Chapter 90
"Leave."
The first voice she uttered.
However, it was an infinitely cold resonance to be directed at family.
Charlotte's lips faltered.
"...Elise."
"I said leave. I don't want to see that sickening face."
"But."
"Can't you hear me? Everyone get out."
"......"
The harsh sentences struck cruelly.
Blue eyes shaking.
Though she seemed intimidated by the fierce reaction, before long Charlotte clenched her fist.
It was a firm will that she couldn't yield this time.
"You need to receive treatment. An opportunity like this won't come again."
"What does that have to do with you?"
"Because I'm your older sister."
"Ha... you're talking nonsense."
Rose bursting into a hollow laugh.
Her slender fingers grabbed something, then threw it towards the girl before her eyes.
It was an empty flower vase that had been placed on the bedside table.
Crash-!
It narrowly grazed Charlotte, then fell to the floor shattering to pieces.
The glass fragments scattering at her feet were particularly eerie.
"......"
The violent action finally stopped the older sister's words.
The younger sister only glared at her not-distant blood relative while holding intense coldness.
She recited as if warning with her bloodless lips.
"I told you clearly. Whether I die or not, it's not for you to be concerned about."
"......"
"I don't need your pity or anything."
"You know it's not pity."
"I didn't want to know either. Because I've never once thought I wanted to live by your side."
"You... why do you always say such bad things?"
The conversation flowed in a suffocating manner.
I belatedly recalled the settings.
Elise's characteristics.
Her relationship with her older sister Charlotte was not good, and her personality was terrible.
Similar scenes existed in the original work as well.
'Was it to this extent?'
Watching Charlotte sinking, such thoughts naturally remained.
An atmosphere that had become cold to the point of no return.
Both of them seemed to have forgotten about my presence.
As I was standing there wondering what to do, suddenly Elise clutched her chest and began coughing.
At the same time, blood mixed with her painful breaths.
"Cough, ugh...!"
A pained expression.
The momentary coughing up of blood added red color to her white lips.
Charlotte stepped forward as if about to rush over, but couldn't take another step at the immediately heard words to leave.
She froze, unable to do this or that.
It was an uncharacteristically shaken appearance.
She wanted to stop the seizure, but didn't know how.
She wanted to at least hold her hand, but it was obvious that would only cause more convulsions, so it was truly a situation where she couldn't do anything.
I sensed this was just the right timing.
"Your Highness."
I lightly grasped Charlotte's shoulder.
When her trembling pupils turned around, I smiled reassuringly and spoke confidently.
"I'll try to do something."
"Can you...?"
"Of course. Isn't that why you called me?"
Trust is truly crafty.
It's enough to whisper the most desired words at the most difficult moment.
Because humans are weak.
They take the words they want to hear as the basis of trust.
I whispered sweet words.
"I think I can cure it."
Blue eyes widened.
The words she most hoped for.
Though just a short resonance, it filled the void.
Through the haphazardly entangled threads of trust, I whispered one condition that couldn't possibly be refused.
It was the first step that would make her put a leash on herself in the future.
"But for the treatment, Your Highness's active cooperation is needed."
"Cooperation...?"
"It's trusting me."
Poor little prince.
The possibility of her who had cherished the rose for so long refusing this condition was...
"...Alright. I'll follow anything."
None.
***
A few minutes later.
Only Rose and I remained in the room.
It was what I had requested.
Saying that others couldn't be present for the treatment to proceed.
Charlotte, who was already half-entranced, nodded her head and headed outside the door with the maid in charge of nursing.
The scenery with no human presence was deathly quiet.
"Cough...!"
Only the occasional coughing was the entirety of the noise.
I stared at the bed shrouded in darkness.
A single rose blooming pitifully.
Though she seemed to be enduring as much as possible, her face already showed clear signs of suffering.
Her complexion had become pale beyond just lacking blood.
"How pitiful."
I muttered as if deliberately for her to hear.
Fortunately her ears seemed to be working properly, as Elise who heard my words raised her lowered head.
She glared up.
"Haa, haa..."
Though breathing heavily with difficulty, a venomous light flashed in her pupils.
