Chapter 141

Proofreader: somnium

It was the day after the news of Miraila that Lysia and Brother Colton set out for the capital.

The news going to the plain west was faster than the north, which had a harsh natural environment. Moreover, since it was related to the heresy interrogation, the news from within the temple was faster than that of the messengers heading north.

Upon hearing the news, Lysia felt a stabbing pain in her chest.

For some reason, she wondered if it was Artizea herself who caused this to happen.

There was no reason or logic. But Lysia was sure.

She did not even think that Artizea couldn’t get anything out of this. Because Artizea’s own profit and loss and what she thought were necessary rarely coincided with each other.

Her heart was full of strange and tingling emotions.

Even if she thought it was necessary by reason, Lysia did not think that it would be okay with Artizea’s heart.

Lysia had not known Artizea for a long time. But for some reason she could easily understand her.

Artizea said that she had given up on Miraila. That would be true.

Artizea did what she always thought was necessary for a purpose. She didn’t care much about right or wrong, and she didn’t care how she felt.

But emotions didn’t just disappear just because she ignored them.

Even if Artizea took a long time to give up on Miraila and make up her mind, it does not mean that the heart of yesterday has disappeared today.

She wanted to go and hold Artizea’s hand.

Lysia wasn’t Artizea’s friend or sister, and she wasn’t like Alice, who had been with Artizea from her home, Lysia was just a lady-in-waiting.

But it might be of any help even a little, she thought.

But that didn’t mean Lysia could leave her place easily.

She didn’t have much to do in the west. Artizea entrusted Lysia with the duty of Inspector of the Western Business.

But in reality, it was only a sign that Grand Duchess Evron cared enough to send her lady-in-waiting to watch.

Rather, she centered on the role of liaison and attendant with Brother Colton.

Fortunately, Brother Colton spoke up first.

“I must go to the capital, Morten Heir Apparent.”

“Really?”

“The person in charge of the heresy interrogation is called Akim. That friend must be trying to intimidate not only Dowager Marchioness Rosan, but also her children. There is no clear standard for heresy interrogation, and there are very few people who can get out of it if the inquisitor is determined and driven.”

Brother Colton couldn’t leave it that way.

Artizea was the saintess. The temple should not dare to impeach the saintess.

The temple should play a role in promoting and putting into practice the teachings of the god written in the scripture.

However, a saint hears the voice from God directly and realizes God’s will in the world.

There was no need to think about which one was more important.

So he hurriedly set off. By the way, if anything happened, he was going to secretly inform the Archbishop that Artizea was a saintess.

However, he knew that Artizea was a political mover, so he could not act prematurely.

If he wanted to keep the fact that Artizea was a saintess to the end, he should not appear in the capital at all.

Moreover, it was even more so because it was Bishop Akim who was leading the heresy interrogation.

Brother Colton knew that his hurried arrival to the capital had the potential to provoke Bishop Akim.

So Brother Colton stayed quietly with Lysia in a monastery near the capital.

So he was able to come as soon as he heard that there was a conflict in the temple today and that the Knights of Evron had moved.

Hearing the story, Hayley shook her head with a puzzled face.

“I’ll have to reconsider Your Grace’s intentions.”

“Yes?”

At Lysia’s question, Hayley smiled in vain.

“There are too many people who don’t know the extent. After His Grace the Grand Duke, now you.”

“Has His Grace come?”

“Yes. Otherwise, would I have done a great job like besieging the temple? I would have stopped it.”

Lysia laughed awkwardly. Hayley grumbled.

“So it’s saying that all of Her Grace’s plans have gone awry. In the midst of this, how can someone who is only a lady-in-waiting like me manage the situation?”

“Sister Hayley’s is the lady-in-waiting. She is trusted by Her Grace and was kept by her side.”

“The lady-in-waiting… Anyway, you go see Her Grace.”

“Will that be alright, though?”

“Yes. Even if Her Grace doesn’t say it, she’ll be happy that you came.”

Lysia was shaken. Hayley briefly informed Lysia about Artizea’s condition.

And this time she told Brother Colton.

“It is too late for Brother to see Her Grace, so please give me some time. I will deliver the words of Her Grace.”

“I will listen, Lady Jordyn.”

“And it would be better to keep it a secret that Brother came here today.”

At Hayley’s words, Brother Colton pulled open his collar.

Lysia left the room behind while the two of them were talking. If there’s anything she needs to know more about, Hayley will tell her later.

Rather than talking about such a political story, she wanted to see Artizea’s face now.

Lysia headed to Artizea’s room.

A small lamp was lit in the living room and several people were waiting. The doctor and the maids were asleep.

Alphonse was sitting in front of the bedroom door with a chair.

