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Chapter 71
Justin closed the door as carefully as if he were holding a raw egg, as though the knob might break if he handled it the wrong way.
It carried a strong determination not to wake Litricia, even by accident.
But the very moment Justin let go of the doorknob, Litricia sensed it instantly and opened her eyes.
After losing her sight several times, she had realized that when one sense is weakened, the others become sharper. That was true even now, when she was only pretending to sleep.
Her calm gaze shifted to the chandelier on the ceiling, glowing faintly in the dim light.
Without blinking, she stared at it as though engaged in a contest, then placed the back of her hand on her forehead.
Her skin was burning, like freshly brewed tea.
No wonder Justin and Piril had been so worried.
Her head felt heavy, as if she were wearing a towel soaked with water. Leaning against the bed’s headboard, Litricia sluggishly pushed herself up to sit.
“…I want the lemon sherbet Killian used to bring me.”
The fever made her crave something cool. For a moment she considered asking Allen to bring some, but then gave up.
Sherbet brought by anyone but Killian simply didn’t appeal to her.
Instead, she sipped the cup of water Piril had left behind and turned toward the sunset spilling across the bed.
Evening had already arrived, the sky glowing red. Under it, the clock tower shone strangely bright, more so than usual.
Litricia stroked the fairy tale book beside her with a pensive expression.
The contents of the notebook she’d been reading before collapsing into sleep seemed to drift before her eyes.
And along with them, a ridiculous thought kept surfacing—a hypothesis she couldn’t quite push away.
What if the wish Killian made to the tower… had to do with time?
“Since the Kingdom of Shuten once prospered with time magic… maybe it’s not impossible.”
It was a rather convincing theory.
If Killian had wished to turn back time, then the impossible dates written in that notebook could be explained.
But she had never once heard of anyone in this era who could use time magic…
In the end, Litricia shook her head hard.
“Haah… I must be delirious. This fever’s making me think nonsense.”
Yes. Her head had felt heavy since morning, probably because of the fever. That must be why her thoughts were wandering in such strange directions.
Otherwise, how could it even make sense?
“Why would Killian turn back time, anyway?”
Even if he really had, it couldn’t have anything to do with her.
To twist time for a single person—you’d have to either love them desperately, or hate them so much that you’d want revenge at any cost.
“And it’s certainly not love.”
Recalling Killian’s firm rejections, Litricia let out a weak laugh.
“Nor is it hate… He’s always been so kind and gentle with me.”
If Justin had heard her, he would have scoffed that no one in the world could call Killian gentle. But Litricia said it without hesitation, then pushed the fairy tale book aside.
Convincing herself it was just the fever muddling her head, she whispered,
“Maybe I’ve just been reading too many fairy tales lately. No wonder my thoughts are so fanciful. Killian would laugh if he heard this.”
Even so, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the notebook resting on top of the book.
But the only person who could answer her questions—Killian—wasn’t here.
Forcing herself up from the bed, Litricia headed for the desk Killian often used.
“What’s really urgent right now is something else. I should focus on that first.”
Click. She switched on the desk lamp, its warm glow spreading across the wooden table.
Dipping her pen in ink, she spread parchment beneath the light.
To drive away her restless thoughts, she chose instead to concentrate on her immediate problem: the matter of Isis in prison and the trouble with House Esta.
“Let me recall… anything in the family affairs that could pose a threat to Killian… ugh.”
She clutched her feverish head, trying her best not to glance at the fairy tale book or the glowing clock tower.
Her memory, which she had never really considered a talent, was for once a blessing.
From the fleeting glimpses she’d had of account ledgers to possible flaws the imperial family might seize upon—Litricia wrote down everything she could remember.
The weakened desk legs creaked under her effort.
“If I’d known, I should’ve helped with family matters despite my brother’s scolding.”
By the time she had filled several sheets of paper, she still wasn’t satisfied, and her brows furrowed deeply.
“Shh! Quiet! Don’t even breathe!”
“…Breathing should still be allowed, shouldn’t it?”
