Chapter 85

She hastily grabbed Lionel's hand and shook her head.

“No, give it to me!!”

Her face contorted as if the last thread she had been holding onto had just snapped. Her delicate hands trembled as she desperately tried to close the vial's cap, and tears silently streamed down her cheeks, spilling over the low wall. Lionel looked at Adel's face with dark, sunken eyes. Her frail hands, trying to take the death in his hands, were so weak. Seeing the once proud and confident person crumble like this made his heart feel as if it would burst. What had she been thinking all night, fiddling with death?

“Give it to me, give it to me...”

The dam that had barely held back the river crumbled with that small crack. Lionel, unable to bear it any longer, pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

Meanwhile, Adel, buried in his embrace, opened her eyes wide in a daze. Her mind went blank from the strong force that bound her body and the firm chest that pressed against her cheek. She wanted to ask what he was doing, to say that she shouldn’t be here like this, but those thoughts crumbled and disappeared.

“...”

The warmth that enveloped her body, the strong force that held her trembling body, and the gentle touch on her back gradually relaxed the stiffness in Adel's neck and shoulders. She let her body go limp and leaned against him, thinking in a daze.

‘Ah, I was cold.’

Her eyelids slowly closed as she felt the steady heartbeat beyond the chest that touched hers. That steady sound was like a comfort. Then, a low voice whispered in her ear.

“Did you want to die?”

“...”

When Adel didn't answer, Lionel slowly stood up and looked at her. Adel slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze. A stormy night sea. The lonely moon and the sea looking up at it were both dangerously undulating.

“...Can't you just return to Gottrop?”

After a long pause, Adel finally spoke.

“...I can't go back.”

And she revealed the secret that she had never told anyone, the noose that had been tightening around her neck.

“...Every time I feel tired and exhausted, the demon inside me whispers, ‘If only I had let my brother die that day... I wouldn't be like this.’”

Lionel's eyes deeply sank and shimmered. Adel lowered her gaze and sat down in a chair, away from his embrace. After spilling out the words she had kept hidden, a wave of fatigue washed over her. Just as she was about to tell him to leave, he slowly knelt in front of her. Before the startled Adel could stop him, he spoke, his eyes solely focused on her.

“Then why didn't you die?”

Why couldn't she die, even after fiddling with death all night?

“Wasn't it because you couldn't die here?”

“...”

“Certainly, the sight of Mrs. Gix guarding the door, and Brunhild Alexa who gave you the evidence, and the people you left behind in your homeland must have been a concern...”

‘Was I not part of that concern?’

Lionel couldn't bring himself to say the rest and trailed off. His dark blue eyes shimmered, and finally, tears began to flow. Adel stared blankly at the tears falling like jewels. Lionel swallowed the rising emotions and slowly, deliberately spoke.

“If it was a life you were going to discard...”

“...”

The dark blue sea violently churned. It surged and overturned, finally reaching the moon's toes, which it thought it could never touch,

“Could you give your life to me?”

And it finally swallowed the moon. ＊ ＊ ＊ Meanwhile, when the sky began to brighten, the person who entered the palace was not just Lionel. An old woman, who didn't fit the royal palace at all, secretly entered through the side door used by the servants. Lorraine led her to the Ivory Palace, choosing only the least crowded paths.

“Hurry up.”

“Oof...”

The old woman, bent with age, sighed and moved slowly under Lorraine's urging. Since Dean had sent all the maids of the Ivory Palace outside, the empty palace echoed their footsteps more loudly than usual. Dean, who had been waiting anxiously in the room, rushed out to meet the old woman as soon as she heard the footsteps approaching. Although not a properly trained doctor, the old woman had been a midwife for decades. She might not have had professional medical knowledge, but she could tell just by looking. The old woman examined Dean's body with a sharp gaze. Dean, anxious, kept swallowing dryly. Her jaw trembled involuntarily, making her teeth chatter. When the old woman finally straightened up and exhaled, Dean, who had been lying on the bed for the examination, jumped up and asked.

“Tell me. Why am I bleeding? Is the baby okay?”

Her voice trembled pitifully. The old woman, looking at Dean with her wrinkled eyes, bluntly said,

“It's not bleeding.”

“...Not bleeding?”

“It's a false pregnancy.”

“...”

