If I Disobey the Duke

The wind that hides in the tower (4)

“Then, I will check the condition of your body, Madam.”

It was quite surprising.  As soon as Vlad left, she thought Ivan would at least make small talk or say something witty.

Ivan closed his mouth as if it was glued together and concentrated on the treatment for a long time. “You have definitely lost a lot of energy. Still, as High Priest Nerva’s chief disciple, a high-ranking priest from military service is here to save the day! I have completed special training and have returned to be better than before, so you will be as healthy as the lord by the end of the day.”

He placed one hand on her wrist and stood up as if praying with the other. He closed his eyes and quietly recited a prayer. When it came to treatment, he was quite a priest.

Recitation of the sutras in a reverent voice gave the bedroom a reverent atmosphere.

The divine power was not visible, but she could feel something seeping through her wrist.

As he finished his prayer, cold sweat formed on his forehead. “How is it?”

“My body feels really light. Thank you.”

Obviously, her whole body was like a feather. It seemed that it was true that Ivan returned from training and improved his skills. Lily felt that she had regained her energy much more than she had in treatments before.

Lily pulled on her gown and looked up at him. “Perhaps… Was Vlad with you every time you treated me?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Ivan closed his mouth and lowered his rolled-up sleeves. They both knew that she could use sign language if it really came to it.

His unresponsiveness was suspicious.

“Priest?”

Ivan strode towards the window. He clung to the wall like a lizard.

“…What are you doing…?”

Looking around someone else’s bedroom did not look like that. Lily couldn’t help but ask again, but Ivan only slowly pushed his head toward the window.

He glanced outside and then exhaled and fell off the wall. All of a sudden, he was wearing his characteristic natural expression. He whistled and approached the bedside. “I made sure that the lord entered the courtyard.”

Lily furrowed her fine eyebrows as if in awe. “Isn’t that something you should have done before using divine power?”

“Well, right.”

“….”

Lily bit her lips tightly.

Ivan sat down on the chair. “The Lord was there whenever I treated you. Don’t worry, he regenerates quickly enough to recover from any fatal wound.”

Her heart sank. A high-speed pulse pounded in her ear.

Does it mean that Vlad took that kind of risk every time because of me? Being hit by the divine power…

Ivan snapped his fingers and broke her thoughts. Lily shrugged, regaining focus.

He looked quite calmly at the shaky green eyes. “I didn’t use my divine power for every treatment. It’s the best way to increase the body’s natural healing power, but Priest Nerva doesn’t recommend it as it can bring complications.”

“Still, it is true that there have been times like that. When did you do that? How much… Vlad has never expressed himself….”

“That’s because my divine power is great and wonderful.”

Lily couldn’t afford to take his jokes seriously. She stared at Ivan, suppressing the growing nervousness.

Ivan’s expression was natural as always. “Our sect and Conde have different ways of taming holy power. Just as the same food will have different results depending on whether you put the temperature correctly or not. That’s it.”

“Still, the food that was intended to be made doesn’t change.”

“You’ve become sharper, Madam.” Ivan looked at her pointedly. “My lord is like a log you just picked up from the river. Unless you’re a great priest like me, receiving divine power will only make him feel unwell for a few days.”

“He could have told me.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared at Lily with interest. A faintly sharp light flickered in his blue eyes. “Well, that’s it. Probably because he doesn’t want to make you anxious. He is literally obsessed with you.” Ivan suddenly fell in thought and dropped the casual expression he had been wearing for a while.

He was contemplating something coldly before his eyes moved to meet hers again.

“Madam. There is something I want to ask you. Would you like to hear from me?” The voice without a smile was unfamiliar.

Lily flinched and slipped her body back. “…Please tell me the contents.”

Ivan grinned at the gaze of suspicion and boundaries. The lady he served was suspicious of anyone else’s words. She had a pretty good character in many ways.

“It’s a very simple matter for you. Only for you though,” Ivan whispered quietly to Lily, who tilted her head. “Please stop the lord.” His eyes darkened. “If you don’t do it now…  Four years after the war, the wind of blood will blow again. Perhaps even in Arcadia.”