Episode 638

Chloe saw the men flicker past her eyes like shadows. They had all courted her, each one yearning for eternal love, but to Chloe, they were nothing more than a delightful game of social play.

The men waved their hands and drifted away into the distance. Suddenly, Chloe felt a pang of regret for how coldly she had treated them. What had she done to hurt them so deeply?

“I’m sorry!”

Then, her friends appeared and vanished in a blur. Outwardly, they laughed and joked, pretending to share deep bonds of friendship, but behind their backs, Chloe recalled how she had judged them, ranking them above or below herself with reckless arrogance.

And that wasn’t all. She had been cruel to the servants, tormenting them with her tantrums, and looked down on everyone who worked for Davion with careless disdain. The shame was overwhelming.

“Why did I act like that?”

And now, why was she feeling all these emotions? As she pondered quietly, a sudden realization struck her. Darkness surrounded her completely. …Ah!

“I’m dead, aren’t I?!”

“Nooo!”

Chloe screamed loudly and bolted upright, startling the medic who stumbled back in shock. The patient had been unconscious just moments ago—such a reaction was unexpected. The nurses nearby froze, staring at Chloe in disbelief.

“L-Lady Chloe?”

“…Yes?”

“A-are you alright?”

“Am I… dead?”

“No, as you can see, you’re perfectly fine.”

Chloe looked down at her hands. They were wrapped tightly in bandages but unbroken, uncrushed. Her face? She gingerly touched it, feeling the rough texture of gauze beneath her fingertips.

What on earth had happened? Her last memory was struggling desperately not to be crushed by a boulder…

“The wizard shattered the rock you were holding with magic,” the medic explained. “The aim was precise, so the boulder shattered into pieces, but the shock knocked you unconscious. Fortunately, the injuries from the debris aren’t severe—just some scratches. They’ll scab over in a few days.”

“Magic?”

“Yes. The captain, Akorella, has been summoned and should be here soon. You should rest a bit longer. The operation was halted due to the commotion.”

As the medic tidied up the emergency supplies, Chloe blinked. She owed her life to the wizard, but it had been a close call.

“What about the others? There were so many people around me.”

“They’re all safe. You were lucky. In many ways.”

That was a relief. If those who cared for her had been seriously hurt, her heart would have been heavy. Chloe wiggled her fingers, then suddenly sat up as if something had come to mind.

“Huff!”

“…What are you doing?”

She grabbed the bed’s railing and tried to lift herself up with all her might. The medic looked on, baffled, but Chloe had no strength left to answer—she was squeezing out every last ounce of energy.

“Ahhh!”

“Lady Chloe?”

Was she crazy? The medic regretted not being more cautious just because there were no external injuries. As he scrambled to find a sedative, Akorella burst into the room.

“Lady Chloe! What are you doing?”

“Ah, Captain Akorella…!”

“Why the bed?”

Tears welled in Chloe’s eyes as she slumped back down, murmuring,

“…I think the side effects are gone.”

“I heard. It’s good you weren’t badly hurt.”

“What should I do? Why now of all times…”

Akorella sighed softly and patted her shoulder. For someone who had just cheated death, Chloe was surprisingly worried.

“It’s alright. Unless you want it, His Majesty won’t send you to Bariel.”

“That’s not it!”

“Is it?”

“If I can’t work, everyone else will struggle.”

Chloe was doing the work of a dozen people alone. Now that the side effects were gone, it was only natural that the burden would fall on the others.

Seeing her genuine concern, Akorella raised an eyebrow in surprise. Was this emotional shift turning into a change in personality?

“Don’t worry. I’ll pick up the slack. For now, focus on your treatment—”

Before Akorella could finish, the door slammed open and the wizard and Xiaoshi rushed in, both clearly in a hurry.

“What’s this? You brought your things? Quick.”

“Ah, yes. I asked Lord Xiaoshi to help.”

Akorella glanced at Xiaoshi, then slowly parted her lips. A heated, intense gaze passed between Chloe and Xiaoshi.

Akorella, the wizard, and the medic all took a step back, watching the two carefully.

“Lady Chloe, are you alright?”

“Y-yes…”

Without realizing it, Chloe placed a hand over her chest. Her heart pounded wildly. The side effects were definitely gone, but why did her emotions feel stronger than ever?

She had thought that distance would dull her feelings, but she had been wrong. An indescribable wave of emotion surged through her.

“Captain Akorella,” Chloe murmured, eyes fixed on Xiaoshi.

“I think the side effects aren’t completely gone. My heart still races when I see Lord Xiaoshi.”

“Really?” Akorella tilted her head, puzzled. Sometimes only one side effect disappears, but this was unexpected. The potion Chloe took should have cleared both.

As Akorella pondered, scratching her chin, Chloe suddenly grabbed Xiaoshi’s hand tightly.

“Yes, it’s racing! My heart! What should I do?”

Her head spun, vision blurred. Chloe panicked, but Xiaoshi answered with a single calm sentence.

“…Why do you need to do anything?”

He meant there was no problem with feeling exactly what she was feeling.

