Chapter 8
The duke and duchess remained locked in their embrace, too busy comforting each other to pay any attention to my suffering.
“Excuse me. Excuse me?”
“Our poor Ian…”
“Do you not see me here? Ugh, I’m the one who’s actually dying right now, you know?”
And this damn mutant’s… thing… was pressed right up against my thigh. It was really uncomfortable.
Just then, the Duke of Zenor called out in a resolute voice.
“Teddy!”
A servant who had been waiting outside quickly appeared, bowing his head.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
A brown-haired servant with his hair slicked back ran into the room, looking tense in the solemn atmosphere.
Helith let out a deep sigh and asked.
“Has there been any reply from Bishop Seilan?”
Teddy bowed his head politely and answered slowly.
“Yes. He said he would conduct the funeral at the Saint Erchascos Temple.”
He paused to glance at Helith’s expression, then added cautiously.
“He also wanted to know if you would like the coffin to be made from the sacred tree and to hold the farewell ceremony on the Arinos River.”
Hearing this, Helith frowned and fell silent, then looked over at Josefina and asked.
“How do you feel about this, dear?”
Josefina dabbed at her wet eyes with a handkerchief and lowered her head in silence for a long while. Finally, in a trembling voice, she managed to speak.
“It would be best… to follow the opinion of the one who hears God’s will most closely.”
Her tone was heavy with sorrow, and the air in the room grew even more suffocating.
“But Bishop Seilan is currently attending a religious event in another country. At the earliest, he will not arrive in the duchy until tonight…”
“That will not do!”
“My dear.” said the Duchess
“No. You must tell him to return to the duchy at once. When I think of Ian, trembling on the cold, merciless ground of this world…”
“Teddy. Spare no expense. Get the message to him immediately.”
“…Understood.”
What an elaborate performance! My leg had long since gone past pins and needles. I couldn’t even feel it anymore.
“Please, someone just get this bastard off of me! Bury him in the ground or toss him in the river or something!”
Helith let out a long sigh, his face dark and brooding as he muttered.
“Ha… How could such a terrible thing happen to Ian?”
Josefina buried her face in Helith’s broad chest, sobbing softly.
“God must have needed Ian for something. If not, how could such a tragedy…”
My patience finally snapped. I summoned every ounce of my strength and screamed like I was firing off a spirit bomb.
“Enough already! Ian is alive, damn it!”
At last, the duke and duchess paused and turned to look at me.
Helith looked taken aback for a moment, but then he shook his head.
“Poor Lilian… She’s in such deep grief she can’t face reality.”
“For god’s sake! He’s breathing! Can’t you see his back moving up and down?”
I spoke forcefully, my face burning red, and Helith intervened with a firm voice.
“Lilian, that’s enough.”
“I’m telling the truth! Just try turning him over!”
“Josefina, let’s give Lilian some time alone with Ian so she can say goodbye.”
“All right.”
The duke and duchess twisted my desperate cries into whatever interpretation they liked. Watching them coldly turn their backs on me was enough to fill me with despair. They clearly thought I was some grief-crazed Ophelia, and they had no intention of actually listening to a word I said.
He’s alive, damn it! Just look at the blood on my face, you fools!
At that moment.
“Grrrrr—.”
“……”
The footsteps of the duke and duchess stopped abruptly as they were leaving. With expressions taut with tension, they slowly turned around.
Just then, Ian smacked his lips together in his sleep, muttering softly, and Josefina collapsed to the floor with a thud.
“Are you all right?!”
“Josefina!”
Teddy hurriedly rushed to her side and helped her up, but Josefina seemed to have lost all strength and sat there motionless.
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