Chapter 90
A bright light soon enveloped Butler’s small body.
Alice felt more power leaving her body than usual, but she didn’t stop her fervent prayer.
As all the strength in her body was about to drain away, the light faded.
“Haah…”
Alice slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Butler, who had been curled up, now sitting up normally.
Wagging his tail gently, Butler licked her hand.
“…To think she saved a dying dog.”
Doctor Helkin’s voice was full of astonishment.
Alice only then realized she wasn’t alone in this room.
Oh dear.
The pale Third Prince and the whimpering dog.
Especially Butler, who seemed to want to live even while dying, was so pitiful and heartbreaking…
Consumed by the thought of saving Butler, she had completely forgotten about everyone else around her.
Alice swallowed hard and slowly looked around.
She saw Kylus letting out a low sigh, Sienna with her eyes wide open in surprise, and Helkin with his mouth agape in shock.
“I didn’t know the Duchess’s holy power was… this strong. Then perhaps she could save brother…”
“Sienna. You’d better stop there.”
As Sienna was about to continue speaking in wonder, Kylus cut her off sharply.
Sienna closed her mouth upon seeing Kylus’s cold face.
Kylus’s gaze turned to Helkin, who still had his mouth open.
“Helkin, erase what you just saw from your mind completely. If you don’t, your head might fly off.”
“Eep. Y-Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, Your Grace.”
After hearing Helkin’s response, Kylus approached Alice, who didn’t know what to do.
“You seem to have used a lot of power. Are you alright?”
“Ah, I’m fine… Oh!”
Alice smiled at Kylus and tried to stand up quickly, but she staggered, feeling dizzy for a moment.
If Kylus hadn’t quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she would have fallen.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“You seem to have overexerted yourself. You should rest.”
“Ah. Let me just treat His Highness’s wound.”
“You’ll collapse if you push yourself further.”
“I’m fine…”
Alice turned her head to tell Kylus she was fine, but stopped short.
His face was terrifyingly rigid as he looked at her.
She could feel how angry he was just by looking at his face.
But… why was he angry?
“You are more important to me than the Third Prince. So please rest now, my lady.”
Kylus whispered in a low voice.
Alice found herself nodding involuntarily at the pressure she felt from the black eyes staring at her.
If she had said she wouldn’t, it felt like something terrifying would happen.
“…Alright.”
When Alice meekly replied, Kylus suddenly picked her up in his arms.
The princess carry, which she had experienced once at the temple.
Alice gasped in surprise but couldn’t bring herself to shout at Kylus to put her down.
His current mood was too ominous to even speak to him.
He’s really scary.
“Helkin. You treat His Highness’s wound, and Sienna, stay by His Highness’s side until I return.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Yes, brother.”
“I’ll escort you to your bedroom, my lady.”
Kylus spoke without even looking at Alice as he started walking.
But the strength in his hands holding her remained steadfast, so Alice swallowed dryly and obediently put her arms around his neck.
“…Okay.”
Hoping only to arrive safely at the bedroom.
* * *
Kylus, who had been emitting a chilling aura that made one’s skin crawl, surprisingly brought Alice safely to her bedroom.
Judging by his stern face, it seemed like he might take her to an underground dungeon rather than her bedroom.
Kylus carefully laid her down on the bed. Then he sent away Aileen, who was trying to attend to her.
“Let me undo your hair.”
Kylus’s voice broke the silence that had fallen in the room after Aileen left.
Alice’s shoulders, which had been tense, flinched slightly.
“…Pardon?”
“I thought you’d be more comfortable lying down with your hair undone.”
Alice looked up at him. His expression seemed more relaxed than before.
And Kylus’s gaze was directed at her hair, which was tied up in a round bun.
He’s saying he’ll undo my hair himself…?
Judging by Kylus’s unwavering gaze, that seemed to be exactly what he meant.
Is he going to attend to me instead of Aileen?
While that was awkward in its own way, him undoing her hair was also quite uncomfortable in a different sense.
After all, she was currently sitting on the bed.
A husband undoing his wife’s hair on the bed…
Alice’s gaze turned to Kylus’s hand wearing the wedding ring.
Those long, smooth hands touching her hair…
Am I the only one feeling strange?
Alice bit her lip and then released it at the suggestive imagination that naturally came to mind.
“It’s alright. I can undo it myself.”
Alice quickly undid her updo before Kylus’s hand could reach her.
Since it was only secured with one large pin, she could easily undo it herself.