Lysia approached him and greeted him with a hand signal. Alphonse lowered his voice to answer.

“It’s okay to talk in a low voice in the living room. It looks like she is sleeping deeply.”

“Yes.”

“When did you get here?”

“I just arrived. Is Her Grace all right?”

“It’s not like it’s a disease, it’s just overwork. Did you hear that she is pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“The baby is fine, and nothing will be wrong. They said that if she rests well, she will wake up naturally.”

Alphonse said softly.

“Do you want to see her for a moment?”

“Is it okay, though?”

Alphonse stood up and knocked lightly on the door.

Sophie, who was guarding inside, carefully creaked the door open. And looking at Lysia, startled, she covered her mouth with one hand.

“Miss Lysia.”

“Can I see her for a moment?”

“Ah yes. It’s okay. Her breathing is very stable now.”

Saying so, Sophie opened the door.

“Lysia is coming, Madam will be happy too.”

Lysia silenced the sound of her footsteps, so she cautiously entered the bedroom. Alphonse closed the door.

Lysia walked over to the bedside.

Sophie lit another one of the candles. It was dark by itself, so she tried to light two more, but the candles that had been lit from the evening on had already shortened.

“I’ll change the candles.”

“Yes. I will be watching.”

Sophie said thanks and went outside with the extinguished candlestick.

Lysia sat in the chair by the bed. And she looked down at Artizea’s pale face.

“Don’t try to handle it alone, Your Grace.”

Lysia whispered lowly.

Something seemed to boil in her chest.

It seemed like it was all her fault. She regretted breaking Cedric’s advice to stay close.

It’s not that Hayley was lacking. Had it been herself and not Hayley that followed to the temple, she wouldn’t have been able to stop this from happening.

She couldn’t have stopped Artizea from doing what Artizea had decided to do.

No, she wouldn’t have been able to decide whether to stop or not. And she couldn’t even protect Artizea.

Lysia grabbed Artizea’s hand that came out of the blanket. And she put her forehead on the back of Artizea’s hand.

“It’s too difficult, Your Grace. What can I do?”

She knew that this was rude and disloyal thinking.

But she somehow felt like she had to take care of this person, so it was even more unbearable.

She couldn’t believe it with any peace of mind, because it felt that if she turned away from this person, she would pass over to the other side in the blink of an eye.

Lysia thinks she has to do something, but she doesn’t know what she can do.

It was when Lysia closed her eyes.

The inside of Lysia’s palm, which was facing Artizea’s palm, was briefly dyed with a white light and then it went off.

No one saw it.

***

After Sophie brought the candle, Lysia left the seat and stood up.

She met Cedric when she went out into the garden because she didn’t seem to be able to sleep.

The footsteps of the knights that followed and the rumble of the ground were heard first. Then she felt the fighting spirit, smelling like a blizzard in the north.

Lysia paused. She didn’t go out, but she stopped there, bent on one knee, and waited for Cedric.

“It’s Lysia.”

Cedric, who was walking in quickly, stopped.

Lysia bowed and said.

“I arrived a little while ago.”

“You must have left early. Did you see Tia?”

“Yes. She is sleeping comfortably.”

“Is everything all right?”

“Yes. She was sleeping comfortably. But now Your Grace’s momentum is so rough that it seems to break the serenity of the bed.”

“…….”

Cedric exhaled slowly. He was trying to calm himself. Lysia was right. It wasn’t good to go like this.

He beckoned lightly to the knights that followed. It meant that they should each fulfill their roles.

And he looked back at Lysia.

Lysia did not stand up and kept kneeling on her knees and bowing her head.

“I’m guilty of my crime.”

“Crime?”

“Your Grace told me to stay by Her Grace’s side, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Cedric looked at Lysia with an indescribably complicated mind.

“Stand up. You don’t have to be so polite.”

“…….”

“Since Tia ordered it, it must have been something that you, her lady-in-waiting, could not refuse. Even if you were by her side, it might not have changed.”

Cedric said with a sigh.

“It’s all my fault.”

“Sorry.”

Because Lysia did not stand up, Cedric eventually lifted her up by hand. Tears were dripping down from Lysia’s eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

“I don’t know either.”

Lysia pressed her eye with her sleeve.

It wasn’t because of breaking the orders of Evron, it just broke her heart.

She was obsessed with the thought that if she had done just a little bit better, everything might have worked out.

Cedric sighed and handed her his handkerchief.

“It’s not your fault.”

“Yes.”

“I couldn’t have done better.”

“Yes.”

“You did well. You endured it.”

Cedric said so and stroked Lysia’s head.

Lysia did not fully understand the meaning of his words, but she nodded her head.