Chapter 16
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Rosette revived the eucalyptus tree, the protected tree in the Ville Bronze area, and from that tree, the wilted crops around it sprouted new shoots and slowly regained their original green color. It was too small to see with the naked eye, and it would take some time, but Rosette was certain.
And the crops that were inexplicably dying would no longer die. She didn't know what had caused the disease to spread from the tree, but once again she had succeeded in demonstrating her abilities in front of everyone.
Rosette gazed out the window of the carriage, thinking to herself that the gods had answered her prayers for her fate, which had gone more smoothly than she had expected.
Rosette's face was pale after casting her purifying power for the first time in so long. But that only made it seem more mysterious and premiere.
The carriage ride home was eerily silent.
Rosette's ability, which had initially intrigued Theodore, was now a mystery. Theodore was curious about her ability to so quickly manifest and utilize it.
"When did your ability appear?”
"Well... probably long before I entered the Academy. I had a close friend when I was younger, and we were up in the mountains together, and he got bitten by a poisonous snake."
"I see."
"Yes, it was a snake that was known to be venomous, and my friend's face was turning blue, and he was a boy, and I couldn't carry him down by myself, so I was going to call an adult to help him... but I was scared, and I couldn't leave him alone."
"You were scared he was going to die?"
"Yes, in more ways than one, but I didn't want the poison to spread anyway, so I tore off the hem of my skirt and tied the wound up tightly as a makeshift bandage. In my young mind, I wondered if he was going to die, and when I thought of that, I couldn't help but cry... I cried and prayed for his life, and thankfully, his complexion gradually returned."
As he watched her with interest, Rosette didn’t hesitate to speak. She was immersed in the tale of the past that had been summoned after so many years.
Theodore's gaze held hers as she blinked her eyes and spoke.
"At the time, I was thinking, 'Oh, you’re lucky,' but now I realize that the poison neutralized itself, which is ridiculous."
"It works on things, plants, and people...that's pretty amazing."
At first, Rosette didn’t think she had anything to do with Julian’s healing, but when something similar happened to her, she realized it was her power. Rosette recounted the story of her childhood, and Theodore listened with interest.
"But the weird thing is, it doesn't work when it’s a trauma, like a cut, bleed, or broken bones."
"It must be because it's literally a purifying power."
"I suppose so, but I don't know the extend of my power yet….I'm here to find out, and I'm also here to use them."
"Well, there are many things in this world that cannot be explained."
"Indeed."
A mysterious princess with unexplained abilities. Theodore's gaze kept returning to her. Silver hair, silver pupils that seemed to project everything. Her slender shoulders and too-white nape kept drawing his attention.
Even Rosette's dizzying scent, the one that kept making him feel less and less like himself, lingered in the carriage. Theodore shrugged it off and asked Rosette the question he'd been dying to ask.
"So, this friend of yours. Are you close to him?"
"Well, our parents were close friends, so we've been friends since we were kids."
"Even now?"
"Yes.”
In general, even if people were close as children, they often drifted apart afterward, especially when they were of different genders.Theodore's eyebrows twitched slightly at the unexpected answer, though he expected it.
"Your friend must have been quite worried."
"He has nothing to worry about, and Your Majesty has been better than I expected, so it's not like I'm having a hard time getting along."
"I keep my word unless you betray me first."
Theodore's words meant many things: if she continued as she was, she would be safe. But if she betrayed him... there would be no mercy from the brutal Theodore.
Indeed, his men were overly loyal to him, no doubt due in part to the fact that he rewarded his people with certainty and was somewhat lenient with them.
Rosette smiled and reassured him.
"Don't worry. I'll do my best, just as I am now."
And again, Rosette felt Theodore's eyes change as he looked at her. The carriage was eerily quiet, but there was a pleasant tension in the air, unlike the stuffiness of the day before.
And to her surprise, she wasn't as scared of him as she had been before. On the contrary, she didn't feel so uncomfortable with him. Humans are animals of adaptation after all, she thought, inwardly marveling at the monstrous adaptability that existed within him.
After the conversation, they headed back to the palace. Soon afterward, Rosette, who had fallen asleep unknowingly, awoke to a strange sensation.
The bright day had faded into night. A thick blanket was draped over her lap, as if Theodore had taken advantage of her slumber to drape it over her.
But Theodore, who had been sitting across from her the whole time, was in bad shape. His head was bowed, his hands resting on top of his disheveled hair, and the backs of his strong hands were tensed.
Either he was motion sick, or he wasn't feeling well. A number of possibilities flashed through Rosette's mind. But that didn't explain Theodore's strange condition.
Gritting his teeth and letting out intermittent groans, he looked like he was holding something in.
"I, Your Majesty. Are you okay......?"
There was no response to her question. No, he sounded like he was desperately fighting something, to the point where she wondered if he could hear her.
Rosette's slender hand reached for him, and the blanket in her lap fell downward with a thud.
But before Rosette could reach him, a shout fell from Theodore's mouth.
"Don't touch me!"
Rosette's fingers halted awkwardly in midair, startled by his threatening voice. Her wandering hand twitched, unsure of what to do.
"But... let's see if you have a fever... once......."
"Don't... touch... my body."
He spoke painfully, like a man who struggled to speak. Rosette's gaze could only wander as she watched his grotesque form. Then his voice came again.
"Stop the carriage... at once!"
The carriage screeched to a halt at his command. The carriage stopped on a vast plain, with nothing around it.
Rosette nervously picked at her nails, feeling the sudden change in the peaceful atmosphere. His actions bewildered her, as did his sudden decision to disembark.
At first glance, his eyes were bloodshot, and the corners of them were flushed red. Theodore had changed completely from the man he had been a moment ago.
Her gaze followed him until he was out of sight as he dismounted, and then he was gone. She waited a moment to see if he would come back, but the carriage drove off, leaving her waiting in vain.
A sense of emptiness hovered in the carriage that she hadn't felt since Theodore's presence.
* * *
Julian, who had counseled King Henry upon his return from the battlefield not long ago, had not set foot outside his mansion, but was lost in thought and anguish.
In one day, the Rosette that had been his everything had disappeared. Her choice was not incomprehensible, of course, but the question of whether it was really the only way to go haunted him at every turn.
Poor Rosette. Trying to carry it all alone.
Besides, Julian had just gotten her to promise to go to Gunkuk with him when he returned from this trip.
Looking into her beautiful eyes in the dazzling sunset, telling her how much he loved her and promising her a future. It was Julian’s deepest wish, and the future he took for granted.
But Rosette wasn't here, she'd disappeared beyond his reach, and their future had become unclear.
It wasn't hard to wait for her, of course, but what if something happened to her?
A princess of a weak nation, taken as trophy. His best friend and darling, gone as a hostage. Rosette captured the heart of all men with her beauty like a flower that could not be touched.
If something terrible happened to her…
His mind swirled with all sorts of vile thoughts and worries. He didn't even know how Rosette was doing, and he couldn't reach out to her without preparation. Julian clenched his fists, feeling his patience wearing thin by the day.
Within days, when he left the mansion for a breath of fresh air, Walter stopped him in his tracks. It was Walter Bradley, the leader of the First Knights Templar, who had been ordered by King Henry to keep an eye on Julian.
"Julian, where are you going at this late hour?"
"You don't need to know."
Julian ignored him and started to leave, but Walter stopped him again.
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