For the heart - Chapter 5

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 5

Cassian’s eyes shone more clearly than anything else in the darkness.

It was an ambition far too bold for a prince who had been dragged here as a hostage after his homeland became a vassal state.

Nina stared intently at Cassian, who had thrown such a proposal at her—the Knight Commander and Princess of the Arsed Imperial House.

He must have met Lillien today.

“I find it hard to believe you’ve developed feelings strong enough to want to marry Lillien in just one day.”

Cassian burst into laughter at Nina’s words, even tilting his head back as if he’d heard something utterly ridiculous.

Soon after, he swept back his hair and spoke with a sardonic expression.

“I thought you were someone without blood or tears, but you have quite a sentimental side, Your Highness. Do you think I’m making this alliance proposal to you because I’ve fallen into some trivial love?”

“Then you’ve decided to marry a woman you have no feelings for because you want to reclaim Montregger?”

“No. Rather than Montregger… I want Arsed, which has unified the entire continent.”

He openly revealed his ambition to seize Arsed while wearing a refreshing smile unlike any she’d ever seen.

Nina frowned, unable to understand.

“You’d become the Emperor’s husband, not the Emperor himself.”

“I met Princess Lillien today. It wasn’t for long, but… she didn’t seem to have much interest in governing the nation.”

Nina bit the inside of her mouth.

It was true that Lillien had no interest in anything other than adorning herself.

She probably didn’t even know how many institutions supported the Arsed Imperial House or what their names were.

“If that’s your goal, then you should pour all your efforts into winning Lillien’s favor. With that handsome face of yours.”

“I don’t think I’ll need to pour all my efforts into it. Princess Lillien has already fallen for me.”

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped her.

That arrogant confidence was now irritating to the point of being detestable, yet somehow it was hard to deny.

“Then you wouldn’t particularly need my help.”

“Looking at the nobles closest to the Imperial House, there are quite a few young lords. Notably, we could name Count Haidrick, Marquis Grain, and Count Blixen.”

He already had a thorough understanding of the Emperor’s inner circle.

Even as wariness spread in her blue eyes, Cassian lifted the corners of his mouth.

“But even if I were to capture Princess Lillien’s heart, ultimately wouldn’t His Majesty the Emperor decide the Princess’s marriage?”

“…”

“I will become Princess Nina’s dedicated Healer and accompany you to whatever battlefield you march to, and I will actively contribute to Arsed’s unification of the entire continent. Your Highness need only show His Majesty that I am sincere toward Arsed and that I am more useful and trustworthy than any of His Majesty’s closest confidants.”

Cassian quietly caught his breath and continued.

“Only to that extent would His Majesty have reason to ‘consider’ a marriage between me, a hostage, and the Princess.”

For the unification of the entire continent, there were still several countries left to conquer.

Since only the nations that hadn’t surrendered peacefully remained, no one could know how long this war would last.

To Nina, who kept her gaze lowered and said nothing, Cassian whispered as if making a final persuasion.

“If I become consort, I will let Your Highness live as an ordinary woman, not as a weapon of war. So that you can live a life free from suffering.”

Nina’s blue eyes, meeting his, trembled slightly.

What did I just hear? It’s hard enough to believe he’s an undying Healer, but now he says he’ll let me live as an ordinary woman.

Beyond absurd, now he was even denying divine oracle.

Nina, who had held her breath for a moment, opened her mouth.

“…My role is a duty bestowed by God.”

“In places where people live, doesn’t the Emperor’s command take precedence over divine oracle? Interpretations can be slightly changed.”

“What do you—”

“The choice is yours, Your Highness.”

Cassian cut off her words with a leisurely smile.

And as if all that remained was truly Nina’s choice, he left only a proper bow and departed from the spot.

Nina turned her head to watch his retreating figure.

She hadn’t moved a single step, yet strangely felt out of breath.

The figure of the man walking into the darkness soon disappeared. Just like that day.

“An ordinary woman…”

The life of an ordinary woman who wouldn’t have to endure the terrible pain of having her body torn apart.

Could Cassian truly guarantee me such a thing? I’m a being meant to sacrifice my body for Arsed—could I escape from that?

Whenever I suffered in pain from my body being destroyed on the battlefield, I had thought of an ordinary life.

But this immortal body without a heart, that doesn’t die even when killed.

It was nothing more than a dream I could never have, having received the divine oracle to sacrifice my body for Arsed.