She was already feeling conflicted about her emotions towards Kylus lately, and she couldn’t create a strange atmosphere with him.
Who knows what might happen if she did.
Alice couldn’t trust herself.
She was sincere about Kylus’s appearance, after all.
Alice tucked her hair, which had flowed down smoothly, behind her ear.
The way his gaze seemed to have deepened a bit… must be her imagination.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Your Grace.”
“You’re not feeling well, so it would be best to lie down now. I’ll leave after making sure you’re resting.”
Kylus’s voice was quite gentle.
Even his gaze was filled with concern for her.
The ominous atmosphere from when they left the Third Prince’s room had now completely disappeared.
But why had he been so angry earlier?
Even thinking about it again, she couldn’t understand why he had been angry.
His face had hardened… after she used her holy power, it seemed.
Was it because she used the holy power, which should be used for him, to save a mere dog?
No, that doesn’t seem right.
Kylus wasn’t that petty of a person.
Besides, it’s not like her holy power diminishes when she uses it.
Then why on earth…
Was he on edge because the Third Prince was severely injured?
Alice pondered for a moment but decided not to think about it further since his mood seemed to have improved now.
“I’m fine. More importantly, I wonder how His Highness ended up so injured… Helkin’s treatment alone won’t heal the wound quickly, so tomorrow I can use my holy power…”
“Alice.”
Kylus called her name in a low voice.
What’s this, why is his mood suddenly turning bad again?
Alice parted her lips as she watched Kylus’s jaw tighten.
Was there something in what she just said that could have upset him…?
“His Highness will be fine. Helkin’s skills are not bad, and since there’s no major internal injury, there’s no need to use holy power for that level of wound.”
Kylus continued firmly.
His voice, lacking in inflection, sounded calm at first, but Alice could clearly feel him emphasizing each syllable.
As if suppressing his anger.
That level of wound…
She questioned whether the vivid stab wound near the shoulder blade could be referred to as “that level,” but she wasn’t bold enough to ask Kylus directly.
Still, she understood one thing.
The reason why Kylus was upset.
As unbelievable as it seemed, it really did appear to be because she had used her holy power.
Did he have a possessiveness beyond obsession with her holy power, thinking she should only use it for him?
Well, those two feelings were similar to begin with.
Still, it was surprising.
It was an uncharacteristically petty reaction for him.
Alice smiled kindly and said to Kylus,
“Your Grace, don’t worry. Even if I use my holy power on others, it doesn’t weaken or diminish my holy power, so there won’t be any problem with your treatment.”
She might occasionally use her holy power on someone of her own will in the future.
But it would be troublesome if Kylus showed this reaction every time.
She wanted to avoid any unfortunate incidents that might occur due to Kylus’s obsession with her holy power.
So she spoke carefully, as if soothing him, trying not to offend.
But for some reason, Kylus’s eyebrows rose sharply.
“Why is that statement coming out here?”
Alice’s face flushed with bewilderment at Kylus’s reaction.
“Pardon? No, it’s just that… Your Grace seemed upset that I used my holy power on someone else… so I was explaining…”
Alice looked dumbfounded, completely unable to understand Kylus’s reaction.
Kylus then stifled a laugh as if he found it ridiculous.
Come on, I’m trying my best to be considerate of his feelings, but why is he reacting like this?
When you think about it, it’s not really his place to interfere whether she uses her holy power on others or not.
Alice felt something rise inside her for a moment. She might be timid, but she wasn’t the type to just endure everything unconditionally.
Alice finally couldn’t hold back and said to Kylus,
“Your Grace. I promised to do my best to treat you with my holy power, but that doesn’t mean my holy power becomes your possession. How I use my holy power is my decision.”
“Of course, I’m well aware of that.”
“Of course! You’re… well aware?”
Alice, who had been raising her voice, faltered at his quick response.
His answer was quite different from what she had expected.
“You’re not some magical tool for extracting holy power, and I’ve never once thought that your holy power was mine. I don’t think I’ve ever shown such a narrow-minded and inconsiderate side to you before, I didn’t know you thought of me that way.”
“No, of course I don’t think you’re that kind of person!”
“Then why did you conclude that I was angry because you used your holy power?”
“Well, the point when you got angry was after I used my holy power… And you said there was no need to use holy power on His Highness?”
“How did you interpret it that way?”
“Well… because there was no other reason for you to be angry?”
As Alice tilted her head, Kylus let out a weak laugh as if he had lost something and moved his red lips.
