WMEEM Ch 17

Herodia and Aranad (3)

Terkan held a handkerchief against my nose and applied firm pressure to stem the bleeding.

He called a maid immediately and ordered a basin of water along with additional handkerchiefs. Meanwhile, Aranad observed me, his eyes filled with worry.

[Celeste] "I am fine..."

Muffled by the cloth, my voice sounded nasal.

When the maid returned with fresh linens, Terkan dropped the blood-soaked cloth into the basin and replaced it with a clean one.

[Terkan] "Pay closer attention to your health. Should royalty lose their health, the people of the empire suffer deep concern."

[Celeste] "All right."

Though I offered a compliant reply, I doubted whether the citizens would fret over my well-being. Still, a pleasant feeling washed over me. To think a simple nosebleed prompted everyone to move about in such a flurry. It was a minor incident.

Embarrassment flushed through me as Terkan continued holding the cloth to my nose. I offered to hold it myself, but he shook his head in refusal.

[Celeste] "Are royalty forbidden from doing even this much for themselves?"

[Terkan] "Yes. You need only remain still."

I yielded to his persistence and let him continue.

To speak plainly, his worried expression and care brought a sense of warmth, though calling it personal care felt somewhat exaggerated.

I glanced sideways at Aranad and addressed him.

[Celeste] "Aranad. I am fine, so let us meet tomorrow. I will send someone for you."

He stepped close to my side and exhaled a quiet sigh. As he bent down to stroke my hair, a gentle smile curved his lips.

[Aranad] "All right. See you tomorrow."

[Celeste] "Yes. This is nothing."

Aranad nodded, straightened his posture, and addressed Terkan with gentle composure.

[Aranad] "Please ensure Her Highness remains healthy. The health of royalty must be tended to with utmost devotion by those beneath them."

Though framed as a polite request, his words heavily countered Terkan's earlier scolding regarding my health.

To think Aranad possessed such a sharp tongue. Seeing Terkan on the receiving end brought a chuckle to my lips.

[Terkan] "Thank you for the reminder. I shall keep it in mind."

Anxiety flickered briefly as I feared Terkan might offer a sharp retort, but he maintained immaculate decorum as always, offering his signature smile.

Shortly after Aranad departed, the nosebleed ceased.

Blood spatters on my dress required a change of attire and delayed my scheduled lesson.

Terkan invariably taught my first lesson and usually waited with materials prepared, yet today the desk sat completely empty. Ample time had passed for him to prepare while I changed dresses.

Puzzled by the empty desk, I took a seat.

[Celeste] "I ran late. Let us begin quickly."

[Terkan] "We shall conduct today's lesson without books."

[Celeste] "Is this a test?"

[Terkan] "No. Come this way."

He moved toward the bedroom. Uncertain why a lesson would occur in the bedroom, I followed him inside regardless.

[Terkan] "Lie down."

[Celeste] "Why?"

[Terkan] "To sleep. That is your lesson for today."

Now his intent became clear. He was granting me rest following the nosebleed.

[Celeste] "I told you I am fine. Lessons are more important, and I am not even sleepy. A simple nosebleed is..."

[Terkan] "Your Highness."

His low, heavy tone cut me off. His cool red eyes signaled for me to lie upon the bed without delay.

[Celeste] "Now is hardly the time..."

With no further resistance left, I lay down upon the bed.

[Celeste] "My dress will wrinkle, and my hair..."

[Terkan] "It may wrinkle, and it may mess up."

[Celeste] "You told me to work hard yourself."

[Terkan] "You must pace yourself while taking care of your health. Now, close your eyes."

[Celeste] "Terkan!"

Though I offered a final, feeble protest, his unyielding gaze forced me to close my eyes.

I shouldn't sleep like this…

Yet the moment my eyes closed, an irresistible drowsiness engulfed me.

I can't fall asleep.

Even as I attempted to resist…..

[Terkan] "Shh."

He pulled the blanket up to my neck and patted me lightly, dissolving my remaining resolve.

What is this? Does he consider himself my mother?

Despite the wry thought, his light patting imparted a tranquil comfort, relaxing my entire frame.

[Terkan] "I shall wake you, so rest well."

I longed to offer my thanks, yet his voice drifted into distant obscurity.

---

Terkan opened a book. Though his eyes scanned the pages continuously, the text failed to register in his mind.

He gazed at Celeste sleeping peacefully with even breaths, then shifted his eyes back to the book.

Aranad bothered him continuously.

