MHHC Chapter 118

Revenge

Despite her wariness, it was Donovan's voice.

Adelheid immediately relaxed, but in contrast, subtle irritation shadowed Valentin's face.

As if some great interloper had appeared... Though Adelheid tilted her head questioningly, she answered calmly.

"Yes. I'll come out shortly. Has everyone arrived?"

"Yes. All arrived safely. We'll have everything ready so we can depart immediately after the evening meal. However..."

Donovan trailed off cautiously. Adelheid tensed accordingly and asked again.

"Has something happened?"

"We've brought Your Highness's elder sister with us. She insisted she absolutely must see Your Highness... She blocked the knights' path and stubbornly refused to leave."

"..."

"Shall I tell her to just go back?"

"No. Tell her I'll come shortly."

In the past, the mere fact of having to face Charlotte would have made her feel extreme tension first.

Her beautiful half-sister was someone who would truly do anything to hurt her, and because of that, throughout her adolescence Adelheid had always been covered in wounds, both mental and physical.

But... how strange.

Was it because she'd gained abilities similar to Charlotte's? Or because she'd experienced all sorts of incidents in the meantime? Somehow Charlotte didn't frighten her so much anymore.

'If she came all this way... she probably came to confront me about using my ability to threaten Father.'

Already feeling fatigued, Adelheid slowly steadied her blocked breath in front of the door.

When she carefully turned the doorknob, Charlotte, who'd been sitting on the couch placed in the center of the room, jerked her head up with a start.

The moment those pretty eyes recognized her, a sharp look instantly crossed them.

"...You came? Your face is hard to see even once."

Adelheid immediately noticed Charlotte had grown noticeably thinner than a few days ago.

The black dress she would normally never wear, and the absence of her usual jewelry—changes that stood out all the more starkly.

Charlotte's sarcastic voice and normally confident manner also seemed unlike her usual self, appearing somehow anxious instead.

Adelheid slowly raised her gaze to face Charlotte directly.

"What brings you all the way here?"

"You speak as if I've come somewhere I shouldn't."

"This is the outskirts of Pragma. It's not a place you frequented, Charlotte..."

"Father collapsed. No matter how much of a cast-off child you are, I thought you should at least know this."

Cutting off Adelheid's continuing words, Charlotte spat out rapidly.

Her tone was almost shuddering, as if being in this shabby place facing her was the most horrific thing of all.

Adelheid's eyes widened.

"C-collapsed, you say? The Count?"

"Yes. What on earth did you do to Father... No, never mind. There's no need to explain to me now. What good would it do anyway?"

"..."

"The deed is already done, and in the end you've ruined everything. The family's future, our parents, and even my marriage prospects..."

Charlotte's beautiful eyes, which had been pouring out accusations with only her lips pretending normalcy throughout, finally twisted with emotion when mentioning her own marriage prospects—unable to suppress her feelings.

Adelheid hastily took a step closer.

"I think there's been some misunderstanding. Ruin your marriage prospects? I truly didn't do anything..."

"Don't lie!"

Charlotte raised both hands near her face, crying out almost like a scream. Her trembling fingertips couldn't hide her undeniable fury.

She stood up abruptly from her seat and glared at her half-sister as if ready to devour her.

"It was a very secret matter."

"..."

"Only Father and I knew about my ability being temporarily... somehow affected! If you hadn't spread it around like a little rat..."

"I didn't tell anyone about this!"

"...And you expect me to believe that now?"

"If you can't believe it, then don't. I'm truly without guilt in this."

At Adelheid's deeply aggrieved answer, Charlotte's eyes narrowed thinly. After staring at Adelheid for some time in that state, Charlotte replied in an unclear voice.

"Yes. Perhaps you truly are suffering false accusations."

"..."

"Or perhaps not."

They fell silent, looking at each other. Adelheid felt no need to add words for someone who wouldn't believe her anyway, and Charlotte seemed to have lost all fighting spirit.

As if asking what good it would do to argue further now that things had come to this.

After a long silence, Adelheid asked bluntly.

"Why did you come all this way?"

"...I was pushed here by the family elders' nagging. To you..."

Charlotte avoided Adelheid's gaze with a face like someone enduring humiliation, then barely parted her lips.

"To ask."

Ask. That word pronounced from Charlotte's lips sounded as unfamiliar as a foreign language. Even though it was commonly used language.

