SALP Chapter 25

"Vigo. That's not it."

Now that he'd caught her, she had to assume the plan was no longer viable. For now, she had no choice but to brush it off vaguely.

"Dame Skaeli was just saying that casually. You know how I've wanted to visit Floretta..."

Lanthe moved away from the guests and approached Vigo.

Worry struck her first at the sight of him standing there with a face as pale and bloodless as a ghost—had he overexerted himself again? She'd just heard something collide hard—was that the sound of him hitting the wall? Or the sound of him shoving Rix aside to stop him?

"Why would Lanthe follow the likes of you?"

Vigo leaned against the wall, glaring at Skaeli as if Lanthe didn't even exist. His growling with that injured body resembled a wild beast threatening an unwelcome intruder who'd invaded its territory.

But Skaeli merely shrugged lightly, unconcerned by the hostility shown by the master of the land she stood on.

"This young lady seems to dislike your place."

"Mind your own business and get out of my castle."

"Shouldn't someone who treasures his belongings guard them more diligently from the start?"

"You son of a bitch..."

"Wait, stop."

Flustered by the unnecessarily hostile atmosphere, Lanthe inserted herself between them.

"Calm down, My Lord. You should be lying still—that's barely enough rest."

Rix also restrained Vigo, wrapping both arms around him as if embracing him. They said even an injured Vigo had few subordinates who could suppress him by force. Given the size difference, it seemed Rix was one of those "few" heavyweights.

Thanks to that, Vigo staggered back a step, pulled along.

"What are you doing? Let go."

"I cannot."

Though Rix averted his eyes like a frightened guard dog before its master, he still didn't follow the order.

"Let's have you rest lying down for just today. What I mean is, please consider the hearts of subordinates who worry themselves sick when you're unwell, My Lord."

"Who let that bastard Skaeli in? Was it you, Rix?"

"What? No, I'm being wrongly accused. Our only crime was opening the gate after seeing the pass Your Lordship issued."

"Bring me my sword."

"Calm down, My Lord. Come now. You need to go to bed..."

"I said bring me my sword. I'm going to kill that bastard today."

"Give it up. If your wound tears open again, Warner's going to tear me apart."

Lanthe stamped her feet as she watched Rix drag Vigo away while breaking into a cold sweat, but Skaeli patted the sword at her waist and grinned as if finding this amusing.

"You want to fight me in that state? You'll be flat out in 3 seconds max."

Lanthe looked at Skaeli with resentment as she provoked him brazenly. Doesn't she even feel bad for Rix who's desperately trying to put out the fire? Why add fuel to it?

"I'm going to kill you, Skaeli. I'm killing you today."

"Don't overdo it. You'll regret it."

"Who are you to tell Lanthe to follow you or not follow you, you piece of..."

"What good is gold and a handsome face if a man's character is so awful that his woman can't stand him and tries to leave? Tsk tsk."

"Ahhh! Please, My Lord!"

Hit square in the jaw by Vigo's swinging elbow, Rix screamed but still held on without letting go.

"Just know that Warner ordered all of this."

Eventually Rix hoisted him up, slung him over his shoulder like a sack, and disappeared into the room. Vigo's raging shouts and Rix's desperate pleas for someone to bring sleeping pills filled the air. Mel, who seemed to have been waiting in the next room, came running out clutching a medicine bottle.

"Ohhh..."

Skaeli, who'd been watching them like someone watching a fire at someone else's house, leisurely stroked her chin and raised the corners of her mouth.

"What's with that guy? He goes crazy just because someone talked a bit to a young lady from North Oden?"

Young lady—how old is she to call a twenty-year-old woman young? No, wait—she knows I'm Raphlishian, doesn't she?

Lanthe looked at Skaeli with confused eyes, then soon found her gaze drawn to Princess Ana.

"Sir Vigo..."

The moment she saw Princess Ana's expression frozen like ice, her heart sank.

Oh. I hope she's not misunderstanding...

"Let's go downstairs, Princess."

"But..."

"This isn't a place for you. Are you going to argue with a deranged injured man?"

Shock and disappointment clearly showed in Princess Ana's green eyes, which usually held a bright smile.

Lanthe wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but she couldn't say anything to her. Though the sadness revealed in the gaze that reached her wasn't her fault, she only felt apologetic.

Does she like Vigo after all? Since she'd called him a fiancé 'for the family' and often made critical remarks, Lanthe hadn't thought she might have romantic feelings...

"Miss."

Standing there blankly, she turned around unconsciously and her eyes met Warner's.

