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Chapter 21
I remained silent instead of answering Ains’s question. I hadn’t expected him to react like this.
I could clearly see his sharply furrowed brows, the cold glare fixed on me, and his lips pressed tightly together in anger.
No matter how I thought about it, there was no reason for him to be angry at me. I had spent a long time by his side.
After hesitating for a moment, a thought crossed my mind and I carefully spoke.
“Are you… acting like this because you’re worried about me?”
If I had to guess why Ains came all the way here to ask such a thing, that was the only explanation that made sense to me.
Although his behavior didn’t quite match what one would call “normal concern,” it was still a huge change compared to the past, when he wouldn’t have cared whether I was hurt or not.
And as I thought that, I let out a bitter laugh inwardly.
How much must I have longed for his attention to even assume that he might be worried about me? I felt ridiculous.
Fortunately, Ains didn’t answer my question. If he had mocked me, I would have been so ashamed I might have wished to die.
“That can’t be it, of course. Then why are you asking me something like that? And even getting angry about it?”
“I…”
Ains opened his mouth as if frustrated, but then stopped. He couldn’t easily explain why he was acting this way.
“You asked if I’m in pain, right? Yes, I am. It still hurts.”
It seemed unlikely I’d get any real answer from him.
When I calmly admitted it, Ains frowned even more deeply.
“But it’s also true that I’ve been treated.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Perhaps the information the Duke obtained wasn’t entirely accurate. As you know, the Trinz disease I had is one where mana gradually solidifies. The only cure is the Tieria flower.”
As a swordsman, there was no way Ains wouldn’t know about the Tieria flower.
It wasn’t only mages who could handle mana. Skilled swordsmen were also trained from a young age to accumulate and utilize it. There was no way he wouldn’t know about a flower that could activate mana just by consuming it.
“Fortunately, I was able to obtain a Tieria flower at an auction not long ago. You could call it sheer luck. I got the medicine before it was too late. And the one you’re holding—”
Ains’s gaze naturally shifted to the vial in his hand.
“—that’s a stabilizer made after creating the cure. It uses the same Tieria flower.”
“…”
Ains slowly turned the vial, examining its contents. The small pills rolled inside as it moved.
“You’ve probably guessed already—I’ve already taken the cure. That’s why I told the Duke that I’ve recovered. If you think I’m lying, you can confirm it with Doctor Watt. Or check who most recently won the Tieria flower at the Replin auction house.”
“…Then what about what happened to you yesterday? Was that also a side effect? The state you were in didn’t look like someone who’s been cured.”
At his words—almost as if demanding an explanation—I gave a faint smile. It was only natural he’d doubt it after seeing me coughing up blood.
“I understand why you’d find it strange based on what you saw yesterday. Even if the cure activates solidifying mana… do you think someone like me, who can’t even control mana, could handle it when it starts running wild?”
Only then did Ains seem to understand, his frown easing.
“They said it could take up to two years for things to stabilize. Until then, the symptoms you saw yesterday might happen again.”
“Two years?”
“Yes.”
Ains pressed his lips together and stared at me intently. His gaze was uncomfortable, but I had already said everything I needed to.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like my medicine back now.”
Breaking the silence, I spoke. Ains looked between me and the vial with a complicated expression before finally handing it over.
“Was the one million gold compensation you demanded… because of this medicine?”
Just as I was about to take the vial, he asked. His tone was certain. My hand paused briefly before I casually took it back.
“Yes, that’s right.”
It was the truth, so there was no reason to deny it.
“I hope that answers your question. Then, would you please leave now? As you can probably tell, the aftereffects of my illness are still severe, and I need rest. And… spending time with you is very difficult for me.”
I dismissed him. Now that the main issue was resolved, there was no reason to continue facing him.
“…Fine. I’ll go.”
After staring at me for a long moment, Ains glanced down at his now-empty hand and nodded. Then he stood up. I rose as well.
“I won’t see you out. Take care.”
I bowed my head politely, but Ains simply looked at me in silence—even until I lifted my head again.
When I finally met his gaze, I saw a trace of unease in his eyes.
“By the way…”
Ains hesitated, raising a hand to his lips. Then he looked away instead of meeting my eyes.
“If you come to visit Grandfather, you don’t need to inform me separately.”
With that, he turned and left the reception room.
Only after the door closed and silence filled the room did the tension leave my body. I leaned back against the sofa and let out a long breath, closing my eyes.
Facing Ains was still far too difficult for me.
After leaving the reception room, Ains stopped as if rooted to the spot.
He lowered his gaze and looked at his hand—large and rough.
The faint sensation of brushing against Cecilia’s hand when she reached for the vial still lingered at his fingertips. Her hand was the second coldest he had ever felt.
“…Is that also a side effect?”
After a brief thought, Ains slowly clenched his fist. From a distant memory, he recalled that his mother’s hands had been just as cold before she died.
It was an unpleasant, heart-dropping kind of cold he never wanted to feel again.
If Cecilia truly had been cured and only the aftereffects remained, then all he could do was wait for her mana to stabilize.
It was a relief. If she hadn’t taken the cure, her mana would have solidified, and she wouldn’t have survived.
…At least, that’s what he thought—until he turned to look back at the reception room door.
Was it really a relief?
She had even coughed up blood as a side effect. If she were truly fine, something like that wouldn’t happen.
A thought crossed his mind—just as solidifying mana was deadly, perhaps mana running wild could be just as fatal.
And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to go back inside.
Because of one thing Cecilia had said during their conversation.
“Are you acting like this because you’re worried about me?”
Worried?
That couldn’t be.
There was no reason for Ains Graham to feel something like concern for Cecilia Marves.
The day his father, Alex—who had been grieving the loss of his wife—was sent to a monster subjugation mission under the orders of his grandfather, the former Duke of Graham…
And the day his father, who should have returned with news of victory, instead came back as a corpse—
Twice, his heart had been torn apart.
Any capacity to care for or worry about others had long since disappeared.
To him, his grandfather was an object of hatred—the enemy who had driven his father to his death. There was no way he could look kindly upon Cecilia, whom that same grandfather cherished like a granddaughter.
Though he married her to fulfill the condition set by his grandfather in order to inherit the ducal title as quickly as possible, he had never loved her. His indifference toward her was proof enough.
And yet, for some reason, the moment he learned she was ill, it unsettled him. It bothered him.
Why?
He kept questioning himself over and over, searching for an answer—but in the end, he couldn’t find one.
“Your Grace, are you alright?”
The perceptive Jacob asked. Only then did Ains lift his gaze and nod awkwardly.
“Let’s go.”
After taking a couple of steps, Ains stopped again and let out a small sigh before speaking.
“Jacob, go call Doctor Watt. Tell him we’ll need to set aside quite a bit of time—I didn’t properly confirm many things yesterday since it was late. And Jackson, find out who most recently acquired the Tieria flower at the Replin auction house.”
At his command, Jacob and Jackson bowed.
“Yes, Your Grace. We will carry out your orders.”
“I’ll confirm it right away.”