"..."

Charlotte now hung her head low. Just from uttering that single word, her slender exposed nape flushed red, as if it were some great shame.

Indeed, how many times in her life had that precious mouth spoken the word "ask"? Probably not even ten times. In most cases, everything was given before the need to ask even arose.

When Adelheid stood still without any particular reaction, Charlotte twisted her pretty lips and added more words.

"The Empress heard the rumors and... in Her presence, She demanded I accomplish the same thing as you. For the past few years... I haven't healed anyone at official occasions."

Charlotte's normally cold, firm voice trembled slightly. The same thing as you. Probably the Empress had somehow heard about saving someone nearly dead at the tribunal.

"She gave me three days to prepare myself. She said if I couldn't accomplish it, the engagement with His Highness the Crown Prince would be called off. But I... I absolutely can't..."

Charlotte clasped her trembling hands as if in prayer. All color had drained from her cheeks as if the mere thought was horrific.

"I can't do it. I have no confidence... So I was hoping you could disguise yourself as one of my maids and stay nearby to help. Make it look like I accomplished it."

"..."

"If there had been another way, I wouldn't have asked this of you either."

Of course not. If there had been another way, Charlotte would have prioritized that method, whatever it was. She would have died before bowing to her, of all people.

Ordinary "healers" didn't have the ability to instantly cure mortal wounds.

Their healing arts merely tended to wounds' progress and aided swift recovery. This was precisely why "Reichenau" had been special for so many years.

Because powerful healers could even reverse death.

So hiring another healer besides Adelheid wouldn't demonstrate the ability the Empress desired. However.

"I'm sorry, but Charlotte. That would be difficult."

"What?"

At her refusal, Charlotte's brow crumpled sharply. Even in this earnest, desperate moment, Charlotte's body remained stiff, never bending even once.

Her rigid pride was clearly readable—that she would rather die than bow while asking Adelheid for help.

It would be a lie to say that wasn't irritating, but her inability to help Charlotte wasn't only due to mere vengefulness.

"First, I must prioritize His Majesty's command to join the battlefield. Ansgar's knights are leaving tonight. I can't delay the schedule for my personal affairs."

"Three days. It's in three days. It's not even that much of a delay!"

"Before joining the battlefield, we need to stop at Ansgar's territory to regroup. Right now we're not prepared for combat at all... We desperately need even just two days of proper rest before joining the battlefield."

"..."

"I have no right to take away their time with their families."

Whatever her words scratched, sparks flew from Charlotte's eyes.

"You are their master! They're tools that obey for your sake! Do you feel sympathy even when using teacups or handkerchiefs?"

"If you speak that way..."

"Be honest. You're just doing this because you want revenge on me!"

"It's not because of revenge. How could I dare, when I obtained this power by luck?"

Adelheid slowly shook her head.

"In the past, I did absolutely anything to awaken healing arts. Not knowing it was impossible for me from the start, truly like a fool."

"..."

"When I gained power, I thought it didn't matter. I thought perhaps all the humiliation I suffered in the past was for this moment. While also being simultaneously anxious. Because this power truly isn't mine—I obtained it by luck."

Adelheid gazed at Charlotte with calm eyes. It amazed and surprised her that she could speak this confidently to someone other than Valentin—to Charlotte, of all people.

Newly immersed in a refreshingly unburdened feeling, Adelheid's eyes suddenly caught sight of a white shadow attached to Charlotte's nape. She immediately recognized what it was.

'Morig's hand.'

She didn't know how long it had been attached, but it was sucking Charlotte's power like a leech.

Charlotte looked in the direction Adelheid was staring with suspicious eyes, then asked.

"...What are you looking at?"

"Just a moment, Charlotte. There's something attached to your shoulder."

Adelheid carefully reached out and touched Charlotte's shoulder.

The 'hand' raised its fingers as if baring teeth, but ultimately was swept away helplessly by her touch.

Adelheid watched with clouded eyes as the 'hand' that fell to the floor hurriedly retreated into the darkness. A stinging pain rose in the skin that had directly touched the 'hand'.

"..."

This time she was lucky enough to somehow knock it off, but the 'hand' hadn't disappeared.

It would pounce again at any moment Charlotte's heart weakened, watching for that opportunity.

No different from a predator that had tasted blood—tenaciously.

"...What was it?"