For the heart - Chapter 38
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 38
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“The fragrance is lovely, Tila.”
“Right? Some good tea leaves came in.”
Nina inhaled the tea’s aroma and recalled the day she had faced the Emperor.
Three days ago.
The Emperor she encountered in the Audience Chamber threw a heavy paperweight at Nina as she entered.
Though she knew it would hit her, Nina didn’t dodge.
Thud!
The paperweight that struck Nina’s forehead fell to the floor with a dull sound.
“You cut off the head of a monster under Desmorak’s spell without even checking it, and now you’ve cut off Count Puaco’s daughter’s head too?!”
“I heard my hair was found at Michelle Puaco’s death scene. I’ll leave some of my hair, so call a forensic mage to compare them.”
“Are you truly saying you didn’t do this?!”
Nina held back the sigh that was about to burst out.
“If I had wanted to kill Michelle Puaco, I would have killed her long ago.”
“Hmm!”
Reiner cleared his throat awkwardly at Nina’s calm words.
He too knew very well how insolently Michelle, who was Lillien’s maid, behaved toward Nina.
But she was also Count Puaco’s daughter, and even seeing the rudeness that child showed Nina, he had never once felt inclined to point it out.
“If I must stand trial according to procedure, I will. However, I’m scheduled to depart soon to conquer the Six Small Nations, so if there are matters to be investigated, please let me be questioned after I return from the conquest.”
Just comparing the hair would prove it wasn’t hers.
So by the time she returned from conquering the Six Small Nations, she would already be cleared of the murder charges.
The more they investigated, the more the true mastermind behind Michelle’s murder would be revealed.
After all, Lillien wasn’t a particularly meticulous person.
“Fine, good. Then will you be able to conquer the Six Small Nations this time? You’ve already failed several times.”
“Yes. This time I will definitely conquer them. With this expedition as the last, Arsed’s unification of the entire continent will be achieved.”
Nina looked at the Emperor, whose eyes gleamed as he spread a smile across his face despite blood flowing from his daughter’s forehead.
‘To think a father could be this heartless.’
It was yet another moment confirming that her existence was nothing more or less than a weapon for continental unification to her father.
“Shall I pour you more tea, Your Highness?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Trickle.
The sound of tea pouring into the cup was clear.
The more she confirmed her parents’ heartlessness toward her, the more intense her desire became to find the truth about her heart and the oracle.
Surprisingly, she no longer felt any sense of loss or emptiness toward her parents.
‘The only person who will protect me is myself.’
When she learned that the oracle was false and her parents had her heart torn out, she had felt sad emotions disguised as confusion, but not anymore.
“Nina!!!”
At that moment, Nina suddenly remembered Casian calling her name and rushing toward the Kushis in the town square.
That appearance of his, as if he truly cared for her.
It was strange.
“Should I call Prince Casian over?”
“…What?”
She had been thinking about Casian, and now they were talking about calling him over. Nina looked up with wide eyes.
But Tila’s eyes were fixed on the bruise on one side of Nina’s forehead.
“It just won’t go down at all.”
“Ah…. Never mind. It’s nothing much.”
“What do you mean nothing much? The big swelling that had risen has only just gone down a little. How much it must have hurt. I’m so upset, really….”
“Um….”
Just then, Pieruto, who had been watching Nina’s expression from nearby, quietly approached and fidgeted.
Nina and Tila, who immediately understood why the child was acting this way, spoke simultaneously.
“No.”
“No.”
Seeing the child’s dejected face, Nina spoke in a cold voice.
“All the healers who healed me died. So don’t do anything unnecessary and step back.”
“Then why is Prince Casian okay?”
“That’s,”
That’s…. She was at a loss for words. She couldn’t understand the reason either.
Pieruto, who quickly noticed Nina’s flustered state, hurriedly poured out his words.
“I’m not saying I’ll heal Your Highness’s serious injuries. A healer can only heal when they have the will to use their healing power. It doesn’t automatically heal just by touching.”
