Regret and Resolve

Even though he was a patron who bestowed enormous sums of money, the fact remained that he had practically been kidnapped and brought to the mansion, so it wouldn’t have been strange if Priest Doha were furious. However, he had simply become too exhausted by the storm of events that passed to even have the energy for anger.

In truth, he already knew that the owner of the mansion was a close friend of the Saintess, and upon seeing the patient’s critical condition, his simmering anger had mostly cooled down.

Most of all, the decisive factor was the sight of Agniele, who looked upon Ensiers with deeply devoted eyes and attended to his every single need personally. That display was so profoundly earnest that any lingering dissatisfaction completely vanished.

Although Priest Doha had only witnessed fragmented moments, he could still clearly tell that Agniele was being exceptionally devoted. It was attentive to the point where the word ‘sincere’ felt entirely inadequate to describe his care.

Every single gesture was careful, and he was tender to the point of even watching his own breathing so as not to disturb the youth. If the collapsed man stirred even a little, Agniele would drop whatever he was doing and focus his entire being on him.

Even an ignorant bystander, glancing briefly, could easily perceive just how vital a presence Ensiers was to Agniele.

While dutifully tending to the patient who showed no signs of waking even after three full days, Priest Doha could only click his tongue inwardly at the sight of Agniele sticking so close to Ensi’s side.

He knew who Agniele was. To be precise, he knew his status, the rumors surrounding him, and the public’s general assessment of him.

If the wandering stories were entirely true, it wasn’t all that strange for Agniele to behave this way. Frankly, even considering that, it felt a bit excessive, but given the atmosphere, they certainly looked like lovers.

One would expect someone to vent their frustration on those around them if the person they treasured so deeply failed to wake for so long, yet he didn’t.

Priest Doha glanced at Agniele, who merely bit his inner lip today as well with a wretched expression instead of throwing a tantrum, and then quickly scurried out of the cave.

The inside of the cave was hot enough to make him want to finish his work and leave at the earliest possible moment. No, simply calling it hot was not enough. It would be more accurate to describe it as scorching enough to cook skin.

“Priest.”

As Priest Doha wiped away the sweat that flowed inevitably and prepared to return to his assigned room, a voice caught his footsteps, causing him to turn his upper body.

Inside the cave, there was only the hazy patient and the man who had kept his mouth tightly shut whenever he utilized his holy power. This meant there was only one person who could have called him.

“Yes, Young Master.”

“When…… do you think Ensiers will be able to wake up?”

“…….”

His vow to remain composed regardless of what was said shattered in an instant. Faced with such a delicate question, Priest Doha hesitated, unable to bring himself to answer.

“……I apologize for holding you back when you must be tired. Please rest comfortably, Priest.”

Whether that dreadful silence served as a sufficient answer, a slow voice drifted out from the space enclosed by the thick cloth. It was a tone that retained politeness and respect for the priest, yet carried an immeasurable sorrow.

It felt as though he was forced to realize his own incompetence every time he came to this mansion. Feeling his own heart sink for no reason, Priest Doha added words he didn’t strictly need to say.

“The Saintess will be arriving as part of the delegation for the upcoming appointment ceremony.”

“……That means.”

“The Saintess is also well aware of her friend’s condition. She gave me word that she would arrive ahead of the others to come here, so please wait just a little longer.”

Originally, revealing the movements of the Saintess to others was strictly forbidden. Since she was a person of great importance, security had to be handled with extreme care. However, keeping his mouth shut made his conscience prickle.

Especially since he had failed to fully complete the task assigned to him.

“Thank you.”

The gratitude flowing from Agniele carried the voice of someone who had barely managed to find a breath of air. One could even say it was laced with a faint sob.

Priest Doha stared intently at the place hidden by the cloth before quietly turning around.

Tracing his own scarred lips in the empty air, Agniele let out a silent sigh for what must have been the countless time. Perhaps because the air had grown dry from the continuously rising herb smoke, his skin felt rough.

Holding a small teapot with a long neck, Agniele brought it to Ensi’s lips. As he lightly pressed the chin to part the closed lips, Ensi’s mouth opened without any resistance.

Lest he might choke, Agniele slowly tilted the teapot, and the sound of water being swallowed echoed softly.

“Is it alright if I come in for a moment?”

“Yes.”

The moment Agniele set the teapot down after ensuring Ensi had enough water, a now-familiar voice sounded from outside the cloth. Making sure his voice wouldn’t disturb Ensi, Agniele answered while taking a towel to wipe the corners of Ensi’s mouth.

“……Looking at it now, it seems there isn’t just one patient, but two.”

This is truly driving me crazy.

Luke pressed his hand to his forehead upon seeing Agniele, who looked so haggard that it was obvious even from behind. To completely break a man who looked so robust in a matter of just three days was remarkable in a way.

“What is the matter?”

“I heard he finds it difficult to ingest anything other than water. It will be hard to meet his essential nutritional needs with just thin gruel…….”