"Are you all right?"

Warner stood like a gatekeeper in front of the room, asking with a deliberately careful tone.

All right about what? As if something had happened to me.

Lanthe smiled bitterly and nodded.

"I'm fine. How's Vigo?"

As if in answer, Rix came bursting out of the room in a rush.

"I-if you're not busy, would you please come in, Lady Lanthe?"

It seemed he was still making a fuss.

"I was about to go in anyway."

She sighed and pushed through the people bustling about to enter the room.

"I think we need to bring the priest from Hestan."

Mel and the physician looked at Warner while unwrapping Vigo's bandages and sprinkling what seemed to be white styptic powder on his wounds.

"I've sent a subordinate, so they'll bring him soon."

His condition must have worsened.

Looking at Vigo's wound over their shoulders, Lanthe unconsciously turned her head away.

That's severe. What kind of wound is that? Poison?

The wound was more terrible than she'd thought. Until now, she'd vaguely assumed he'd been cut by an enemy's sword, but his abdomen, which she now saw with her own eyes, was horribly torn up as if clawed by a giant beast. Moreover, the skin around the bleeding wound was stained dark blue.

"Has the wound gotten worse?"

Lanthe asked in a trembling voice.

It wasn't just a "minor injury" at all. Her heart pounded violently. She had the illusion that the terrible wound on his body was spreading to her own.

"Come here, captive."

Vigo called to her in an arrogant tone as if nothing was wrong.

"I'll hear your excuses later."

Though his eyes were half-closed, his focus remained fixed on her.

"......"

Lanthe swallowed dryly and approached him.

"Come up."

He gestured with his eyes toward the inside of the bed.

She said nothing and did as he asked. Though uncomfortable with the gazes of those watching their strange relationship, she had no desire to provoke him further or argue.

"Stay there."

He said quietly to her as she obediently sat by his pillow.

His voice grew increasingly drowsy, sinking lower and lower. It must be because he'd lost blood. Though it might also be because he'd taken drowsy medicine.

"Stay within my reach. Don't go out on your own..."

While Mel and the physician wrapped clean bandages around his wound, Lanthe waited silently with her knees drawn up and eyes downcast.

The acrid scent of medicinal herbs was thick enough to cover the smell of blood.

Yet even then, a sense of foreboding, like the smell of death, lingered.

Death, nonsense. It was probably just her excessive worry, made sensitive by trauma she hadn't yet overcome. She hoped that was the case.

Eventually, people left the room one by one, leaving wishes for Vigo's recovery.

"Who did you send to Father Conor?"

Warner urged Rix, who was pacing outside the entrance.

"I sent Gen. He took the reindeer, so he should arrive soon."

"Mm."

He paused briefly, then spoke again.

"My Lord. Wouldn't it be better to have the young lady rest in another room?"

Young lady. Newly realizing that she was the only woman Warner addressed with that title, Lanthe lifted her face from her knees.

"I'm fine, Sir Warner. I'll stay here."

"Then I'll have refreshments brought."

"...Thank you, Sir Warner."

When even Warner left, the room fell into complete silence.

Lanthe looked down at the sleeping Vigo and pulled the blanket up over her knees.

Father Conor arrived just after she'd taken a sip of warm tea.

"U-um, Father Conor."

Rix, who'd been pacing outside, came in and spoke with a clearly nervous expression.

"Our lord is in a very critical condition and desperately needs your healing abilities. And, well, as you know, Lord Vigo is an important administrator indispensable to our Hermea, responsible for the survival rights of 200,000 residents—or was it 300,000, or 500,000—anyway, so..."

"I know, Sir Rix."

Father Conor smiled gently.

"Don't worry. In fact, the donations Lord contributes to our church are no small amount. There will be no assassination attempt on my part taking advantage of his weakened state, so please rest assured and wait outside."

At the dark joke delivered with a smile, Rix's face turned red and blue.

"A-assassination! For you to make such extreme jokes, Father..."

"Come out, Rix."

Only after receiving Warner's cold rebuke did Rix droop his large shoulders dejectedly and leave the room.

Seeing the knights clear the way, Lanthe also rose.

At that moment.

"Stay here."

Vigo, whom she'd thought was asleep, grabbed her arm.

"Don't leave."

His hand was hot enough to burn.

"Yes. Please stay by his side, Sister Lanthe. It seems the Lord is frightened."

Since Father Conor also smiled and gave permission as if it were no great matter, she sat back down on the bed.

A moment later, priest and patient briefly gazed at each other.

An eerie silence descended on the room.