She headed toward a small glass dome house at the far end of the rose hedge.

It was a recreational space for guests staying in the secondary palaces, but fortunately no one was there right now.

With a sigh of relief, blood surged again.

“Ugh!”

Her hand groped through the air searching for something to hold onto.

She barely caught the edge of a wooden table and straightened herself. Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Ella drew short, rapid breaths.

“This is worse than when I took the toho leaves.”

In terms of sheer volume of blood, there was no comparison. She couldn’t even predict when the next episode would come.

And then there was this appearance to deal with.

The face reflected in the glass was grotesquely laced with blue-violet veins. No one looking at it would see a saintess.

“This is a disaster……”

Her heart beat erratically. Ella pressed her left chest and took a deep breath.

She could feel the suddenly unleashed mana ricocheting in every direction.

The unending coughing of blood was the least of her problems.

Ella’s gaze met her own reflection in the glass. Whether because of the rampaging mana, the blue-violet color of the veins showed no sign of fading.

“I need to hide the mana first……”

The only person she could ask about this was Meivia.

But to go to Meivia, she first had to get to the Lake Wellea chapel.

She couldn’t go there looking like this.

“What do I do?”

If anyone sensed this magical energy on the way there……

It was said that swordsmen who had reached a certain level of mastery could sometimes detect it.

‘That man……’

He might notice my mana.

Tailian, the Royal Hounds commander, was more than capable of it. He was someone who had become knight commander at a young age on the strength of his swordsmanship alone.

While she was briefly deliberating, the pit of her stomach surged again.

“Ugh!”

The third episode of coughing blood.

The white garments Ella was wearing were ruined.

‘Coughing blood, irregular bleeding, nosebleeds, these can occur frequently and severely.’

When she had heard Meivia’s warning, she hadn’t imagined it would be this bad. Her vision swam.

Ella shook her head and tried to focus, but it wasn’t enough.

Her body gave out and she fell toward the floor.

But instead of hard ground, she landed in a firm embrace.

“Miss Mariella!”

Through the metallic smell of blood came the scent of dry grass. The heartbeat that had felt ready to burst seemed to slow, subtly.

Her unfocused gaze lifted with effort.

Strong, defined features. Dark, sun-bronzed skin. Brown curly hair.

‘This person again……’

It was the imperial gardener Joi.

But his eyes were entirely different from before. The golden irises held pupils that were vertically elongated ovals.

Eyes that belonged to a beast more than a human.

‘Were his eyes always like this……?’

Even through her fading consciousness, Ella’s question wouldn’t quiet.

“What did you do with the sleep aid I gave you?”

“……”

“Did you throw it away?”

There was something almost desperate in his tone.

Ella’s lips moved faintly.

“……No…… in the palace…… bedroom.”

At the scattered words, Joi’s expression eased slightly.

“You haven’t used it even once?”

Joi’s gaze swept down over Ella’s blood-soaked clothing.

“To let it get this bad…… why…… why not even once……”

Unable to finish, Joi grabbed the necklace around his neck and yanked it carelessly.

Snap.

The cord broke without resistance, and a small pendant swayed.

“This is a temporary measure.”

She didn’t know what he was doing, but Ella decided to let him. She felt he wouldn’t harm her.

“Starting today, you must use the sleep aid I gave you. Otherwise……”

Joi let the end of the sentence trail off. His pressed lips didn’t form the next words.

He rubbed the center of the hexagonal pendant, and yellowish smoke began to seep from between the complex engravings.

Bringing it close to her face, Joi spoke.

“Breathe in deeply.”

She did as he said, and sleep came for her immediately.

In the fading consciousness, Ella heard Joi’s whisper.

“You’ll be all right, Marian……”

The true name of her sister that no one was supposed to know.

***

Ella opened her eyes in the crown princess‘s bedchamber.

The crease between her brows deepened, and her long lashes trembled.

“Mmm……”

The taste of rusted iron filled her mouth.

Her body felt like lead. Every part of her ached and was stiff, as though she had been beaten.

