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~Chapter 18~
The patients were sorted in order of how serious their injuries were.
Lily stood before those who looked like they might die at any moment and needed shamanic treatment.
The first patient she attended to was a man in his thirties, dressed as a hunter.
He was a knight of the dukedom who lived at an outpost below the mountain range, so he was naturally close with everyone at Winter Castle.
“The urgent part… is the abdomen.”
There were clear bite marks from a monster on his upper left belly.
“Is it hard to look at?”
Blake watched Lily’s face beside her.
It was obvious that it would be tough for a gently-raised noblewoman to look at such wounds with her bare eyes.
“I’m fine. My emotions aren’t the urgent part here. Did you bring the shamanic supplies I asked for?”
“I raided the storage. But… does it make you feel sick?”
“It doesn’t. Don’t worry about me. It’s the stuff in that bag, right? Please hand it over.”
“Do you feel dizzy?”
“No. Besides, as expected from the dukedom, you really brought a lot.”
“Do you feel like you’re about to faint?”
“With all due respect, that’s extremely distracting, so if you have nothing to do, could you please leave?”
Lily phrased it gently, but if translated into Blake’s language, it basically meant: get lost.
She sent Blake up the stairs.
Even with her small strength, he had no choice but to go, all the while watching her expression.
“Are you really okay?”
“Mr. Blake, you should go wash up. That stuff in your hair—surely it’s not monster guts? As you know, there’s a risk of infection, so please hurry.”
“I thought I brushed it off before coming inside.”
“You must be amazing to find time for that while carrying two grown men on your back.”
Lily’s voice mixed sarcasm and admiration.
A brief silence fell. Behind the joke, her uneasy expression showed through.
“Miss?”
Somehow afraid, Lily grabbed Blake’s hand.
His big gauntleted hand fit between her small, white hands.
A faint trace of blood from the gauntlet stained her skin.
“I’ll do my best.”
The truth was, Lily was scared.
She wasn’t used to dealing with other people’s injuries—but that wasn’t the only reason.
She was afraid that someone might die because she wasn’t good enough.
It was surprising enough for a noblewoman to be a shaman.
But Lily’s shamanic power wasn’t anything special. Anyone could tell just by how she never used her strength in daily life.
Honestly, it was overwhelming.
Lily thought: If someone disappeared forever, unable to return because I wasn’t good enough…
What about their poor families? What about the home I’ve found for a year…?
Blake sensed what she was feeling.
“Right now, you’re the only one who can save us.”
He squeezed Lily’s hand tightly.
His hands, so recently out in the cold, had grown hot from his strong heart. That fierce warmth was transmitted to her.
“Even if you can’t save everyone, I promise I won’t blame you.”
There were many staff in Winter Castle with families of their own.
All around the hall, wives muttered “You’ll be okay” to husbands, and husbands to wives.
Some would certainly not survive the night without Lily.
“If someone’s breath stops and they return to the earth, that’s their fate. We accept our fate willingly. I stake my name and the honor of my people on it.”
“…I didn’t know you were so good at comforting people.”
“But you have to promise me one thing too.”
Blake’s lips parted.
Should he say it? Were they close enough to say this? In truth, he couldn’t define what they were to each other.
Somewhat close in the past? Connected by his strange dead father’s debt?
After hesitating, he finally spoke from the heart.
“…Don’t overdo it.”
He raised her hand and bent his waist.
He pressed his lips to the back of her hand.
It wasn’t the elegant gesture of a typical nobleman, but rough like a knight who’d only ever wielded a sword.
But the worry in his heart was more than clear.
Lily’s face relaxed as always.
“Hehe, I said I’d do my best. Sorry, but telling me not to overdo it… that’s impossible. I’m ready to give it my all.”
She was ready to go beyond her limits.
As Lily returned to the patients, the passion and heat she’d felt from him faded away.
She went back to the cold hall, but she was not afraid. His blessing was still with her.