Wait, is there a need to explain it in such detail? In any case, the concept of essential nutrients didn’t exactly exist in this world. Luke had opened his mouth as he usually did with Ensi, but decided to drop the explanation upon second thought.

“I’ve brought a medicine to substitute for food. It’s merely a temporary measure and can’t compare to eating actual food, but it will be much better than just feeding him thin gruel.”

Setting down several bottles of potion next to the teapot filled with water, Luke sat on a chair and glanced at Agniele, who did nothing but watch Ensi lying on the bed.

“……You take some, too.”

“I am fine, so explain how to use it first.”

“There isn’t much to explain. Just have him drink it during meal times like he drinks water. And don’t decline; take it yourself. When Ensi wakes up later, you’ll look so terrible that he’ll worry about you before his own body.”

Agniele’s shoulders flinched slightly at Luke’s remark. Come to think of it, he had been prioritizing taking care of Ensi so much that he hadn’t given a single thought to his own condition.

If the other man’s words were true, it meant he needed to tidy up his appearance. Agniele stared blankly at the potion Luke forcibly pressed into his hand, then opened the cap and swallowed it down at once.

“Have you heard the news that Cyrille is coming?”

“Just now, from the priest.”

“If that girl comes, Ensi’s condition will definitely improve. So take care of yourself as well. Don’t add unnecessary worry to a patient who will wake up later.”

“……I understand.”

Though the words Luke spoke so bluntly carried a somewhat cold edge, there was no lie in them. Therefore, Agniele took them to heart without showing any sign of rejection.

“There is one thing I would like to ask.”

“Hmm?”

Having finished what he came to say, Luke tilted his head just as he was about to leave. Was there really something Agniele would ask him? He didn’t think there would be.

“I heard Donovan found a mystery. What happened to that matter?”

“Ah, that…….”

So Ensi shared that much with him. Since Agniele was also a party to the plan, it wasn’t particularly strange. And now, realizing the reason why Agniele suddenly brought up the mystery, Luke scratched his eyebrow in embarrassment.

“The mystery rejected Donovan. Somehow, it turned into a situation where Ensi has to go personally, but since it’s difficult to leave the Empire before the appointment ceremony, we decided to put it on hold for a while.”

If he had asked, it was likely because he wanted to lean on that treatment method since finding a mystery might help. Ensi’s symptoms were ultimately due to the Eutia disease, so if the disease could be treated, the probability of Ensi opening his eyes would increase. Unfortunately, unable to give the answer the other wanted, Luke let out a small groan.

“What about the others? Have they still not found any clues?”

“Titania found one, but…… the reliability of the material is lacking. I made it for now, but with Ensi in this state, it can’t be used.”

“What about the Imperial Library?”

“The incidence rate of the Eutia disease in the Empire is significantly lower compared to other countries. Since there wasn’t much data to begin with, it’s a natural result that no proper material can be found immediately.”

He had thought things were progressing smoothly. Had Ensiers always faced situations where things seemed to go well, only to suddenly hit a wall or have the path twist away?

Listening to Luke’s explanation, Agniele raised his arm to cover his eyes. It was only a fraction, but he felt as though he had caught a glimpse of the source of anxiety Ensi carried.

Thinking back to the day they spent their first night together, unlike himself who had been completely immersed in a sweet dream, Ensi’s eyes seemed to have flickered with a dark shade from time to time.

Because it had been like a mere passing instant, he had dismissed the sudden sense of incompatibility as a simple illusion, but he shouldn’t have done that.

“Ah—, seriously.”

Seeing Agniele look visibly depressed, Luke ruffled his hair roughly. He had intended to leave right away after delivering what he needed to, but…… doing so felt like it would make it awkward to face Ensi later.

Though he didn’t particularly want to, it seemed now was the time to meddle a bit.

“You might as well empty your head.”

“……What?”

“What good does it do to think about it alone besides digging yourself into a deeper hole? Pondering over it for three days is enough. The rest is a matter to be knotted out after Ensi wakes up.”

While he didn’t know the exact circumstances, he knew the single fact that Ensi had collapsed during a conversation with Agniele. No matter how indifferent he claimed to be, Luke, who had a wealth of experience being forced to witness romance, deduced the reason for Agniele’s depression with just that piece of information.

They must have fought. And since Ensi collapsed right after, he was likely blaming himself to the point of thinking the rapid progression of Ensi’s disease was entirely his fault.

As for the reason they fought, there seemed to be only two major issues that could cause trouble, so it must be related to that. The Eutia disease, and the opposition of the Lacius family. Nothing else came to mind.

“Anyway, that is my opinion.”

Luke lightly tapped Agniele’s slumped shoulder. Leaving behind advice that it was fine to care for Ensi but he should also look after his own body, he walked out.

He wiped away his sweat while undoing a couple of buttons fastened up to his neck. It was something he thought every time he stopped by briefly to check on his friend’s condition, but the inside of that place was hotter than a greenhouse surrounded by Sun Herbs.