*

Sienna hasn’t woken up for too long for someone who only took some Depenhy. Before Carl could question the imperial doctor, Pavenik first visited him and asked.

“Why can’t the Empress wake up?”

“It’s because… … when a normal person who had an intake of Depenhy, it usually just causes a small stomach ache. But sometimes when it is taken by pregnant women or people with chronic diseases, they can’t wake up.”

Pavenik asked hurriedly, thinking about the possibility.

“Her Majesty the Empress was pregnant?”

“It’s hard to figure out because of the weak pulse, but the symptoms suggest that she was pregnant.”

Pavenik’s face became serious. Now, the doctor described her pregnant state as a past tense. He was considering the child in Sienna dead.

It was already hard to control the current situation because Bluebell’s nanny tried to kill Sienna, but if it’s known that Sienna and her child were both lost by Bluebell’s nanny, no matter how much Bluebell denies that she directly intervened, she wouldn’t be let go easily.

Pavenik wasn’t on the same side as the Ferrers, but he thought no further power struggle would help Carl. The Leipsden Empire was devastated by a long war, and there was constant discord in political circles.

Above all, the problem was that Sienna was also a citizen of the Holy Empire. If this situation got bigger, the Holy Empire had no choice but to interfere in the affairs of Leipsden. Moreover, one division of the Holy Empire Knights Order was already staying in the capital. Pavenik did not wish for such a thing.

‘If only Emperor Carl hadn’t cared about the First Empress so much…’

If Carl was more indifferent toward Sienna, the current situation could be used to get a lot out of the Ferrers. But Sienna was someone who Carl cared with all his heart. He won’t be able to negotiate political issues rationally with her life on the line. Rather, Carl would probably try to slay the neck of everyone who risked her life.

Pavennik thought that telling this to Carl would be like running into a gunpowder keg with a straw on fire. This secret had to be kept only by himself and the doctor.

“You shouldn’t tell anyone about this.”

He was a long-time imperial doctor. When he understood what Pavenik was worried about, and what he meant, he nodded. The reason why he was able to remain a member of the imperial palace for a long time was that he could shut his mouth like a clam.

“I don’t know anything. It’s not well known that there’s such an effect in Depenhy.”

Pavenik nodded. He believed that the doctor would keep his promise.

*

While Sienna was in a coma, Carl stopped all his work and stood by her side. He was like a predator waiting for the right time.

In the absence of Carl’s movements, Count Ferrer ran around busily to make this as the nanny’s sole act. He constantly preached that Carl’s child was sitting in Bluebell’s belly.

Most did not believe it was the nanny’s sole crime, but none of them directly criticized Bluebell.

The Ferrers had become the head of the aristocracy and wielded strong power. Count Ferrer was a long-time helper for Carl who assisted in raising him to the throne of the emperor, and a man who had his daughter as the empress. Moreover, there was no one to stop him when the imperial heir was sitting in his daughter’s belly.

While he was on a rampage, Carl remained quietly next to Sienna. It occurred to him that if she didn’t wake up, a lot more things would become meaningless.

On the first day, he had a belief that she would soon get up. The second day, and the third day, it felt like she would open her eyes as if nothing happened. But even now on the 10th day, Sienna hasn’t even moved.

“Your Majesty, you should eat and get some sleep. How long will you be here?”

Pavenik said to Carl in a worried voice.

At first, Pavenik understood that Carl put his work behind him. He watched from the side how much Carl cares about Sienna, so he knew how sad he must be now. However, Pavenik became more concerned because he was with her even without eating and hurting his own body.

Pavenik regretted. Even if Carl became enemies with the Ferrers, he shouldn’t have coerced Carl to marry Bluebell. This wouldn’t have happened if Carl hadn’t married her. But it was a belated regret.

Pavenik wanted Sienna to wake up now. Otherwise, he had an ominous premonition that Carl would disappear. As Sienna was not waking up, previously firm emperor’s shoulders were drooping and his eyes, which had always been imposing and clear, lost focus.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, the messenger of the Holy Empire is here. The Priest of the Goddess of the Earth is asking to have a private meeting with His Majesty.”

“Priest Roy?”

