’t leave.

“Tsk tsk.”

Kedrick clicked his tongue while softly watching this scene.

If he’s worried, he should just stay by her side, what is he doing?

Arsen’s hands were restless, clenching and unclenching his fists in a frenzy, and his feet were already turned toward Lydia as if ready to dash at any moment.

Anyone could see he was going crazy with worry about Lydia standing precariously by the railing.

It was truly pitiful how he tried to hide it when it was so obvious.

Kedrick wasn’t unaware of why Arsen denied his own feelings.

He still vividly remembered the day young Arsen came to the borderlands.

Though he was skinny with unkempt long hair looking no better than a beggar, his eyes and behavior were as dignified as any noble’s.