Chapter 7
Lentus Castle, located in the heart of Danteor, resembled a fortress prepared for exhibition rather than a beautiful relic.
Burn marks on the walls, spears and swords not yet removed, were visible everywhere. Even before arriving here, they had passed through several lines of defense. Even after the war ended, the North remained tense, a lingering effect of that day.
‘It’s dark.’
Even in broad daylight, the thick clouds, undoubtedly laden with snow, obscured the sun, making it dim. Ninia, after looking at the sky, urged her horse onward. With Jerome’s help, Ninia dismounted from the carriage and stood for a moment in front of the brown horse.
“We’re finally here.”
At Ninia’s whisper-like words, the horse’s ears twitched. Normally, for such a long journey, it would be standard practice to stop at villages and change horses. However, because the horse was of good stock and they stopped traveling each night, they didn’t bother even after buying a carriage. Perhaps that was why she had grown fond of it.
As they entered the inner castle, the condition of Lentus Castle became clearer. The garden, which should have been there, was barren, like a wasteland. Servants could be seen shoveling snow against the walls with large shovels. But the heavy snow continued to fall.
Ninia watched with regret as a knight led the horse away. Jerome, seeing this, seemed to misunderstand and offered an awkward excuse.
“……It’s a bit desolate.”
Since it truly was a cold wasteland, Ninia simply responded with a smile. Even considering the Dark Winter and the fact that the war had ended not long ago, the condition of the castle couldn’t be described as good. This was where she would live from now on.
“It will get better in spring or summer.”
Ninia’s words were metaphorical. Time was the right tool for healing wounds. Time was also the only way to get through winter. Jerome looked at Ninia, who could say such a thing in this situation, with a touch of awe.
‘She should be crying and making a fuss. Even a former Saint is still made of strong stuff.’
An ordinary noble lady would have wailed at the sight of a castle that looked like it housed ghosts or demons. As the Duchess, Ninia would be buried in the North, even in death. In a frozen land where three out of four seasons were winter, and all that could be seen was snow.
Furthermore, what about her husband-to-be? Even though their first meeting was quite shocking, Ninia kept silent about it as well.
Ninia’s blue eyes, gazing at the castle, seemed peaceful. Moreover, her beautiful face and upright posture still made her appear saintly.
‘Her stamina is impressive too.’
Throughout this long journey, Ninia hadn’t uttered a single complaint. Even though they stopped at night, it was a harsh journey for an ordinary woman, especially one accustomed to being treated with care. Do all church members have such incredible stamina? Jerome wondered.
Servants opened the gate leading to the main castle. Thinking that it would be better inside than out, Jerome was about to guide Ninia in.
“……Lady Ninia?”
Ninia stopped mid-step as she ascended the stairs. By the time Jerome, finding this strange, called out to her, she was already tilting forward.
“Lady? Lady!”
A startled Jerome supported Ninia. Ninia tried to say she was fine, but no words came out. Her vision was blurring. Her body had been burning up since arriving in Danteor.
🌻🌻🌻
Had she ever been this sick without someone directly harming her?
Her head was dizzy. It felt like a fever was engulfing her entire body. This was the first time Ninia had experienced a fever.
“……tion……is.”
“……is. …….”
Mumbling voices buzzed above her head. Even with her fevered mind, Ninia thought she had to open her eyes. But it wasn’t easy.
Soon, Ninia’s arm was lifted, and a sharp pain followed. Ninia’s brows furrowed slightly. The person who put her arm back down on the bed spoke to someone else.
What are they talking about? Ninia struggled to focus on the conversation. A sudden feeling of unease bloomed within her.
Ninia had never been indifferent to her fate. She was just good at hiding it. She always considered being swept along as natural, but anxiety gnawed at her, eventually causing her to decay.
“……Ah.”
“Lady?”
But today, that anxiety gave Ninia strength. As if pushed from behind, Ninia finally opened her eyes. Jerome’s face came into view through her blurry vision. An older-looking man and a maid were also present.
“Do you recognize me?”
