MHHC Chapter 103

Doll

"You don't need to worry about Morig. I've already prepared a solution of sorts."

It was an odd word choice. Light returned to Adelheid's eyes, which had been clouded, intoxicated by the sensations he gave her.

"A solution...?"

"The Emperor wants me to succeed him. In exchange for overseeing your trial favorably, I struck a deal—I'd prepare to inherit the Crown Prince's position."

Adelheid's lips parted slightly in bewilderment. She twisted her body away from his lips.

"Valentin, wait, I think I, misheard you..."

"Mm?"

"You're really going to become Emperor?"

"It's not impossible."

Adelheid blinked, her face pale with shock. Was this what he'd meant by saying he'd do anything 'to live as a human'?

She knew nothing about politics, but she knew this much: Ansgar's political influence wasn't solid enough to shoulder all of this.

Ansgar's finances weren't that robust either.

'Unless he uses the treasures Valentin possesses.'

Of course, that method had long since been ruled out as impossible.

Then what about reputation? Even now, mockery of northerners as barbarians was openly widespread.

And the Emperor's hollow protection? How exactly could that turn the situation in their favor?

"Don't do it."

Adelheid blinked rapidly and clutched at Valentin's arm in urgency.

"There was no need to make such an unreasonable promise. Em—Emperor? It'll be too much to handle. Even now, if you withdraw the offer..."

"The deal I made with the previous owner of this flesh is still valid. So it's better to make the most of this opportunity."

"..."

"Of course, if you want, extracting just you and disappearing would be nothing."

Valentin slowly raised his upper body from where he'd been leaning over Adelheid.

"But if that happens, blending in among humans will become even more distant than now. You'd be branded as something like a witch appearing after hundreds of years."

"..."

"Unless you turn your back on humanity entirely and hide somewhere. But could you do that? Now even the matter of having a child depends on your will."

"My will?"

Valentin closed his mouth briefly, then narrowed his eyes with a sensual smile.

"I'll explain the details later."

He reached out and picked up the completely cooled washcloth from the nightstand.

When he infused a little magic into it, warm steam immediately rose in wisps. With the cloth warmed to body temperature, he gently wiped Adelheid's cheek.

"Ah..."

Each time the cloth touched her skin, Adelheid flinched, her eyelids trembling faintly. Valentin watched the sight as if entranced, then spoke as if suddenly remembering.

"Perhaps someday you'll want a child."

"..."

"You wouldn't have a child and then plan not to show them the world..."

Valentin's golden eyes narrowed momentarily as he mentally reviewed several possibilities.

"So this method is best. Even if I'm reduced to a mere puppet of humans."

A mere. Puppet. Of humans.

The moment she heard those words, it would be a lie to say guilt didn't choke her. It carried a different weight from being forgiven for original sin. Adelheid bit her lips roughly.

"I..."

It was all because of her. That he'd fallen this far, taken on human flesh, endured such humiliation. The realization suffocated her.

"Stop thinking useless thoughts again."

He gently stroked her tear-dampened cheek. All while never once looking into her eyes.

'Why? It seems like he keeps avoiding eye contact.'

"For now, just think about recovering your body. Eat a lot, sleep a lot."

Valentin added the tender instruction as he lowered the hand holding the washcloth a bit further down. At that intimate contact, Adelheid's spine trembled faintly.

"V-Valentin!"

Their future, the child, the old guilt—her mind was already in chaos... but this kind of attention was too much.

"You could lean on me more, you know."

A voice tinged with laughter settled softly near her ear.

He was neatly dressed while she alone lay naked—even that was the height of shame.

"S-stop..."

Adelheid grabbed Valentin's hand and bowed her head deeply. He tilted his head and withdrew his hand.

"Was I too rough? Did it hurt?"

"Not that, but... I can finish on my own."

"Conserve your strength. You only just woke up."

Adelheid looked at Valentin with bewildered eyes.

After driving her all night long when she'd only woken yesterday... acting as if holding a washcloth would drain her strength was absurd.

"Don't bother using your hands unnecessarily."

It was strange to begin with that Valentin would undertake such labor when he could make everything clean instantly with magic.

'Come to think of it, he brought the water himself earlier too. It's not that he doesn't use magic at all, but compared to usual, he seems to be restraining himself.'

