Chapter 232: Side Story 24

It was an early afternoon, with the sun high in the sky, when Sabina opened her eyes.

She immediately sat up, fully alert.

There was no particular pain in her body.

‘What happened? I’m sure before I fainted…’

Just before passing out, she hadn’t had the chance to check her own condition.

But she could roughly guess what had happened.

Her body had been covered in blood, bones felt crushed with pain, there was a stabbing pain in her organs, her ears were ringing, and her vocal cords were damaged…

‘…I almost died.’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

She had thought she would at least be seriously injured, if not dead.

Sabina felt around her body.

Instead, she felt unusually refreshed and light, as if reborn.

“Ahem, aah.”

Her voice came out clear.

She felt puzzled at this.

“Madam!”

Dana, who had been dozing off beside her, suddenly woke up upon hearing her voice.

Her face, previously buried in fatigue, instantly brightened.

“You’re awake!”

“Dana.”

The culprit who had caused Sabina, who could have escaped, to return to Valentine Castle.

“You’re safe.”

Sabina stretched out her arms and hugged her tightly, smiling.

Taken aback by her sudden action, Dana soon frowned and grumbled.

“Safe? That’s what I should be saying to you! I was just quietly sleeping in my room at that time!”

On the other hand, what about Sabina?

Not content with running to the annex, she confronted the Grand Duke Valentine head-on and even stabbed a sword into his heart.

“You should have at least come back safely after causing such a huge incident…”

How shocked she had been when Sabina returned in the arms of a knight, covered in blood.

Remembering that scene, Dana’s eyes teared up again.

If Dana’s heart had been any weaker, she might have died of a heart attack by now.

“I was so worried you would never wake up!”

It seemed a considerable amount of time had passed since Sabina had fainted.

“How long was I out?”

“It’s been a week.”

Dana said with a sniffle.

‘A week…’

It had to be a week.

The exact day the bet was supposed to end.

Sabina realized that her title as ‘Madam’ had now become fixed, a status she could no longer be dissatisfied with.

“Ha…”

She let out a hollow sigh, curling up and hugging her knees.

A sudden feeling of weakness overcame her.

Despite being prepared, facing such an outcome made her feel utterly miserable.

“Was it a doctor who treated me?”

“Of course not. How could a doctor heal such wounds in just a week?”

“Then who?”

“If you need anything, just call.”

Dana pointed to the room next door as she spoke.

“The Pope himself is on standby.”

The Pope?

“Did I hear that right?”

“That’s right.”

There might be an emperor in the Garcian Empire, but he was just a figurehead, a puppet.

The real power lay with the Pope.

To think she received intensive treatment from the ruler who governed an entire empire.

It seemed like a cruel joke, but Dana was serious.

“How did that happen?”

“I’m not sure. I can only guess that the Grand Prince made some sort of deal.”

“Right… The Pope could heal external and internal injuries in an instant.”

Sabina muttered dully, as if in a trance.

It was because Dana had talked about an unbelievable event as if it were just another day.

Suddenly, the extent of Valentine’s power became clear to her.

‘But still, it’s strange that Garcia would willingly help, especially since Valentine possesses the devil power that the Holy Empire so deeply detests.’

It was strange.

No matter how she thought about it, it was just too unusual.

Emperor and Pope alike, those at the pinnacle of power, seem to be excessively favoring Valentine. It’s as if they are either blackmailed or owe him a great debt…

Lost in thought, Sabina was interrupted when Dana hurried out of the room to call someone.

After a brief silence, Sabina lay down on the bed.

‘Let whatever happens, happen.’

Her despair was short-lived.

Once the deadline for the bet had passed, her anxiety vanished, replaced by a sense of relief.

Her mind felt clear and more focused.

She wondered if she had been too hasty, causing things to go awry.

‘Well, even so, the Grand Duke’s rampage was bound to happen.’

Even if she could turn back time, Sabina would have acted the same.

Her actions, seemingly meaningless, ultimately saved people.

