Chapter Four
The Magic Contract: 1
Raphael muttered internally:
'For you to live, what is this now?!'
"How?! Is there something threatening your life, and you want me to save you?"
He spoke with a sarcastic smile and a cold gaze. Arianna's smile didn't waver, which made him raise an eyebrow: 'She seems brave.'
"Not exactly, but yes, you alone can save me from that."
"And what will guarantee me that once I save you, you will help me?"
Arianna chuckled softly and sweetly:
"How dare I not! But it's fine, I won't mind. We can sign a contract."
Raphael was truly impressed by Arianna's courage, so he gave a sidelong smile:
"Then let's hear what you want."
"I want Your Highness to trust me. You are suffering from Mana inflation... There are two treatments for that. The first is for you to be paired with a high-grade Saintess... meaning you should marry her, right?!"
She looked at him to see his reaction, as his facial expression tightened with annoyance.
'...Does he hate the idea of marriage? Then why did he start a war for Elina? Ha, did he fall in love with her? Oh my God.'
"What is the other solution?"
She swallowed and returned to speaking with confidence and a smile:
"The other solution is Mana purification."
Question marks appeared over his head, meaning: "What does that mean?!" She continued:
"Mana purification is using a different type of magic, and since the Emperor uses multi-magic, this matter is not difficult for you and..."
He cut her off sharply, approaching her and saying intensely:
"How do you know that I use multi-magic?!"
Arianna felt a hammer hit her head from the late realization...
'I'm in trouble! I read that in the novel. I didn't know the matter was secret... Oh, my stupidity, I must find a lie... An idea sparked in my head.'
Arianna swallowed, composed herself, and put on a sweet smile:
"I have my own information and I won't risk telling you its source... Rest assured, my loyalty to His Highness is very great."
Raphael raised his eyebrow in skepticism. Arianna almost stammered, but she continued at a steady pace:
"If you want me to prove it to you, I will tell you something that proves the validity of my words..."
"..."
"I will ask you... Does Baron Meer Rualf work for you?"
He nodded in the affirmative:
"He is my current aide."
'It's good that I remembered some secondary characters in the novel.'
"He is a good and somewhat courageous man. He used to live in the countryside, right?!"
"..."
"There is one thing: if you don't help Baron Rualf, they will stab you from his side."
He raised his eyebrows, meaning: "How?"
"Baron Rualf is a good man, but his daughter, who is about five or six years old, has been suffering from a dangerous disease since she was a baby. Her medications are very expensive, and your enemies will exploit the Baron to strike you."
And with ice-cold aloofness, he spoke:
"So does that mean he is a traitor?"
She frowned in distress. Is he really emotionless?! 'A beautiful face and a heart of stone! In the story, Baron Rualf is a very loyal person to the Emperor. He has one mistake: he will accept the medicine in exchange for information that everyone considers trivial but is dangerous, which is that Elina Brion is the Saintess the Emperor wanted. Nevertheless, he was one of the people who helped Philip after he became Emperor by using a unique ability.'
She took a deep breath and said strongly:
"Definitely not. So please help the Baron; because he is a good person and his abilities are amazing, which he only gives to those he trusts. Trust me."
Raphael laughed mockingly and looked at her, evaluating her...
'A frail, small woman, who has the courage to talk to my face with confidence and without fear, even asking me to trust her, and with such courage! The strongest men tremble in fear when they stand before me, but this little one... she seems to have a lot of audacity and courage.'
"Fine, tell me the treatment method, and let's start immediately."
Arianna smiled triumphantly and said enthusiastically:
"Healing Magic! The Emperor must use Healing Magic on me. This means the method requires a period of time for your Mana to stabilize, and also for my shattered body to heal, but I have a hunch that it will succeed."
Raphael furrowed his brows upon hearing her words and said sarcastically:
"Healing Magic?! On you?! And why does a child like you think it will succeed? Also, how do you know that I possess that magic?!"
