TLDOWN 48

CHAPTER 48…………..

A Stopped Heart

It was a night draped in pitch-black darkness. Lea busily soaked towels at the duke’s side.

He had confused her earlier, suddenly telling her not to leave, only to collapse unconscious right after.

When she placed her hand on his forehead in concern, Akkia’s body was burning with fever. Thinking back, even when he had spoken with her, his condition had seemed strange.

His breathing was shallow. His complexion was pale and lifeless.

It was certain—his illness had worsened since his return from the imperial palace.

“Rikel, what happened? What exactly took place in the palace?”

“I believe His Grace had tea with His Majesty.”

Rikel, who came at Lea’s urgent call, glanced at the duke as he answered.

“Tea? Was that all he drank?”

“Yes. He hasn’t been well since then…”

“What kind of tea was it, that it could do this…?”

If it was a simple tea time, the Emperor must have drunk the same. Yet, only the duke’s health had deteriorated.

Reading the suspicion on Lea’s face, Rikel hesitated before answering.

“Do you know the plant called Haesal-i? I suspect that may have been the tea, though I’m not certain…”

“…What did you say?”

In the world’s eyes, Haesal-i was known as a tonic. But in truth—

A stimulant.

For the healthy, it could be medicine. For someone poisoned like the duke, however, it only magnified the toxicity.

Especially for a man who had consumed Porarium poison for so long, it was nothing short of lethal poison.

Could this really be a coincidence? Or was it not coincidence at all…?

As Lea stared at the duke’s bloodless face, he, propped against the bed, broke into a fit of dry coughs.

“Your Grace!”

In that instant, bright red blood sprayed like scattered sunlight. The crimson spilling from his lips stained the white sheets.

Seeing this, Rikel’s face turned ashen as he looked to Lea.

What do we do?

Recently, the duke’s condition had been improving. Since he had stopped taking Porarium poison, the side effects had slowed.

She had even been adjusting the dosage of the new medicine to match his recovery.

Lea bit her lip anxiously and studied his face.

Beneath his eyes, the twitching… the blood…

She threw back the blanket and checked his hands and feet.

“His body’s going rigid…”

The stiffening of his limbs was the onset of paralysis.

Damn it.

The blood he vomited meant the poison had already spread through his body. Tears welled in Lea’s eyes as she looked down at him.

But she forced herself to stand.

There’s no time to hesitate.

He needed the new medicine immediately.

“Your Grace, please hold on a little longer.”

Though he was unconscious and barely breathing, she whispered firmly, “I’ll save you, no matter what.”

She rushed from the room, feet flying toward her supplies. Once inside, she dug frantically through her belongings.

At last she seized a pale-green vial—the very new medicine she had developed not long ago.

“There may be side effects…”

There was no other choice.

Please…!

She clutched the vial like a prayer and ran back. The duke had worsened in the short time she’d been gone. His face was ghostly pale, his eyes sunken in shadow.

Death was close. She could feel it.

“Your Grace, just a little of this, please…”

Her hand shook violently as she tilted the vial to his lips. But he was too far gone—he could not swallow. The liquid spilled down his cheek.

“What do I do…?”

She tried again and again, but each time it dribbled away.

He must take this, somehow.

Lea stared at the half-empty vial, then made her decision.

“…Forgive me.”

She swallowed the remaining liquid herself, then leaned close. Pressing her lips to his, she poured the medicine into him with her breath.

His dry, cold lips carried his suffering into her own. She winced but did not falter.

Their lips sealed completely. The medicine flowed slowly down his throat.

In the still room, only the rustle of bed sheets sounded. The excess trickled down his face.

When all the liquid was gone, Lea pulled back, pressing a hand to his forehead, sighing with relief.

“…It’s done.”

Her duty fulfilled, she collapsed to the floor, weak with exhaustion.

Now, all she could do was wait and watch over him for a few days.

She finally noticed the moonlight spilling through the window. She had not realized how the day had passed.

No, there’s still work to do.

She pressed a wet cloth to his brow.

The new medicine caused high fever at first. The only way to ease it was to cool his body.

She unbuttoned his shirt and wiped down his burning chest. Her fingertips stung as though scorched.

“Please… You must wake up.”

All night she tended him. The fever slowly receded.

By dawn, Lea was drained, slumped at his bedside.

“Don’t leave me, Your Grace. Call me a quack if you must, but please…”

Had he heard her? Or was it the medicine working?

“…Lea…?”

A faint, familiar voice brushed her ear. Akkia’s eyes fluttered open, and he whispered her name.

Lea sprang up. “Your Grace! Are you awake?”

“…Where…am I…”

“You collapsed. You drank Haesal-i. You must never touch that plant!”

“…I…”

His words faltered—too weak from his long unconsciousness.

Lea quickly reassured him, “Don’t speak. The new medicine seems to be working, thank goodness—”

But before she could finish,

“—Cough!”

Blood spurted from his lips again. Lea’s face drained of color.

“Your Grace…!”

Her desperate cry echoed through the mansion.

“What is happening…!”

She checked him frantically.

Just moments ago, his red eyes had shone faintly with life. Now his gaze unfocused.

Her hand flew to his chest. The heart that should have been beating—was still.

His heart… it’s not beating!

Lea clambered onto the bed, starting chest compressions. In this world without defibrillators, cardiac arrest was fatal.

“Please! Open your eyes!”

Sweat poured down her brow as she pressed his chest again and again.

Two minutes passed. At most, three remained before it was too late.

She pressed harder, voice breaking. “Please, don’t go…!”

Just then—

—Bang!

The door burst open. Standing there was Jacob, the imperial physician she had once seen, with Marquis Rodrigo behind him.

“We heard the duke was in danger. What are you doing to him?”

“Marquis, there’s no time! I must continue resuscitation—”

“Resuscitation? Looks more like you’re smothering him to death.”

Rodrigo’s cold gaze froze her. Sweat trickled down her back.

A sense of dread engulfed her. The marquis turned to Jacob.

“Jacob. Examine him.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The physician shoved Lea aside.

“Out of the way! Worthless apothecary!”

He checked the duke’s unfocused eyes, pressed his ear to the chest, and clicked his tongue.

Lea bit her lip in anguish.

He’s wasting time! The duke needs compressions, not this!

“Your Grace has already passed away,” Jacob declared.

“He hasn’t! His breath is faint, but he’s alive!”

“No need to listen further. Guards! Seize her and throw her in the dungeon!”

Rodrigo’s eyes burned into her as she cried out.

Dungeon? That didn’t matter.

What mattered was the duke—he had only this one chance.

Lea stood her ground.

“Cardiac massage! I can do it! His heart only just stopped—he’ll come back! He was conscious moments ago—”

“The apothecary speaks nonsense. I’ll hear no more.”

God was not on her side.

Rodrigo smirked and motioned to the soldiers.

“What are you waiting for? Drag this girl away—now!”