Chapter 1327: 85. Apology

"A man's true nature."

"Powerful and domineering."

"Kind at heart."

"Absolutely never cowardly."

"And at the same time......Goddess bless me. For Liya's sake, please bless me generously."

As Muen silently recited the principles that belonged to a good man like himself, he prayed that this conflict would hurry up and end.

As for romantic battlefields and the like, the current him had long since become fearless. Don't be fooled by how he was hiding under the blanket right now and looking a little cowardly......that was only how it looked. He had merely concealed his presence for the time being because he didn't want the conflict to escalate.

He was doing this for the sake of this family too. Without him, it would fall apart.

Not to mention that if this continued, he was genuinely worried they might demolish the hospital. If they did, then he wouldn't be able to afford the compensa......all right, he actually could afford it, and no one would dare say anything either.

When the Empress of the Empire demolished a hospital, could that even be called demolition? No. That was dissatisfaction with outdated hospital facilities, personally supervising their reconstruction for the benefit of the broad masses.

"At least leave me a roof or something."

Muen pressed his palms together before his chest, already prepared for the worst.

He no longer asked to emerge completely unscathed. He only hoped that once the storm passed, there would still be a few tiles left above his head to shelter under.

After all, he was still an injured patient......

"Huh?"

But at that moment, Muen suddenly let out a puzzled sound.

Because as time passed, the commotion......disappeared?

Inside the blanket, everything was peaceful and serene. After all, this was an absolute domain that no demon or monster could invade......with the exception of perverted succubus gentle big sisters who launched midnight attacks and shameless little female brats.

But at some point, Muen realized that it had become extremely quiet outside as well.

None of the terrifying things he had worried about happened. There were no frightening fluctuations of power, and the entire hospital room remained perfectly intact. It seemed he temporarily didn't have to worry about pitifully ending up homeless.

Everything was normal.

But the absence of anything abnormal was itself the greatest abnormality!

"What's going on?"

Muen suspiciously poked his head out of the blanket like a cat, only to discover in horror......

An and Celicia were sitting side by side in front of his bed.

Sunlight poured down and illuminated their profiles, making the scene look peaceful and beautiful.

No conflict, no hostility, no romantic battlefield. The two women simply sat there quietly as though nothing had happened at all. Even their gazes shifted toward Muen's face in perfect unison the instant he poked his head out.

"You two......what happened?" ℯ

Muen swallowed with difficulty.

"What happened? Naturally, nothing happened."

Celicia was as cold and composed as ever, her face expressionless.

"No......it's precisely because nothing happened that I'm asking."

"Young Master worries far too much. Her Majesty the Empress and I are as close as sisters. How could anything possibly happen between us?"

An had also recovered her usual dignified bearing, sitting with elegant posture.

"......"

Muen tilted his head back and couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.

What kind of situation was this?

Had he been run over so badly by the dragon carriage earlier that his brain had been injured and he was now hallucinating?

But it was his lower body that had been run over. Why would there be something wrong with his brain?

But if there was nothing wrong with his brain, then why was he hearing words in a place like this that he absolutely should never have been hearing?

"In your eyes, am I some icy woman who can't get along with anyone?"

Seeing Muen's expression, the gentle tranquility on the silver-haired girl's beautiful face vanished instantly, and that familiar icy gaze stabbed directly toward him.

"No, no, absolutely not."

Muen shook his head like a rattle drum.

Yet inwardly, he felt a surge of relief.

That's more like it.

This was Celicia.

Now this felt right!

Wonderful. He wasn't sick, and Celicia wasn't sick either!

"I don't know what strange misunderstanding you have about me, nor do I want to know, but even I have times when I don't want to fight."

Celicia brushed her hair aside. The chill lasted only an instant before she once again restrained her coldness and sharp edge.

Then she simply sat there in the chair and closed her eyes to rest, her long eyelashes like a frost-covered winter forest, breathtakingly beautiful.

At this moment, she really did seem unwilling to fight or say anything more.

And while Muen was still bewildered, An twisted her slender waist, scooted her chair closer, and took Muen's hand.

"Young Master, I'm terribly sorry. You've clearly suffered such serious injuries, but from now on, I may once again be unable to stay by your side and take care of you at all times."

"Hm?"

Muen didn't immediately react.

"What do you mean?"

"Madam seems to be returning earlier than expected, so I need to help put the ducal estate in order. It was only recently rebuilt, and many things still haven't been finished. In name, at least, I'm still the head maid of the ducal estate, so I can't get away at a time like this."

An looked apologetic.

"Oh? Mother is coming back early?"

Muen's eyes lit up.

An's excuse sounded somewhat familiar, but his attention was immediately drawn to something else.

He hadn't seen Mother in a very long time and genuinely missed her.

And if Mother was returning, then that meant......

He could finally meet that younger sister of his whom he'd never even seen before?

She ought to be extremely adorable.

"It's fine. If you're busy, of course work comes first. I'm all right here. It's not like I'm a little kid."

Muen nodded repeatedly.

If anything, hearing that An had other things to do actually made him breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, what he needed most in his current condition was peaceful recuperation and recovery.

If An stayed here, who knew whether instead of recovering peacefully, she might leave him even more drained the longer she cared for him?

"Mhm. Thank you, Young Master."

An's expression was full of reluctance and attachment. It looked as though this had been a difficult choice for her as well.

"Now this is unusual."

At that moment, Celicia suddenly opened her eyes and looked at An with a cold sneer.