Though inviting him to the ball was unnecessary, Celeste's expression shifted whenever Aranad's name arose.

Terkan had grown curious about him and considered investigating him separately, but he preferred to observe their dynamic firsthand instead. Thus, he suggested sending an invitation to Batizo, and as anticipated, the intimacy between them proved profound.

The way Aranad stroked her hair appeared natural and practiced. However, the complex emotions swirling within his eyes clearly exceeded those of a mere friend.

Aranad keeping such feelings to himself posed no issue, nor did he appear light-headed or reckless enough to act inappropriately. While Celeste displayed no romantic affection toward him, her demeanor when addressing him differed noticeably. Her speech grew gentle, almost childlike.

A long-standing friendship could account for such behavior, yet an unexplainable sensation continuously tugged at Terkan's nerves.

Should I investigate him further?

Terkan rested his chin on his hand in deep contemplation, then closed the book and stood up.

He summoned a subordinate immediately.

---

[Tarega] "Your Highness."

Tarega's voice roused me from sleep.

Though I had resisted sleeping earlier, I had fallen into a deep slumber regardless.

When I woke from the prolonged rest, the headache that had nagged me during breakfast with Aranad was completely gone.

[Celeste] "What time is it?"

[Tarega] "It is almost time for dinner."

[Celeste] "Has that much time passed? Where is Terkan? Where did he go? He forced me to sleep, promising to wake me."

Almost dinner time? I squandered an entire day.

[Tarega] "Sigh. Lord Terkan came to wake you, but seeing you sleeping so soundly, he instructed us to let you rest longer before leaving."

[Celeste] "Even so, sleeping the entire day away is too much."

I buried my face in my hands as groans of frustration escaped my lips. How could the man who urged me to study relentlessly now grant me such leeway?

[Tarega] "You overexerted yourself recently. Lord Terkan must have judged that a single day of rest would be fine."

Her words held truth. Terkan was far wiser than I, and he had surely made a reasoned judgment. Had this occurred a mere two days ago, squandering a day in bed wouldn't have brought such panic.

I have let Herodia affect me.

Ever since encountering her, impatience had consumed my thoughts.

[Celeste] "Haaah."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.

Though an unconscious gesture born of irritation, my fingers slid smoothly through my tresses. Because I had lain down without unbinding my hair before sleeping, confusion seized me. I pressed my palm against my head.

[Celeste] "Tarega, did you unbind my hair? I fell asleep expecting to wake shortly."

Every hairpin secured earlier was gone as well.

[Tarega] "No. When I arrived, you were already sleeping with your hair loose. Could Lord Terkan have done it?"

As I attempted to picture Terkan unbraiding my hair and removing each pin individually, the image refused to form.

Surely not. A maid must have tended to it while I slept.

When I ran my fingers through my hair once more, a remaining pin caught my touch. I set it upon the table.

A knock sounded at the door, and Terkan entered simultaneously.

[Terkan] "Are you awake?"

As I faced him, the urge to demand why he failed to wake me flared, yet I checked myself. Fundamentally, the fault lay with my own overexertion.

[Celeste] "Yes. Thanks to you, I slept well."

[Terkan] "I braced myself for a scolding from you, so your silence caught me off guard."

[Celeste] "Honestly, I wanted to scold you."

I stepped off the bed and smoothed my rumpled hair with my fingers.

[Terkan] "Why not?"

[Celeste] "Because after careful thought, it felt foolish. Overexertion ruins health, and ruined health halts lessons for days anyway. I ran blindly while focusing on immediate tasks, which brought me to this state."

It was foolish of me. I had forgotten that this was not a matter to resolve within a few days.

[Terkan] "I am glad you realized it."

He looked as though he had anticipated this outcome all along.

[Celeste] "It would have been better had you informed me beforehand."

[Terkan] "Self-realization engraves lessons upon the heart permanently, ensuring they are never forgotten. Thus, I merely observed."

[Celeste] "You didn't merely observe. Testing me daily contributed somewhat. In any case, I shall never forget it moving forward. I suppose I can enjoy dinner comfortably tonight without a test?"

[Terkan] "Indeed. I too may dine comfortably."

As if the tester experienced discomfort.

Regardless, this marked our first proper meal without examinations. I resolved to enjoy dinner before reading briefly prior to sleep, but my plans crumbled shortly after.

Herodia sent a messenger requesting to share dinner together. After brief deliberation, I accepted.

[Celeste] "It seems I can't dine with you tonight."

[Terkan] "It matters not to me... but will you be all right?"