“No, I absorb that power the moment I’m touched. Your will doesn’t matter.”
At Nina’s answer, Pieruto’s eyes widened, and he continued speaking earnestly as if he knew more about healers than the two people present.
“Of course, Your Highness might have a constitution that draws healing power well, but that’s not the entire reason the healers died. Prince Casian is proof of that.”
Pieruto looked at Nina with clear eyes and continued.
“That day I saw it, Prince Casian really wanted to save Your Highness. Because he poured in his healing power of his own will, he could stop the power transfer by his own will as well. But the other healers only healed following orders. Since they had no will, they were absorbed by Your Highness. Moreover, Your Highness’s injuries were serious, so you had no choice but to draw in all their remaining power.”
“….”
“Like Prince Casian, my will is stronger, and Your Highness’s wound isn’t deep, so I can heal it safely!
Tila showed a surprised expression at Pieruto’s persuasive words.
Nina also could no longer refute and quietly looked at Pieruto.
The hypothesis that came from the twelve-year-old boy’s mouth was something she had never thought about before.
However, nothing would change.
“Whatever it is, no. It’s not even certain, and if you use healing power carelessly before becoming an adult, you won’t grow properly.”
“I’ve never used it carelessly though…”
When his words didn’t work at all, a sulky voice flowed out.
At that sight, Tila chuckled softly.
He seemed gentle but was surprisingly stubborn.
“Then how about this? Princess, you don’t hold Pieruto’s hand. Listening to it, Pieruto’s words also make sense. Princess, have you ever used a Healer just because you broke something somewhere? Your body has to be completely shattered, oh my. Anyway.”
“I said no.”
“Princess, please just once! If my healing power keeps getting absorbed even when I control it, I’ll quickly pull my hand away!”
“Aren’t you scared? What if you really die?”
Though Nina tried to stop him, Pieruto’s eyes sparkled as he gained courage from Tila’s encouragement.
“Not at all. I’m a brave man. And I also know that you’re not someone who would absorb all of my healing power, Princess.”
He was a funny kid. What does he know?
But Nina was also curious.
Until now, the Healers she had used on the battlefield had their healing power absorbed by her, and only Casian had been able to inject healing power into her.
As Pieruto said, was it really because the Healers didn’t try to heal me?
“…Then, if something feels strange, pull your hand away immediately.”
“Yes! Princess!”
When Pieruto approached Nina who was sitting and raised his hand, the sound of all three simultaneously gulping could be heard.
They all widened their eyes and looked at each other with solemn expressions.
“My healing power might be weak, so I’ll bring it close to the wound, Princess.”
“Alright.”
Pieruto’s index finger slowly touched Nina’s forehead.
Pieruto, who was quietly breathing nervously, stared intently at Nina’s forehead that was still slightly swollen with bruises.
“Oh my! Oh my my! Princess! It’s being healed! The bruise is fading!”
Despite Tila’s scream-like exclamation, Pieruto kept his eyes wide open and focused only on Nina’s gradually fading bruise.
Nina felt a sensation like very fine down tickling her forehead, unlike when she had absorbed the Healers’ healing power or when Casian had healed her.
After about 5 minutes like that, Pieruto slowly pulled his hand away.
“It’s all done, Princess.”
“Are you okay? You’re not dizzy or anything?”
“Not at all. Look. I didn’t die, right? And I succeeded in healing too!”
Tila held out a mirror she had just brought to Nina.
“It’s really perfectly healed, Princess! Take a look. Oh my! This precious and lovely child. Tonight I’ll make lots of whatever you want to eat, Pieruto!”
“Wow! Tila’s the best!”
Unlike the two who were excitedly clapping their hands together and stamping their feet, Nina looked at her forehead in the hand mirror.
‘Really… it’s healed.’
Until now, I had only received healing from Healers when I couldn’t move my body, when I lost my reason from pain.
Only in states where ordinary people would have already died twelve times over.
‘If I had, back then, not endured the pain and received healing every time I got hurt…’
I thought that perhaps they might not have died.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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