Saving My Sweetheart

Chapter 5

Leticia nervously bit her bottom lip.

There are too many people around. I need to get into that room… It had been a good idea to use the secret passage to enter the annex unnoticed by the Genos delegation, but now, the problem was the priest who had suddenly barged in right when she’d been about to sneak into Enoch’s room. As a result, everyone who should have been in their rooms was now crowded in the lobby. What do I do? Enoch will be in danger if I delay any longer.

She anxiously stared at the tightly closed door when she heard a shout.

“What did you say?” the priest asked, his voice ringing. “Are you refusing the medicine given to you by the saint?”

His loud shouts caught everyone’s attention, and Leticia pulled the hood over her head and slipped into Enoch’s room. She let out a sigh of relief as she closed the door and leaned on the wall for a moment. The strong smell of the herb in her hood tickled her nose. When she slowly opened her eyes again, she saw a pale figure lying in bed.

That must be him.

Enoch had turned seventeen this year, and though he was only two years younger than her, the difference in their age felt more significant—perhaps because Leticia was returning to her previous life. She bit her lip again as she examined his pale, lifeless face and the way his sandy blond hair sat listlessly on his head.

His condition has already gotten this bad…

She placed her ear close to his nose—just to be sure—and felt a faint, shallow breath. He looked as if he could stop breathing at any moment.

I need to give this to him right away!

The problem was that the herb would have to be chewed to be swallowed, but he was unconscious.

“Enoch, Enoch! Can you hear me?” she called his name, but as expected, there was no response.

Having already anticipated this, she began calmly tearing the herb into small pieces.

The patient should chew and swallow it himself, but it should still be effective if it goes down with water. Thankfully, there was a glass and a water pitcher on the table. She poured a glass of water, added in the herb, and waited for it to infuse, all while glancing at the door repeatedly in case someone walked in.

I hope the priest drags out the confrontation… While the priest’s tirade against Ditrian dragged on, no one entered the room while she waited for the infusion. Soon, the herb-infused water’s unique scent filled the room.

“I know it’s hard, Enoch, but you must hang on. It’ll all get better soon.” She whispered to him tenderly as she cradled his head, slowly tipping the green-tinged water past his parted lips.

She fed him carefully, making sure he didn’t choke and spit it out. She made sure to shift his head each time she gave him a half sip, watching his throat bob before tilting the cup to his mouth again. Leticia checked the amount of antidote left in the glass before glancing again at the clock. A considerable amount of time had passed, but she hadn’t been able to feed him even half. Perhaps it was from her anxiety, but beads of sweat formed along her forehead.

I need to finish before Ditrian comes in. If he were to walk in right now, there would be no way for her to explain what she was doing. Everyone in the Genos delegation believed her to be a bloodthirsty murderer, and they would immediately assume that she was trying to harm Enoch. Even if he were to wake up and clear the misunderstanding, there were still numerous other issues—the most pressing being that her mother’s priest was still present.

If my mother finds out I was here… It was obvious what would happen next. Not only her, but the entire delegation would be severely punished. Despite her anxiety, Leticia continued to diligently give Enoch the antidote. Finally, the boy grimaced and let out a small groan just as the glass was running empty. His eyes twitched beneath his eyelids, indicating that he was regaining consciousness. Leticia’s face brightened when she observed the signs that he was waking up.

His color is returning! His deathly pale complexion was beginning to flush, and even his ice-cold body was warming. His pulse, which had seemed on the verge of stopping, now beat strongly beneath her palm. The antidote was working. What a relief... It worked!

Leticia forgot to be anxious as a bright smile spread across her face. Though she had known the antidote would work, she had still been worried. She quickly cleared all traces of her work and put the dried leaves back into her pocket, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

I saved someone’s life. She’d saved a boy who was supposed to have died, and the future had changed because of her. Leticia gripped his hand, feeling a surge of hope in her chest.

“Congratulations, Enoch,” she murmured. She knew he couldn’t hear her, but she wanted to say it all the same. “Only good things will happen from now on. I will protect everyone. Not just you, but the whole kingdom of Genos... and Ditrian.” She would protect them all.

Enoch regained consciousness just as Leticia had whispered her vow and turned to leave. He blinked, struggling to open his eyes, and his blurred vision gradually cleared to reveal her profile.

Who’s that...?

Small shoulders, delicate features, long, flowing blonde hair, and…

What is that...?

A white light emanated from her pocket, eventually swirling around her slender wrist and forming a shape.

A bracelet... with a black gem?

A bracelet had formed around her wrist, with a small, glittering black gemstone embedded in the middle. Even with his blurred vision, the bracelet seemed to stand out clearly. Enoch blinked drowsily.

