Chapter 89: A Hot Night (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89: A Hot Night (2)
“Where is the Grand Duke?”
Ignoring my question, Enolius turned to Whitley.
“How much does Her Highness know?”
Whitley looked at me with a troubled expression. It seemed he wasn't entirely sure how much I had been told about the curse either.
I quickly cut in. “I know enough.”
Both Norton, who had brought me here, and Whitley looked at Enolius as if it were only right for him to explain. Enolius pressed his lips into a thin line and rubbed his brow roughly. He looked like he was at a loss for where to begin.
The delay made my mouth go dry with anxiety.
“Did the Grand Duke suffer an overload?”
“Enol.”
At Whitley’s urging, Enolius grumbled about why he had to be the one to break the news. He bit his lip before finally speaking.
“The Grand Duke suffers from periodic mana overloads.”
“I know that.”
“Fortunately, thanks to his regular training, the destructive force of the outbursts is usually contained within this building. However, the pain the sufferer feels is immense. It feels as if his internal organs are twisting and the blood is flowing backward through his veins. It is, quite literally, the pain of one's flesh being torn apart.”
I tried my best to listen calmly, but my clenched fists trembled.
“I was originally hired as a mage to alleviate the Grand Duke’s suffering. When he suffers an overload, I cast recovery magic to minimize internal damage and help him feel as little pain as possible.”
So Enolius was a mage hired specifically because of Loik’s curse.
—"Only a mage can create things like a sword that can withstand His Highness’s mana or the defense stones planted at the boundary. His recovery magic is also of a very high level."
I recalled what Perel had told me once. It seemed Enolius’s true specialty was indeed recovery magic.
“And?” I asked, my voice trembling despite myself.
If that was the case, why were they all standing out here? If Loik was having an overload, they should be inside casting recovery magic on him.
“...My recovery magic isn't working.”
“The cycle was longer than expected. It’s been over five months since his last outburst,” Enolius said, glancing at Whitley several times as if unsure if he should be saying this. “That was likely thanks to Your Highness. Because you...”
Frustrated by his hesitation, I finished the sentence for him. “Because I can dissipate the Grand Duke’s mana?”
Whitley’s eyes widened slightly.
“You called for me because I can ease his pain, didn't you?”
“You... you knew about that as well?”
Loik had never once told me that I could ease his pain. He likely hadn't wanted to burden me.
“That is why I took the liberty of asking for your help, Your Highness,” Whitley said, looking somewhat relieved that the truth was out.
“It might be dangerous,” Enolius countered, glaring at Whitley as if he didn't approve of the situation. “Even I have never made direct physical contact with the Grand Duke during an overload.”
Whitley looked up, his eyes bloodshot. “Think of how much pain His Highness must be in.”
The old butler’s lips trembled. It seemed Whitley was desperate enough to grasp at any straw, while Enolius was worried about the potential repercussions for me. In the midst of their bickering, Norton had stepped in to bring me here.
Norton stood by with an anxious face, saying nothing. Judging by the atmosphere, Loik had been suffering for quite some time.
“Open the door,” I said, looking at Enolius, who was blocking the way. “I’m going in.”
“This isn't a decision to be made lightly.”
But I felt a strange sense of certainty. Hadn't I felt it every time I touched the Grand Duke? The heat that spread through my body whenever I held his firm hand was clearly compatible with my own constitution.
Perhaps, rather than using Enolius’s magic to heal wounds after they occurred, it would be more effective for me to open a path for the mana so that no injuries happened in the first place.
More than anything, the thought of that kind man in pain made my heart ache. Just how much was he suffering for Whitley to look like that?
“I’ve made my decision, so move aside.”
Enolius let out a frustrated sigh and finally opened the door.
The room was pitch black. A wind laden with scorching heat swirled inside like a faint vortex.
“We turned off all the lights because the stimulation could make it worse.”
I stopped Enolius as he tried to follow me in. “I’ll go in alone.”
“What? But in case of an emergency...”
Even in this situation, I didn't want the mage to see Loik in such a vulnerable state, so I forced him back.
“Don't come in until I call you.”
“But—”
“Don't come in.”
“Sigh... fine. If anything happens, scream immediately.”
