Chapter 76: 76 Awaken and Answer.

An endless darkness spread before her, embracing her in the warmth of comfort and soft rest. A flickering blue light stirred her closed eyes as she slowly opened it.

A familiar white ceiling and the gentle light casting its glow toward the room brightened her dimmed vision.

Beside her, a gentle noise of flipping paper entered her ears. She turned to the source and saw a beautiful figure of a woman in her thirties sitting on a wooden chair.

Her calm gaze seemed immersed in the book, unnoticed by the roused girl on the pristine white bed.

“Mother”. Silvia’s voice broke the woman’s expression as she twisted her rigid neck.

“Silvia, my dear!”.

The woman jumped from her seat, slamming it to the floor with a cluttered sound. She stayed beside the girl, caressing Silvia’s rosy cheek with a tender touch.

Her large blue eyes glittered with tears at seeing her daughter open her eyes after days of sleeping.

“How are you feeling? Do you feel thirsty?”.

Her mother reached into the kettle on the small table beside the bed and poured its contents into a glass.

Silvia’s body tensed, her face knitted by the cold that seeped through her limbs. The white blanket that covered her body fell as she gazed down at the thin white dress. There were no actual wounds on her body, but both her hands were wrapped in bandages.

She raised her hand and felt a throbbing chill, which tightened her expression. On the side, her mother’s face crumpled and weighed down by swirling emotion.

Under her mother’s conflicted expression, Silvia clicked open the bandage clip, letting the cloth roll over her arm. Crimson veins spread through her pale-smooth skin, followed by the lingering chills that still haunted her.

Silvia opened the other one and stared calmly at her condition. She clenched her palm several times to get the feeling, ’Hm, I’m alright’.

Despite the grievous wound, the girl’s lips twisted in a pleasant smile. She regarded the scars as nothing but living proof—the proof of her growth and the promise she made to herself to protect her important ones.

“Silvia, we are truly sorry. Your father is looking for someone who can cure you right now, so… ”

“Mother, how was Jin’s condition?”.

Celia’s words butted in the middle, prompting her to shift her attention from Silvia’s arms to her eyes. Her daughter’s eyes, which sharpened and filled with resolve, felt radiance in Celia’s eyes.

In this situation, Silvia asked first about other people’s safety instead of her own. Celia’s lips loosened in a smile, seeing her daughter grow.

“He is fine but still hasn’t regained consciousness yet”. Celia sat beside the bed and offered the glass to her daughter.

“Thank you, mother.” Silvia placed it on her lips and downed it in one gulp.

“I want to see him”.

Her daughter’s expression, reflected in Celia’s eyes, felt so alive that it contradicted her usual behavior, which was aloof and indifferent toward others.

Silvia’s current self emitted the divine glow of a maiden in love. Her flushed cheek and melted expression made even her mother’s heart leap.

Celia’s lips curled upward, and she placed both hands to cover her smirk, ’Oh my god, Silvia, you! How easy could you be?’.

The woman chuckled, glanced sideways, and looked toward the room—a vast room filled with simple furnishings, including a luxurious closet, a sofa, a drawer and bookshelves.

Celia walked toward the closet and pulled open the door, revealing a collection of her daughter’s outfits. She placed her fingers on her cheek.

’She was just awoken from her sleep, so a simple one to cover her thin dress and protect her from cold’. Celia rummaged through the inside, found a pale pink knitted sweater, and turned back toward her daughter, who sat beside the bed, her feet dangling.

Celia stood beside the girl, covering her shoulders. “Let’s go. Can you walk?”

“Um, I think I can”.

Silvia exhaled sharply and placed her feet firmly on the floor, feeling the cold surface. But her mother swiftly presented slippers for her, so she put it on and straightened up.

Her mother gently supported Silvia beside her, which gave Silvia power in her body. She took her first step, leaving her room.

The door in her room gently creaked, alerting the servants who passed. Their bodies stiffened when they saw Lady Silvia walk away from the room, and they were greeted with gentle nods.

A commotion spread like wildfire until it reached the Duke, who was busy in his office.

However, the oblivious girl and her mother strolled and bathed under the soft glow of the sun filtered through the hallway.

The bright scenery pictured the situation inside the girl’s heart. Her heart pounded wildly as she stood before the boy’s room.

With her cheek tainted in pink, she reached out toward the door handle and gently knocked it thrice.

“Yes?” a melodious reply came from inside. The door opened to reveal Lady Marina in her casual outfit. Her eyes widened. “Lady Celia and Lady Silvia? Are you finally awake? I’m glad.”

“Thank you. Can I see him?”.

Silvia peeked through the gaps behind Marina toward the boy lying on a bed.

“Oh, please go ahead”.

Marina spread her arms wide, welcoming them and exchanging pleasantries with her mother.

“I’m sorry for bothering you, Lady Marina”.

