Chapter 52

Raylenne noticed that Aiden’s face was flushed even during the day. It seemed he had a slight fever then as well.

“If you weren’t feeling well, you should have said something…!” 

Raylenne looked down at Aiden with a resentful gaze. Seeing him lying there with his eyes closed, looking almost lifeless, made her uneasy.

Unable to sit still, Raylenne went outside and fetched a bucket of water. She also borrowed a dry cloth from Haele’s desk, intending to return it later. She soaked the cloth in the water and began to wipe Aiden’s face.

Although his fever wasn’t dangerously high, this simple act would help cool his body. Raylenne meticulously wiped Aiden’s face, arms, and legs. However, he showed no sign of waking up, which only increased her anxiety.

“His fever isn’t severe… Why won’t he wake up?” 

It didn’t seem to be a cold, as his fever alone shouldn’t have made him this unresponsive. He had no other symptoms, and he lay there peacefully without even a twitch, as if his mind had vanished somewhere.

Raylenne placed the damp cloth beside her and gently brushed Aiden’s hair back.

“Aiden…”

Just then, she heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside the cell. The overlapping steps indicated that Haele had brought the physician. Since she had given a direct order, it wasn’t difficult for Haele to bring the physician, but Raylenne was still surprised by how quickly he arrived.

“Here it is.”

Haele’s voice was accompanied by the sound of the door creaking open. The physician, who wore thick glasses, was the one who regularly visited the mansion. He was also Raylenne’s personal doctor. The physician greeted her with a bewildered look.

“Ah, hello, Miss Raylenne.”

Raylenne realized she was standing in her nightdress and robe, wearing only slippers, in a prison cell. No wonder he found it strange. But she didn’t feel embarrassed; she was too distracted to care. She stepped aside as she stood up.

“The patient is here. Please examine him quickly.”

The physician adjusted his glasses and sat beside Aiden. He opened his medical bag and examined Aiden with various instruments, frowning as he did so. Raylenne, growing anxious, couldn’t hold back her questions.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“Hmm…”

The physician put down his stethoscope and looked at Raylenne.

“When did the patient’s condition start?”

“I’m not sure, but I think he had a fever during the day.”

“Did he have any symptoms like coughing or a runny nose?”

“I don’t think so…”

Raylenne looked at Haele for confirmation. If Aiden had been coughing, Haele would have heard it. Haele quickly shook his head.

“I didn’t hear any coughing.”

The physician furrowed his brow and asked another question.

“Did he eat well?”

Haele answered for Raylenne.

“He ate lunch well, but didn’t eat dinner. He was curled up against the wall and didn’t move, and he didn’t respond when I talked to him.”

Raylenne, who had been quietly listening, asked Haele,

“Since when has he been like that?”

“Uh… since you left the cell, Miss Raylenne.”

Haele trailed off, realizing that Aiden’s condition worsened after Raylenne left. But Raylenne didn’t pay much attention to this detail; she had expected him to be unwell after she left. The important thing was figuring out why Aiden was in this state. 

Raylenne leaned closer to the physician.

“So, what’s your diagnosis?”

“…I don’t know.”

The physician’s hesitant response made Raylenne’s heart sink. Sensing her frustration, he added,

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a condition. It seems like a coma, but there doesn’t appear to be any external trauma.”

“So he might not wake up?”

The physician hesitated before finally meeting Raylenne’s eyes.

“There’s that possibility…”

Raylenne felt a moment of utter confusion. 

“Why…?”

She searched her memory for any episode in the original story that might explain this, but she couldn’t recall anything relevant. Faced with this unexpected situation, her mind felt simultaneously overloaded and empty.

As Raylenne remained silent, Haele stood up awkwardly and spoke.

“Miss Raylenne, I’ll escort the physician out now.”

The physician also rose and rummaged through his bag.

“Ah, I’ll leave some fever reducers just in case. Given the patient’s condition, I don’t know if he’ll be able to take them, but if he regains consciousness, give him these to help reduce the fever.”

