Chapter 12
—Don't you know you almost died? I won't tell you to get up, so lie down.
—Thank you.
After getting permission from Lesche, Seria felt a little more comfortable. She stayed still and closed her eyes, then, suddenly, Lesche asked.
—I can't understand your mind. What dream did you have that made you cry like that?
—Did I cry?
—Why else would I wake up a sleeping person?
—.....
—I woke you up because you were crying.
Seria blinked slowly.
—I dreamed that I died.
—Are you afraid of dying?
—Is there anyone who isn't afraid of dying?
—I thought you weren't afraid of that.
—Me?
Seria chuckled at the absurdity. How much had she fought to live?
—You mean you usually acted without fear?
(N/T: Lesche meant that she always acted as if she were brave and shameless.)
Because of that, Lesche's voice felt a little softer than usual.
Didn't they have a very long conversation a moment ago?
Usually, Lesche was a very difficult person to talk to. Suddenly, Seria remembered she had forgotten something.
—What about Kalis?
Lesche looked cynical.
He sank into his bed, took the handkerchief, and rubbed her forehead one after another as if he were cleaning a ceramic vase.
—....Your Highness? What are you doing?
—I wonder if you lost your memory.
—...?
—Don't you remember what happened at the wedding?
When someone suffered too much, they simply let go of reality. In other words, the memory that Seria had before was blurry like a dream.
She vividly remembered the wedding hall and how she fainted and cried because the pain became overwhelming. However, from then on, it was a blur.
—I finished the wedding.
—Yes.
Seria knew she was married because she didn't die. However, she didn't remember seeing Kalis at the end of the wedding. The only thing she remembered was Lesche Berg, looking at her with his red eyes, which she couldn't take her eyes off, and the cold air of his body.
Wasn't that a dream?
—Did I... marry you, Your Highness?
For a moment, Lesche didn't respond. While looking at her, he slowly opened his mouth.
—Yes.
Seria blinked in incomprehension. Confusion, embarrassment, surprise. All kinds of emotions mixed, and she couldn't take her eyes off Lesche.
And Lesche never avoided her gaze.
—...Why?
Lesche clicked his tongue.
—Should I let you die and bring disgrace to the Berg estate? I'd rather throw the knight's badge into the lake.
It was brief and clear, but it was a convincing statement. But there was one thing Seria couldn't understand.
—How did you know I was going to die?
She remembered that she hadn't told Lesche a word about dying. In fact, she couldn't say anything because it hurt. However, there were many priests there. Her scream echoed in the wedding hall, so of course, everyone must have guessed there was a problem with her divine power.
Lesche looked at her and opened his mouth.
—Am I the only one who knew?
—What?
—Lady Stern.
—Yes, Your Highness.
—Even if you kill Marquis Haneton, you won't be responsible.
A chill ran down her spine. What a strange thing to say. She found it terrifying.
Just to be sure, Seria asked Lesche slowly, hoping it wasn't what she thought.
—Do you mean that Kalis knew that if he was late to the wedding, I could die?
Lesche looked away from her and said.
—Yes.
At that moment, her heart chilled as if it were cut with ice.
As a Stern, she didn't even know. Perhaps Kalis was the only one who knew.
If so... he knew she could be in danger, but he left anyway and didn't return?
Her hands, which were placed warmly under the blanket, felt cold. When she barely managed to hold her trembling hands, someone knocked on the door.
After Lesche looked at her, Seria sat up.
—Come in.
The one who opened the door was none other than Linon, the chief assistant. He bowed his head and said.
—Your Highness. A call has come from the temple. The High Priest will visit soon, but you should come and check it out.
‘The High Priest?’
For a Stern, hearing about the High Priest wasn't that surprising. But that's just his position.
For criminals, he was a divine person with a high-level existence. Moreover, the High Priest didn't go to other places very often. But now he's coming in person?
Unlike her wide eyes, Lesche showed no signs of surprise. He just had a deep look of annoyance.
—I'm coming.
Lesche left without looking back. He was tall, and his strides seemed hurried. Linon, on the other hand, slowed down and quickly returned to see her as soon as Lesche left the bedroom.
—Lady Seria.
He called her name in a friendly way that was very different from him, who usually called her Lady Stern.
Linon said while rubbing his hands like a trembling subordinate.
—To be honest, if I had something to say about it, you know I should address you as Grand Duchess, right? However, the Emperor's approval is needed to formalize this marriage.
That was strange.
Wasn't it a temporary marriage?
A wedding held by Lesche Berg as a temporary measure to save her life. A wedding without a good reason to continue.
She wasn't being pessimistic, but she had a realistic understanding of the situation.
