Rose (7)
A week passed.
I remained at the palace, continuing my role as the royal physician.
I wondered if being absent from the Academy for so long was a problem, but I had already asked Selena to cover for me, so there was no need to worry. After all, I had accepted the position of chief assistant precisely for situations like this.
-Are you saying you’ll be away for a while?
-I'm not going to say no, but… this has been happening frequently lately, so I'm worried.
-You mustn't neglect your duties as a student.
-I won't ask the reason for your absence. Our agreement was made with that understanding from the beginning.
-However, I will offer one piece of advice: always be careful.
Getting her permission wasn’t difficult. While other teachers might have been curious about their student's whereabouts, my master didn’t ask a single question. She simply let me do as I pleased.
Choosing Selena as my backer had indeed been an excellent decision. If it had been any other professor at Gallimard, they would have been obsessed with controlling my every move. I savored the relief anew.
“Thanks to her, I have some breathing room.”
Thanks to Selena, I could concentrate solely on the task at hand. Over the past week, I focused on two main things.
The first, naturally, was treating the Rose, and the second was gradually taming the Little Prince. These were necessary steps, considering the upcoming episodes.
Both tasks required patience, so I approached them slowly and carefully. Of course, it was difficult to expect immediate results.
-I told you to get lost.
-I don’t want any treatment, so don’t touch me.
-Just leave me to die.
This was especially true with Elise. While her older sister was gradually opening up, her younger sister consistently maintained a frosty demeanor. No, it felt like she was becoming even more hostile.
Even though her physical condition was improving, the girl resisted the treatment fiercely every single time, as if she couldn’t accept the fact. Because of this, I had to spend hours each day attending to her.
-Ugh… you piece of trash.
-You think you can get away with treating a princess of the empire like this, huh?
-I will kill you.
Whenever my gentle touch grazed her snow-white skin, her hazy eyes glared at me. Beyond her empty pupils, even killing intent crumbled into nothingness.
By the time her sweet breath grew ragged, her red hair damp with sweat, and the sticky scent of flesh filled the air, the girl would lie there exhausted. Her downcast eyes always reflected resentment.
-Just die.
It seemed I was unintentionally receiving her hatred, but I had no intention of giving up. Giving up meant abandoning the last shred of salvation.
The Rose’s death would directly lead to the Little Prince’s tragedy. Therefore, even as I was pricked by the sharp thorns, I continued to gently caress the crimson petals. Always with a smile.
-You’ll get used to it soon.
-I’d like you to simply focus on your recovery without thinking about anything else, and without giving up on life.
-I’ll be here to help you.
-Even if Your Highness doesn’t want it.
Taming doesn't happen overnight. It takes a long time, constant care, and devotion to make a beautiful flower bloom. This was that stage. A stage not of finding meaning in each other, but of planting meaning in each other. A little patience was required.
“Of course.”
That didn't mean there was no progress. While the Rose was certainly putting up her thorns, the Little Prince, on the other hand, was steadily coming around.
Charlotte expressed her gratitude every day.
-The seizures are noticeably less frequent.
-Her complexion seems to be improving, too.
-Yes… it's all thanks to you.
-Because you helped us. Only you can save us.
The effects of repeated learning seemed to be showing. Every time Elise fell asleep after treatment, Charlotte and I would spend about two hours alone in the next room.
Nominally, it was to report on Elise’s progress. But in reality, it was a process of building trust with Charlotte by increasing the time we spent together. I whispered whenever I had the chance.
-Your Highness doesn’t need to worry about anything.
-Just leave everything to me and wait.
-I’ll take care of everything.
Words that offered myself as a place to rely on completely. Charlotte, who had initially hesitated, now nodded blankly. Perhaps because it was the only hope that could be seen.
Seeing the improving complexion of her younger sister every day, the older sister couldn't help but listen to the voice that reached her ears.
She might not want to miss this opportunity.
- I will follow your words.
Unfocused blue eyes.
