Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 89

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 89

So when Titania appeared perfectly unharmed before Barbara—who had been frantic searching for her in a temple that had caught fire out of nowhere—it was understandable that Barbara had wept. Though initially stunned and bewildered, she quickly grasped the situation by watching Lisianthus, equally flustered, and Debi, skillfully pretending to restrain Titania, and played along with the charade.
There was a saying: to deceive your enemy, first deceive your own side. The temple people had been trying to quietly torment Titania by seizing on any pretext, and Raymond had repaid them in kind for all to see. When Raymond stormed the temple and Titania was moved to the Castrain Family Manor, Barbara thought it was for the best. Even from Barbara’s perspective, lingering in the temple would have done Titania no good whatsoever.
The High Priest Illian’s cryptic parting words to Titania, and Titania’s flustered response to them—both gnawed at Barbara like some foreign object lodged in her chest. Yet she did not press the matter. She was merely a maid, after all. Even if Titania could not trust her completely, there was nothing to be done about it. They had barely met before Titania came to the Empress’s Palace.
To be frank, Barbara belonged to the Empress’s Palace. The Empress was always her highest priority. If she had to choose between Titania and the Empress, she would always choose the Empress. So, even when she felt excluded from something important, even when it seemed like she was being left out, she simply accepted it. They were doing something significant hand in hand with the great House Castrain, so it could not be helped that she did not belong to that circle.
She had noticed that Debi, assigned by the House Castrain, was no ordinary maid. Even as she grinned cheerfully and spouted nonsense, her eyes were sharp and her gestures were anything but unremarkable.
So when Titania went out taking Debi with her, Barbara thought there would be no great danger.
And yet—Titania remained in that very Castrain Family Manor, left Barbara behind, went out, and returned drenched in blood, cradled in Raymond’s arms, stopping Barbara’s heart cold.
The High Priest had treated her and saved her life, but Barbara paced nervously, uneasy. However, because the High Priest had said “Let her rest in a quiet place until she awakens,” Barbara went to her own room, leaving Titania lying in bed—
The next morning, Titania’s bed was empty.
Barbara felt as though she might faint from the shock and worry in that instant.
She searched the room thoroughly, and when she stepped into the adjacent chamber just in case, she found Titania on the neighboring bed, blankets neatly tucked around her, snoring away peacefully—and felt such a rush of relief and exasperation that her knees nearly buckled.
When Barbara woke her, Titania blinked several times and then cheerfully mumbled something like, “Oh, when did I fall asleep here? I was sitting in the chair on the balcony. And when did I cover myself with a blanket? I must have been incredibly tired!”—which left Barbara utterly flabbergasted and at a complete loss for words.
The back of her head pounded; she felt as though she might topple backward. If Titania had been anyone other than a celestial being of the imperial bloodline who deserved Barbara’s service, she would have scolded her roundly for having a talent for driving people to despair and struck her back freely.
Of course, the Titania of these days would have accepted such a thorough thrashing from Barbara with remarks like, “Ow! Barbara! I’m sorry! Ow ow! Good grief! A maid striking royalty! Oh, no, I’m exaggerating! Please don’t bow so apologetically!”—but because the person before her had nearly died the day before, Barbara could not lay a hand on her. Instead, she held her tongue and prepared medicine.
When Titania accepted the medicine, she grumbled something under her breath, then the next moment squeezed her eyes shut, lifted the medicine bowl, and drained it. Then, holding her breath, she emptied the chocolate from the glass directly into her mouth and chewed frantically. The smooth white of her forehead wrinkled like wet paper caught in a rainstorm.
“Ugh, bitter! So bitter! Ach! I’ve… I’ve tried every medicine under the sun since childhood… but this is really too much! It’s torture! I melted the chocolate and ate it, and now the chocolate flavor and the medicine are mixing and I feel like I’m going to be sick! What on earth is in this?!”
“It’s better you don’t know.”
“This is all I need to drink, right? The High Priest treated me and I feel incredibly light. I really don’t hurt at all…”
