AWLC 27

Chapter – 27

It was broad daylight.

Two straight glasses clinked in midair with a sharp cheers.

“As expected, Your Excellency the Marquis. I knew you would pull it off.”

The steward’s smile refused to leave his face.

Cedric downed his whiskey in a single gulp and set the glass down with a firm thud.

As if he had been waiting for it, the steward quickly refilled the marquis’s glass and chattered on excitedly.

“Now we have nothing to worry about. Who is Jerold Burns? The Vice Prime Minister of the great Abyss Empire! And he has promised his full support for activating Dalbert’s maritime trade. Dalbert’s future is as good as paved!”

The steward’s excited rambling continued for quite some time, while Cedric quietly steadied his thoughts.

At dawn, after speaking with Jerold, Cedric had returned to the estate and reviewed documents throughout the night.

Strangely enough, when he was immersed in work, Asha—who had tormented his thoughts so relentlessly—barely crossed his mind.

Well, to be honest, she hadn’t disappeared entirely from his thoughts… but it was manageable. It wasn’t enough to exhaust him with emotional turmoil.

Until recently, his heart had risen and fallen countless times each day.

Part of him longed to see her just once more, even from afar.
Another part insisted he must forget her completely—she was not a woman he could ever have.

Emotion and reason stood in perfect opposition.

But now?

He felt confident that he could forget Asha.

Perhaps it was because she was no longer before his eyes. In any case, as he focused on his work, the wild pounding in his chest had finally calmed.

Tangible achievements brought him satisfaction, and seeing the steward so delighted filled him with pride.

That was right.

The freedom of the Dalbert territory had not been won by his strength alone.

Before him stood loyal subordinates who had risked their lives for Dalbert, and citizens he was sworn to protect.

There was a mountain of work still ahead for their sake.

Step by step, those efforts would accumulate and build a prosperous Dalbert.

The thought of being busy for a long while was, oddly enough, comforting.

If he buried himself in work and let time pass, then perhaps by the time he looked up again—

Asha would be nothing but a memory.

The painful days were over.

Having settled his heart, Cedric tilted his glass and finished the drink.

When the steward reached to refill it again, Cedric stopped him.

“I should get some sleep.”

“Of course, Your Excellency. You worked hard through the night. Since you’ve laid out the overall framework for revitalizing trade, I’ll handle the finer details.”

As Cedric rose and headed toward his bedroom, he paused.

“When is William expected to arrive?”

“Either late tonight or at dawn tomorrow. He said that since the maritime trade project will likely be designed in the capital, he will come fully prepared. In any case, formal meetings won’t begin until the day after tomorrow, so please rest well today and tomorrow.”

Cedric nodded and entered his chamber.

Just before sleep claimed him, Asha briefly surfaced in his mind—

but not enough to keep him awake.

He thought that was fortunate as he drifted off.

Unaware of how his emotions might change when he saw her again.

Alesto had sought out the Saintess to probe the contents of the letter from the temple.

More than anything, he wanted to know whether she was aware of the divine oracle.

But—

Upon entering the Almond Palace chambers, his mind went blank.

‘I heard she fell ill after reading the letter… but…’

She lay neatly on the bed, eyes closed, breathing faintly.

“Call Chino,” he ordered quietly.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Ruby replied, bowing before leaving.

After Ruby stepped out, Alesto dragged a chair from the window to the bedside and sat beside her, studying her face.

She looked even paler than usual.

‘She hasn’t moved at all.’

As she remained perfectly still, a strange anxiety crept into him.

‘Is she… truly breathing?’

Suddenly worried, he held his fingers beneath her nose.

He thought he felt a faint warmth against his skin—or perhaps it was just his imagination.

He then examined the place where her jaw met her neck, searching for a pulse. But the vein was hard to find.

Or perhaps her pulse was simply that weak.

For a fleeting moment, he was tempted to place his hand over her chest to confirm her heartbeat.

But even over the blanket, such an act would be improper.

Instead, he leaned down, bringing his ear close to her lips.

At the same time, his eyes fixed on where her chest should rise and fall.

Just once.

If he could clearly see her chest move—or feel her breath more distinctly—

A faint warmth brushed his ear. Relief flickered, only to be replaced by doubt.

‘Why is Chino taking so long?’

Unable to bear it, he slipped his hand beneath the blanket and gently grasped her thin wrist.

It was alarmingly slender.

Yet beneath his fingers, he felt it—

A weak, but unmistakable pulse.

Just as relief washed over him—

“Your Highness…?”

He flinched.

Her warm breath and soft voice brushed his ear at once.

He quickly straightened, drawing in a sharp breath.

“You’re awake?”

She blinked and nodded faintly.

At that moment, Chino arrived—the middle-aged physician with graying hair who served as Alesto’s personal doctor.

“I greet Your Highness.”

Alesto released Asha’s wrist and stood aside.

“Examine her.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As the crown prince stepped back, Chino began his assessment.

“How are you feeling?”

Asha looked puzzled but answered obediently.

“I’m fine.”

“Any dizziness or headaches?”

Headaches?
On the contrary, she felt refreshed after sleeping deeply.

“No. I feel good.”

“Any unusual symptoms?”

She shook her head gently.

After a thorough examination, Chino concluded,

“She is malnourished, but there are no serious issues.”

“I heard she hadn’t eaten and had slept for quite some time. I feared something was wrong.”

Only then did Asha understand why she had been examined.

When she was stressed, she tended to sleep it off. It seemed she had simply slept longer than usual, causing unnecessary alarm.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Chino continued. “Her vitality is weakened, so she likely slept for an extended period. She should rest and eat well today.”

Alesto nodded and dismissed both Chino and Ruby.

Soon, only he and Asha remained in the room.

Asha’s wrist still felt warm—the lingering heat from his touch.

She also felt slightly embarrassed for having caused such a fuss.

Carefully, she met his eyes—only to look away again.

His expression seemed colder than usual, and she shrank slightly.

“…I’m sorry.”

His voice was low.

“For what?”

“I think I caused trouble for no reason.”

Alesto swallowed a sigh.

What trouble had she caused?

He wanted to ease her gloom, but comforting others was not his strength.

After choosing his words carefully, he spoke evenly.

“It’s not that you caused trouble, Miss Asha. You merely slept longer than usual. I worried on my own accord. I apologize for disturbing your rest.”

It was true.

He had been the one to panic over someone who had simply been sleeping soundly.

“You were worried?”

A soft laugh escaped him.

Seeing her wide-eyed and back to her usual self reassured him.

While she had slept peacefully, he alone had been in turmoil.

For someone rarely shaken by nerves, the sensation of his heart tightening and then loosening was unfamiliar.

After a few awkward, breathless chuckles, he nodded without resistance.

“Yes. I was worried.”