May Every Wound Be Fatal - Chapter 66.2
Sensing Priscilla’s worry, Hilda whispered softly.
“…The Prince would be happy just to spend time with you, Lady Priscilla. It doesn’t have to be running around or playing tag.”
At that, Priscilla’s previously ambiguous smile brightened again. She took Hilda’s hand as if to thank her.
“You’re right. I’ll get better soon. You’re trying so hard for me.”
Hilda smiled brightly and began brushing Priscilla’s hair. Whether the rhythmic motion soothed her mind, Priscilla soon fell asleep.
Hilda stopped brushing and quietly gazed at her pale cheeks, the hollows under her eyes, and her slender wrist, so thin it looked as if it might break, revealed beneath the long sleeve.
At this rate, it seemed Priscilla might die soon. But all she could do was sit here by her side. Hilda had no intention of leaving her tonight. And yet…
For some reason, she felt uneasy today.
‘…I hope Lady Margery is taking good care of the Prince.’
Of course, Margery was merely prone to fatigue due to her age, but she had been the nursemaid who raised Prince Kassian, so she loved Lucian and was loyal to Priscilla.
But why did she feel this nagging sense of unease?
Wondering if it was because of the vague excuse she had given Priscilla, Hilda eventually picked up the glass lamp with plenty of oil left and quietly slipped out of Priscilla’s bedroom.
It was now the dark hours before dawn. There were no servants wandering the hallways, only occasional guards on watch. Clad in armor from head to toe, they didn’t move a muscle even as Hilda passed by, like statues. Whether they were faithfully fulfilling their duty to guard the palace like shadows or simply dozing off was impossible to tell.
Setting the glass lamp down on the floor, Hilda carefully pushed open the door to Lucian’s room.
As soon as she opened the door, the loud sound of snoring filled the air. It was Margery, dozing off. No, rather than dozing, she was quite thoroughly asleep, buried in a plush armchair.
“Oh dear…”
Hilda let out a small, wry laugh, shook her head, and approached Margery, pulling the blanket draped over her knees up to her chest. Then she turned around. Through the layered curtains, she caught a glimpse of the blanket forming a small mound.
Hilda reached out and gently drew the curtain. The orange glow that dimly lit the bedroom spread softly into the bed, casting a warm yellow light on Lucian’s small head as he slept facing the other way. A sigh of relief escaped Hilda’s lips, and a small smile spread across her mouth.
“He’s sleeping well.”
It seemed Margery and the servants were taking good care of Lucian. Deciding that Lucian was nothing to worry about after all, Hilda lowered the curtain again and turned around with a lighter heart.
*Thud.* The door closed with a dull sound, and the room was once again immersed in quiet stillness.
It was sometime after that, in the middle of the night, that Lucian quietly lifted his head and got up.
***
Reyna suddenly woke from her sleep. The air was more than warm—it felt hot.
*Crackle, crackle.* The fragrant scent of cypress and fir burning with a rhythmic sound permeated the entire room. She felt as though she had been asleep for quite some time, but her eyes wouldn’t open properly.
Just as she was about to drift back to sleep, Reyna suddenly realized something was strange and forced her heavy eyelids open.
She had clearly fallen asleep in Elizer’s arms, yet somehow, she was alone in the bed again.
Still half-asleep, Reyna just blinked blankly for a moment.
Through the tall window with its curtains half-drawn, the afternoon sunlight poured in, casting intricate shadows on the floor. Dust motes floating in the air sparkled in the direct sunlight. She could tell it was already past noon.
That meant Elizer had left her bedroom quite some time ago. He always disappeared before sunrise.
Even so, feeling a sense of longing, Reyna swept her hand over the spot where he had lain. Even though she was used to waking up alone in the wide bed, she did so for no particular reason.
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