Chapter 159
It was a light so bright that one dared not open their eyes.
Count Latrang and Helkin tightly closed their eyes and felt the warm energy spreading throughout the room.
And that light and energy continued to pour out for quite some time.
Long enough for Alice’s entire body to be drenched in sweat.
‘Please, please.’
Alice tightly held the First Prince’s hand and prayed desperately. But unlike before, it wasn’t easy.
The cold energy of death was repelling her holy power.
The desolate energy persistently wrapped around the First Prince’s body, preventing holy power from seeping in.
Alice’s breathing grew increasingly ragged. But she didn’t stop and poured in even more holy power. As if wringing out everything inside her.
Yet even when the energy of death dispersed a little, it would gather again, and Alice’s temper flared.
‘These things, really. Just give up and get lost already!’
Finally losing her patience, Alice’s prayer became crude. And at that moment, surprisingly, the persistent energy of death that had been gathering slipped away as if fleeing.
At last, Alice’s holy power penetrated the First Prince’s body.
It warmly enveloped his stiff organs and breathed life into them.
As the dying First Prince’s body filled with vitality, Alice released his hand and fell forward, supporting herself with both hands on the floor.
“Huk, heok… haa…”
As Alice’s rough breathing echoed through the bedroom, Helkin and Count Latrang, sensing that the light had disappeared, carefully lifted their eyelids.
“Duchess!”
“My lady!”
Count Latrang and Helkin, discovering Alice who had collapsed on the floor, hurriedly approached her.
“Heok, huk, Helkin… help me… up…”
“Yes, yes, my lady.”
Helkin carefully took hold of one of Alice’s arms and exerted strength to lift her body.
Alice, almost leaning on Helkin, sat on the chair that Count Latrang had brought and caught her breath.
After taking several deep breaths, her exhausted physical state rapidly recovered.
Was it because she was connected to the Deity?
Despite pouring in incomparably more holy power than ever before, today Alice neither collapsed nor coughed up blood.
Rather, her body was recovering at a surprising rate.
And it wasn’t just Alice who was recovering quickly.
“…a finger…”
Alice saw it. The First Prince’s index finger twitching.
Count Latrang turned his head toward the bed, having heard her small murmur.
At that moment, a faint groan escaped from the First Prince, who had been as still as death.
“Uugh…”
The First Prince was waking up.
Before Alice could say anything, Count Latrang approached the bed as if entranced. He looked down at the First Prince’s face without even blinking.
Two years, a full two years.
That was how long the First Prince had been unconscious.
During that long time, Count Latrang had only been able to see his grandson a few times, but he vividly remembered those few moments.
No, he couldn’t help but remember.
The face of the First Prince lying quietly was as lifeless as a corpse, without the slightest vitality.
As if it wouldn’t be strange if he were pronounced dead at any moment.
He had spent nearly two years like that, without hope, anxious about when news of his grandson’s death would arrive.
At times, he had even thought:
‘What if my grandson, lying so quietly, is actually in great pain contrary to his appearance?’
‘If so, shouldn’t I help him escape that pain as soon as possible?’
By his own hand.
He had thought such thoughts and felt devastated dozens of times.
But now, his grandson’s face was moving.
Not rigid like a corpse, but furrowing his brows and tensing his jaw, moving as if trying to come alive.
“Ah… ah…”
Count Latrang’s hands trembled at the incredible, miraculous movement. Overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn’t even speak.
The moment Count Latrang’s trembling hand touched the First Prince’s cheek, the First Prince slowly lifted his eyelids.
Seeing his grandson’s opal-colored eyes, which he thought he might never see again, Count Latrang completely broke down with a flood of emotions.
“Evan… huhuhuk, Evan… it’s all my fault… I, I… failed to protect you…”
No matter how much of a battle-hardened veteran, a towering mountain of a man, one is always vulnerable before family, before children.
Count Latrang tightly held the First Prince’s hand and wept, saying it was all his fault, his sin.
And at the profound emotion contained in the Count’s crying, neither Alice nor even Helkin could do anything for a moment.
They simply lowered their gazes briefly and waited for their reunion.
For it was a very special reunion between a grandson who had miraculously revived from death and a grandfather who had endlessly waited for him.
“Grand…father’s… not… fault…”
After the Count’s desperate crying had echoed through the bedroom for some time, a slow and rough voice was heard amidst the chamber filled with nothing but sobbing.
Count Latrang’s wailing stopped abruptly.
The Count slowly raised his head. And there he saw the First Prince’s face, looking down at him slightly.
His opal-colored eyes were so clear that it seemed his consciousness had fully returned.
“Evan, has your consciousness completely returned?”
The Count was so urgent that he forgot to speak formally, calling the First Prince as he would have when his grandson was a child.
Looking at the Count’s face covered in tears, the First Prince laboriously formed a faint smile.
“Yes. Ahem… I’ve… returned.”
“Haa… haa…”
Count Latrang exhaled roughly, overcome with emotion.
And Alice, who had been quietly waiting for their reunion, raised her gaze.
It was time for her and Helkin to step in.
Alice said to Helkin:
“Helkin, please bring water for His Highness and examine his condition.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Count, would you step back a little so we can check His Highness’s condition?”
“Yes, yes.”
The Count nodded and made way for Helkin. Standing beside Alice, the Count took out a handkerchief and composed his disheveled face.
Meanwhile, Helkin gradually fed water to the First Prince and pressed a damp handkerchief against his dry lips.
As his body was replenished with moisture, the Prince’s dry breath improved considerably.