Dean was momentarily speechless. Her mind went blank, and her vision turned white. Shocked, she swayed as if she might fall, and the old woman caught her shoulder with her wrinkled hand. The old woman, who had seen it all in her years as a midwife, looked calm, as if she had expected this. Dean, pale and desperate, grabbed the old woman's arm.

“A false pregnancy! I was definitely pregnant!!”

The old woman, with a bitter expression, coldly stated the reality.

“It was a body's illusion, wanting a baby.”

“Don't lie! An illusion?! I felt the baby move!!”

The old woman just stared at Dean without a word. Women who desperately wanted a baby sometimes had such illusions. Some even had their bellies swell. But no matter how much they were deceived, a non-existent baby couldn't appear. As the old woman quietly stood up, Dean, with a desperate look, grabbed her.

“Why, where are you going? You haven't done anything!”

The old woman shook her head slightly and said,

“There's nothing more I can do for you.”

Dean, dazed by the old woman's answer, clung to her arm with trembling hands and pleaded.

“Again, examine me again. There must have been a mistake. There has to be a baby inside me. Please, examine me again!!”

Just then, the door opened with a loud noise. The old woman and Dean looked at the door in shock.

“...Brother...”

The person who opened the door was none other than Renox. Renox, with wide eyes, took a step into the room. Realizing she had made a mistake, the old woman tried to move away, but Renox roughly grabbed her arm.

“Ah, ouch!”

He then stared at Dean with a chilling voice.

“What? There's no baby?”

Dean opened her mouth to protest, but no sound came out. Renox, glaring at Dean with bloodshot eyes, turned to the old woman.

“You're not pregnant?”

“...”

“Answer me quickly!!”

Under Renox's fierce urging, the old woman hurriedly spoke.

“I, I had a false pregnancy...”

“No!!”

Dean reacted violently, but Renox ignored her and pressed the old woman further.

“A false pregnancy?!”

“I, I think it was an illusion.”

“Illusion? An illusion of pregnancy?”

“S, sometimes it happens...”

“What a fool!!!”

“Please, spare me...”

The terrified old woman pleaded, but Renox's ferocious demeanor didn't waver. He felt as if all the blood in his body had drained to his feet, making him feel like he was going mad. He had rushed over to deliver the good news of the queen's deposition, but a more shocking revelation awaited him. A wave of crisis hit him like a storm. Renox quickly thought and, staring at the old woman, asked, enunciating each word clearly.

“Can you stake your life on this diagnosis?!”

“W, whether it's a false pregnancy or not, it's not normal for a pregnant woman to bleed.”

“So, you're saying there's no baby in her belly, no matter what?”

“Yes, yes...”

“No.”

Confirming the question, the old woman answered with her wrinkled eyes narrowed.

“Yes... Please, spare me...”

A moment later, Renox, as if by magic, released her. He leaned in to the startled old woman, making eye contact, and whispered.

“Leave.”

Startled by the sudden command, the old woman fled the room in a panic. Renox, staring at the spot where the old woman had been, left the room, and the shocked Dean finally collapsed onto the bed. A short while later, Renox returned and relentlessly pushed Dean.

“What? An illusion? An illusion?!!”

“No.”

“What do you mean, no?! Why did you call a midwife when there are so many royal physicians? You must have felt something was wrong, right?!”

“No!!!”

Furious, Renox hurled insults at his sister. He accused her of being the only blemish in his life, of never having helped him with anything, and even brought up their parents' death.

“If it weren't for you!!!!”

Already exhausted and drained, Dean covered her ears and buried herself under the blanket.

“Don't call the royal physicians and just act like you're dead.”

Renox, roughly brushing back his fallen hair, yelled at Dean, who was hiding under the blanket, and left the Ivory Palace. He then secretly sought out another midwife and brought her to the Ivory Palace. Ignoring the hysterical Dean, he had her examined, and the result was the same.

“It was really an illusion... What a fool...!”

Muttering in frustration, Renox left the palace, leaving Dean behind. He summoned a servant who handled secret tasks and handed him two pieces of paper with addresses.

“Silently take care of the two midwives at these addresses. Also, get a belly band that looks like a pregnant woman's. And in about five months, I'll need a newborn boy, so start looking at orphanages in advance.”

He couldn't afford to lose this last thread of hope, even if it was an illusion. Renox's blue eyes flashed with a dangerous light.