Chapter 71
I put my hand on his face.
His white face is cold.
"Please, bring a dry towel."
"Oh, yes. Miss."
The surprised butler hastily brought some dry towels.
One over Perez’s wet shoulder and the other over his head, wrapped around him tightly.
"It’s so cold... Why you went through all this rain."
"I feel like the rain will destroy all the flowers."
"Ah..."
"Tia, you told me that Tia’s father could heal only with this flower."
"...Stupid."
I grabbed Perez’s hand and dragged him up the stairs.
Still, he never asked a question, ’Where are you going?’
He just kept quiet and followed my steps without difficulty.
I took Perez back to my room.
And sat him in front of the fireplace.
"Please make more fire in the fireplace."
The butler quickly put some more firewood into the fire.
"What about Caitlyn? Does Kylus know you’re here?"
"...They probably don’t know."
"I wonder, you didn’t go out alone in the middle of the night to pick up Bomnia flowers as soon as you got my letter, did you?"
"..."
"And since it started to rain, you didn’t even think to stop and go inside, and I just kept crouching and digging there thinking that you had to dig up the flowers before they fell, did you?"
"..."
"And you came here right after digging up the whole Bomnia and putting it in a wooden crate and waking up the driver without notifying Caitlyn or Kylus... Isn’t it?"1
Perez avoids my gaze with the flickering fireplace fire.
"...First, send someone to the Imperial Palace. Please."
"No, Imperial Palace. Send someone to Poirak Palace."
Perhaps by now, the Palace was turned upside down knowing that Perez had disappeared.
Perez was looking at me.
Water was dripping down his black hair.
I said while wiping Perez’s hair with a towel.
"I’ll apologize to Caitlyn and Kylus later."
"Tia... Why?"
"Because you have brought me Bombia flower. You were here to help me."
"But..."
Perez tried to say something but then closed his mouth again.
Then he picked up the box he had put down on one side and hand over to me.
But I shook my head.
"I’m going to check if your body is warming up."
Perez thought for a moment at my words, then went near the fireplace and started drying his hair.
Meanwhile, the butler who came back brought hot tea and hot soup and prepared dry clothes.
"Looks, it’s warm now."
Perez came over and said, putting his hand on my cheek.
Like he said.
Until a little while ago, his hands, which seemed to be cold and not bleeding, had quickly regained their warmth.
"So go ahead."
He did not refuse.
I took the box containing the Bomnia flower and asked Perez.
"Quickly changing your clothes and eating something warm."
"Umm."
Perez responded quickly, like a dog that listens well.
I left the room.
Only the sound of my footsteps and the rattling of boxes echoed in the dark hallway.
My steps got faster.
At one point I was running.
When I arrived at Estira’s laboratory in one of the annexes, it felt like it was going to burst out of my chin.
"Miss. Florentia?"
Estira was still awake.
The lights were on and the books were scattered all over the place, suggesting that she was researching drugs.
I opened the box in front of Estira.
"I’ve got the Bomnia flowers."
"Ooh, this is..."
Estira couldn’t speak when she touched the red petals in disbelief.
I handed the box to Estira.
And I said it with the most earnest heart in my life.
"Now, save my dad, Estira."
It only took Estira a few hours to create a new drug.
At sunrise, Estira took it straight to my father.
"It’s a new medicine."
My father, which had worsened over the past few days, laughed bitterly when he saw the new medicine that Estira was offering.
He didn’t seem to be expecting much.
"Thanks for keeping on trying, Estira."
My father was repeating those words while drinking with his left hand, which is the only limb that can move.
I could have approached my father and said a few words, but I stepped back.
Even if it’s not, I don’t want my sick dad to pretend he’s fine because of me.
I’d rather my father cry a little more and get angry.
My father just laughed, until he was about to die.
Just like in my last life.
But.
In this life, I know my father cry alone in his room in the middle of the night.
Also, I know what caused my father’s red swollen eyes the next day.
I watched it from afar and quietly left my father’s room.
It was a room where Perez stayed near my house for a while.
After moving in the rain for a long time, Perez might get cold.
