Esa Promesa

“This is the royal physician’s wing, where patients come and go.”

“I understand.”

“Does someone who understands barge in without permission, throwing the door open like that?”

“There were only the two of you inside, weren’t there?”

“And what if I had been treating a patient? What if I had been attending to someone in critical condition? Did it never cross your mind that your reckless action could have broken the barrier and endangered their life?”

Asyan was clearly angry about Ewyn entering without permission. And rightly so—Asyan always set up a barrier when treating patients.

This room’s walls were embedded with an impressive amount of mana stones. When the door was closed and specific actions were performed, the barrier would activate. I didn’t know the exact details, but I knew it helped facilitate recovery, maintain body temperature, and prevent secondary infections in patients.

I’d also heard that an unexpected disruption, like the door being opened suddenly, could break the barrier.

“I was so focused on carrying out His Majesty’s orders that I didn’t think it through. My apologies.”

The Ewyn I knew would typically respond to such scolding with a bit of pushback perhaps throwing in an excuse or challenging the relevance of the criticism. But this time, he bowed his head sincerely, apologizing with genuine regret.

Asyan’s fiery demeanor noticeably softened in response.

“Very well. Please be more mindful next time.”

“Understood. I will be careful.”

Ewyn bowed his head once more. Asyan sighed and walked me to the entrance of the physician’s wing.

Asyan often directed this kind of stern anger at patients who neglected their health or anyone who endangered them. Regardless of the person’s status, even if they were high-ranking nobles, he prioritized his patients’ lives above all else.

Because of this, some people didn’t think highly of Asyan. I wondered what Ewyn thought of him.

Glancing at Ewyn as we walked side by side, I noticed his expression was uncharacteristically conflicted.

“Sir Ewyn, are you upset?”

“…I’m not sure. No, I’m not upset. I was in the wrong.”

“Then why the troubled expression?”

“Well…”

Ewyn hesitated. A man who once wagered on my death without a second thought was now reluctant to speak. My curiosity was piqued.

“It’s alright. Speak freely, Sir Ewyn.”

“That’s the thing, Sir Teian. Whenever I face Sir Asyan, my heart races, and it becomes hard to breathe normally. My mind feels foggy too.”

Oh, dear.

“Sir Teian?”

This was Ewyn—the same Ewyn who’d wagered on my life so many times with other knights that I sometimes felt like throwing him into the bottom of a lake. And yet, here I was, feeling sympathy for him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What’s wrong with my expression?”

“Even someone pitying a beggar wouldn’t look as blatant as you do right now.”

I tried to adjust my expression, but the truth was, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Ewyn. He really had been beaten so thoroughly by Asyan…

To think the impact of that beating lingered in his subconscious to the point of inducing fear every time he saw Asyan. If I’d known it would lead to this, I wouldn’t have just sat there eating snacks and watching the scene unfold that day—I’d have stepped in to stop it, even if only for ten minutes.

“Stay strong, Sir Ewyn.”

“…”

I patted Ewin’s shoulder as a gesture of comfort. With the time I had left, I might as well treat him kindly.

*

Having been by Diver’s side since he was a child, I’d grown familiar with many faces over the years. Most were high-ranking nobles, naturally, but there was one person I found particularly difficult—no, dangerous—to deal with.

And she was standing right in front of me now.

“Sir Teian.”

The moment I ascended the stairs and caught a whiff of a fresh, springlike perfume, I had a sinking feeling. But I hadn’t expected to run into her so directly.

The woman, descending the stairs toward me, smiled brightly.

In the past, when I was oblivious, her stunning beauty and radiant smile had left me awestruck, like gazing at a blossoming flower. But not anymore. Now, the sight of her smiling face made me want to flee. I swallowed that impulse and gave her a curt bow.

“Lady Rudiena. It’s been a while.”

“Indeed, it has. We’ve been too busy to see each other lately.”

As I mimicked a kiss to the back of her outstretched hand and stepped back, Rudiena clasped her fan with both hands. My throat went dry.