"Believe me, Your Majesty, it will succeed. I told you that I know a lot."
Arianna did not answer his question about her knowledge of his magic so as not to get into more trouble... She spoke with a sincere and strong tone and handed him a book:
"This book explains that Healing Magic is capable of purifying Mana. Please, your treatment is my treatment too."
"And what is your illness?!"
Arianna lowered her head and said in a genuinely gloomy tone:
"My body is shattered, I don't know exactly what is wrong with me... They say I have a disease in my lung, but the disease neither goes away nor calms down, and I might die at any moment."
Raphael's expression changed, and he said in a rough tone, contrary to what he felt:
"Why don't you go to the Temple? Their power is healing."
"They have never been able to heal me... even my condition worsens when exposed to sacred power."
"Don't you think that if someone heard you say this, they would accuse you of being cursed?!"
Raphael was puzzled by this. Despite his cold responses and expressions, he was deeply surprised. He looked at her and found her truly depressed. He took a deep breath and said:
"Do you think my power will save you?"
She raised her head and looked at him with honesty and confidence, contrary to her manipulative character:
"I am confident in that. You know that no one has as much Mana as you. All that matters is that we must perform the Mana purification regularly two or three times a week, as my body also needs a lot of time to recover. By that time, your Mana will stabilize."
"Okay, I will think about it... you may leave."
Arianna stood up, looked at the man relaxing in the chair, and said anxiously:
"And how will I know Your Majesty's answer?"
He raised his eyes to her with coldness and arrogance and said coldly:
"I will deliver a message to you... secretly. Don't worry."
Arianna bowed slightly and said gently:
"I thank Your Majesty."
Arianna left, leaving the room to Raphael...
Arianna was looking at Raphael's actions with annoyance...
'He truly is a strange man. So he is the villain of the novel, the cruel-hearted one.' I left the room after covering my face, and before I went down, I felt a coughing fit that almost choked me. After I finished, I went down the stairs and headed to the door, but the innkeeper stopped me:
"Madam, don't go out. It's..."
I didn't hear what he was saying! I looked at the clock on the wall, and it was five in the evening. I had been here for two and a half hours, and the return trip would take more than half an hour. Since the roads were crowded, it might take longer. I headed to the door, hoping to find a carriage.
'I must not be late, Mariam will worry.'
When I went out, I didn't expect the rain because the sky had been bright all day. I only stayed in the rain for a few minutes to quickly look at the street, and my clothes turned into a wet rag. The cold seeped into my limbs until I felt pain in my body, and I barely managed to enter the tavern. When the innkeeper saw me, he approached me anxiously:
"I told the lady to listen to me. I don't know how that happened, but you must go up to your room."
I felt numbness all over my body and pain piercing my chest. I tried to pull myself together, but the air was fading...
The owner was helping me go up, but before I cut three steps, I felt my feet floating in the air, and a body supporting me. My vision became blurry, and my ears could barely hear the sounds. I tried to breathe, and only dry, painful coughs came out of me... What is happening to me?! Am I going to die before I even try? I don't want to die now... I don't want to die before I try at least once... just once.
When Arianna left, Raphael relaxed his body on the chair, thinking...
What is this?! A girl who knows secrets that no one but me knows... No, she even suggests a strange solution! Save her... who will save me?! Did she come to destroy me?! A frail girl managed to destroy me.
He picked up the book and read some pages in it, then he remembered some of the magic he used to treat his wounds during battles, but those wounds were minor. True, not all magicians can do that, but what she asked for is big:
'Repair a damaged body.'
How will I do it?! I don't want to create false hope for anyone, even if she created false hope for me.
And I certainly don't want to get involved in marrying a woman from the Temple and associating with them. I want to get rid of them, not get involved with them.
I took a deep breath and decided to return to the palace, but when I looked out the window, I found the sky raining heavily.
'Will that girl go back in such stormy weather?! I don't care.'
