A Desperate Diagnosis

Pulling down her stifling robe even further to conceal her field of vision, Cyriel moved her steps hurriedly along with her guide.

She had thought that after becoming the Saintess of a nation, she would no longer have to move around like a stray cat. Shaking her head at what she now realized was a hasty judgment, she clicked her tongue inwardly.

The tussle with the Imperial Family had been far too prolonged. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand their defensive stance, but…… frankly, it was irritating whenever they cast suspicious glances at the Saintess for digging her heels in over a mere noble young master who wasn’t even an heir.

Nevertheless, the reason she maintained a gentle demeanor until the very end was that she had not forgotten the weight that came with her granted status and the authority she held.

“We will arrive shortly.”

The person following behind Cyriel spoke in a low voice, perhaps having read her impatience. Reminded that there were those by her side who could skillfully read her emotions through mere minor gestures, a valley formed between Cyriel’s brows.

She put strength into the hand clutching her robe and maintained her silence.

At the declaration of her desire not to converse, everyone guarding her side shut their mouths. As they focused on moving to match Cyriel, who was increasing her speed, the mansion enclosed by a towering fence soon came into view.

“We are sorry for hosting you in a place like this.”

Entering the mansion not through the main gate but through a side door used by servants, Cyriel shook her head lightly at the apology of the woman who came out to greet her.

“The master of the mansion is—.”

“Cyriel.”

More than that, Cyriel wanted to check her friend’s condition first, but she turned her head at the nostalgic voice vibrating against her eardrums.

“It has been a long time, Luke.”

“It’s been a long time. Have you been well?”

As much as the time they hadn’t faced each other was long, even while exchanging light greetings, the two did not stop their legs. Naturally taking over the role from Emma, who was about to handle the guidance, Luke led Cyriel.

“How is Ensi’s condition?”

“It’s the worst. We can’t even use Sun Herbs carelessly anymore, so in this summer heat, we are mobilizing artifacts as well as the fireplace.”

At first, they had tried to preserve his body temperature by burning Sun Herbs in an incense burner and using the smoke. However, after facing the conclusion that his internal injuries were critical, they had no choice but to clear them all away.

Yet, to not use them at all meant the Utia disease would act up. Thanks to that, Luke had to find out the appropriate dose and timing for a day through meticulous calculations.

In truth, it was merely that it had some effect; at this point, even that was of no great help. Ensi’s body, which had seemed to be improving, had become riddled with the illness once more.

Luke bit his lower lip slightly while conveying what had occurred during that time to Cyriel without omission.

“Priest Doha’s reputation wouldn’t have been in vain, though.”

“That’s why he has lasted until now. If it weren’t for that priest, he wouldn’t even have regained his senses yet.”

“……What is the cause of the sudden deterioration?”

“It cannot be specified. However, it is certain that rapid stress is one of the causes.”

Cyriel held back a sigh with an effort. As someone who had frequently treated Ensi at the Academy, she got an intuition that they would face a situation that wouldn’t be easy for the time being.

“I will have to live diligently for a week.”

“I will help.”

Cyriel smiled faintly and nodded. In fact, even if there was practically no part Luke could help with, it was because his intention to lessen her burden was fully felt.

The people who followed Cyriel scattered naturally, and only Lancelot remained to guard her side. Cyriel turned her head and looked at her own knight who was following her.

“Lancelot.”

“Yes, Saintess.”

“I want you to check this place yourself.”

“……I must protect the Saintess.”

At Cyriel’s gentle request, Lancelot paused. However, in the end, he hardened his expression as if he could not back down.

Since she had already broken through countless oppositions just to come to this mansion, Cyriel’s conscience also pricked to act rigidly this time as well. Therefore, when she looked at Luke with a troubled eye, he nodded his head as if it were fine.

“Ensi dislikes showing a weak appearance to others, you know.”

“He is sleeping right now.”

“Even if that is the case, he is sensitive to the presence of people, so he will wake up.”

“He isn’t like that when Agniele is next to him.”

At Luke’s casually spat words, Cyriel ended up being startled. A person who used to become even more sensitive whenever his body was sick had lowered his guard for the sole reason that Agniele was next to him?

The fact that Ensi had let Agniele into his room, an intimate space, and condoned him guarding his side until this late hour was also unbelievable.

“He has changed a lot since coming to the Capital.”

“As you said, he has changed a lot. To the point that even I sometimes wonder if this is reality.”

Letting out a chuckle, Luke placed his index finger on his lips as Ensi’s room drew near. No matter how much his nerves blunted when Agniele guarded his side, that didn’t mean it was alright to make noise.

Understanding the meaning, Cyriel willingly shut her mouth. Only Lancelot frowned as if he didn’t like this situation, but he too reduced his presence further, considering Cyriel’s dignity.

Click.

As the three stood in front of the room, the door opened as if it had been waiting. Agniele, who was standing beyond it, checked Luke’s face and Cyriel next to him, and lowered his head.

Perhaps considering the sleeping Ensi, Cyriel smiled soundlessly at his behavior of expressing his courtesy in silence. At the same time, at the sound of a grip tightening hard on the sword fixed to the waist, Cyriel raised her hand.

The knight who always fought in her stead was dependable and lovely, but right now was not an appropriate response.