I met such eyes head on.
A crossing without an inch of retreat.
I probed with a sarcastic tone.
"Aren't you in pain?"
"Get... out... I clearly told... everyone to leave...!"
"It's to treat Your Highness's illness. Please forgive this unworthy subject's disloyalty."
"I don't need... Cough, such a thing."
"It's because I need it. I never let go of what I want originally."
"You're... talking... nonsense...!"
Crash-!
As I was moving my steps closer to the bed, suddenly a glass cup grazed my cheek.
The object that missed shattered noisily again.
"My."
Her hand habits are not good.
It seemed I would have to correct such habits first when taming her.
"Ugh, urk... Cough!"
For now, stopping the seizure was the priority.
I immediately approached the girl.
Elise had been unable to stop coughing up blood since earlier.
Though it might seem less due to her fierce reactions, she must have been suffering from pain that couldn't be explained.
Because that was the kind of 'disease' she was suffering from.
'Mana Stone Disease'
A symptom where each mana line forming the body hardens like stone, and eventually the whole body crumbles to pieces.
It was an unknown disease with even the cause of onset unclear.
Though it had existed in records since long ago, not a single person had survived until now.
An incurable disease with survival rate converging to 0%.
In short, it was like a curse with only despair remaining.
Though theoretically treatment was known to be impossible, the story changed if I was the subject performing the surgery.
I intended to save this girl by twisting the natural order.
'Not too hastily.'
Taking time slowly.
So that I could completely devour what remained around me.
Snap-!
I lightly snapped my fingers.
An invisible curtain formed inside the room, completely blocking noise towards the outside.
With this, the surrounding space became a perfect sealed room.
Charlotte would be guarding the entrance, and sound from inside wouldn't be heard outside.
No matter what screams were made, the outside wouldn't notice.
"Huhu."
Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the rose.
Perhaps trying to resist?
The red-haired girl raised her body, then clenched her fist while throwing off the blanket.
It seemed she was trying to thrash about to avoid treatment.
Of course.
"Not a chance."
Clap-!
I lightly clapped my hands.
Following the clear bursting sound, several strands of shadow stretched out.
The pitch black ropes tied the girl's limbs one by one, then soon fixed her body so she couldn't move.
Elise flinched in bewilderment.
"Wh-What is this all of a sudden...?!"
The first show of agitation since entering the room.
I drew an ominous smile.
Perhaps realizing something was wrong?
Rose hurriedly tried to resist, but there was no way the tightly woven knots would loosen.
She was only lying spread-eagled.
"Wait, what are you trying to do...!"
"I'll fix various things for you. Whether it's your painful disease, or bad habits."
=I'll heal you little by little so the internal injuries don't spread.
I gently reached out my hand.
Perhaps because she was battling illness, the girl was only wearing a thin nightgown.
Her body's curves were revealed as they were.
Rustle-.
I grasped the fabric covering her skin, then slowly lifted it up as if undressing.
With a shallow movement, the girl's stomach was revealed.
Skin retaining pure white flesh.
I gently stroked her slender abdomen with my fingertips.
'I'll need to concentrate.'
As it was the part where the mana lines in her body converged, it required delicate work using lies.
I intended to regenerate slowly so no aftereffects remained.
As I placed my palm on her stomach, her warm body temperature dyed it.
"Hnn...?!"
Elise groaning at the unexpected situation.
She soon confirmed her own state, then shook her shoulders unable to contain her shock.
Unable to scream, she stammered.
"Y-Y-You... Do you know what you're daring to do?!"
"I know better than anyone."
=I'm treating your disease.
"Let go! Cough! Is this why you told everyone else to leave the room from the start?!"
"You're quick-witted. It was all for this."
=It would be embarrassing to show such scenes to others after all.
Green eyes shook violently.
Reflecting myself in her transparent pupils, I raised the corners of my mouth as gently as possible.
It was a doctor's smile looking down at a patient.
"You don't need to worry. I won't hurt you."
=You don't need to worry, I'll treat you without pain.
I pressed firmly on the girl's lower abdomen just like that.