The Devilish Duke Can’t Sleep

Proofreader: somnium

Your precious thing

However, the priest gave exaggerated gestures and added an explanation of Evelyn’s past condition.

“We thought so, because her body was already in ruins. The Madam’s treatment was not the cure of the disease, but the injection of vitality, but there was no vessel in her body to contain the vitality. It was all ruined. She doesn’t have a vessel to hold her life force, so how can we breathe more life into her? So, we tried to extend the Madam’s lifespan by burying vitality all over the body as an expedient. But now, the vessel of life has been almost completely restored. Moreover, although it is still a little, it is creating its own life force. Even the greatest healing priests recorded in history have never reached the level of rebuilding life. So, this can only be thought of as being touched by God.”

Everyone looked at each other face to face and marveled at this miracle. The excitement of the healing priest’s increased.

“If it’s okay with you, can I call the healing priests from the temple and check Madam’s body further? Maybe, it will be helpful in the treatment of patients similar to Madam.”

Damien and Kahel paused, wondering if Evelyn might be struggling, but Evelyn smiled brightly and nodded her head.

“If I can be of any help, I can do it.”

“Thank you, Madam! Tomorrow at this time, I will visit with other priests. May the blessings of Lana rest upon Madam and the Duchy of Luave.”

The priest headed to the guest study, saying he was going to write down what he had just examined before he would forget it, and Damien put Evelyn back on the bed, saying it was okay. He said she got better, but she was still at the level of a sickly person, and he didn’t know how she would get sick again if she overdo it. Damien did not want to lose his wife, who had miraculously returned, to an unknown disease again.

Kahel headed to his own room while Damien put Evelyn to sleep next to her. Over the years, the guilt of having his mother debilitated by his birth has always bound him like a shackle. How can he feel joy when his mother can’t even get out of bed because of him? With that thought, he even shut off the pleasures that allowed for him.

But it felt like a heavy shackle had just come off. He doesn’t have to worry about when his mother will die. Her mother will soon be able to eat even her favorite dessert like she used to. His mother will soon be able to do the garden walks and horseback riding that she loved before he was born. No one will know how much joy and liberation it brought to Kahel.

Kahel, who usually donated money or gave donations to the temple by obligation, thought that he should offer a prayer of thanks for today. It was because there was also the fear that God might take the health, which was given to his mother, back because of his wrongdoing.

Arriving in his room, Kahel rang the bell connected to Lena’s room to prepare his prayer of thanks. A brief prayer required only a small statue of Lana, two candles, and a bowl of clean water.

But even though it seemed like he had waited for a long time, Lena didn’t come. Sometimes the bell didn’t ring well, so Kahel rang the bell again. And one more time.

But when Lena didn’t come, a streak of anxiety ran across Kahel’s back, like the winter wind blowing through the window. Come to think of it, Lena had slept next to his mother last night. At that time, he said, ‘I think she was sleepy.’ He went on casually, but how many maids fell asleep next to the master in a short time? It’s not like Lena never learned, or she has poor conduct…….

 

When the thought reached that point, Kahel ran to Lena’s room without hesitation. The maids passing by the hallway looked at him with strange eyes, but it wasn’t the time to be concerned about that.

“Lena! Lena!”

Kahel called Lena nervously, knocking on Lena’s door. However, there was no sign of anything inside. He couldn’t take it any longer and opened the door. He hoped she had gotten up a little earlier today and went out for a walk.

But on the bed, Lena was lying on the bed as he had laid her down yesterday. It was like his mother lying down, and he felt a terrifying feeling as the blood drained from his body.

“Lena……?”

Kahel slowly walked over to Lena. Yesterday’s peach-colored complexion, today it’s pale.

“Lena! Wake up, Lena!”

He patted her cheek and shook her shoulder, but Lena didn’t show her beautiful purple eyes. It felt like God was punishing him for feeling liberated. It was as if he had been sentenced for daring to enjoy joy.

“Is there anyone out there? Call Hans!”

All of the employees were surprised to see Kahel suddenly shouting, and everyone ran to find Hans. Kahel grabbed one of them and ordered that the priest in the guest study also be called.

Those who were delighted with Evelyn’s recovery gathered in Lena’s room with worried faces again.