Whispering voices announced Justin and Piril’s return.
Suppressing even their breathing, they froze at the sight of the empty bed.
Then, spotting Litricia at the desk, they nearly jumped out of their skins.
“My lady! What on earth are you doing!”
“Lady Litricia! Why are you sitting up!”
Her face flushed redder from the fever after exerting herself, Litricia was rolling up the papers.
“Could you… call Goruten for me? There’s something urgent I need him to tell Killian.”
“What is it you—no, never mind. Piril! Go fetch Goruten right away! And as for you, young lady—!”
Justin, looking ready to scold her, instead let out a heavy sigh when he saw her burning face.
He couldn’t even muster the anger to chide her for overexerting herself.
Frustrated, he smacked the back of his neck a few times, then hauled Litricia back to bed.
Squelch.
He soaked a towel in cold water, wrung it out roughly, and slapped it onto her forehead.
“You are not to leave this bed until your fever is gone, understand? Not even in your dreams!”
“But the situation—”
“No buts! Even if Killian were here, he’d say the same as me!”
His eyes gleamed fiercely, as befit a man once nicknamed the God of War. Overwhelmed, Litricia pulled the blanket over her face.
“…All right.”
Her voice was barely audible, but it softened Justin’s stern expression at last.
That night, Goruten used a communication device to deliver Litricia’s notes to Killian, who had just arrived in the capital.
And Killian began to act—one step ahead of the imperial family.
A few days later.
“Goruten, did the Silvano Knights arrive safely in the capital?”
“Yes. They joined His Grace just last evening. You can rest easy now, Lady Litricia.”
Goruten smiled warmly, setting down some ointment and a thick blanket.
“Lord Justin asked me to bring these. But… are you sure it’s all right for you to be up already?”
“I’m fine. My fever’s almost gone now.”
Litricia spread the cool ointment over her skin, still marked with a few red patches from the fever rash.
It had already been three days since Killian left for the capital.
During that time, she’d been in and out of fever, bedridden.
“If His Grace knew how sick you’ve been, he’d be distressed.”
“I know. That’s why I asked everyone not to tell him.”
She pulled the blanket over her shoulders. It wasn’t as if she’d done anything remarkable, yet Goruten fussed over her anxiously.
“Still, shouldn’t you rest a little longer?”
“If I keep lying down, I’ll lose all my muscles, Goruten.”
Litricia chuckled softly.
“Besides, I’m not moving much—just sitting at the desk in my room.”
“But you’re still working.”
With a troubled sigh, Goruten pressed a gloved hand to his brow.
As he said, there was a stack of documents in front of Litricia.
One of Killian’s retainers had slipped them to her that morning, seizing the chance while the master was away.
“They said they needed urgent approval… since the lord is absent… Ha ha.”
Litricia scratched her cheek awkwardly.
But a glance was enough to tell these weren’t truly urgent papers.
It was obvious—the retainer simply wanted an excuse to see her.
Next to the stack sat a mountain of lemon scones, one of Litricia’s favorite treats. That alone betrayed the furry retainer’s intentions.
“Lord Justin was furious about this. He scolded them for giving work to a sick person.”
“But I don’t mind. Besides, they brought me all these scones as a gift.”
“That’s exactly why he scolded them even more.”
“Huh?”
Unaware that Justin had raged because he had never even managed to bring her snacks, Litricia only looked innocently puzzled.
Goruten, unable to betray Justin’s pride, left that part unsaid.
“Ahem. In any case, Lady Litricia, you needn’t handle these matters yourself.”
“But I like it. It feels good to know I can actually be of use here.”
It makes me feel like I’m not useless.
At her whispered words, Goruten found himself speechless.
Seeing her so genuinely fulfilled, he couldn’t bring himself to stop her. So instead, he quietly added the documents Justin had confiscated back onto the pile.
Perhaps that was the mistake.
Unable to withstand the growing weight, the desk leg suddenly snapped with a loud crack.
“Uh… Goruten? I think… the desk just broke.”