It wasn’t serious, my grandfather who found out why he came to the mansion in the middle of the night, sent a letter directly to the Emperor to let Perez stay as a guest of the family.
"How about Perez?"
"He just drank his medicine and fell asleep."
Kylus, who had received a call from the Palace, answered in a low voice.
When I quietly approached the bed, Perez was asleep with an unknown face.
I looked at it for a while, then pulled on the blanket and dug into the seat next to Perez.
"Miss. Florentia?"
Kylus came closer with his head tilted.
It was a face that asked why I left my normal room and lied down here.
"I don’t want to be alone right now."
A very mean voice kept asking in the corner of my mind.
’Are you sure Bomnia is the correct answer?’
I don’t know either.
But if Bomnia really isn’t the last piece.
What am I supposed to do then?
Can we find another answer in time?
Can I save my father?
My head was spinning once.
My body, which had not slept all night, finally reached its limit.
The warmth of Perez, which was subtly transmitted from a place not far away, seemed to soothe the heart.
Finally, looking at the guy’s black hair scattered on the white pillow, I fell asleep.
* * *
"Miss, Miss..."
Louryl shook me to wake me up.
I opened my eyes.
The surrounding was all dark.
Perez, who was sleeping next to me, was already up and standing in his new clothes.
"What’s up?"
Louryl’s expression is strange.
I jumped out of bed without hearing any answer.
What’s going on?
I could feel with my skin that the atmosphere around me was chaotic.
My heart pounded nervously.
No way.
No way.
I quickly ran into my father’s room.
Many people had already come in.
Grandpa and Aunt Shananet, and even Viese and Laurel.
All the people of the Lombardy family looked at me.
"Why..."
Unfinished words came out of my mouth.
I tried to read anything from the faces of those who looked at me, but it didn’t work as if my head had stopped.
I moved my heavy feet as if something was dragging them to the ground.
Little by little, I moved closer to the bed.
People made their way without saying a word.
And finally, I could see my father on the bed.
"Tia!"
"...Oh, Dad?"
Hearing my father’s cheerful voice, my legs loosened and staggered.
"Ugh!"
Everyone reached out to me, but it was my father who held my body.
To be precise, it was my father’s right hand.
It was the hand that had been stolen by Tlenbrew.
"How..."
It was stable.
He was strong and did not tremble.
Its bones were thin, but they kept me from falling.
"The new drug seems to be working, Tia."
Dad said with a soft smile.
"After a few hours of drinking, my senses slowly returned..."
My father slowly opened and closed his right hand.
I stared blankly at the gentle movement.
"Tia."
My father called me.
"Dad, I think you’re gonna be fine now."
It was a smile of relief as if all burdens had been laid down.
"Dad, you’re gonna be fine now."
Took.
I heard something popping inside me.
"Hmm...!"
Unstoppable tears flowed.9
"Daddy, Daddy...!"
"Yes, my Tia. You were worried, weren’t you?"
"Dad..."
"Dad, I’m fine now. It’s okay."
I jumped into my father’s arms.
A friendly hand patted my back.
I didn’t know how much I cried.4
All I remember is that I cried endlessly in my father’s arms that day and that he always said ’It’s okay now’.15
And the only thing I heard was the voice of my grandfather saying ’thank you’ to Perez.
* * *
It was a perfectly sunny day.
A pleasant breeze blew, and the grass was fresh.
Outside, I could hear the band rehearsing, and the murmurs of greetings from the guests who had arrived in advance.
I was dressing up in front of the dressing table with Louryl’s help.
"Miss, are you that happy?"
"Yes? What?"
"You don’t know how to keep a smile on your face since before."
"Oh, is that so?"
I smiled contentedly when I saw my reflection in the mirror.
"Today is a special day, so it will take a long time to get your hair done. Be patient."
"Yeah, do whatever you want. I’m fine."
At my relaxed reaction, Louryl laughed as if it was nothing special.
"You’re so bothered about getting your hair done. You must be in a good mood."
"Yups!!!"
I answered in a loud voice.
"Today is my eleventh birthday!"
Finally, the day that I can freely enter and exit the mansion has come.1
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