Chapter 44

"Are you crazy?"

"I'm not crazy."

"You're a palace maid, if something happens..."

"Who's going to kill me? Just give them enough money to shut them up and tell them to leave the capital. That should do it, right?"

"Huh..."

Lennox let out a long sigh and shot back irritably.

"Don't worry about it. If the Emperor shows any signs of calling that maid to his chambers, I'll take care of it..."

"No, that would be too late!! I mean, do something before that happens!"

Dian couldn't bear it any longer. His heart was racing, and he couldn't just sit still. Lennox turned with a disgusted look on his face at Dian's obsessive attitude.

"Alright. I understand."

"Not just understand, but make sure you do it properly. Got it?"

Dian's voice clung persistently to Lennox as he left the VIP guest room. ＊ ＊ ＊ However, Lennox couldn't fulfill Dian's request. Or rather, there was no need to.

"What? She's gone?"

"Yes, my lord. It seems she packed her bags and fled."

Lorraine still called Dian 'my lord.' Dian tilted his head, feeling a strange sensation as he listened to Lorraine's report.

"...Suddenly?"

"Yes. Perhaps she was frightened?"

"Frightened?"

Lorraine nodded. It was a reasonable assumption. Many of the palace staff expressed concern when they heard that Dian Poitiers, who had never properly seen the maid's face, wanted to make her his direct subordinate. Some even went as far as to say, "We'll see blood soon," and no one could refute it. So, it was entirely possible that the maid, sensing the situation, had fled. Dian, finding the story plausible, fell silent in thought. She could have been frightened. Yes, that's possible. But why do I feel so uneasy?

"Probably that's what happened. But in any case, isn't it what you wanted, my lord?"

Lorraine gently consoled Dian.

"...Yeah. That's right."

"Think about it calmly. You'll feel better, and the baby will come soon."

Lorraine skillfully adjusted to Dian's mood, and after a moment, Dian let out a long sigh, gradually pushing the maid out of his mind. ＊ ＊ ＊ That day, as dusk began to fall, the blonde maid, who had taken a substantial amount of money, was no longer dressed as a maid. She wore a deep hood and ran off somewhere. Two people, cloaked in robes, watched her.

"If something like this happens again, should I let you know?"

After watching the woman disappear for a while, one of them asked cautiously, and the other nodded in response.

"Do so. After all, another maid like her will come in."

"Yes, understood."

The two then turned and entered the palace. ＊ ＊ ＊ The Empress, who had been bedridden for days after suddenly collapsing, woke up just as suddenly as she had fallen ill. When Lady Gix entered the Empress's room early in the morning, she was surprised to see the Empress half-sitting on the bed.

"Are you feeling better?"

The golden eyes slowly revealed were still dazed.

"Ah... How long have I been lying here?"

"You were unconscious for two days."

Adele slowly nodded.

"Would you like me to tidy your hair?"

Adele, who had been bothered by her sweat-soaked, tangled hair, nodded at Lady Gix's delicate offer.

"I was going to do it myself... but I couldn't muster the strength."

"I'll do it for you."

"Thank you."

"Can you turn a little?"

As Adele turned, Lady Gix began to gently comb and braid the Empress's black hair. Adele suddenly asked Lady Gix, who was loosely braiding her hair.

"Did I wake up at any point and call Lionel Valdor?"

"Do you remember?"

"...I thought it was a dream, but it wasn't."

"During that time, His Majesty the Emperor also came."

At the mention of the Emperor, Adele's brows involuntarily furrowed. Unaware of this, Lady Gix continued, tying the end of the braid with a ribbon.

"He was very worried. He called the chief physicians to check on the Empress's condition every hour."

"..."

Lady Gix, having neatly braided the hair and swept it to one side, observed the Empress, who remained silent. When the Empress turned back to lean against the headboard, her face was expressionless. Lady Gix, who had intended to bring up the Emperor, decided against it.

"Would you like some light soup?"

The Empress, who had been silently expressionless, nodded gracefully.

"Please wait a moment."

As Lady Gix left, Adele slowly retraced the hazy time. She recalled the favor she had asked of Lionel and her subsequent decision to revoke it. Her eyes narrowed at some point.

'...I will build a very wide fence. You are mine.'