Ninia tried to speak, but her throat was blocked, and no sound came out. Following the man’s instructions, the maid held a cup to Ninia’s lips. Once her mouth was moistened, her mind gradually returned.
“It seems you have a severe cold due to exhaustion. You still have a fever, but it should be alright if you take antipyretics.”
The man who examined Ninia removed his stethoscope. Even with her feverish body, she looked surprised. That was only natural, since the man was an ordinary doctor, not a healing priest. Ninia couldn’t help but be amazed.
‘A doctor?’
The Holy Emperor disliked many groups. Among them were those who handled magical power and doctors. The number of people born with divine power was limited, but anyone could become a doctor if they followed the path of learning.
The Holy Emperor deliberately excluded those who could heal outside the Caner Church. An extreme example of this was mages.
Those who performed miracles based on the magical power flowing in nature were a nuisance to the Temple. Miracles should only be performed by those embraced by the Goddess.
‘Exterminate the evil known as mages.’
At the command of the 25th Holy Emperor, all the Temple’s forces, including the paladins, mobilized. The Mage Massacre Decree, which lasted until the 31st Holy Emperor, ultimately resulted in the Goddess’s victory.
Such a thing was only possible in the past, when most of the continent’s nations believed in the Caner Church as the one true god.
Several nations, appalled by the Mage Massacre Decree, left the Goddess’s embrace.
This was also the period when the Caner Church’s influence declined the most in history, but the Temple considered it a temporary trial and worshipped the Goddess even more blindly.
What remained was the medical community. In nations based on holy power, along with the persecution of minorities, the existence of doctors was condemned as demonic.
“But, is it alright to use medicine?”
The doctor glanced at Ninia’s pale face. He seemed to know that Ninia was a Saint. But despite his words, a needle was already inserted in Ninia’s arm. She cleared her barely audible voice for a moment and finally managed to speak.
“It’s alright.”
Hearing her hoarse voice, the doctor’s expression changed strangely. After a moment of silence, he handed the prescription and medicine to Jerome, not Ninia.
Doctors who were oppressed by the Caner Church would inevitably harbor resentment. He might have been waiting for Ninia to object to taking medicine so he could mock her.
After the doctor and Jerome left, the maid undressed Ninia and wiped her sweat-soaked body.
The maid’s touch was skillful but impersonal. Moreover, a subtle coldness lingered in her expression. After changing into fresh clothes, Ninia’s body felt much lighter. However, her heart felt a bit heavier.
After the maid left the medicine and thin porridge, Jerome re-entered.
“You surprised me, Lady. Why didn’t you say something if you weren’t feeling well?”
Ninia felt awkward at his words. She stopped eating the porridge and set it down uncomfortably.
‘Are church members usually this physically fit?’
Jerome’s assumption at the castle entrance wasn’t entirely wrong. It was natural for those with strong holy power to have good physical strength. The holy power protected their bodies.
The reason Ninia could endure a murderous schedule of participating in charity work during the day, attending social events from evening till dawn, and then traveling to other regions by carriage at daybreak was because she possessed powerful holy power.
However, now that her holy power was completely depleted, Ninia had returned to being an ordinary woman. Moreover, her body, forcibly drained of its holy power, was not in a normal state. Having forced herself to undertake a journey that even a healthy person would find difficult, it was a wonder she hadn’t collapsed sooner.
‘It’s been so long since I’ve been sick, I didn’t realize it.’
This was the first time she had been ill since becoming a Saint. So she had simply assumed she was feeling weak after arriving here. She had been aware of the fever but attributed it to the aftereffects of the ritual or travel fatigue.
It was ironic that she, who had healed so many people, was so ignorant of her own physical condition.
“Lady Ninia.”
“Yes. Please speak.”
Jerome, after calling Ninia, hesitated for a long while. He finally handed her the document envelope he was holding. His expression wasn’t good.
Ninia stared at the document envelope and then slit it open with the letter opener on the nightstand.
“……I apologize for asking this so soon after you’ve awakened, but I think you need to sign this now.”
At the end of Jerome’s words, Ninia’s eyes went to the top of the document.
Inside the brown envelope were documents related to Ninia’s betrothal.
