Chapter 18

The memories of that night kept playing vividly in my mind for several days. Hence why I have been avoiding Fati for an entire week now. Meanwhile, Duke Kartier suddenly fell ill and had to be bedridden. There hasn't been a single physician who could diagnose his mysterious condition. Yet he kept coughing up blood while his countenance grew paler by the day. Today, he suddenly summoned Fati to his sickbed.

"Are you certain about this, Duke Kartier? The girl is only a mere slave. I doubt she will be of much help."

"Emilia…"

Fati was to sit on a small chair beside the duke's bed, to which she hesitantly agreed. Dimitriu and my sister were constantly sighing as they paced back and forth, which I found irritating.

"Will you calm yourselves? She can't concentrate with the two of you acting like this."

Fati then took a deep breath and cradled the Duke's hand as she slowly shut her eyes. Her facial expressions kept changing while streams of tears trickled down her cheeks. She was also sweating profusely as she struggled to breathe. Then she let out a loud gasp and slowly opened her eyes.

"What is it?" asked Dimitriu as he rushed to her side.

"T-there is…a black hole inside the master's heart and…"

She was shivering and crying, as if she saw something mortifying.

"…there is demonic energy coming out of it."

"What?"

+++++

I am so frustrated that my head feels as though it is about to explode. This wasn't the plan I had in mind. He was supposed to take his last breath in the capital, not here. I have yet to get my hands on his will, so he cannot pass away before I retrieve it. If he dies now, what will become of Florette and me? At present, the princess seems to be more than ever determined to marry Dimitriu, and I haven't been able to coax him to my side yet. Ugh! This can't be happening!

"Mother! I haven't been able to spend time with the prince as of late. He has been hanging around those filthy slaves every single day. Can't you do something mother?"

"Silence Florette, I am trying to think here."

"Is father very sick?"

"Yes, your father is indeed gravely ill, so the best you could do right now is quietly go to your chamber and pray for a miracle."

"That's what he gets for leading a promiscuous life right under our noses. Hpmh!"

"Guards, escort my daughter to her chamber this instant." I commanded sternly. 

This child…

"B-but…mother…"

"Not another word, Florette. Do as I say and follow the guards quietly."

"Yes, mother." She whined.

"This way, my lady." Instructed one guard.

Why haven't they come out yet? They entered his chamber hours ago. Wait…perhaps this is for the best. If I use this time to search their study, something I bound to come up.

++++++

A little while ago, we received a report stating that father had to be rushed to the temple because he was bitten by a strange spider. Upon his arrival, they instantly subjected him to blood purification. However, now I'm not so sure that was the right procedure. If that spider was venomous, the poison would have spread all throughout his body and eventually kill him before his arrival to the duchy. A hole in his heart is rather strange.

"If I may, young master…"

I had my suspicions when I first met her, but now I am certain that this girl is no ordinary human. She discerningly diagnosed him merely by holding his hand. Even the most skilled mage in Alkaraz would have had difficulty achieving something of this magnitude. Who exactly is Fatima?

"You may speak freely, Fati. Tell us all that you know."

"Was there a description of the spider that was mentioned in the master's report?"

Normally, when something like this happens, the victim, as well as anyone who witnessed the ordeal, would provide a detailed report of the incident. Since his knights always accompanied him, there should have been at least one person who was able to provide an accurate illustration of the creature.

"One of our knights sketched this on their way to the duchy.Will it be of any help?" responded the young master as he extended a piece of paper towards me.

"What does a spider bite have to do with the demonic energy pouring out of his heart? I simply do not understand the correlation here." asked the princess with her arms folded across her chest.

"Settle down, princess." leisurely responded Sir Nate, who was leaning against the window.

It's obvious that no one here trusts me aside from him and the duke. However, I cannot let that affect me since my priority lies elsewhere. He's lost so much weight that he was practically unrecognizable. I cannot bear to even look at him anymore.

"Have you found anything useful, Fati?" asked the young master.

"Dimitriu, don't tell me you believe that she can actually do something to help the duke…"

"Shh…keep your voice down Emilia, father is sleeping."

"How do we know that the information she provided was accurate?" whispered the princess.

Emilia made a valid point. However, we cannot afford to be picky since time is not in our favor right now. I fear that if we wait any longer, it will be too late. There was no notion of a black hole in his heart in the physicians' reports. They all claimed that there was nothing wrong with him. Therefore, I have no choice but to rest my hopes in Fatima.

"Princess Emilia, if you continue to be a disturbance, I will personally escort you out of this room." warned Sir Nate in a stern tone.

My head is in a fog with all the commotion they were making. I can't think straight. 

"If you understood, then be quiet."

As usual, Sir Nate was being hostile towards the princess. I don't understand how he can address a member of the imperial family in that manner and not get reprimanded. Though I must admit, he provided me with the perfect atmosphere. The room was now dead silent as the young master took care to escort the princess out, leaving only Sir Nate and I alone with the duke. I feel less tense now.

"You can relax now."

After distancing himself from me for an entire week, he's acting as if all is well between us.

"You can kill me later. For now, the duke needs your focus more than I do." he casually said.

I have always found it odd how he could read me like a book. As if to him I am wide open, and he would understand me without my having to utter a single word. I had always longed for a friend like him in the past…

"This is called an aracnocrobe, a demonic spider commonly found in the most secluded damp areas in a forest."

"What did you just say?"