Chapter 96

If everyone just stayed frozen like that, no one would say a word, so she figured she should at least throw out a light joke.

“After all that trouble wearing a corset, it was pointless.”

“…You’re joking at a time like this?”

“At least I’m alive, aren’t I?”

Sadly, her joke failed. She got a response, but both of their faces only darkened further… She understood their worry, but hoped they’d at least smile soon.

And those dark circles… From her experience, dark circles like those don’t appear overnight. Unless the two of them hadn’t slept at all, they wouldn’t have drooped so low, almost touching their nostrils.

Her eyes narrowed instinctively.

“You both haven’t slept, have you?”

“……”

“……”

She was right. Their silence proved her guess—they hadn’t slept a wink. Even with her weak body, a sigh came easily. The small sound echoed in the large room, and the two men’s gazes darted about, as if trying to avoid her eyes.

‘No matter what, you still need sleep…’

But seeing how neither of them spoke, she felt their thoughts were more complicated than simple worry. Watching their eyes closely, she came to that conclusion. They seemed to be struggling with something much deeper.

The two sets of eyes, trying so hard to avoid hers, were drawn back to her as she reached out and clasped their hands.

“Well, let’s set that aside for now…”

“……”

“……”

“Cheer up a little. Why do you look so gloomy?”

Even with her gentle scolding and a smile, neither man’s face showed any sign of a smile. Their lips, sealed as if glued together, didn’t look ready to open.

Why were they acting like this?

“Sigh… All right. Let’s talk. Why are you both doing this vow of silence?”

She didn’t hide her annoyance and furrowed her brow, and only then did they look startled.

Yurik, sitting on her right, answered first.

“I feel like you got hurt because of me…”

“How does that make sense?”

How could someone in front have stopped a stabbing from behind? Even a passing five-year-old would say that’s impossible. But unlike her thoughts, Yurik truly believed it and blamed himself.

“No. I let my guard down. I saw the attendant coming up behind you, but didn’t get suspicious…”

“So you’re saying you should’ve stopped anyone from coming near me at all?”

“If I could have, I wish I had…”

She couldn’t help but sigh at his answer. Raising her trembling hand, she tried to pinch his cheek—though her grip was so weak it could hardly be called a pinch—and Yurik’s self-reproach stopped.

Turning to Raihan, sitting on her left, he answered as if waiting for his turn.

“To be honest, I’m even more at fault. I should have inspected all the attendants before the banquet started…”

“Wait, wait. …Say something that makes sense.”

Groaning and pressing her forehead, both men leaned in, fussing over whether she was in pain. Her head wasn’t hurting, but seeing them act like this almost made her head ache for real.

Their confessions were reasons she’d never imagined. Her injury, her brush with death, was not the fault of either of them. The biggest blame lay with Layan Aviles, who decided to kill her, and then with the one who carried it out.

Neither Raihan nor Yurik bore any responsibility.

“I was hurt because of Layan Aviles and Prince Javier, not because of you both.”

“……”

“……”

They surely knew this much already. But…

“In one part of my mind, I know that. But… when I remember you fading away in my arms, when I think of you lying there so pale…”

“……”

“…I just can’t convince myself it wasn’t my fault.”

Human thoughts are frightening. They keep following one another, endlessly. In this situation, it’s impossible not to recall that moment, and with the memory comes regret. Like being dragged into a swamp by a water ghost.

“I think I was too soft. If only I’d persuaded Vicente more, filtered everything perfectly…”

…She really couldn’t listen anymore, so she shook her head.

“Both of you, stop blaming yourselves. The ones who should be punished are elsewhere, yet the wrong people are digging themselves into a hole.”

Even after she spoke, neither man’s expression improved.

…Come to think of it, she didn’t know what happened to Earl Aviles and Prince Javier. She was curious, but in her current state, she doubted they’d tell her even if she asked.

“Thank you for saving me. If not for you two, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”

It was true. If Yurik hadn’t stopped her bleeding right away, if Raihan hadn’t kept the knights alert, or if there had been fewer knights… She didn’t know what might have happened. She also needed to thank the doctor who performed her surgery.

Well, the doctor from Moreira Kingdom didn’t have to step in, but he did—out of professional duty, perhaps, but surely with some political motive, too. Still, he had saved her life, so she owed him a fitting reward.

Lost in thought, her expression grew serious, and Raihan gently pressed her furrowed brow with his thumb to smooth it out.

“You just woke up. Don’t start worrying already.”

His voice and gaze were as gentle as spring sunlight, and she gave a sheepish smile. When her eyebrows returned to normal, he spoke with reassuring confidence.

“We’ll take care of everything that’s happened.”

She nodded quietly.

He was right. She didn’t need to rack her brain over these things; she had people she could rely on. A strange sense of reassurance… No, maybe comfort was the right word? Suddenly, somewhere inside, she felt a wave of peace.

“I’ll call a maid. Get some rest.”

“…Mm.”

Yurik and Raihan carefully helped her lie back down. She rested her back on the mattress and let out a gentle breath. Her strength really had faded a lot. Watching the men’s careful retreat, she soon drifted off to sleep again.

A few days after she regained consciousness, Raihan visited with a much healthier complexion than before.

“You’ve been sleeping, right?”

“Yes.”

Raihan had been busy and only now had time to visit, but Yurik, with nothing to do in Elvirtein, had stopped by often. He admitted that he hadn’t slept at all until she woke up, only then able to rest.

Time passed, and now she could move about, but was still confined to her room by everyone’s overprotectiveness. From Mary, she’d heard that Javier was imprisoned and several involved nobles had been arrested.

If news traveled this fast even from other countries, being a maid was clearly not a job just anyone could do.

‘Well, news of who was arrested isn’t exactly something to hide.’

That way, if any helpers remained, they’d know the plot had failed and might turn themselves in.

Raihan dragged a chair to sit beside her, carefully studying her complexion. She had said she was fine many times, and the doctor had confirmed it, but he still seemed worried.

“Really, I’m fine.”

“…I think I’ll be like this for a while. Please bear with me.”

“……”

Her collapse had left a bigger trauma than expected. She reached out with a much stronger hand than a few days before and squeezed his hand, and for once, his grip was surprisingly gentle.

Feeling his caution, she sighed silently, and decided to confirm the news she’d heard from Mary.

“I heard several noble families who collaborated were arrested.”

He brushed her hand with his thumb for a while, then looked up.

“Ah… Did the Duke tell you?”

“No, Mary did.”

Of course, after hearing it, she’d checked with Yurik, who confirmed it, but she was sure Raihan would know best.

Raihan nodded slightly, confirming her words.