Seria didn't know what expression to make now. However, Linon's expression changed slightly.
—My lady, I actually prepared a wedding gift for you...
Linon was whispering softly, then suddenly shuddered. He looked like a rabbit that sensed the presence of a predator. Seria quickly followed Linon's gaze, who looked towards the door, but there was no one there.
His complexion turned pale, and he bowed his head.
—I'll come back to pick you up soon.
Then, without giving Seria a chance to respond, he quickly ran out.
In an instant, she was left alone in the bedroom, blinking in confusion and emptiness. When she touched her arms without thinking, she shivered in pain. As she rolled up the sleeves of her fluffy pajamas, she could see her arms were bandaged.
I almost died at the wedding.
Then she pulled the cord and called the maids while her arms bled as if the wound had reopened.
While the maids helped her wash the wound, she heard them talk about people's reactions at her wedding.
Seria had them prepare comfortable clothes for her to go meet the healing priest.
—It would be better to wear a cape over this dress.
—If you wear something with wide sleeves and tie it properly with a ribbon, it won't interfere with your treatment...
It happened just after the maids took out the appropriate dress from the closet.
Boom!
The bedroom door burst open.
—Seria! Seria Stern!
A man entered. Light brown hair and dark eyes. It was her fiancé... Kalis Haneton. It was that man.
Berg's knights rushed to follow him, who finally appeared in the bedroom.
—Marquis Kalis Haneton! You shouldn't enter here!
—The Grand Duke told us not to allow anyone in without permission!
“Why are there guards watching my room?” Seria thought to herself.
While pondering, Seria noticed that Kalis was in terrible condition. It looked like he had rolled in the snow and had a bandage on his forehead and wrist. But apart from these things, his eyes looking at her burned strangely.
Yes, he had something to say.
After putting the shawl hanging from the bed around her shoulders, Seria said.
—Everyone, please leave, I need to talk to Marquis Haneton.
She was going to threaten the knights if they said no, but surprisingly, they bowed their heads and left without fighting.
Like a criminal, Kalis instantly stopped and followed her words.
The movement was very different from usual. It didn't seem like he cared. Even the maids noticed, and the bedroom was engulfed in a deep silence.
—Seria!
Kalis approached and grabbed her by the shoulders. His eyes burned with anger.
—How could you do this? How could you marry another man, the Grand Duke of Berg? Seri...!
Bam!
Kalis's cheek didn't turn as much as she expected. Her hand didn't have much strength. She was angry because he didn't know how miserable she was standing alone in the wedding hall.
—You didn't show up...
—Seria...
—You didn't come to our wedding!
She looked at Kalis and said each word.
—I married another man? You did it yourself, Kalis. I would have died if it weren't for the Grand Duke. I would have bled and died terribly. Why didn't you come?!
His jaw clenched.
—What? You wonder how I know? You knew I could die if you were late to the wedding. Wait, did you really want me to die, so you left with Lina?
—Seria, please... It was an accident. I didn't do it on purpose.
—It was an accident? —She gritted her teeth.— Who would kill you if you didn't sneak out to the glacier with Lina? It was just two days before the wedding, you went to the glacier where you knew accidents happen frequently, and you call it an accident?
—I'm sorry.— Kalis ran his face down with both hands.— I'm sorry, Seria...
—Get out!
—Seria. Seria, please.
—Get out!
Kalis hurriedly grabbed her hands and began to plead.
—I was worried you might get hurt, Seria. It's okay if you think it's an excuse. I even tried to leave when the blizzard was still raging. But I was late because I lost consciousness at the gate...
Tears began to form in his dark eyes.
—You know you're the only woman I wanted to marry. The confession I made wasn't a lie. I really love you.
Kalis's voice didn't reach her ears. Because...
It was because she felt a strange force in her hand, which Seria had unintentionally held for a long time.
It was similar to the divine power in her body, but there was a strange discomfort, as if she were facing the same pole of a magnet... Now that she thought about it, how was Kalis alive?
In the wedding hall, she foresaw certain death. And she had learned that Stern and Stern's husband would have the same end.
Now that she thought about it, her wedding was a tragedy. She was on the brink of death, and he should have faced the same outcome.
Although Lesche Berg saved her life, it was only her. Kalis should have died in exchange for not fulfilling the pact. Or he should have suffered as much as she did, but no matter where she looked, Kalis seemed unharmed.
Reflecting deeply, she slowly realized.
—...Kalis.
The place, the time. Everything is already in place. Kalis was the one who shared the sacred power with Stern, and there was no other Stern in this property besides Lina.
As she was a holy woman sent by God, she could skip the holy water and sacred water that were essential for the wedding.
—Are you married to Lina?