Rudiena’s behavior was a clear sign—she was in a bad mood. For someone who rarely let her emotions show, this was significant.

It didn’t take much to figure out why. It had to be Diver. As the eldest daughter of the politically powerful Calbaritz family, Rudiena was one of the few people in the palace who could be provoked by Diver.

I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I felt myself shrinking.

“Sir Teian, you always seem unwell when I see you. Now I understand why His Majesty worries about you so much.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I assure you I’m fine.”

Only Diver and Asyan knew about my condition.

Rudiena didn’t. Diver would never confide in her, and Asyan, bound by his patient confidentiality, would never let it slip. Her concern for my health, then, was just a pretense. Her true intent was obvious.

“Will you be going to Sol Avla as well, Lady Rudiena?”

“Of course. It’s made things quite hectic for me. Would you, by any chance, know what caused His Majesty’s sudden change of plans?”

Rudiena’s smile faltered slightly, her emerald-green eyes sharpening as they studied me. Just from her gaze, I knew—she suspected I was the cause of her troubles.

Thanks to Diver’s declaration that all remaining events this year would be held in Sol Avla, Rudiena, as the chief organizer of royal banquets, had become the second busiest person in the kingdom. The longer I stayed silent, the more her eyes bore into me. Hastily, I responded.

“His Majesty did not consult me on the matter, so I’m afraid I don’t know.”

I was the cause, but it wasn’t a lie to say that Diver had made the decision unilaterally. Rudiena lightly waved her fan, her expression contemplative. I lowered my gaze, silently wishing she’d leave soon.

Rudiena was not someone to trifle with. If she discovered I was the root of the chaos, she wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate—even knowing I had little time left to live.

She wouldn’t go as far as to take my life, of course, but being Diver’s equal in temperament, her revenge would hardly be mild. The best approach here was to play dumb.

Snap!

Rudiena opened her fan and hid her face behind it. I nearly sighed in relief right then and there.

“What a shame. His Majesty’s first order to me was to assign dedicated physicians and attendants to accompany you to Sol Abla. That’s why I thought you might know more about it.”

Curse you, Diver.

“Is that so? I wasn’t aware.”

Rudiena let out a soft laugh. In my more naïve days, I’d have thought her laugh sounded as clear and pure as a song. Now, it only sent shivers down my spine.

“If you keep pretending not to understand His Majesty’s intentions, Sir Teian, it’ll only make him sad. Don’t ignore his feelings so blatantly.”

“Excuse me?”

Could Rudiena know that Diver loved me? With only her eyes visible above the fan, it was hard to discern her true intentions.

“Didn’t you know? His Majesty holds you in the highest regard. Otherwise, why would he have invited the High Priest of Ramanov to the palace?”

“…The High Priest of Ramanov?”

“You hadn’t heard?”

This was news to me. Asyan had mentioned the High Priest, but to think Diver himself had invited them—on my behalf no less—was beyond anything I could have imagined.

The nauseating churn in my stomach left me speechless. Rudiena was watching, so I worked hard to maintain a neutral expression, but the more I thought about it, the harder it became to stay composed.

Even if the High Priest examined me, it would mean nothing. All it would do is confirm what I already knew: not even divine power could lift this curse. It would only leave Diver with a deeper despair.

The priests couldn’t identify my curse, let alone break it.

“Go on, Sir Teian. You should see His Majesty. You look even paler now, which makes me truly worry about your health.”

With a slight tilt of her head, Rudiena bid me farewell and brushed past. It wasn’t until she was gone that I realized I hadn’t returned her parting bow, but that wasn’t the issue now.

Diver had summoned me to the reception room, which could only mean the High Priest was there.

The urge to flee rose to my throat. I knew Laspheme would block me, but at that moment, all I wanted to do was run.

When I first told Diver I was going to die, he cried.

After barely escaping the thorn’s grasp, I woke to find Diver sitting by my side. He wasn’t crying, but his desolate eyes looked as if he had been.

The proud, confident king I knew had crumbled—because of me.