Was he showing his determination to blend in with humans as much as possible from now on? Adelheid's eyes dimmed slightly as she pondered the unnecessary meaning.

"So... that means, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Mikhail is 'Morig,' right?"

"From a human perspective. Why?"

"I'm a bit anxious, that's all. It won't happen, but just in case your plan fails..."

"Adelheid."

He made a sound like a relaxed laugh rolling in his throat.

"Do you still not know what kind of existence your husband is?"

Of course she knew. The one and only god, the sacred dragon, and master of all 'divinity.' The sole being that even Morig once dared not oppose.

Yet she couldn't understand why she felt so uneasy.

'Is it because the magic I feel from him has changed?'

Adelheid swallowed the unstable surge of emotion and barely continued.

"I understand it all. That... body really does resemble His Majesty, so there's no room for questions about bloodline either."

"The priest who stayed in the sanctuary is this 'shell's' ancestor. So naturally I'd resemble the Emperor."

"...I didn't know that."

"Sometimes human faces maintain their original form remarkably across generations. That's also why I couldn't miss this life."

"Why?"

"Because you liked this face."

Valentin's answer was playful, but Adelheid could sense the immeasurable patience and painful years in that response. It pierced her heart more painfully than she'd expected.

It meant he'd lingered nearby until a man of the same bloodline became entangled with her fate.

So he could start with the same conditions as 'that time,' without any sense of discord.

"There, all done."

Valentin returned the washcloth to the nightstand after thoroughly washing even her heels, then rose to his feet.

Without a trace of annoyance, he meticulously covered her body with the blanket.

Soon a tender voice reached her ear.

"Forget the complicated things and rest a bit more. I'll be back soon while you're sleeping."

Forget the complicated things. It sounded exactly like telling her to forget everything she'd seen through the dream.

Valentin lightly kissed Adelheid's eye area, then quickly arranged his clothing and left the room.

Just before the door closed, she briefly heard the sound of knights blocking the doorway at his command. Then complete silence descended on the room.

"..."

Left alone, extreme anxiety covered her like a tidal wave.

Adelheid rose from the bed and paced around the room. She absolutely couldn't just lie still.

'Valentin clearly doesn't understand the danger of this situation. Especially regarding human trials.'

The Grand Cathedral had always brought down merciless judgment upon those who possessed 'magic' in human bodies.

No matter that she was the 'Grand Duchess of Ansgar,' that fact wouldn't change.

If there were no evidence it would be one thing, but she had two witnesses who would testify against her.

'In this situation, even with His Majesty's help, we can't beat the Grand Cathedral. Besides, His Majesty has spent his whole life watching the Grand Cathedral's moods.'

She let out a suffocated breath. The fact that she knew nothing about the current situation fanned her anxiety.

Not everything Valentin told her would be lies, but believing he'd conveyed nothing but pure truth was naive thinking.

Every time he gave her scraps of information, Valentin had showered her with affection until she couldn't think straight—could that have been continuous coincidence?

'Am I being oversensitive?'

Adelheid pressed her tired eyes with her hand.

'If only I could examine that dream calmly once more.'

Unlike the dream where she'd vividly experienced being 'Adelheid's' soul, the dream that proceeded from Valentin's perspective was mostly hazy.

Was it because she hadn't directly experienced it but had come close to eavesdropping?

'How could I even see it when it wasn't a memory engraved in my own soul to begin with?'

Things she'd remembered clearly right after the dream were now dim when she tried to recall them.

Still, there was one scene that remained, faint but certain.

'The conversation between Morig and Valentin.'

Adelheid's pale green eyes narrowed momentarily as she stared into space.

What exactly had that wager been about?

Not long after Valentin left the room, Margaret entered. When she saw Adelheid sitting there unharmed, she burst into long sobs.

Her mind must have suffered greatly—her plump face had been reduced to half its size.

"Oh... truly, how fortunate that you've awakened even now..."

"Margaret, I'm really fine."

"I have no face to show Your Grace. After you disappeared that day, I felt so pathetic, so guilty..."

Margaret's sniffling stopped only after she saw Adelheid's body hidden beneath the sheets.

Margaret's tear-dampened eyes went perfectly round as her mouth fell open.

"...Good heavens."