[Celeste] "Why would I not be?"

I shrugged.

Because I had experienced Herodia's temperament once. Understanding her nature removed any fear. I had no intention of avoiding her from the start.

I summoned a maid and instructed her to inform Herodia that I would host dinner in my quarters.

---

[Herodia] "I intended to host you, yet I thank you for inviting me."

She wore lavish attire, offering thanks with a bright smile. Her makeup appeared heavier than yesterday, paired with extravagant hair ornaments. Seeing her thus, why did she strike me as endearing?

[Celeste] "How could a guest host? The lady of the house ought to prepare."

Though I found her endearing, I held no intention of showing vulnerability.

Herodia's eyebrows twitched at the phrase lady of the house. Because she failed to conceal her emotions, her transparent nature possessed a certain purity.

[Herodia] "Using the title of lady of the house before even marrying is hardly proper."

Though she bristled, I refrained from answering immediately as I checked the dishes being served. I possessed little knowledge of fine dining and was feigning scrutiny.

[Celeste] "Eat, Princess."

[Herodia] "Your Highness. One becomes the lady of Kellinev's imperial palace only after holding the wedding. I heard a date has not even been set."

She apparently intended a direct confrontation now. She attacked without a moment's hesitation.

[Celeste] "A wedding is merely a ceremony to announce the union to others. My becoming Empress is a decision already made by His Majesty. Do you dare rebel against his will?"

[Herodia] "I am not rebelling against his will. I am pointing out what is improper."

[Celeste] "What is proper or improper is determined by His Majesty, not by you, Princess."

[Herodia] "I shall become Empress of Kellinev."

I offered a silent smile at her declaration. To claim I felt no inner anxiety would be a lie. Yet I refused to betray such thoughts to her.

I knew well that she could never overcome my standing. A youngest princess raised in warmth would never sell her own kingdom for a union. Thus, Herodia could never present a more lucrative bargain than mine.

[Herodia] "Do you not consider yourself exceedingly shameless?"

My hand paused briefly as I reached for the water glass before lifting the goblet.

[Celeste] "In what regard?"

[Herodia] "A fake princess of lowly origins coveting the throne of Kellinev's Empress. What kingdom or empire places a woman lacking a pure bloodline upon the throne? Have you not considered the harm you becoming Empress will inflict upon His Majesty and, further, upon this nation of Kellinev?"

A fake princess of lowly origins.

Herodia finally uttered those words. My lenient mindset vanished instantly.

[Celeste] "I know not what harm you speak of."

[Herodia] "Externally, Kellinev's national dignity and prestige will fall, and you will earn no respect from the imperial populace."

I gazed at her quietly. She laid out the very anxieties gnawing at my heart in meticulous detail.

[Celeste] "Princess, you consider me shameless, yet fail to realize your own shamelessness."

[Herodia] "I have done nothing shameless."

[Celeste] "Persistently sending marriage proposals despite repeated rejections and silence. Is that not shameless?"

Her face crumpled before flushing deep crimson.

[Celeste] "Granting a hundred concessions, perhaps that was permissible when His Majesty held no plans for marriage. Yet knowing he possesses a bride-to-be, uttering such words directly before her crosses beyond rudeness, casting doubt upon your morality, Princess."

[Herodia] "S-So be it! Consider me shameless as well! Yet I have inflicted no harm upon Kellinev or His Majesty!"

I shook my head in disdain.

[Celeste] "Did I inflict harm upon Kellinev and His Majesty? Where and how? That is your assumption regarding a distant, unwritten future. Yet what of you right now, Princess?"

[Herodia] "What of me?!"

She blinked rapidly, her lips quivering as she held back words.

[Celeste] "Despite clear rejections, your continuous proposals embarrass His Majesty and reduce Cronak to a laughingstock. Your proposals are gossiped about even among the servants of Kellinev's nobility. Do you believe talk of your proposals remains confined to Kellinev?"

Herodia's eyes turned red, brimming with tears. As I saw her brimming with tears, my heart softened slightly. I had no desire to drive her to tears. Had she omitted the insult regarding my origins, I would never have pushed her so far.

She was shaken by my words and rose from her seat.

[Herodia] "I... I shall take my leave first."

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she turned on her heel.

To face Raff as an enemy was a burden enough without adding another rival. The situation left a bitter taste.

Yet regardless of Herodia's presence, I required a visible, binding commitment. A promise demonstrable to Herodia and my noble opponents alike.

Batizo's verbal assurance alone was not enough.

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