‘He’s trying to use me for his own ambition.’

I should have realized it from when he mentioned ill fate. It felt like I’d fallen into a trap while trying to satisfy my curiosity.

It was when Nina, who had exhaled deeply, began walking toward the Satellite Palace, her residence.

“Screeeeeeech—!”

Her steps came to an abrupt halt.

Her chest tightened and shallow, rapid breathing followed.

“That can’t be…”

Was that cry she’d heard briefly earlier really a ‘Bargaz’?

Bargaz was a ferocious magical beast of extreme danger level.

To think they’d captured a Bargaz, of all magical beasts, and brought it into the palace…

She wanted to believe it couldn’t be true, but the cry of the Bargaz remained all too clearly in Nina’s memory.

Frozen in place and unable to move, Nina realized her body was becoming damp with cold sweat.

She swallowed dry saliva and clenched her fists tightly again.

However, the still-vivid memory of her sixth birthday flashed quickly before her eyes, and her body began trembling even more violently than before.

“There’s no way they’d do something so insane.”

Nina shook her head vigorously and forced her trembling legs to move, taking steps forward.

With each step she took, hot breath came rushing out from within her body.

When she finally arrived at the Satellite Palace and opened the door.

Tila’s voice welcoming Nina, who had returned earlier than expected, reached her ears like tinnitus.

“Tila… I… my body… something’s wrong… so… hot…”

Thud—!

“Your Highness!!!”

The moment Nina’s body collapsed helplessly, Tila’s scream burst out.

* * *

The next morning, Nina lifted her heavy eyelids.

Since last night, an unprecedented fever had been boiling throughout her entire body.

Tila had wiped her body with wet towels all night trying to bring down the fever, but there was no sign of it subsiding.

“Your Highness, are you alright? Oh my, what on earth is happening? You collapsed right after coming in yesterday. Do you remember?”

“No… not at all…”

A weak voice flowed from Nina’s lips.

“The palace physician came by, and a Healer came too.”

A Healer had come too.

Since she was unconscious and couldn’t hold hands, she wouldn’t have been able to absorb any healing power.

“I’m not even injured, so why did a Healer…”

She thought it was fortunate that she had lost consciousness. She might have nearly taken an innocent Healer’s life.

Nina sat up with a grunt and moistened her mouth with the water Tila offered.

The temperature of the water felt unusually cold in her mouth, which showed that her body was really burning up.

“Today, please eat well and just rest deeply—”

Knock knock.

Before she could finish speaking, the sound of knocking was heard, and Tila furrowed her brows.

When she opened the door, the attendant standing outside hesitated awkwardly, wetting his lips with his tongue.

“Um… His Majesty the Emperor says he would like to watch Princess Nina’s sword match today…”

“Didn’t you inform His Majesty that both the palace physician and a Healer visited our Princess?”

Tila, her face clearly angry with thick eyebrows raised high, asked the attendant.

The attendant looked apologetic as Tila placed both hands on her thick waist and grumbled.

“Of course I told him, but Princess Nina…”

Has an immortal body.

The unspoken words seemed to be heard naturally.

Behind the sound of Tila grinding her teeth, Nina’s voice was heard.

“Tell him I’ll prepare and come out soon.”

Nina, who had appeared at the doorway, spoke to the attendant and gestured for him to leave.

Nothing would change by detaining an innocent attendant.

“No matter what, this is too much! It’s been barely a day since you returned from the battlefield! And your body is in such poor condition! Instead of asking how you’re doing, he wants a sword match!”

Tila, who had been venting her indignation, turned around and dabbed at her tears with her apron.

The Emperor and Empress treating Nina harshly wasn’t new, but today was so heartless it brought tears even to her eyes.

“It’s fine. It’s nothing new.”

“This is the first time you’ve been this sick! It’s not like you can’t feel pain!”

Seeing Nina, who had washed up cleanly and even changed into combat clothes, Tila beat her chest as if her heart was bursting.

Nina smiled faintly at this sight, picked up her sword that was standing to one side, and left the room.

‘It seems Father has gathered ministers from other countries again who want to be threatened by the Cold Blade, the war weapon that doesn’t die even when killed.’

Nina knew exactly what her father wanted.

That grotesque and terrifying scene of a horribly slaughtered princess taking a Healer’s life and coming back to life.

And to clearly show the fact that there exists a Cold Blade who will not die and will continuously revive until they surrender to Arsed.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————