“So you mean this maid was the last person who spoke to the Duchess last night?”

“Yes. She will be writing Mother’s biography, so she wants to see her in person. I thought that the story was getting a little long, so I went inside and found Mother was sleeping, and this child was also sleeping next to her. Maybe Hans remembered?”

“Of course. I asked to stop the visit.”

“And you are saying that Your Excellency took the sleeping maid and put her on the bed, and she has not woken up until now.”

 

“That’s right.”

Kahel answered in a sullen voice. The healing priest took Lena’s hands, unable to get up after waking her several times, and closed his eyes again.

The first thing he felt was the pulsation of a healthy person. The feeling of pulsation was different for each person, but hers was light and lively. The feeling of the pulsation alone did not make it seem like something was wrong.

But as he digs a little deeper, the priest could feel the emptiness. It did not feel bitter and fishy, ​​like the energy of a sick person. It literally felt like she was exhausted after a lot of hard work. It was clear that after getting enough sleep, the energy would be refilled.

The priest took a small breath and opened his eyes. It was definitely a bizarre thing. The Duchess who regained her energy and the maid who lost her energy…… If the maid was a healer, the greatest healer ever recorded in history, it was understandable. He could think of it as having healed a patient with her own life force.

But she was an ordinary maid. They also had to cultivate many years of training in order to heal others with one’s own life force. From what they said, this maid had never done such training before.

The priest, who tilted his head, lifted his head to give a diagnosis, and was startled to see Kahel with a great expression on his face. He had never seen nor imagined he would see such an uptight man, a masterpiece of the Luave family, so nervous. He trembled and opened his mouth.

“Hmm. First of all, the good news is, this Miss is not sick anywhere. She’s just exhausted and once she gets enough sleep she should be able to run around in good health as usual.”

“So, what’s the bad news?”

“It’s more troubling than bad news, but it’s impossible to find out why this Miss suddenly lost her energy through these examinations. It seems to have something to do with the Duchess’ recovery, but I don’t know how this happened.”

“Is that all?”

“What? Oh yes…….”

Kahel sighed in relief, ‘Haa’, then put his hand on the chest of drawers next to him and patted himself.

“You say that it is the power of God that Mother got better? Perhaps, the power of God extended to this child. Perhaps…… Maybe, it was because she matched with Mother, and the vitality of this child was partially transferred to Mother. I’ll leave it to the temple to find out. As long as this child is healthy. How much longer is she going to sleep?”

“She will probably wake up tomorrow. She was born with a healthy body. She has a very bright pulsation, so I think she has a positive and lovely personality.”

“That’s right. She is such a child.”

As the priest left, Hans also looked at Lena’s wrist. He, too, had to agree that Lena was healthy. It was difficult to find a person with such good indicators of health.

But he was more interested in Kahel’s reaction to the maid. This was his close maid, but Kahel was reacting too violently, who was usually indifferent to people. He heard a lot of stories about people falling in love with their close maids, but it’s hard to imagine Kahel would be like that.

“Is there any reason why this child shouldn’t get sick or die? Maybe a child from a certain family…….”

Kahel frowned at Hans’ question.

“Are you saying that she can get sick or die if she’s not a noble child whom has been entrusted by something?”

“Ah, no, it’s not, but…… Your reaction is different from how you treat others.”

“She is my close maid who does not respond to my devilish powers. When this child dies, will you be able to get me such a maid?”

“Ah…… Forgive me.”

Hans regretted having teased Kahel prematurely, reminded that he had forgotten Kahel’s special circumstances. Kahel was not feeling love for this maid, but that he was afraid of losing the one and only existence in the world. If this close maid disappears, he will be the only high-ranking nobleman to handle miscellaneous chores alone.

Hans and the healer retreated with that thought in mind, but Kahel, who was left alone by Lena’s bed, was less able to understand his feelings with the answer he had just said.

‘Yes, if there’s another maid who doesn’t respond to my devilish power…… Will I think it doesn’t matter without Lena?’

After all, contact with other people was not impossible at all because of Calia. Because of this, he can go to banquets, go to noble meetings, and work outside. He imagined that everyone he met outside would not respond to his devilish powers. It means that he will be served by ordinary employees like everyone else.

So, is it okay if Lena disappears?