Ella weakly extended her hand into the air. The blue-violet veins that had stood out sharply on the back of her hand had all returned to normal.

‘Has it settled?’

Ella tried to twist her shoulder and push herself upright, and a hand shot out urgently and pressed her back down.

Through her blurry vision, she caught someone in a red formal uniform.

“Just lie still, Mariella.”

An unwelcome voice.

Zikhart was looking at her with a worried expression.

‘Why is this trash here……’

A faint smell of alcohol drifted from him. The reddish tinge around his eyes suggested he was considerably drunk.

Ella wanted to close her eyes again.

“Your Highness, what brings you here…… I thought you were in Parem.”

Zikhart had been scheduled to meet with the sons of noble families at a social club in the capital today.

On days like that, he often stayed out through the night. Pointless wagers, games of chance, sometimes calling in courtesans for a lavish evening. Alcohol went without saying, and occasionally he reached for substances to heighten the pleasure.

Zikhart was the kind of person who spent a full day recovering after returning in that state. He had no business being here at this hour.

“I heard your condition was poor. So I returned immediately and came straight here.”

“……Because of me?”

Zikhart smiled and nodded.

“I heard you collapsed from severe sacred pain. Should I summon the High Priest?”

The High Priest on top of everything else.

She needed to avoid meeting Capuasia until she could see Meivia again and confirm her condition.

‘My mana can’t be discovered.’

Ella shook her head slowly.

“I’m fine. The more severe the pain, the more the malevolent energy has been purged. I’m actually glad of it, Your Highness.”

“But your body……”

“It is a saintess’s duty. If the palace and Your Highness’s wellbeing are safe in proportion to my suffering, that is enough.”

Quite saintess-like, huh.

Ella was inwardly marveling at how smoothly the lies came.

The smile resting on her pale face looked all the more pitiable.

“Mariella……”

Zikhart took her hand and brought it to his lips.

Without seeing the goosebumps rising on her white arm, he murmured to himself.

“I wish I could share your pain……”

His eyes were full of concern.

Ella almost laughed out loud.

It was because the cruel words and cold contempt he had directed at Marian throughout her pregnancy came back to her.

‘Is what’s in that belly actually mine.’

‘I heard you were consorting with a demon. How would I know whether what’s in that womb is my blood or some wicked demon’s? I don’t even remember lying with you to begin with.’

His vicious expression overlapped with the face of Zikhart before her.

‘The bastard who denied his own child……’

And now he was worried over something like this. The hypocrisy was beyond measure.

Suppressing the urge to pull her hand away, Ella let her eyes curve softly.

“To think Your Highness worries for me so, I truly don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Of course. Is it not a husband’s duty?”

That the words husband’s duty could come out this casually.

The desire in his eyes made no attempt to hide itself.

It was quite blatant. Even the way he toyed with her hand was the same.

‘I should send him away quickly.’

Desire mixed with alcohol was dangerous in any case.

Ella gently brought Zikhart’s hand down. Confirming his expression stiffening, she made the sign of blessing with perfect composure.

“Solea will be moved by Your Highness’s love and patience.”

With sincere and innocent eyes, she delivered the next words.

“Please don’t worry about the sacred pain I’m enduring. After I offer the purification prayer at the chapel, it will improve.”

She had said in a roundabout way that no further contact was possible, but he seemed to understand.

The breath he let out in resignation was trembling. He was clearly holding himself back considerably.

‘So the trash does have patience.’

At least he understood what was being said, which was a relief.

“……When do you think the consecration rite will be finished?”

There was a faint irritation in his tone.

“Well……”

Ella deliberately drew out the end of the word.

“Once the consecration is complete, Solea will let me know.”

“Hah……”

“I will be more devoted in my efforts. So, Your Highness……”

Ella’s eyes met his and she gave him a warm smile.

“Please wait. For the safety of the Empire and the happiness of the imperial family.”

“……”

“And for our peaceful future together as well.”

Tap.

Ella’s finger lightly grazed the tip of Zikhart’s hand. As though intentional, as though not.

Zikhart looked at the touching fingers and laughed hollowly.