Whenever the girl’s gaze wavered with anxiety, I would stroke her hair reassuringly.
A princess of a nation would not brush away the touch of a mere snake.
Instead, she gradually melted into the coolness, accepting the closing distance.
I would smile with satisfaction.
‘Going well.’
This, too, was for the future.
The more Charlotte relied on me, the easier it would be for me to use her.
High status always comes in handy.
As her condition improved, so did her trust in me.
‘Charlotte… and Elise.’
Before I knew it…
I had become a part of their daily lives.
***
Late evening.
The time when even the bright scenery outside the window was dyed in darkness.
I had just finished a long treatment session and was tidying up the dishevelled surroundings.
Rose’s bed was a mess again today.
“Haah, haah…”
Hot, ragged breaths.
Sweat-soaked red hair was strewn about.
Perhaps due to her particularly fierce resistance today, her top, which usually only became disheveled, was now completely off, revealing her snow-white skin.
She wasn't even wearing underwear, making her practically naked.
Only the precariously draped blanket covered her body, hiding the bud at the end of her soft flesh.
Perhaps due to her exposed skin, a sticky, bodily scent drifted to my nose.
“Haa… uh…”
“You did well.”
I said to the exhausted girl, marking the end of the treatment.
As I removed the hand that was pressing on her abdomen, a moan escaped her pale red lips.
A sorrowful echo she couldn't quite suppress.
“Ugh.”
The treatment had lasted a grueling five hours.
Clear handprints remained on her stomach from being pressed repeatedly.
Elise lay there, trembling.
“…”
Her limbs, bound by shadows, remained motionless.
It seemed she had no strength left.
Her bloodless lips were the same.
Only her green eyes stared at me.
Though glistening with tears, her gaze didn't lose its sharpness.
I responded with a bright smile.
‘How long will she react like this?’
It seemed like she should be getting used to it by now.
I snapped my fingers lightly.
Snap!
Immediately following the short, sharp sound, the messy scene was put in order.
The sweat-soaked sheets returned to normal, and the girl's exposed form was once again covered.
I quietly looked down at the bed.
“I’ll check again today.”
I reached out my hand.
To Rose's still-bound arm.
As I rolled up her thin sleeve, I saw the thick bandages underneath.
With careful movements, I unwound the cloth.
Rustle-
The bandages loosened limply.
The scars on her wrist were now visible.
A chaotic crisscross of lines.
As if she had cut herself again while I wasn't looking, new wounds had appeared since yesterday.
As expected, I sighed.
“Your Highness.”
“What?”
“Didn’t I tell you? It’s not a good habit.”
“What do you care?”
Deliberately inflicting wounds on herself.
By releasing the overflowing mana, it provided temporary pain relief, but it didn't help her recovery at all.
Despite my warnings, she couldn't seem to stop.
“…It hurt too much last night.”
“Excuses won’t do. If you were in that much pain, you should have called me.”
I took the ointment from the shelf.
As I applied the medicine to her bleeding wrist, Rose turned her head away with an indifferent look.
As if she didn't care about the wounds at all.
“It doesn’t even sting.”
She showed no will to recover.
Pushing aside my bitter feelings, I asked a question I had been holding back.
“Do you truly not believe in hope, Your Highness?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
From what I had observed over the past week, she was like a flower broken by the wind and rain.
A misfortune trampled beyond recovery.
Elise had resigned herself to her fate.
Having been ill for over ten years in a dark room, her heart must have been filled with an insurmountable sense of despair.
The girl’s pale, faded eyes were proof of that time.
Rose seemed to no longer believe in hope.
“You seem to be mistaken about something… Whether you can really cure this disease or not, I don’t care.”
Read ahead by supporting me on Ko-fi. Access 5 advance chapters with the Irene's Blade Tier ($10) or 10 advance chapters with the Regia's Wings Tier ($18)!
Join our discord server for latest release updates and novel discussions.
Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel. Bonus chapters on reaching milestones.
Happy reading!