I decided to go down and drink something warm until the rain stopped. I left the room and reached the top of the stairs, only to be surprised by that small presence hanging helplessly.
'How did this happen?!'
I don't know how I reached her. I carried her in my arms, keeping her face well covered. After I felt the heat of her hands, which were almost as cold as snow, I asked the innkeeper:
"How did that happen?"
"I tried to tell her, but she seemed in a hurry, so she went out in the rain."
Raphael breathed calmly and tried to remember what he should do, then said:
"Bring some dry and thick clothes, some warm towels, and everything that might be needed."
The innkeeper bowed and left quickly. I closed the room door and started to remove her wet clothes instinctively.
'How long did she stay in the rain for all her clothes to get wet?! And is she so weak that she collapses just because it rained?'
Almost all her clothes were wet. I tried to warm her hands, but her hands were still very cold. I saw the fireplace had a little fire, so I lit the wood to make the room warmer.
'I have never taken care of anyone in my life. Why did this girl come to prove my failure?'
After I removed most of her thick clothes, she was left in a light white nightgown. I felt embarrassed looking at her... I heard a knock on the door, so I knew it was the innkeeper. I covered her face well and tightened the blanket over my own face, then approached the door and opened it. It was the innkeeper, and he said politely:
"Sir, I brought what you asked for. I mean, is the lady alright?"
"She will be fine... her body is a little weak."
The innkeeper did not suspect anything, perhaps because he knew that we were together in the room... I closed the door and went to her. I put the hot towels and clothes, even some warm water, near her. I don't know what I should do first.
I put the clothes aside and wiped her hands and face with the warm towels, but her body barely warmed up. What should I do?!...
["Healing Magic, the Emperor must use Healing Magic on me. This means the method requires a period of time for your Mana to stabilize, and also for my shattered body to heal, but I have a hunch that it will succeed."]
'How will it succeed?'
["I am confident in that. You know that no one has as much Mana as you. All that matters is that we must perform the Mana purification regularly two or three times a week, as my body also needs a lot of time to recover. By that time, your Mana will stabilize."]
'Why don't I try? If it succeeds, I might save myself too...'
I instinctively placed my hand on her heart, as it was the center of the soul. I took a deep breath and gently started pumping Mana. I must not be impulsive, she might get hurt.
I felt a gentle heat coming out of my palm and surrounding her heart and body. I poured the magic for up to twenty minutes until I felt exhausted.
I have been fighting for years, why am I exhausted just from pumping Mana for a few minutes? When I finished pouring the magic, I held her hand, which had been as cold as ice, and it had become warm. I looked at her sleeping and strangely beautiful face. Life had truly returned to her. Did she get hurt from just a little water? She is so fragile.
I sat on the chair I had placed opposite the bed and relaxed, truly exhausted from all this. I looked at the clock, and it was half past seven. I stood up, approached the girl, and looked at her face. The color had returned to it...
"Her face is innocent. Who would think that this child could keep up with the Emperor? Let's see what this little one will do?"
The sky was bright, and golden sun rays were entering through the half-closed curtains. She opened her eyes to scan the space around her.
A spacious room with pure white walls and sky-blue curtains surrounding her bed. She raised her upper body to lean on her headboard, and in an attempt to comprehend the matter, she took a deep breath and said in a small voice:
"How did I get to my room in the palace?! What I remember is that I was carried in the inn. How?!"
She heard the sound of the curtains opening and the voice of a worried Mariam, who rushed to her with tears in her eyes:
"Miss, you are fine! I was worried about you. Why did you go out in the rain?!"
'I remembered what happened yesterday. My body was freezing. I felt that I was one step away from death, but I remember someone carrying me, and I don't remember anything after that. That's right, I remember! I felt something warm wrapping my body. I thought it was the comfort of death, but what is the reason?! I remembered Mariam's presence.' I smiled at her kindness and said with a tired smile:
"I am sorry, Mariam, I rushed and didn't hear that there was rain because of the noise. I am truly sorry."