If it were the old Lily Hedwick, she wouldn’t have been able to give first aid to all the patients, even if she gave her life.
But with the help of shamanic resources, it was different.
Shamanic supplies are turned into various goods after being processed by shamans.
That is, the raw material itself was an energy source.
Her mission was not to use too much power on any one person.
She just had to keep everyone alive until the mountain pass was cleared.
“Huff, huff, who…?”
The first patient’s eyes were cloudy. Even so, he recognized Lily as a stranger and parted his dry lips.
“It’s Lily. We’ll have plenty of time to introduce ourselves later.”
The sweet voice promising a future together relaxed the patient’s nerves.
Lily held a shamanic stone in her left hand, channeling her power with the other.
Just enough.
But “just enough” is always the hardest.
It was tricky… but the beginning went smoothly.
“Next!”
After that, there were many cries of “Next!”
Having barely washed, Blake returned to the hall with his black hair still wet.
He felt an inexplicable anxiety. He wanted to see Lily.
“Master! We’ve almost finished treating the wounded!”
A maid came running over, beaming.
All of them? Then where was Lily?
Shamanic power wasn’t something you could use without limit. And Lily hadn’t promised not to overdo it.
He rushed down, breathing hard.
Just then, he saw Lily’s back.
She was getting up from her chair after treating the last patient.
The first thing he saw was her thin, white nape. It was always pale, but now it looked almost dead.
With his keen eyes, Blake saw something else wrong.
She couldn’t stand up properly—she was gripping the chair’s armrest.
Her steps were unsteady…
“Miss.”
He hurried toward her, his body tensed with worry.
“Oh, you. Sorry, but I used up all the shamanic resources. Honestly, we could’ve bought several mansions if we sold all that… But it shouldn’t hurt the ducal family’s finances, right? You’re all rich. The capital’s nobles sneer at money games but secretly envy you.”
Lily tried to put on a playful smile, not realizing her face wouldn’t cooperate.
“Lily Hedwick.”
“Actually, it’s hard to breathe, so if you could open a window—”
“Lily!”
Blake ran.
He saw her small figure collapse just past his shoulder.
As Lily, now unconscious, was about to hit the floor, his veined hand caught her in his arms.
“Lily! Lily!”
Her skin was like ice.
A few hours passed after Lily Hedwick collapsed.
The few staff who were still unhurt had crowded into the kitchen, having been chased out of the room where Lily lay.
Il Dexter, the aide, should have been asleep for several days.
But he’d been half-forced awake to check Lily’s condition.
Blake had looked ready to kill, so Il used his power without complaint.
When Il came back to the kitchen, everyone surrounded him.
“Is she okay?”
“She just used up too much strength and energy. That’s why her body temperature dropped. She used her power with shamanic supplies, so it’s no problem. Just let her sleep in a warm room for a few days—”
“She’s okay!”
“There’s no problem!”
The gloomy mood in the kitchen turned festive in an instant.
“No one cares about me…”
Il dragged his tired body to a corner and flopped down, not caring about his dignity.
He didn’t even care about promotion today!
While he was groaning in his corner, everyone else gathered to praise Lily.
The staff who had gone out and those who lived in Winter Castle mingled, sharing stories.
“The blonde lady who healed my son—is that Lady Lily you told me about?”
“She’s truly compassionate. All of us owe our lives to her.”
“How can we ever repay her kindness?”
Maids and knights alike sat together, praising Lily.
She was their savior.
Those who had lived at the castle all along added more stories about Lily’s usual kindness.
Of course, not everyone liked the situation.
It was Sebastian. He remembered what he’d said to Lily.
—Just behave yourself. For Lady Lily, maybe not getting in the way of others is the best you can do.
The very night he’d said those words, Lily had suddenly become everyone’s hero.
He was so stunned he couldn’t even speak.
He sat sulking by the window, pulled down his cap, and stormed out.