“The High Priest said that you’ve sustained excessively severe wounds both last time and this time, and that healing power isn’t omnipotent, so your body will become quite weakened.”
Titania’s pupils trembled like aspen leaves. Then, as if fleeing from reality, she asked in a hollow voice.
“So… I just need to drink this, right?”
“You’ll need to take it consistently for the next month.”
“Ahhhhh…”
A deep sigh escaped Titania’s lips. Beside Barbara, who was gathering Titania’s medicine bowl and empty dessert dish with a cold expression, Debi interjected.
“Looks like Barbara’s in a mood! Come on, Princess, why did you disappear from your own bed and get found in the next room like that, making everyone’s heart skip a beat first thing in the morning?”
“I just… woke up before dawn and wanted to get some fresh air, and I meant to come back, but at some point I don’t remember anything…”
Titania glanced nervously at Barbara and Debi. Barbara’s eyebrows twitched.
“It’s certainly fortunate that you woke before dawn. But you should have called for me. Exposing your not-yet-recovered body to cold air—what if you caught pneumonia? Divine Power doesn’t work on illness or aging, you know that as well as I do.”
“Aha ha… My body feels perfectly fine. But wasn’t the Young Duke supposed to be in my room…?”
Titania’s voice carried her own doubt. Seeing her eyes dart about as if something troubled her, Debi responded with bright cheer, apparently grasping what was on her mind.
“The Young Duke left at dawn! He said he had urgent business. But he certainly wouldn’t have left without checking that the Princess had awakened, so I’d wager he confirmed you were up before he went, wouldn’t you?”
“…Um…”
Titania answered like a drowsy animal, her mouth firmly closed as if something pricked her conscience, her troubled expression plain to see.
Then the door flew open.
Lisianthus, dressed simply in a half-buttoned loose shirt with his upper garment only partially donned, and plain trousers, burst in with the bright face of a happy puppy greeting its master.
“Titania! You’re awake!”
Seeing him, Titania smiled and spoke.
“Ha ha ha, thanks to the High Priest, there’s nothing at all wrong with me. You were worried?”
Lisianthus, who had been striding toward her without waiting for a reply, flinched.
“You, you really…! Do you have any idea how much blood you lost yesterday? What are you saying, ‘were you worried?’?!”
Lisianthus nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Thank goodness the High Priest said there was nothing to worry about, that you’d be fine, that I should just let you rest easy. If not for that, my liver would have shriveled up and I wouldn’t have been able to move a step until you woke. Really…”
Lisianthus twisted his face.
“You said you’d rescue me. You said you’d protect me. You came as my honor guard, making such big talk. And here, you’ve never managed to properly protect me even once.”
Titania’s eyes widened.
Even as Lisianthus spoke, he kept his gaze fixed firmly on the ground, as if he had no face to show.
It was unlike the Lisianthus who was always excited or angry, bustling about like a dog overjoyed to see snow. Now he looked thoroughly deflated.
“When the temple caught fire, yes, that’s on me—I wasn’t at your side because I was deceived by their honeyed words. I can accept that. If I hear from Debi, you weren’t actually in ‘real’ danger. But still… but then…”
His fists, which he had clenched tightly, trembled as he could no longer hold back his frustration.
“When that situation actually happened, I was weak… I couldn’t keep you safe. And I… I wasn’t just bragging about being able to swing a sword. I thought, with the power to command Flame, if worst came to worst, couldn’t I just incinerate this whole area? I believed that.”
In truth, Lisianthus was miserable.
Though weaker than Raymond or his father, he believed he could hold his own against most. He did not have complete control over Flame Power, but he had thought it sufficient.
If he steeled himself to abandon his own safety, he believed he could certainly capture the enemy—his Joker, so to speak.
But…
When Titania became the target and he faced the enemy standing in his way, he realized.
So long as there was something to protect nearby, his Joker was as useless as a broken tool.
If he could not control his power and ended up burning Titania to ash as well? There could be no greater folly. In the end, when Raymond came and rescued Titania, Lisianthus had accomplished nothing. He had not captured the enemy—the enemy had simply withdrawn of its own accord.
And the fact that he could only watch helplessly as that enemy retreated—it infuriated him beyond measure.
‘If I had been stronger, I would never have left you in danger from the start.’

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