Chapter 218 218. Infectious Disease, Part XI
Editor: Aelryinth
Albert glanced at his precious Prince sitting there with his dark face. He reproachfully stared at a cup of water that had not been reduced by a sip for several hours, and he brought a new glass of water in the hope that he would take a little fresh water. Just as the spirit of the old servant was conveyed, the door of the princess’s bedroom opened, and the doctor came out.
"It seems to be working." Paulo said quickly to Killian, who looked at him with frightening eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Your Highness. She has not yet awakened, but her complexion and breathing have relaxed. Her hands, which used to be frosty and cold, are back to normal."
The parlor was filled with exclamations of joy. At last, Killian rose from his seat, leaving behind Albert’s murmur of thanksgiving to God he did not believe in, in the hope that His Highness would eat something now.
"Can I come in?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Your Highness, allow me to check the child’s condition."
The daughter whom he had barely met had become a valuable person with a high status that he couldn’t see just because he wanted to see her. Killian nodded reluctantly as Marquis Anais asked his daughter’s fiancé for permission, holding back his desire to jump in at any moment.
Killian wanted to be alone with Julietta even though the Marquis was her father, but he couldn’t ignore the fatherly love that was likely to burn.
"Julie..." the trembling voice of the Marquis rang out in the quiet bedroom. Killian went across from the Marquis and looked down at Julietta.
Her color definitely improved and her breathing seemed to be back to normal. When he touched her forehead and held her hand, her skin was warmer.
When he looked back at the doctor who followed him in, Dr. Paulo nodded and said, "She’ll wake up soon. The painkiller certainly had an antidotal effect."
Killian was waiting for a definite confirmation from the doctor, holding his breath, and brightened for the first time in a few days. It was time for him to breathe out of relief and sit in a chair beside the bed. He felt like his legs were rubbery at the moment.
Whine...
Manny, who normally pretended not to see him whenever it saw him, looked up at him pitifully. It must have been barred from entering the bedroom because Julietta was sick, and it seemed to have come in after him.
"Do you want to see your owner, too?" As he soothed it in a soft voice that was not Killian-like, Manny’s little head nodded up and down, as if it had understood the words.
"May I put the princess’s pet dog on the bed, doctor?"
After Killian asked for permission, Dr. Paulo answered, "Yes, Your Highness, I think it will help her to wake up if she feels the contact of her beloved dog."
Killian, with the permission of the doctor, put Manny on the bed. Manny whined pitifully as if it had met long-lost family, rubbing its head against Julietta’s neck.
Marquis Anais took Julietta’s hand, carefully patting it and muttering, "Julie, get up. There are so many people waiting for you to wake up."
It was an action that could not be done when she was awake. This child’s attitude had changed so much, and he felt his daughter like a stranger, but she had cried in his arms when she was a child. He felt the past too strongly.
’Why is this child’s life so hard and difficult?’ The thought of having to live in such danger for the rest of her life made him resent the man in front of him. ’Why do you stand out in the eyes of such a man?’
"You are so resentful of me." The Prince who noticed his gaze spoke up. "If not, you are lying.
"It’s good to be honest. But I also want you to admit that the Marquis doesn’t deserve to say that to me. If it hadn’t been for the princess’s mother’s family, your family would have disappeared from the Empire overnight just by what Lady Anais did. I’ll warn you once again. Keep an eye on the Dudley family and Lady Anais, because I don’t want the Anais family to be a burden in Julietta’s future."
The Marquis’s head was lowered at Killian’s fierce gaze. ’Who dare you blame?’
"Um..."
"Julie?"
A groan came out of Julietta’s mouth. Killian was looking at Marquis Anais, and quickly turned to Julietta.
Julietta opened her eyes while Manny was aware of its owner’s recovery and was walking back and forth on the bed, wagging its tail. She blinked as if to remember who was looking at her for a while. "... Your Highness?"
"Yes, Julietta. It’s me," Killian replied in a soft voice.
"Why am I lying here? And why are you here without contacting me again? Mr. Marquis is here, too." As soon as she came to her senses, Julietta’s usual grumbling voice became softer when she discovered the Marquis.
"What happened?" As she looked at Killian, there was anxiety in her eyes.
"Nothing. You were sick for a while, but now you’re fine."
Dr. Paulo spoke as Killian was appeasing Julietta. "The princess fell down after taking poison. You are feeling weak because you haven’t eaten in days. I told them to prepare the soup, so you should eat first and take some medicine to restore your energy."
"Poison?" Julietta was surprised and asked.
Vera, who had gone to prepare the soup, returned. Killian took the soup from Vera and answered, "I’ll tell you more after you get well. Let’s start with the soup."
Albert came into the bedroom with the soup and was hurt by the sight of his precious Prince trying to put the soup in Julietta’s mouth, and ended up saying, "Your Highness, leave the princess’s meal to the maid, and please eat something. Would you like this old servant to be anxious to death?"
Julietta was surprised and caught hold of his hand as she opened like a baby bird. Killian who didn’t care about other’s eyes, even though they tried to stop him in the end.
"Your Highness, didn’t you eat?"
"It’s not just a meal. He hasn’t had a full glass of water in four days since the princess collapsed."
At Albert’s words, the Marquis of Anais looked at Killian in amazement, and the soup which was about to enter his daughter’s mouth.
"The, the princess, please tell His Highness to eat. This old man is going to die because I am so anxious."
Albert kept hesitating if it was awkward to call her the princess after finding out that she was Julietta. When Killian stared at Albert with fierce eyes, he habitually put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief.
His white handkerchief which was always dancing on his shiny forehead appeared twisted. Albert shook his handkerchief out of display and then put it to the tearful eyes. He stared anxiously at his master, tapping wet eyes with that dirty handkerchief.
"... why didn’t you eat?" asked Julietta, looking at Killian.
"Well, why?" Killian replied, looking at Julietta.
"Did you worry?"
"You’re asking for something natural."
Dark green eyes and soft silvery eyes met without words.
Julietta remembered that she had heard Killian’s voice when she had faintly come to her senses. He’d been constantly saying something, but she remembered one thing now: it would be too boring to live in this world without you.
’What is the meaning of that? Does it mean you can’t live without me?’ Julietta’s heart began to beat fast. It pounded too hard to be considered sick and just woken up. She tried to calm her heart since it beat so hard that it was ringing in her ears.
"... Please eat."
"After thou hast finished eating."
"Thou hast? That’s so weird. Do as you normally would," Julietta spoke prudishly and took the bowl from Killian’s hand. Unlike her natural behavior, her eyes shook. She couldn’t look straight at the Prince’s face, because she felt her ears getting hot. "Come on, please go eat. I don’t have the energy to haggle with you. Vera, tell them to prepare the meal of His Highness, and others’, too."
Julietta’s gaze awkwardly turned toward the Marquis of Anais and then quickly went down to the bowl.
"Thank you." The Marquis of Anais expressed joy at her behavior, which seemed a little open-minded.
"Then eat comfortably. I’ll be back in a while."
Killian’s big hand slipped past Julietta’s ear. Julietta pretended to be nonchalant, but her cheeks were even redder than before.
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