I scratched my cheek in embarrassment, and Mariam spoke impulsively and worriedly:
"The Miss doesn't have to apologize. I should have come sooner."
Mariam spoke with a deep feeling of guilt, so I tried to calm her down without success, then I remembered now:
"Mariam! How did I get to the palace?! And what happened at the inn?!"
Mariam's expression scattered, and she almost stammered, which increased my confusion, making me look at her with a stern look, meaning: "Speak."
Mariam swallowed and said:
"What happened is that when I went to the Miss, there was a man, a man I don't know, he was huge and he was with the lady. It was said that he was the man the Miss met. When I arrived, he was in your room, and... oh, and he removed your thick cloak and lit all the wood in the fireplace and helped us reach the carriage."
"Did he drive us personally?"
Mariam shook her head, denying it, so I intensified my look at her:
"He did not take us to the palace."
I was somewhat relieved. Even if I told the Emperor my identity, I still do not want to reveal that I have a secret passage or other information that might be harmful to me in the future. On a side note, I felt that my body today was lighter, unlike other days in this weather. When I get sick, I cannot get up for days, but today I feel slightly light... Mariam's hesitant voice cut off my thoughts, and she said with clear confusion:
"I know it's rude to ask, but Miss, who is this man?! He seemed to know you, he didn't even allow the innkeeper to enter your room so your identity wouldn't be revealed to the innkeeper. He also hid his identity."
Did he do that?! It seems I wronged him when I said he was heartless. He helped me!...
I couldn't tell Mariam his identity. What explanation would I give her if I told her his identity? It is true that I cherish Mariam very much, but I cannot tell her everything. So I said with a sweet and gentle smile:
"Mariam, what did I tell you yesterday?"
Mariam furrowed her brows in an attempt to remember. I smiled at the kindness of this girl in expressing herself with ease, unlike me, who since childhood until I grew up, both here and in my previous life, could not express myself with ease. I had to imitate others and not show my weakness so as not to be bullied, or to make my brother worry about me. I had many reasons for a person who would be bullied, but I was not bullied. I became friends with everyone in the school, and I painted smiling and confident features without fear even if my heart was heavy. So, I hid my true self and wore masks all my life, even after my illness I showed a mask of sarcasm and indifference. Only her.
Mariam looked at me excitedly, having remembered:
"You said you might find someone who can help you treat your illness."
I nodded yes and said with a calm smile:
"I'm still not sure. I will try... so we don't have to jump to conclusions, and we must keep the matter a secret."
Mariam nodded yes and said lovingly:
"I will do whatever the Miss wants. Umm, Miss, should I prepare the bath for you?"
I nodded yes, and she did so enthusiastically...
The sun had risen high in the heart of the sky, and it was a bright day. No one would believe that yesterday the rain was incessant and the sky was overcast with dark clouds.
In the Imperial Palace, specifically in the Emperor's Shared Office (meaning the office the Emperor usually uses when working with his aides)...
A group of people stood in a state of confusion and anxiety. Each one pushed the other to start first, considering the person sleeping peacefully on the couch... It seemed better not to wake him, but they couldn't leave him like that. One of them swallowed and stepped forward with heavy, trembling steps, approaching the sleeper quietly and respectfully...
"Your Majesty, please wake up..."
He was scared and nervous. And Raphael did not seem welcome to wake up. It was the first time they had seen him sleeping. He mustered the rest of his courage and spoke a little louder and more sternly:
"Your Majesty, please wake up... it's already ten o'clock in the morning."
"Baron Rualf."
Someone called him in a low, nervous voice, and the other aides were confused and anxious. Finally, in the midst of their fear, the silver, glowing eyes were revealed in astonishment. Raphael lifted his upper body and looked around with empty gazes, and finally, his gaze settled on Baron Rualf.
Sara: (Poor Rualf, you got involved đź¤)
........ To be Continued ......