That person saved my life, he thought. The owner of that bracelet saved me. I need to let His Majesty know…

He remembered the words she’d whispered in his ears. “I will protect everyone.” She had promised to protect him, Ditrian, and their kingdom.

I can’t let her leave like this…

He watched her retreating figure regretfully, parting his lips and wishing he could call out to her. He wanted to thank her and let all his countrymen know what she had done. But his throat was closed, and his voice wouldn’t come out. All he could do was watch helplessly as she slipped through the door.

* * *

When Leticia left Enoch’s room, the delegation’s attention was still focused on the shouts coming from the drawing room. She peeked around cautiously before pulling the hood tight over her head to make sure her blonde hair was hidden.

A day has come when a priest has finally been helpful… In her past life, they had always been eager to torment her, never even understanding why her mother despised her.

They all believed I was a stain on my mother’s honor. St. Josephina was Leticia’s mother, and was called the greatest saint in the empire’s history.

My mother received the goddess’s prophecy on the day she became a saint. The goddess’s prophecy was a precious occurrence that was so rare it only happened once every few years. It was only possible when a saint had fully grown into her power. Such a prophecy had been bestowed on a mere fifteen-year-old girl, and Josephina almost instantly gained everyone’s reverence after the incident.

The problem, however, had been the prophecy itself. Josephina had blamed the empire’s crumbling decline as the fault of their neighboring kingdom.

“The decline of the Holy Empire is due to the kingdom of Genos. The wicked descendants of the dragon are the obstacles in our path. There is only one way for us to reclaim our glory. The goddess has told me that their wings must be broken.”

Before the prophecy, the Holy Empire and the kingdom of Genos had lived in peaceful coexistence. Although there had always been small skirmishes at the border, there was active trade and relations between the two nations.

Her mother’s prophecy had changed everything. The empire had done everything it could do to destroy Genos, which had been helpless to fight back. Countless people had died, including Ditrian’s older brother, Julius. Sadness and regret glimmered in Leticia’s eyes.

I’ve come back to the past... but if only it had been seven years earlier when Prince Julius was still alive…

She had met the prince seven years ago.

* * *

“Little miss! I seem to have lost my way. May I ask you for directions?” a male voice called.

Leticia had barely escaped from her mother’s abusive hands and was returning to her room. Julius, who was staying in the Holy Palace as part of the envoy from Genos, had suddenly appeared in front of her. Her mother often dressed her as a palace handmaid to conceal the signs of physical abuse, so though Julius was mistaking her identity, she couldn’t correct him properly.

“Are you all right, little miss?” he asked.

Her body ached all over, and she was hardly able to see straight. Struggling to turn her gaze toward him, she realized too late that he had placed a cool hand on her forehead.

“You’re burning up!”

Suddenly, her eyes could make out the young man in front of her. He had shining silver hair and kind blue eyes that twinkled in the sun.

“You must get to a physician at once,” the kind man declared.

“No! No physician!” she croaked, not knowing who he was. “N-no physician... I’ll... really die if I go to a physician...”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Th-the saint said... I must never... go to a physician...”

Leticia lost consciousness. Upon opening her eyes again, she discovered she was in an unfamiliar room. Trembling with fear, she thought she had been brought to a physician until someone wiped her brow with a cold towel.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t bring you to a physician.”

The same young man from earlier was sitting right in front of her, and Leticia tensed, her shoulders slumping at seeing the unfamiliar face.

“My name is Julius,” he said.

“Sir... Julius?”

There was a curious gleam in his eyes as he gazed at her.

“Sir Julius? No one has addressed me that way since I arrived here.”

“Pardon me...?”

“Everyone here treats me worse than a dog. You, little miss, are very kind.” His laughter sounded thin, but the smile on his face suited him nicely. “I am from Genos.”

“Oh... Genos.” She remembered that Genos’ first prince was part of the envoy. She gripped the bed with trembling hands and bowed her head. “I-I apologize for not recognizing you, Your Highness. I... wasn’t aware...”

“Your Highness? Enough with the formalities. All you need to do is rest.” Julius gently but resolutely laid her back down. “You were unconscious for two days, miss.”

His brow was furrowed, as if he were displeased. Leticia breathed heavily.

“Thank you for your help,” she said at last.

“Even when you’re this sick, you’re so polite,” Julius replied, chuckling softly. “Your sincerity reminds me of someone.”

There was longing in the blue eyes that gazed down at her. She didn’t ask, but it was clear that it was someone he missed greatly. The words that came out of his mouth, however, shocked her so thoroughly that she felt as if her soul might leave her body.

“By the way, there’s something I’m curious about.” Julius tilted his head as he regarded her. “The one who made you like this... Was it St. Josephina?”