At this confession, Akorella, the wizard, and the medic exchanged glances, muttering things like “Oh my…” Whatever was happening, it was clearly extraordinary.

As always, blood trickled from Chloe’s nose, and she collapsed back onto the bed, sinking into darkness once more.

“I’m dying…”

This time, she would surely dream of Xiaoshi. Without a doubt.

---

“There’s no problem?”

“Yes. Aside from a brief delay, there were no serious injuries. It could have been disastrous, but it ended well.”

Ian nodded after hearing the report from the mine. There had been some commotion, but no one, including Chloe, was hurt. That was a relief.

“By the way, what should we do about Lady Filia’s portrait?”

A sketch of Filia’s bust was drawn on old brown paper. It had been sent throughout Burgos to find her. Though she had safely returned to Bariel, it was important to show publicly that the search continued, to pressure Toorun.

“Reduce the quantity, but don’t stop distributing. As long as Toorun thinks the search is ongoing, that’s enough.”

“Understood. If we post them as flyers, some scoundrels keep tearing them down—it’s a nuisance. It might be more economical to assign a soldier to guard them. The painters complain their wrists hurt from all the work.”

“Also, Ian, there’s a strange rumor going around lately.”

“A rumor?”

Ian set down the report, curious. During the civil war, rumors had been rampant due to the chaos, but now, under Bariel’s control, life was returning to normal.

“They say the river flowing through Kalamath is drying up.”

The river, called “Burgos’ Lifeblood” by the natives, flowed from the north of Gaia, cutting through all of Burgos. It was literally the country’s lifeline. But now, its depth was decreasing.

Ian unfolded a map.

“Where’s the source?”

“Further north, beyond the northern region.”

His finger traced the river upstream, stopping in southern Toorun. Ian frowned suspiciously.

“It’s the river that runs from Burgos to Clifford. That area probably won’t be affected much.”

“Is the shallowing confirmed?”

“Not yet, but it’s not just a few voices. The whole community agrees. Could it be a problem in Toorun?”

It was certainly possible as a means to pressure Burgos. But it wasn’t pollution or restriction—what was the motive?

“If the river dries up, production will drop, and daily life will become impossible. The Holrin family seems aware but isn’t taking immediate action.”

“They probably can’t. They’re too busy dealing with the nobles. Bring me the paper. I’ll report to His Majesty.”

“Understood.”

“Since it’s southern Toorun, we can include it in the route without overextending. I’ll inquire about their intentions.”

Whether this was a central Toorun operation or a rogue act in the south was unclear. It wasn’t even certain Toorun was involved.

Suddenly—

Ian picked up his quill to write the report, but the ink spilled, blotting the paper.

Normally, Ian would never tolerate such a mistake. Even the wizard looked surprised and handed him a handkerchief.

“Are you alright? That’s your usual quill. Did it malfunction? At least it didn’t stain your clothes.”

Ian raised his hand to signal that everything was fine. Strangely enough, there was nothing wrong with the quill.

“This is odd. Ominous, even.”

“Ominous? What do you mean?”

“Don’t you ever get that feeling? Like when ink suddenly smudges or a decoration falls off the wall—it’s as if something bad is about to happen.”

“Not at all.”

Just as Ian spoke with certainty, a soft ‘thud’ echoed behind them. The picture frame hanging on the wall had fallen.

The wizard’s eyes widened in shock, while Ian furrowed his brow and turned around.

“Uh, well… that’s unexpected.”

“Clearly, palace maintenance is lacking.”

No sooner had he said that than a sudden clap of thunder cracked through the sky. The once clear weather instantly turned into a downpour.

Ian calmly reached for a candle, but the wizard froze, trembling. For a transcendent being like him, supernatural phenomena were terrifying.

“I-Ian, I’m scared.”

“I’m more scared of you. Now go finish your work.”

Tap, tap, tap!

At that moment, another wizard burst in without warning, clutching a rain-soaked letter. Ian immediately recognized the seal at the bottom—it was from Clifford.

“Ian! There’s been a sudden death! It’s a disaster!”

“What’s all the fuss about?”

“Prime Minister Shatima has been assassinated. All signs point to murder…”

“…What?”

Ian stood up without realizing it. The leader of the Hwan rebels, the one who had just seized real power—not long ago—and now assassinated?

With the fierce battle against Luswena looming, this was unthinkable. Ian frowned deeply as thunder rumbled again overhead.

Boom! Crash!

“Who was the target?”

“Clifford is investigating, but by now Bariel must have been informed as well. All evidence suggests someone close to Shatima. The last message was that the Hwan faction had successfully taken control, so it has to be connected to that…”

Ian leaned on the desk, pondering the chaos Shatima’s death would unleash on the eastern Bariel region.

If this wasn’t just internal strife, but a deliberate act by an enemy—

Who stood to gain from this?

“Luswena. And…”

If this incident forces Clifford’s main forces to scatter, Toorun would benefit as well.

Ian carefully examined the rain-drenched letter, frowning. Toorun was already making serious moves, more than he had anticipated. At this point, Bariel couldn’t just stand by either.