I pushed the worried Enolius out and closed the door. Once I was alone, the energy in the room felt even more intense, making my heart race. The sparse room contained nothing but a bed.
Is there no one on the bed?
As I drew closer, my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. I saw a faint, flickering shadow on the floor beside the bed.
Approaching further, I saw a man of massive build with restraints on both wrists. My heart sank the moment I saw him curled up, trembling in agony.
“Loik!”
I hurriedly knelt beside him. Loik, letting out a ragged groan, managed to lift his head. His black bangs fell away, revealing a sculpted face contorted with pain.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”
Loik didn't even seem to understand my words. His black eyes, which had been sparkling with kindness only hours ago, were now dyed a vivid gold. It seemed his reason had vanished, leaving only primal instinct. My heart ached at the sight of his bloodshot, unfamiliar gaze.
“Just bear with it a little longer. I’ll make the pain go away soon.”
A violent wind whipped around him. I tried not to be frightened by this surreal phenomenon and calmly reached out. Loik’s body was shaking violently, as if he were having a seizure. I took his large, trembling fist into both of my hands.
Warmth began to flow through his burning skin.
Is it working?
However, his pain didn't seem to be subsiding much. My own body shook at the sound of the low groans scraping against his throat.
Is my hand not enough?
Panic began to set in. Perhaps the effect would be faster if there was more surface area in contact. I hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt.
Soon, his broad, muscular chest was revealed. I didn't have time to be embarrassed. I pressed the side of my face against his bare skin and wrapped my arms around his waist. A searing heat washed over my face.
The energy transferred into my body much faster than when I had only held his hand. Yet, his chest continued to heave, showing no signs of calming down.
A single tear traced a path down from the corner of Loik’s sharp eyes. My hands shook with anxiety.
Loik... the Grand Duke looked to be in truly unbearable pain. Seeing him writhing like a beast in restraints made my eyes sting with tears.
How have you lived like this until now?
He had endured this every month? Before I arrived? And he never breathed a word of it to me? Even though I was the one who could ease this terrible pain? He never even asked?
After I had held him for a long while, the tremors began to subside. Loik, who had been struggling, slowly raised his head. Even as tears streamed from his bloodshot eyes, they flickered with confusion.
“Why... are you... here...”
Loik weakly placed a hand on my shoulder. “Go... out. It’s... dangerous.”
His voice was hoarse and cracked as he forced the words out. I noticed his lips were bloodied from how hard he had been biting them.
If only I can ease that pain somehow...
On impulse, I pressed my lips against his.
Ah.
Loik flinched, his grip on my shoulder tightening. His lips were hot and parched. I don't know why I did it. Perhaps it was instinct.
And just as I tasted the blood on his cracked lips, he desperately pressed back against me.
“Wait, just a— mmm!”
Suddenly, a scorching energy surged through my entire body. If holding his hand was like a spring flowing, the moment our lips met, it was as if a dam had burst, and a massive wave of heat crashed into me.
Every cell in my body seemed to wake up, and my senses became incredibly sharp. Loik’s body leaned further into mine. He pulled me into a frantic embrace, breathing mana into me incessantly. The bedroom was filled with the sound of his ragged breathing and the clattering of his restraints.
My head spun at the sensation of Loik’s heavy body pressing against me. My vision turned white as he trapped me in his arms, consuming me with a persistent, desperate kiss.
E-enough!
Overwhelmed by the uncontrollable sensations, I twisted my body. I managed to pull my lips away as if pushing him off, and he licked his lips with dazed, unfocused eyes. His gaze remained fixed on my mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily.
The wind that had been swirling around us had stopped. The air in the room, which had been sharp enough to cut skin, had grown soft. I couldn't tell what was happening.
I was gasping for breath when a low, vibrating voice echoed in my ear.
“Just... a little... more...”
“Lo-Loik?”
As I shyly parted my lips, Loik tilted his head and brought his face close again.
“I’ve held back... for too long...”
His body was no longer trembling. Even though I wasn't the one in restraints, I felt as if my entire body were frozen, unable to move. I couldn't reject the shadow falling over my face, and I curled my fingers into fists.
“My Consort... my Duchess...”
A sweet heat was delivered through our touching lips once more. Without realizing it, I slowly closed my eyes.
Everything was dizzying.