He placed a glass bottle of fever-reducing pills on the floor.

“I’ll see the physician out now.”

Haele wasn’t sure if Raylenne heard him, but he thought it best to get the physician out. The doctor hadn’t been much help, and his presence only added to the confusion.

As the door closed, leaving Raylenne alone with Aiden, she moved her fingers slightly, as if breaking free from an icy grip. Her hand reached out to Aiden’s face. His skin was still hot, but his expressionless face looked unnervingly cold.

“Aiden…”

She wondered if it was because she had spoken harshly to him earlier. Closing her eyes tightly, she felt a wave of regret wash over her.

Janie had been right.

[Think about it. If a dog loses its owner and becomes a stray wandering around the mountains… If even you abandon it, it might starve to death.]

Aiden wasn’t a dog, but being locked in this dark, cold cell all day… If she was cold to him too, where would he find any solace?

At the sound of footsteps, Raylenne withdrew her hand from Aiden’s face. Soon, the cell door opened, and Haele entered.

“Miss Raylenne, I’ve seen the physician out safely.”

Raylenne forced herself to speak, ignoring the sinking feeling inside her.

“…Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Miss Raylenne, you should return now. I’ll stay here and keep watch.”

Raylenne shook her head.

“No. I’ll stay here. You should go and rest.”

Since Aiden had collapsed, Haele had stayed in the underground cell long past his usual working hours, running around to fetch the physician.

“I can’t leave you here alone, Miss Raylenne. I should be the one to stay.”

Haele waved his hands in refusal. Raylenne, too weary for a lengthy argument, hardened her expression.

“Haele, I appreciate your concern, but if you sense something unusual and report it to me, it might be too late. It’s better for me to stay here and respond immediately.”

Haele blinked in surprise.

“Then I’ll stay here with you. I can’t leave you alone in this cell. Besides… if Lord Caverion finds out I left you here alone, I’d be in big trouble.”

At the mention of her brother’s name, Raylenne’s eyes blinked slowly.

“My brother doesn’t need to know about this.”

She reported only the essentials to Caverion. He never asked about Aiden first, trusting her judgment. It was a trait she found surprisingly refreshing—once he entrusted someone with a task, he trusted them completely.

If Aiden woke up fine, she wouldn’t report this incident. Explaining why he collapsed, when she herself didn’t know, would be troublesome.

Raylenne looked down at Aiden with a bitter expression.

“So you must wake up…”

Just then, Haele spoke in a hesitant voice.

“Miss Raylenne, Lord Caverion already knows about today’s events.”

What? Raylenne’s eyes snapped to Haele.

“How does my brother know about this?”

“I told him we needed a physician. He saw me running frantically and asked what was going on, so I reported the situation to him.”

No wonder the physician arrived earlier than expected. It was because of Caverion’s orders.

“Was it a mistake for me to inform Lord Caverion?”

Haele worried that he had erred. Raylenne, frowning momentarily, reassured him.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Relieved, Haele sighed deeply. In truth, it didn’t matter if Caverion knew about this.

Aiden, though a prisoner, played a crucial role in the ongoing tensions with the Bedeusian family, and for that, he needed to be alive. Summoning the physician was only natural under these circumstances.

Even if Caverion or Duke Ergen questioned why a physician was called for Aiden, she could confidently explain the situation.

“Then… I’ll be at the entrance to the underground cell. Please call me if anything happens.”

Haele, still uneasy about leaving, offered a compromise. Raylenne had no choice but to agree.

“Alright. I’ll call if there’s any issue.”

As Haele opened the door to leave, he peeked back in and asked,

“It might be cold if you stay dressed like that. Should I bring you some clothes?”

“No need. I’ll be fine.”

She didn’t feel cold, perhaps because of Aiden’s body heat.

“Alright then.”

After Haele left, silence enveloped the cell. Raylenne sat beside Aiden, hugging her knees. The cell was utterly quiet, and with nothing to do next to the unconscious Aiden, her eyes wandered.

Her gaze fell on the floor, where the physician had left the fever reducers.