TGDHC Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Healing Magic

“…I’m Enolius.”

Enolius?

I blinked blankly.

Oh—Enolius, the mage from the Grand Duke’s castle.

I didn’t expect to meet him here, in this place, at this hour.

“I’m casting a healing spell, so don’t move.”

But he was just sitting on a chair—not doing anything that looked magical.

He wasn’t reaching his hand toward me, and I couldn’t see any magic circles or light.

As if reading my thoughts, the mage narrowed his eyes.

“Healing magic is invisible by nature.”

The look he gave me, as if I were clueless, made me a little annoyed.

“You’re casting magic on me without my permission?”

My voice was wary, but the mage replied indifferently.

“By order of the Grand Duke. I’m just following orders. If you have a complaint, take it up with him.”

What an irritating way of speaking.

I wanted to say something back, but technically, he wasn’t wrong.

“…I wasn’t trying to argue.”

I simply didn’t have the energy to fight. But that seemed to amuse him.

“So you’re different from what I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought Her Highness would wake up and cause a scene. I even prepared a binding spell, just in case.”

He spoke casually, like he was talking to a stranger. His words were so rude, I let out a short, empty laugh.

“You’re exactly like the rumors.”

So unpleasant.

“I won’t deny it. As you can see, I’m the type who’s disliked no matter where I go.”

The mage shrugged lazily.

If he weren’t a mage, someone probably would’ve chopped off his head already. Still, I didn’t find his honesty all that offensive.

“I guess I’m similar.”

I calmly touched my forehead.

There was something like a bandage where the egg had hit me.

“Similar?”

“You’ve heard the rumors about me, haven’t you?”

Starting with “Capital’s Villainess,” then “enemy’s daughter,” and now probably “the Grand Duchess who sucks the life out of the people.”

The mage frowned, then nodded like it made sense.

“I suppose that’s fair.”

After that, the conversation stopped.

The mage stood up a short while later.

“It’s done. You should rest now.”

Without much else to say, he headed for the door.

Just as he was about to leave, I called out quietly,

“…Thank you.”

It was barely loud enough to hear, but he stopped and turned back to look at me.

“For what?”

“For the healing magic.”

“Oh… right, well.”

He hesitated a moment, then scratched his chin awkwardly.

“I didn’t mean to be rude, by the way.”

That was unexpected.

“It’s fine.”

“And I don’t think you’re like me.”

“What do you mean?”

“At least within this castle, you don’t seem to be hated.”

I gave him a puzzled look, and he gestured behind me.

I turned my head and saw flower pots—large and small—lined up on the windowsill.

“These…”

I turned back to ask, but the mage had already disappeared.

***

“Your Highness! Are you okay?!”

A while later, Cecilia rushed in, her eyes full of tears.

“You don’t know how scared I was! I thought you might never wake up!”

After calming her down, I finally heard what had happened after I fainted.

“The court physician said there was no major injury aside from the scratch on your forehead. But you didn’t wake up even after the evening passed.”

Cecilia sniffled, still looking shaken.

“When His Grace heard, he rushed to the castle. He was furious and immediately called for the mage.”

“The Duke was angry?”

“I didn’t see it myself, but Sir Perel and the other knights looked terrified. They said it was the first time they’d seen His Grace that furious. Said the air felt deadly.”

I couldn’t really imagine the calm and dignified Duke being that angry, but I nodded.

“What about the culprit?”

“They caught the person who threw the second egg. He’s in prison now and being interrogated.”

Cecilia added carefully,

“All the knights on duty have also been imprisoned.”

“What? Why would the knights be locked up?!”

I stared in disbelief.

“Because they failed to protect Your Highness. Sir Tierne was even physically hit by the Duke.”

Cecilia went on to say that the knights had to hold the Duke back, and that Sir Perel had told her not to mention it to me. But she confessed everything.

I was speechless.

Sir Tierne—who probably followed the Duke more loyally than anyone—had been struck because of me?

“By the way, Your Highness—did you see these?”

Noticing that I looked upset, Cecilia quickly pointed to the flower pots on the windowsill.

“I was going to ask. What are all those?”

“They were brought by the castle staff.”

Cecilia smiled warmly.

“They wanted to comfort you. Each person came carrying a flower pot.”

“Oh…”

They were worried about me? But why flowers?

“Leta said she overheard that Your Highness doesn’t like cut flowers.”

“…I see.”

“At first, it was just a few maids, but then it spread. People from the kitchen, even the stables, came to drop one off.”

Looking more closely, I noticed even more pots below the window.

I tried to get up, but Cecilia quickly waved her hands.

“You shouldn’t be moving yet!”

“I’m fine.”

When I stood up, she gently helped me over to the window.

“…They’re beautiful.”

Each pot was a different size, with a different type of flower. Some had little cards in them.

When I breathed in, I smelled a soft fragrance and the scent of fresh soil.

“Retta said all the maids were furious. They said whoever did that to you would be punished by heaven.”

Cecilia said firmly, as if to reassure me.

“Everyone was so worried you’d be hurt emotionally. Even Sir Norton told me to tell you—everyone in the castle is on your side. Don’t misunderstand.”

“…That’s kind of them.”

Truthfully, I hadn’t gone out of my way to treat the staff well before this.

But seeing a small flower pot with a white neflas bud that hadn’t yet bloomed… made me smile without realizing.

The nightmare of the execution faded quietly from my mind.

***

Knock knock.

Loic knocked gently on the door.

“Your Grace? May I come in?”

A gentle voice answered from within.

Loic slowly entered the Grand Duchess’s bedroom, biting his lip.

She was sitting up in bed, supported by cushions.

He had already asked Whittle if it was okay to visit, so it seemed she was expecting him.

Seeing her usual bright face made his heart ache.

He stood still, unable to approach. The Grand Duchess tilted her head.

“Your Grace?”

“…”

“Why are you just standing there? Come sit down.”

She tapped the chair next to the bed.

But how could he shamelessly sit beside her after letting her be humiliated like that?

He hesitated, unable to move, and her brow twitched.

“Not going to come? Then should I come to you?”

She started to throw off the blanket.

With no choice, Loic rushed forward and sat down.

But even then, he couldn’t find the words to speak.

He kept his head lowered and asked quietly,

“Are you… feeling better?”

“I’m totally fine. Really.”

Her voice was as cheerful as always.

“Thanks to the mage, I feel full of energy. I guess healing magic actually works.”

“This… will never happen again.”

Loic stared at his clenched hands and spoke firmly.

“From now on, the 1st and 2nd Knight units will guard you together. Sir Norton will be assigned solely to your protection.”

“That’s not necessary…”

“The troublemakers from the incident will be punished as soon as they’re identified. The Merchants’ Guild chief has been warned to stop the rumors about you. Anyone who speaks carelessly again will…”

He was speaking nonstop, breathless and serious.

“Your Grace.”

The Grand Duchess gently interrupted him.

“I get it. But can you at least look at me?”

“….”

“You’re not even going to look at me?”

Urged by her soft voice, Loic slowly lifted his head.

She leaned forward with her pale face close to his.

Her usually rosy cheeks were drained of color, and her long lashes trembled weakly.

And that large bandage on her forehead…

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”

Noticing where his gaze had landed, she started removing the bandage.

“Leave it!”

He tried to stop her, but she had already pulled it off.

“See? It’s nothing.”

“…It left a wound.”

His voice trembled slightly.