“Oh no, Lady Celia. It is not a bother. I’m pleased to see Lady Silvia was healthy”.

“Yes, me too”.

Both mothers turned toward the girl who sat beside the boy’s bed. She gazed at his sleeping face with gentle elegance as she gently caressed his forehead and cheek.

Marina’s gaze seemed vacant. She stared at the two youngsters’ distance, which was closer than ever.

“Lady Marina, do you mind their distance?”.

Celia’s gentle voice jolted Marina’s composure, “Ah? N-no, I was not…”.

She placed a finger on her lips and chuckled, seeing how easily Lady Marina’s expression was being read. Celia nodded solemnly, for she understood those feelings.

A son was worth their attention more than anything beyond their husband. Sadly, Celia was not blessed with a son; she had two daughters with distinctive features and nature.

However, after hearing her husband’s story and Silvia’s reaction toward the boy, Celia’s facial muscles loosened. She muttered, ’Well, having a son-in-law might not be bad after all.’

The calm atmosphere enclosed the space, where the women and girl stared fondly at the boy.

Beyond the door, a hurried step, followed by the door blasted open, broke the silence as the women inside glared at the source.

“Silvia, my daughter. I heard you awoke so…”.

The Duke’s voice clamped down at the end as he saw three pairs of murderous eyes stare at him. His legs gave out and flopped his butt on the floor.

“Father, it is improper for you to cause a riot in the palace and…”. Silvia turned toward Jin and exhaled, seeing that he was still soundly sleeping. “Behave yourself. There was a sick person here!”.

Celia and Marina gulped their saliva, seeing the girl’s fierce aura, which seemed to freeze the air around them.

The Duke, on the other hand, nodded, his gaze down and wallowing in his despair: ’What did I do?’

*****

After the commotion in Jin’s room, Silvia was invited by the Duke into his office. Both sat on their respective seats facing each other.

Behind the Duke, a tower of documents piled up; Silvia also briefly saw a shadow covering her father’s eyes. His exhaustion seemed palpable.

Also, the incident that befell her and Jin pushed him further. Silvia felt a pang in her heart for acting harshly toward him earlier.

“First of all, I’m glad to see you awake, Silvia”.

“Thank you, Father”.

Silvia spread her thin lips but faltered when she saw a white envelope glide on the table, pushed by her father.

“Here, Silvia. I know this was absurd, knowing you were just awake”.

“What is it?”.

“It was an Invitation from the Academy”.

“I see”.

She leaned forward and took the envelope in hand, flipping it over several times before ripping the seal wax and taking the contents inside.

’The entrance exam will be held two months from now on, and the school will start in Spring’. Silvia’s eyes swept through the letter and folded it back.

“I understand; I will attend it.”

“I see, but don’t let this get to you and don’t burden yourself with expectations from families and such. I want you to enjoy your school day, that’s all”.

Silvia blinked before her face broke in joy. “Thank you, Father”.

“Good”.

Duke Sullivan nodded and scratched his back head. His expression crumpled in a deep frown as he stood up and approached the desk behind him, holding a mountain of envelopes.

The stack of envelopes sprawled over the tables, and some fell to the floor.

Silvia tilted her head and alternated between the mess and her father. Her azure eyes reflected the grim expression on her father.

“Um, you know there was a party last time and you attended it?”.

“Yes, I’m aware, so? What’s this all about?”. Silvia put the invitation aside and took one of them, which had a name from a son’s count.

’This is!?’. Her expression twisted in the cold, and she indifferently stared at the others’ things.

“Is it a marriage proposal?”.

Sullivan bit his lips and lightly nodded his head, exhaling “Yes”.

“Hmph, don’t need it!”. Silvia snorted and tossed the envelope as she leaned back, staring straight at her father.

“I already dedicated my life to that person only”.

“Um, do you mean Jin?”.

“Yes”. Silvia’s answer was clear; it rang across the room, reverberating inside Duke’s heart.

“I don’t want to delve into this deeply, but are you certain about your decision, Silvia?”.

The Duke straightened his posture, a palpable aura leaked from his body, and his eyes emitted a fierce glint, yet Silvia was unperturbed, and she met his gaze head-on.

“Yeah, this is my resolve to stay near him until this last breath of mine disappears”.

The room shook as an ancient aura blew away the Duke’s pressure. Cold sweat trickled down his back. He saw a blue silhouette coiled around his daughter’s back, its silver eyes radiating a tremendous power that engulfed him whole.

Sullivan nodded, swallowing his bitterness at seeing his daughter finally claim another man this fast. ’Kuh, this is frustration, but if it’s Jin, I can leave her in his care.’

“Alright, we will discuss it when the boy’s awake”.

Silvia flinched, and the pressure radiating from her body dissipated like mist, leaving a lingering cold that still froze one’s own bone.

“Thank you, Father”.

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