“How is Ensi?”

“Inside.”

When she asked while intentionally lowering her voice, Agniele withdrew his body from the door and guided her to where Ensi was.

Having finished his task, Luke leaned against the wall instead of entering inside following them. He intended to wait for Cyriel to finish the treatment and then guide her to the place where she would stay.

Cyriel headed toward the bed, accompanied by Lancelot, who stuck even closer to her. When they couldn’t check the inside because the curtains were lowered, Lancelot sent Cyriel behind his back.

Even at the hypersensitive reaction filled with distrust, Agniele pulled back the curtains without much of a word. And he gave them a moment of time so they could confirm there was no threat.

“This much is enough.”

“But, Saintess.”

“Stop.”

Cyriel poked Lancelot’s stiff waist with her index finger and came out from behind him. Checking Ensi’s complexion visible between the curtains, she hardened her expression.

“I see the reason why Priest Doha had a hard time.”

The moment Cyriel, who approached Ensi’s side without hesitation, was about to grab the hand stretched out on the bed, Agniele stopped her.

When Cyriel turned back to him with a puzzled face at the incomprehensible behavior, Agniele reached out his arm and grabbed Ensi’s hand.

“If another person touches him first, he wakes up.”

“My word.”

Agniele, who sat on the edge of the bed, carefully supported Ensi’s weak hand. Lancelot, who had approached at some point, placed a chair so Cyriel could sit comfortably.

Not refusing the goodwill, Cyriel placed her finger on the back of Ensi’s hand with a feather-light movement. If it were before, it would be different, but she had been rolled around diligently for the past few months for the reason of being the Saintess. Thanks to that, she had become able to use her authority with minimal contact.

Whether she should call this a relief. First, Cyriel, who was trying to infuse divine power as carefully as possible so Ensi wouldn’t wake up, gasped for breath in an instant.

“What on earth…….”

He had regained his senses when his body condition was like this? Cyriel distorted her eyes at the unbelievable reality.

“Can you treat him?”

“It’s difficult to get him to the same state as before.”

Though they said maintaining the status quo was the best, in her judgment, it was a state where they couldn’t even maintain the status quo. It was merely that they had delayed his body getting worse as much as possible under the authority of healing. Even that would have been impossible if it weren’t for Priest Doha.

“Even after waking up, his sleeping time increased day by day, right?”

“……Compared to the day he first opened his eyes, yes. It has certainly increased.”

At Cyriel’s question, Agniele nodded his head slowly. He had thought he could breathe a sigh of relief with him waking up, but the reality was not so.

Without even caring about Agniele’s depressed atmosphere, Cyriel touched her forehead as if she knew it would be so.

It was only natural for Ensi’s sleep to increase. Looking at the condition, it was to the extent that she wondered if it was actually closer to fainting rather than sleep. The reason Ensi hadn’t reacted sensitively to presence recently would be for a similar reason. There would be a part where he set his mind at ease because Agniele was by his side, but his body condition was poor enough that his mind could not stay properly awake.

“It will be natural that he has less energy than before, and he probably couldn’t even eat properly.”

“He, did.”

“Did the conversation happen without problem when he was awake?”

“Yes.”

“That is a relief, at least.”

It is truly a grand willpower. Gazing blankly at the sleeping Ensi, Cyriel placed her finger on the back of Ensi’s hand once again and infused divine power.

“Luke, you must not use Sun Herbs from now on.”

Although Cyriel had come to possess a divine power so strong that comparison with a few months ago was impossible, treating him was more burdensome than any other time. Biting her teeth, she raised her voice toward Luke.

“—Then we cannot fight off the Utia disease.”

“The internal injuries caused by the Sun Herbs are critical. I know you tried to find the most appropriate dosage…… but if it goes on like this, losing his life due to the Sun Herbs will come first.”

“……Was it to that extent?”

“Yes.”

At Cyriel’s resolute answer, Luke only ruffled his innocent hair. Although he thought he had been as careful as possible, to think it was a critical condition to the extent that even that little bit should not be used.

“We must be thankful that Ensi is a mana user.”

If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t even have endured until she came. No, in the first place, he wouldn’t even have regained his senses.

“The mystery Donovan found said she would tell the cure only if Ensi visits her directly. The problem is…… the place where the mystery resides is the Celine Principality.”

“He has to go to a region with perennial snow? With this body?”

“To be exact, it means he has to regain a body condition that can endure even in a region where perennial snow is piled up.”

Cyriel, who was concentrating while shedding beads of sweat, was appalled at Luke’s words. As her divine power shook due to the agitation of her emotions, a groan leaked out from Ensi’s mouth.

Startled, she withdrew the finger placed on the back of his hand and looked back at Luke, who was still leaning against the wall.

“Are you crazy?”

“I am serious.”

“Going somewhere with this body! Lord Lacius. You say something too—.”

“Anyway, if he cannot cure the Utia disease, he will die before long.”

“……Pardon?”

The voice of Luke that cut off Cyriel’s words was cold. At the cold words carrying certainty, Cyriel wondered for a moment if she had heard wrongly.

Parting her lips for a moment, she let out a small exclamation upon discovering Agniele, who kept his mouth tightly shut with his head deeply lowered like a sinner.