"Even if you truly are this so-called head maid, this is Belrand, after all. The ducal estate can't possibly be so short-handed that you're required personally. Yet you're voluntarily giving up the opportunity to be alone with this guy and running off to handle that sort of work? And you're even so devoted to it that you won't have any spare attention to take care of him? Does that sound normal?"

There was one thing even Celicia had to admit.

The status of the woman before her as Muen's personal maid gave her, in every sense, the best possible opportunity to get close to him.

Combined with her attitude of having eyes for no one except Muen, now that Muen was lying in bed recovering, this was practically a perfect opportunity made especially for her.

Celicia had already mentally prepared herself for Muen to be drained dry by this woman all over again.

But she hadn't expected this woman to voluntarily withdraw.

"That's because your vision is too narrow."

An showed no weakness and answered with a cold sneer of her own.

"You only see the immediate benefits and pay no attention whatsoever to long-term development. Is this what they call the Empress of the Empire?"

"You......"

Celicia narrowed her beautiful eyes, the killing intent that had already dispersed beginning to condense once more.

"Heh. Interesting. Then I'd love to hear exactly what kind of far-reaching vision you possess."

"I wouldn't call it far-reaching. It's simply that I can go somewhere you may never be able to reach in your entire life."

An suddenly leaned toward Celicia's ear and whispered:

"As for you, don't waste your effort. Even if you knew, it wouldn't help, because......Madam doesn't seem to like you very much."

"......"

......

......

"Huh? What did An just say to you?"

Muen looked curiously at Celicia.

An had already left, yet Celicia was still lost in thought. There was even a trace of solemnity on her face.

That wasn't like her.

"Nothing."

Celicia finally came back to herself, her gaze returning to its usual cold clarity.

"My ears were merely dirtied by some of that woman's words."

"Is......is that so?"

Muen sighed deeply.

"You two really should be a little more peaceful. Always fighting like this, constantly clashing head-on......what's the point?"

"Did I fight with her just now?" Celicia asked in return.

"......All right, I suppose that really didn't count as fighting."

The corner of Muen's mouth twitched.

There hadn't been any fighting, but somehow, after An whispered that sentence into Celicia's ear, the atmosphere in the room had felt even more terrifying than an actual romantic battlefield erupting.

He was genuinely curious about what she had said.

Could An have called her a filthy pest right to her face again?

No.

If it had merely been some simple mockery, with Celicia's personality she definitely would have fired back immediately.

That moment just now, when she had suddenly seemed to fall into a disadvantage......

Aside from that previous incident when several women had joined forces to scheme against her, this was the first time Muen had ever seen Celicia like that.

"Don't let your imagination run wild."

Celicia's tone became frightening.

"I'm not. Absolutely not."

Muen hurriedly waved his hands in assurance.

"I swear to you on the sincere heart of Belrand's number one good man."

"Smooth-tongued."

"Am I? I'm only telling the truth."

"You've been getting arrogant again lately."

Celicia narrowed her beautiful eyes. Beneath her skirt, her small black-stockinged foot swayed slightly.

Muen's lower abdomen instantly tightened as memories surfaced of all those days when Celicia's knee had struck him there.

"Wait, isn't that a misunderstanding? Arrogant......look at the state I'm in right now. How could I possibly be arrogant?"

"......"

But......

The knee strike never came.

Celicia's little foot merely swayed once before settling back down.

The icy chill that had followed vanished as well.

Celicia suddenly lowered her head, seemingly thinking about something.

Just as Muen began feeling that Celicia was far too strange today and wondered whether, since they were already in a hospital anyway, he should call that elderly doctor who had looked extremely experienced earlier back in to examine her as well......

Celicia abruptly raised her head.

Her ice-lake eyes locked onto him.

Her entire body visibly tensed.

Her whole presence became like that of a lioness preparing to launch an immediate attack.

"W-What now?"

The terrifying sight made Muen shudder.

Ignoring the fact that his body was still recovering, his peripheral vision locked onto the nearby window as he prepared to smash through it and flee at any moment.

But......

"I'm sorry."

She looked exactly like a female general about to launch the fiercest possible charge against an enemy.

Yet what softly left Celicia's lips at that moment were the weakest words in the world.

"I'm very sorry."

"Wh......what?"

This time Muen was genuinely stunned.

He even began stammering.

His first reaction was still to wonder whether he had heard her wrong.

But when he saw the serious expression on Celicia's beautiful face, he knew he hadn't.

So his second reaction was to wonder whether a doctor alone could really solve this problem......

Should he call senior and Liya back and have the Silent Bureau and the Church examine her again?

Otherwise......

That Celicia had suddenly apologized to him?

"Is it really such an extraordinary thing for me to say those two words?"

Celicia tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, her gaze somewhat distant.

"No, no!"

Muen nodded vigorously, then shook his head just as vigorously.

"Then why are you making that face?"

"I......"

Muen froze for a moment before giving an awkward smile.

"I just don't know why you're apologizing, Cia."

In truth, if Celicia had stayed silent for just a little longer, Muen would have apologized first.

What he'd done earlier in his room, using schemes and tricks to humiliate the Empress of the Empire......

If anyone seriously pursued something like that, even ten heads wouldn't be enough for him to lose.

But......

He had never expected things to develop like this.

It surprised him even more than the possibility of Celicia suddenly "attacking" him.

"You can take it as there being many things I ought to apologize for. But if I had to choose the most important one......"

Celicia thought for a moment before softly saying:

"It would still be what happened with the wedding......I'm sorry. That time, for you, perhaps it really was too sudden."