If she hadn’t bought time, they all would have died.

She decided not to deny that fact.

At that moment, the sound of the door opening made Sabina turn her head and her expression hardened reflexively, then she awkwardly scratched her cheek.

Tristan Valentine.

After all, she owed her life to him.

“You came to rescue me at just the right time.”

“…”

“If you had been even a second late, I might have really died.”

At Sabina’s additional words, his eyebrows shot up.

“Yes, it was a shocking moment for me too.”

Sabina brushed off his response.

Feeling awkward, she turned her head away from Tristan’s gaze and asked,

“Is the Grand Duke dead?”

She recalled the scene she had seen just before fainting.

The Grand Duke and the Grand Duke’s son were clashing.

It was a scene that looked less like a human fight and more like lava and a tidal wave colliding.

‘If he, if he killed his own father…’

The thought that she might have instigated such patricide made her uncomfortable.

“The Grand Duke cannot die.”

Tristan replied after a long silence.

“Not until he transfers all his power to me.”

“By power, you mean… the devil’s malice?”

“It seems you’ve heard about it.”

So, he’s still alive.

Sabina felt a sense of relief inside.

Even though she made an unavoidable choice to save everyone, she was glad he didn’t die.

She had learned to wield a sword to protect, not to kill.

“Then why did you do something so reckless?”

Tristan asked in a suppressed voice.

His restrained, emotion-laden voice sounded very unfamiliar.

“To save people, there was no other way.”

“No, even if the Grand Duke had died, you couldn’t have saved anyone. You would have just turned to ashes…”

“What?”

Sabina blinked in slight confusion, unaware of the full situation.

Tristan just looked down at her with an expressionless face.

“But, yeah. It’s more my fault for not explaining properly. It’s my mistake.”

He was neither laughing foolishly nor showing any signs of rage or madness.

His expressionless and calm demeanor made him appear more human.

‘Is that really him?’

Sabina slightly doubted whether he was really Tristan or someone else wearing his guise.

She had expected him to be overjoyed at having completely won her over.

‘Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’

While Sabina was sizing up the devil who suddenly started acting human,

“I lost.”

“What?”

“The bet, I lost.”

Tristan suddenly declared his defeat.

“I’ll grant you a divorce as promised. I’ll make sure the Valois family can’t even lay a finger on you by crushing them thoroughly.”

Crushing them thoroughly wasn’t part of the bet’s condition.

Although he had promised to take measures so that the Valois side couldn’t harm her.

“I’ll look for a place for you to stay. Stay here until you’re fully recovered. We might not have married, but I’ll make sure you get the mansion and alimony.”

Overly generous offers flowed smoothly from the lips of the devil.

‘Not only declaring defeat in a bet that was already won, but also offering to take revenge on my behalf and give me a house and money?’

It just doesn’t make sense.

Did he suddenly feel disillusioned with his own heartless nature and decide to become a better person?

Sabina couldn’t help but ask.

“Did you eat something wrong?”

“No.”

“Then, have you been playing with me?”

“…”

Given Tristan’s behavior she had observed so far, the probability was very high.

He never really intended to marry in the first place and wasn’t obsessed with her, but perhaps he found her reactions amusing and played along.

Enjoying seeing her get swayed and desperate by his every word.

“Did you find it amusing?”

“No.”

But Tristan denied it.

Knowing that he wasn’t one to lie even at the brink of death, Sabina felt even more perplexed.

“I wish it were that simple…”

He muttered.

He hadn’t touched alcohol recently.

When he came to see her, he didn’t even take out a cigarette in front of a patient.

Tristan found no amusement in the current situation.

The moment when he witnessed Sabina nearing death and the fear of losing her, the wave of emotions that swept over him.

The moment he almost got swayed like a fool by uncontrollable emotions.

Realizing that he actually hoped she wouldn’t die.

All of it was unamusing to him.

“When it’s time to let go.”

So, Tristan decided to let her go.

◊