~Chapter 127~
A day passed, and tomorrow came, but nothing had really changed.
This was the first time Aisha had ever seen Kilian so powerless. He lay on the bed without moving even a little.
He was not sleeping or resting either. With bloodshot eyes, he simply stared blankly at the ceiling.
Aisha stayed by his side without saying a single word.
“Miss, how is the duke doing…?”
As things continued like this, Theorn kept asking Aisha about Kilian’s condition.
Aisha stepped out of Kilian’s bedroom for a moment and stood in the hallway. She let out a heavy sigh and looked at Theorn. Even without hearing her answer, Theorn nodded with a troubled expression, as if he already understood.
“I’m sorry, Miss Aisha.”
Lowering his head like someone who had committed a great sin, he spoke as if confessing.
“At a time like this, I should be the one supporting the duke… yet I can do nothing. I’m deeply ashamed of myself.”
“Theorn.”
“I never imagined Roselia, Mach Gillian, and the former Duke of Winters… those people… could be plotting something so filthy.”
Theorn was one of the few people who had served Kilian for a long time. It was only natural that this incident had shaken him deeply.
“If it were up to me, I’d run to the underground prison right now and beat Mach Gillian to a pulp.”
“What is he doing right now?” Aisha asked.
“Nothing. He doesn’t even seem to be thinking about escaping.”
“……”
“I don’t know if it’s right to say this at a time like this, but… he must be confident that the duke will eventually listen to him. And now that Roselia knows everything as well…”
In the end, Kilian was being forced to choose—caught between Roselia, whom he hated more than anyone, and Cox Bilden… no, Mach Gillian, who wanted to use him.
“……What do you think, Theorn?”
“Pardon?”
“Do you think the duke really has to… make a decision?”
Haah.
This time, it was Theorn who let out a heavy sigh.
“If Roselia didn’t know the truth, Mach Gillian would already be dead. If that were the case, nothing would leak out. But that’s not how things are…”
“……”
“To be honest, I don’t know what the right answer is either. Becoming emperor? For the duke, who has completely turned his back on the imperial family… who despises it?”
Aisha weakly bit her lip.
“No matter what decision the duke makes, I will follow his will. But… no matter what he chooses, it feels like his heart will be deeply wounded.”
“……Yes. Just like you said, Theorn.”
Roselia and Mach Gillian.
No matter whose hand Kilian chose to take, he would be left with scars that could never be erased.
To sit on an imperial throne he never wanted, Kilian would have to make enormous sacrifices. And what about the process itself? What if this truth reached Belmore’s ears?
Just thinking about it made her head throb.
Aisha took a short breath, squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. She looked back at Theorn and spoke.
“No matter what decision he makes, it should only be after the duke has calmed his heart.”
“I agree, Miss Aisha.”
“Right now, the most important thing is for the duke to recover from his wounds…”
But I don’t even know how to do that myself.
As Aisha was about to let out a hollow laugh at her own helplessness—
“Ah, there you are, Lady Aisha.”
A familiar voice suddenly came from ahead.
The owner of that voice was none other than Sien.
“Oh, Sien.”
Not knowing anything about the situation, Sien looked exactly the same as always. His face still showed faint dissatisfaction toward Aisha.
“I have something to discuss. Is the duke inside?”
“There’s an urgent matter. The duke is not in a position to meet anyone right now,” Theorn answered instead.
“What’s this about, Sien?” Aisha asked.
“In a few days, it will be the duke’s birthday.”
Birthday?
Aisha’s ears subtly perked up.
“I know he hasn’t really celebrated it before, but since Lady Aisha is now living here as well, I wondered if his thoughts might have changed.”
“……”
“If we’re going to prepare properly, there really isn’t much time left.”
“Sien, as I said earlier, now is not the time for—”
“No, wait.”
Lost in thought, Aisha suddenly interrupted Theorn, as if something had just occurred to her.
“……Lady Aisha?”
“Sien, could you do me one favor?”
“Huh? A favor?”
Surprised by her sudden change in attitude, Sien looked confused. Aisha slowly began to explain.
And the more Aisha spoke, the more confusion filled Theorn’s face.
What time was it now?
Judging by the darkness outside, night must have come again.
But Kilian, collapsed on the bed, had no will left to even figure out the time. With unfocused eyes, he stared into empty space, doing nothing at all.
‘…I can’t just stay like this.’
He knew it logically. Before Belmore learned the truth, he had to act—no matter what choice he made.
No matter what happened, Kilian had a responsibility.
A responsibility to protect Aisha. No matter what.
Right now, that was the only thought in his mind.
“……”
As if trying to endure the pain, Kilian squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again.
Even this moment of stillness was a luxury. He had to get up, try talking to Mach Gillian again, or track Roselia’s movements—he had to understand the situation.
Somehow… he had to overcome this helplessness and despair—
Kilian bit down hard on his lip and rubbed his face roughly with his large hands.
That was when—
“Duke!”
From beyond the closed door, Aisha’s voice called out.
“Duke? Are you sleeping?”
“…No.”
At the sound of her voice, Kilian finally sat up.
Come to think of it, the person who worried the most about him in this state was Aisha. And yet, she never once showed her anxiety, staying by his side the whole time.
“Um… could you open the door for me, Duke?”
“Miss?”
“My hands are kind of full right now.”
It wasn’t easy to understand what she meant, but Kilian stood up and walked quickly to the door. As she asked, he opened it.
And then—
The moment he came face to face with Aisha standing there, an expression he couldn’t easily describe appeared on his face.