Helkin took out a magical tool and examined the First Prince’s body.
After carefully checking everything from his head to his abdominal organs, he paused while examining the Prince’s legs.
With a stiff face, Helkin examined the Prince’s legs and firmly pressed the sole of the Prince’s right foot.
Then he carefully asked the Prince:
“Your Highness… can you feel any sensation now?”
The Prince, who had been looking at Count Latrang, lowered his gaze to Helkin. And he slowly answered:
“…What sensation are you talking about?”
At the Prince’s answer, which suggested he couldn’t feel anything at all, Alice and Count Latrang’s faces immediately hardened.
This was understandable, as Helkin was pressing a sharp instrument firmly against the Prince’s sole.
‘He… can’t feel that?’
It was a moment of shock for everyone—Alice, Count Latrang, and even the First Prince.
Helkin calmly pressed several more spots on the Prince’s legs.
“Please tell me if you feel even the slightest sensation anywhere.”
After poking and pressing the two legs more than ten times, Helkin’s hand moved up to the spine behind the Prince’s hips.
At that moment, the Prince let out a small groan, “Ah.”
“Do you feel a sensation?”
Helkin asked brightly.
“Very faintly… but I do feel something.”
When the First Prince answered, Helkin finally relaxed his tense expression a little.
Then he withdrew his hands from the First Prince and turned to Alice and Count Latrang.
Count Latrang was tightly gripping his handkerchief, as if afraid of what Helkin might say.
Alice asked Helkin first:
“…Is His Highness’s condition very poor?”
“Well… all his organ damage has been completely healed. But whether it’s due to the long period of illness, or a side effect of the poison, I can’t determine the exact cause…”
“But?”
Helkin, who had been trailing off, answered with a dark face:
“It seems His Highness will not be able to properly use his legs.”
Not being able to properly use his legs?
Despite pouring in so much holy power, it seemed the energy of death had still taken something from the First Prince.
Count Latrang staggered at the devastating news. But he quickly regained his balance and asked Helkin:
“But it won’t affect his life, will it?”
“Of course not. Thanks to my lady’s holy power, the poison in the First Prince’s body has completely disappeared. It’s been perfectly neutralized.”
“Ah… Duchess, truly, truly thank you.”
Count Latrang turned to Alice and bowed deeply.
He looked as if he might drop to his knees, so Alice hastily waved her hands.
“Count, we made a deal. You just need to fulfill your promise from now on.”
Alice had spoken formally, but in truth, with the First Prince unable to use his legs, the fulfillment of the promise no longer held much meaning.
A prince with a physical disability could never become Emperor.
The First Prince would be stripped of his right to succession even if he didn’t want it.
It was a tragic situation.
Of course, Alice had never wanted this outcome.
Alice asked Helkin:
“Helkin, is His Highness completely unable to… use his legs?”
“Well… I cannot give a definitive answer at this point. But since he hasn’t completely lost sensation in his spine, if I do my utmost in treatment… I think he may be able to walk, though not perfectly.”
Helkin finished speaking with an uncertain expression.
“I apologize for not being able to give a definite answer.”
“No, it’s fine. The fact that there’s a treatment method is enough.”
Even if he couldn’t walk straight, as long as he didn’t lose his legs entirely, his future life wouldn’t be too harsh.
Count Latrang said to Helkin:
“I’ll request His Majesty to appoint you as the First Prince’s primary physician for the time being, so please do your best in treating His Highness.”
“Yes, Count.”
As Helkin bowed in response, the First Prince, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke:
“But, my revival is due to that person’s holy power… and that person is a duchess? Grandfather, it’s difficult for me to understand this situation.”
The First Prince frowned as he looked at Alice.
It was understandable. Alice was currently disguised as a nurse by transformation magic.
How could he think she was a noblewoman?
And then to be told that a woman dressed as a nurse had saved him with holy power.
It was natural for him not to believe it.
Count Latrang said to the First Prince:
“That person is indeed the Duchess. And it is true that the Duchess’s holy power saved you. She deliberately changed her appearance with transformation magic to enter the palace.”
“Ah…”
The First Prince let out a low exclamation, as if he finally understood at the mention of transformation magic.
Then he said to Alice:
“I almost committed a rudeness to the noblewoman who saved me. I apologize.”
Alice slowly rose from her chair and approached the First Prince. Then she formally greeted him:
“Alice Dearrut greets the First Prince, star of the empire.”
“Please rise.”
As Alice straightened from her curtsy, the First Prince asked with slightly surprised eyes:
“But if you’re Dearrut… could you be the wife of Kylus Dearrut, Duke Dearrut?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“To think that Duke Dearrut… would get married…”
The First Prince murmured as if he couldn’t believe it, then hastily apologized:
“I apologize. I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”
“It’s all right. I understand the Duke’s peculiar character… better than anyone.”
The First Prince stared at Alice’s smiling face for a moment, then slowly moved his lips:
“…Is it also true that it was the Duchess who saved me?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I saved you with my holy power.”
“Ah… so this is really not a dream but reality. Truly, to be revived… Duchess, I sincerely thank you.”
The First Prince spoke with trembling eyes.
It seemed the First Prince wanted to sincerely express his gratitude to Alice, trying to raise his body and bow his head.
But seeing his trembling arms, Alice gently pressed down on his shoulders.
“Your Highness. You shouldn’t overexert yourself yet. And from now on, I have something important to tell you.”
Alice softly curled up the corners of her lips as she looked at the First Prince, whose eyes widened.
“Your Highness, please pretend that you haven’t regained consciousness for a while.”
