Chapter 174
When Sophia once talked to her about an illegitimate child, Sophia said she knew who the child was.
‘You already knew that back then, right…?’
Later, she learnt that Sophia’s staged death was a scheme she devised after nearly being killed by the Empress.
Estelle, who had joined later due to a monster hunt, still didn’t have all the details clear.
However, she knew why Ian was so angry with himself.
It was Ian who had informed the Empress of Sophia’s identity.
He had no idea about the illegitimate child and unknowingly told the Empress, but the shock must have been tremendous for him.
‘Things will get better once Sophia wakes up.’
Estelle is also waiting for Sophia to recover, but Ian, Killian, and Mikhail are probably the ones who are most eager for Sophia to wake up.
They had a lump in their chest that could only be relieved when Sophia woke up.
—
Since that day, Killian hadn’t left Sophia’s side for a moment.
Ignoring the Count and Countess Fraus’ offer to care for her, he took Sophia to the grand ducal residence.
Normally, Ian Fraus would have vehemently opposed this, but this time he remained silent.
Killian wiped Sophia’s hand with a wet cloth as she lay still on the bed.
Her hand, unresponsive for four days, had become even thinner than usual.
The bleeding was severe, and her body temperature was too low, indicating her poor condition.
He treated the wound and injected medicine into the throat.
Although they managed to keep Sophia’s life hanging by a thread, there was no significant improvement.
Despite the doctor’s daily administration of necessary nutrients and injections, the current state of medicine could not maintain her condition for long.
“Sophie, please…”
Killian prayed, clutching Sophia’s hand tightly.
Having lost his parents, the Fideut, Percel, and Garfield, he felt a sense of helplessness.
A despair that his efforts yielded no results.
A feeling of frustration that it would be better to just give up on life.
But he managed to endure because of Sophia.
He had lived with a blind determination to find the child his parents had tried to protect all their lives.
Perhaps his mission to find the illegitimate child was a survival instinct he set for himself.
Thus, Sophia was the reason he lived.
And now, she was the reason he would continue to live.
Yet, he couldn’t protect even Sophia in the end.
It was all Killian’s fault that she got involved in this.
If only he hadn’t gotten engaged to Sophia.
If he had treated her as just a formal fiancée and hadn’t cared, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.
Or if he hadn’t set out to find the illegitimate child of the royal family in the first place, none of this would have happened.
Killian blamed himself repeatedly.
‘We were just starting to plan our future together…’
Holding Sophia’s hand, he glanced at a small ring case on the bedside table.
It was the ring he had ordered to propose to her.
The day he found the ring, he had thought that all he needed was to be happy with Sophia.
That they would have time to be together after getting married.
‘Please save me, Sophie.’
So that I can live. So that I don’t succumb to despair.
Killian kissed the back of Sophia’s thin hand.
At that moment, her finger twitched.
As Killian grabbed her hand in surprise, a small voice, like a fine breeze, came to his ear.
“… Killi… … Ann.”
Killian raised his head abruptly.
Sophia was looking at him with hazy eyes as she slowly opened them.
Her delicate fingers grasped his hand, and her light green eyes, though faint, shone with life.
Hot tears fell from Killian’s eyes.
“Ah…”
No words came out.
He was so grateful that Sophia just woke him up that he hugged her.
(T/L: I’m not crying.)
He held her gently, afraid she might break, and shared his warmth as he cried.
Sophia lifted her arm and patted his back once.
“…Don’t cry.”
Sophia whispered in a small voice, and Killian nodded, his head buried in her shoulder.
Though she had just woken up and felt weak, Sophia couldn’t help but smile.
“Like a child…”
She patted his back again.
He seemed like a child who had found his mother after being lost, but Killian didn’t mind being treated like a child.
“…Thank you, Sophie.”
Killian whispered in a trembling voice.
His voice brought warmth to her cold veins.
“…Me too.”
—
The doctor visited, and Sophia’s mind became clearer over time.
“By the way, what happened?”
Sophia asked about the events of that day.
She had no memory after being cut by the sword.
“It was handled well. Some matters are still being discussed, but you need not worry about Beatrice anymore.”
Killian reassured Sophia as he stroked her hair.
“Are you alright…?”
Sophia asked about Killian’s condition, worried he might have been injured.
Even if he wasn’t hurt, he had been through a lot, from preparing her fake funeral to fighting rare monsters.
“I wasn’t alright.”
“Were you hurt…?”
Sophia asked anxiously, and Killian shook his head.
“I was afraid. Afraid you wouldn’t wake up.”
Killian held her hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
Sophia had never seen Killian act so dramatically.
He always dismissed his own injuries as nothing.
“Haha… I was just a little tired and fainted.”
Sophia tried to soothe Killian, who was overly worried.
But Killian looked at her intently.
“…You’ve been unconscious for four days.”
“What…?”
“You woke up after four days.”
Killian informed her, and Sophia opened her eyes wide in surprise.
‘Four days? It feels like I just closed my eyes and opened them!’
She thought only a day had passed at most.
Sophia marvelled at her body’s fragility.
“The Grand Duke walks around unscathed despite being injured, but I was down for three days after being cut once…”
Sophia murmured, recalling Killian’s past injuries.
He had walked around fine even after getting his waist and thigh cut, giving his injuries to Ian.
“Don’t say that, Sophie.”
Killian said, caressing her cheek.
Although his injuries were severe, he had avoided all critical spots.
In contrast, Sophia was cut by a knight who intended to kill her.
Killian was grateful that she was alive.
“I’m just sorry. For making you worry.”
“Sophie, I’m just happy that you opened your eyes.”
Killian kissed Sophia’s cheek.
Her recovery was the most important thing to him.
—
“Sir Ian! Sophia has woken up!”
Estelle rushed to Ian as soon as she heard the news about Sophia.
Though they weren’t close, she felt she should inform Ian immediately after the recent events.
Sure enough, Ian’s hand, which had been chopping a scarecrow, frozen.
“She woke up…?”
Ian quickly grabbed his jacket and hurried away.
He must have been waiting anxiously for Sophia to wake up.
Estelle prepared a horse to go to the grand ducal residence with Ian.
But then.
“……”
Ian, who was about to mount his horse, stood still holding the reins.
“Sir Ian?”
“…No. You go alone, Lady Estelle.”
“What?”
“I… I’ll go later.”
Ian said and headed back towards the stables.
“Sophia woke up, and you won’t go see her?”
Estelle looked at Ian’s back, puzzled.
Ian must have been more anxious than Estelle for Sophia to wake up.
He should have been rushing to see her, but why…?
‘Is it because of guilt…?’
Maybe he felt too ashamed to face Sophia.
Even the usually arrogant Ian looked pitiful with his slumped shoulders.
One could blame Ian, but he also played a part in saving Sophia.
He led the people and fought the monsters, and he saved Killian and Sophia from the belltower.
Yet, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was to blame for everything.
‘…It’s complicated.’
Estelle sighed deeply.
“Then I’ll come back and let you know.”
Estelle called out to Ian’s back.
—
Days passed after Sophia woke up; Estelle and others visited, but Ian and Mikhail did not come to the grand ducal residence.
“Once your recovery is complete, let’s go to the palace together.”
Killian said to Sophia, whose condition had significantly improved.
“It seems many are curious about your birth.”
Killian said.
“Oh… right.”
Sophia belatedly recalled the secret of her birth.
She had been so overwhelmed with other things that she had completely forgotten.
‘I am the Emperor’s illegitimate child.’