Is this a dream? I don't know. Adele let out a long sigh and rubbed her face with her roughened hands. ＊ ＊ ＊ The chief physicians were overjoyed when the Empress woke up. They had been frequently and persistently called by the Emperor to report on the Empress's condition and the treatments they were administering. How could they cure a patient so easily?! They wanted to tell the Emperor to be more patient, but since he was the Emperor, they could only desperately plead with the Empress.

'Please open your eyes and save us poor souls. Why did you suddenly lose consciousness?'

Now that the Empress had woken up, the chief physicians, half sobbing, patted each other's shoulders.

'We're saved!'

They immediately rushed to the Emperor to report that the Empress had finally woken up and that the medicine prescribed the previous evening seemed to be effective. The Emperor, who was handling state affairs in his office, immediately stood up and rushed out of the room upon hearing the news. Dian, who was just arriving at the Emperor's office, witnessed this scene. The Emperor, not seeing Dian, left so quickly that Dian couldn't even call out to him. She hadn't eaten or slept properly for days. Her heart was racing, and she was constantly breaking out in cold sweats, unable to sleep even when lying down, and she didn't even feel hungry. At first, she thought the cause was the blonde maid, but even after the maid disappeared, her symptoms didn't improve. Dian felt like she was going mad. Seeing the Emperor rush off so urgently, her heart, which had been racing, began to throb. Her legs trembled, and Lorraine, who was nearby, quickly supported her.

"Are you alright?"

"...Where is he going in such a hurry?"

At that moment, several people emerged from the Emperor's office. They were the palace chief physicians. Dian already knew that the Empress had suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness. The fact that the chief physicians had been visiting the Emperor early in the morning... Dian pushed Lorraine's hand away and walked towards them. One of them was slightly surprised by Dian's sudden appearance and greeted her, but she ignored it and asked directly.

"Has the Empress woken up?"

"Ah, yes, she has."

"Did you just report that news?"

"Yes."

The sudden answer made the world seem dark to Dian. She felt a ringing in her ears and a sensation of the ground shaking, and she almost collapsed. If Lorraine hadn't supported her, she would have fallen. Dian, gasping for breath, desperately tried to regain her composure. Suddenly, her chest felt nauseous, and she began to retch.

"Ugh, ugh."

"Lord of the Palace!"

Lorraine, alarmed, tried to make Dian more comfortable, but her retching didn't stop.

"Ugh, ugh."

"What are you just standing there for? Hurry up!!"

Lorraine's sharp words made the chief physicians, who were flustered, support Dian. They quickly took her to her room, as she couldn't stand properly. ＊ ＊ ＊ After eating the light soup brought by Lady Gix and taking a light bath, Adele had her hair thoroughly dried and loosely braided again. She had intended to get up, but her body felt heavy, so she returned to the bed. She found the presence of the waiting maids annoying and sent them all away. She didn't want to see anyone and just wanted to sleep a little more. Just as she was thinking this, someone knocked on the door. Adele instinctively knew an unwanted guest had arrived. As expected, Lady Gix's voice followed.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived."

"Oh, heavens..."

Adele sighed softly and closed her eyes tightly. Lady Gix must have conveyed her intention not to see anyone to the Emperor. The knocking sound came again.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I will enter for a moment."

Adele, with a creaking body, forced herself to sit up. Lady Gix, who opened the door and entered, approached her with a sympathetic look and whispered.

"The Emperor wishes to see you."

"Look at me. Do I look like I'm in any condition to see anyone?"

"I'm sorry. I told him you were asleep... but he said he wanted to see you even if you were sleeping..."

Adele's face was filled with disbelief. Her mouth was slightly open, and one of her eyebrows raised, making it clear what she was thinking.

'...Is he crazy?'

"He wants to see me while I'm sleeping?"

"Yes."

Even Lady Gix couldn't hide her perplexed expression. But she quickly regained her composure and offered advice to Adele.

"We can't keep the Emperor waiting outside. You can receive him while sitting on the bed. Just for now..."

Adele, pressing her brows, sighed.

"Fine. Bring me something to wear."

The Empress, who had been lying down, stood up with a resolute attitude that belied her recent inactivity. Dizziness hit her as she suddenly stood, but she didn't show it. Lady Gix quickly brought a robe and handed it to her before leaving. Adele, composing her expression, moved to a sofa set up in the bedroom. She muttered to herself, 'What a crazy, strange man.'