Carl jumped up from his seat. Pavenik replied with a puzzled look.

“Yes, Priest Roy has requested a private meeting as a representative of the Holy Empire.”

Why didn’t he think of that?

‘I’ve forgotten his ability to heal a child with an internal wound.’

That’s exactly what Sienna had said. Roy can heal any wound as long as the person was breathing. Carl had personally witnessed his incredible miracle. It occurred to Carl that he was the only one who could save Sienna now.

“Would you like to meet the Priest Roy?”

“Right now! I’ll see him right away.”

Carl hastened his steps.

He was always a boyish man, Roy. He met Carl with an urgent face.

“Is Empress Sienna all right?”

He asked Carl directly without proper courtesy. Carl did not scold his rudeness. However, there was no way to hide the bitter feelings.

“She’s… …not all right. She hasn’t been conscious for ten days.”

Roy’s face turned black at Carl’s words.

“Where is Empress Sienna now?”

Roy asked Carl. His confidence, as if he had come looking for his own person, made Carl feel as if his whole body was being washed away.

Carl didn’t want to let him know where Sienna was. But if left untouched, it was clear that Sienna would never wake up. Even the imperial doctor couldn’t find out what her illness was.

“Pavenik will guide you.”

Carl clenched his fist. A clear blood streamed from the flesh pressed against his fingernails. He couldn’t follow Roy. It was more important than anything else to keep Sienna alive, but Carl didn’t want to see her saved by Roy.

“Your Majesty is not going?”

“… …go ahead. I’ll catch up with you in a moment.”

At Carl’s words, Pavenik nodded and guided Roy to the room where Sienna lay. Roy said to Pavenik in front of the room where Sienna stayed.

“Will you let me be alone with Sienna during the treatment?”

“I will. But can you really treat it?”

Pavenik, who had never seen Roy’s healing, asked with a suspicious look. For him, it was almost incomprehensible that Carl believed in the priest. Roy replied with a shrug on his distrusting face.

“If you have faith.”

Pavenik shut his mouth to the remark. When Roy entered the room, Pavenik quietly closed the door. He wanted to see Roy performing a miracle, but he couldn’t interfere with the treatment. One way or another, the First Empress had to wake up.

Entering the room where Sienna was asleep, Roy stood beside her and said with a somber look.

“Why do you look like this?”

Roy said, unable to contain his grieving heart.

Roy thought if she became the wife of the Emperor, she’d be happy to marry the most powerful man in the Empire. When he heard her say that venom-bearing snakes were crawling in this den, he laughed it off as a joke. Roy now realized that her words were not wrong.

He swept Sienna’s hair away. A thin, pale face was revealed. Roy looked at her face for a long time before he touched her forehead.

Light burst from his fingertips. The light enveloped Sienna’s body as if it was dancing and continued to beam for a long time.

The light was subdued and his treatment was over, but Sienna did not wake up immediately. Roy sat beside her and waited for her to wake up naturally.

Roy watched Sienna slowly open her eyes. It was as if he was watching a dignified and beautiful birth.

“…Priest Roy?”

Sienna found Roy sitting next to her and called his name.

“Yes, Empress Sienna.”

Roy smiled softly. It was a very fitting smile for him. Sienna smiled brightly as she faced him. She felt very refreshed as if she had a good night’s rest.

“What brings you here?”

But then the next moment, as soon as she woke up, she was embarrassed that Roy was here.

“Why is Priest Roy in my bedroom? Ah!”

It wasn’t until a few moments later that Sienna realized that she had collapsed after drinking tea with Bluebell.

‘How brutal.’

Sienna was amazed at Bluebell. She thought she was only a childlike person, but if she thought of taking such a strong medicine, it was some willpower.

“Thank you. You treated me, didn’t you?”

When Sienna thanked Roy, he nodded to her.

She checked the length of the sunlight that had fallen into the room and thought it was not long after she had fallen.

“You must have had some errands at the palace today? I’m glad because I was able to get your treatment soon.”

“No, Empress Sienna has been unconscious for ten days.”

At Roy’s words, Sienna looked surprised.

“Ten days? Wow, I have been sleeping for a long time.”

“A lot of people are worried.”