# 50
---
Grace was even remotely bad. But when Jessie approached and stood next to her, she realized that the matter had gone beyond bad to dangerous. As soon as Eliza left the hall, Jessie grabbed Grace's arm. The body temperature, through the wet clothes, was abnormally high.
“Miss, we can't continue. We have to go back now.”
Grace also knew that standing any longer was impossible. It was not easy to maintain her balance, as if the ground was swaying under her feet, and the cold was unbearable.
Grace gave a small nod, then turned to where Ares was standing. Even this small amount of movement made the world shake before her eyes, as if water had pooled in her head. With a movement almost subconscious, she saluted, then began walking towards the main door of the hall, trying her best not to falter.
The effects of the lower dungeon were flowing over it like torrents whose dams had burst.
As soon as she left the hall door, her body was enveloped in a cold that she had never experienced in her life. Every time the air passed over her body, she felt as if dozens of knives were tearing her skin apart.
“Ah... Ann... Siti... Are you... stupid...”
Jesse's voice came out long and far away, as if coming from another world.
Grace mumbled unintelligible words, saying that it was okay and that she should keep walking, and tried to take another step. At that moment, a large, solid chest suddenly contained her. Before she realized what had happened, his face entered her blurry field of vision.
Ares held Grace in his arms and looked at her silently, while she stared at him in amazement. As the world swayed around her, only his black eyes remained strangely clear.
She was only in prison for a few days, but for Grace, it felt like years.
She had to witness the death of her parents hundreds, thousands of times. The smell of that day, its humidity, its temperature, the tears that ran down her cheeks, and the hand of the little girl who had to cover her mouth with her hand.
Everything was so painfully clear that at one point she forgot that what she was seeing were just illusions. She forgot that this was all just part of the plan, and that she only had to hold out for a few days. I just sank into endless despair and sadness.
And at the heart of those nightmares, the only thing Grace clung to and held on to...was this man with the black eyes.
Ares… Ares Decan.
As in her childhood, she called his name hundreds, thousands of times.
But something seemed different this time. Every moment she tried to completely lose her mind, to let herf go crazy, there was something to catch her and keep her from falling.
Strong arms surround her from behind, warmth, a hand stroking her hair...
Then
'Ares...'
And in an empty call,
'I'm here.'
As if an answer came back to her.
“Grace.”
Ares watched until the moment her clear eyes disappeared behind her eyelids. The moment she closed them, her body completely relaxed. Her body temperature, through the clothing, was much higher than it had been last evening.
“Miss!”
"Enough."
Ares stopped Jessie, who was about to collapse, and then continued walking as if nothing had happened.
"Get a reliable doctor in an hour. That Eric has been inside Richmond this whole time, he should be able to do it."
In contrast to his movements, which seemed cold, his voice was clear and quick, like an army commander on a warfield.
"Good."
“Send someone to wait at the northwest gate, and let them come from there.”
“Yes, Sir Duke...please take care of Miss.”
Ares wasted no time in responding, but walked away with quick steps.
＊ ＊ ＊
Eliza walked slowly through the palace immersed in autumn. When she was in the annex, just getting out of bed was difficult, but now she did not feel heaviness in her body, as if some force had come to her again.
“Do you want to go back to the annex?”
Mrs. Isaac asked cautiously.
Eliza shook her head slowly.
“There's nothing left to hide, no reason to hide. So why would I go back there?”
The oak tree in the courtyard was the same, and the thick pillars of the portico were unchanged. There was no place in this palace where she did not leave a trace of her life.
As she wandered thus, she came to the great flight of stairs in the main palace.
At that moment, she felt an unusual presence and heavy footsteps behind her. When Eliza and Mrs. Isaac looked down the stairs, Ares was beginning to ascend, Grace in his arms.
Mrs. Isaac gasped in surprise, and Eliza clicked her tongue, as if she was expecting it.
“Arwen, get a doctor.”
“Yes, Grand Madam. But the doctor residing in the palace is a relative of the Marchioness, so I will send someone outside the palace. It will take some time.”
“Get a fever reducer first, and put guards at the northwest gate. Maid Grace will bring the doctor from there.”
Ares said hurriedly, as if stopping for a moment was a loss, and then continued straight up the stairs. Eliza motioned with her hand for him to do what he said, then she went up as well.
As she looked at their backs, so similar that one might think they were from the same generation, Isaac's lady murmured:
“Really… blood is thicker than water.”
Then I hurried down.
Meanwhile, the servants were cleaning the corridor leading to the Duke's bedroom, and were startled once by his impulsive appearance, and another time when they saw the slouching woman in his arms.
“Open the bedroom door.”
They immediately complied with his cold command, and Ares entered carrying Grace, heading to the bed.
A clever maid preceded them and lifted the covers, so Ares placed Grace on the white bed. When the maid was about to cover her, he stopped her and quickly issued his orders:
“Fill the bathtub with lukewarm water. Bring four maids to take care of the bathing. Prepare wet towels and comfortable clothes, and turn up the room temperature.”
“Yes, Sir Duke.”
At that moment, Eliza entered the room. Her gaze fell on Ares standing motionless, watching Grace. Her eyes narrowed automatically, then she stepped forward and touched Grace's forehead with her hand.
“It's hot like embers. No wonder, after she lasted three days in that damned room.”
“……”
Eliza stood up and glanced at Ares. He only looked at Grace. Eliza tilted her head slightly; There was a contradiction. His looks and features suggested coldness, but his actions were imbued with haste and suppressed anxiety.
When Ares raised his eyes and caught her gaze, Eliza understood that what covered his black eyes was not cold, but a very thin layer of ice. And what lay beneath that ice, above deep black waters...even Eliza Richmond did not dare to imagine.
While she was still silent, Ares opened his mouth:
“Did you sleep well?”
“The rest of my sleep I'll spend in the coffin, right?”
“How did you find Richmond Square after such a long absence? Did the orchard seem well-tended to you?”
It was a sharp metaphor.
“…the weeds have grown so much. It is the fault of the garden owner who fell asleep and left his land.”
Eliza sighed deeply, then said quietly:
“Thank you for not burning the garden just because the weeds grew.”
Ares looked at Grace. She was shivering even in her sleep, from the cold. He subconsciously gripped the edge of the cap, then released his hand.
“When the antipyretic arrives”
“No need. I know what to do. You can go now.”
Just as Ares hated prolonging, so did Eliza. She cut off his words, then shouted outward in a sharp voice:
“Where are the wet towels?!”
"Yes! Ready, Grand Madam!"
“Move quickly. Come closer, start undressing the missus, and why are you still standing there?! Do you want me to push you out?!”
Ares raised his hands, as if to say he refused to watch this, and turned away.
“Where did you learn these inappropriate behaviors?!”
He ignored her scolding as he walked away, heading straight for the lower prison. As soon as he entered, he felt the cold, moist air sticking to his body. He was received by Joseph, who had taken control of the guards.
“They are locked in single cells, sir.”
"I did well."
At that moment, the sound of crying that made the person lose his mind echoed around.
“Ah… aah…”
One of the knights, stepping aside, realized that the voice belonged to his commander, Count Lewin. When he looked at the Duke with trembling eyes, Ares was sitting in the judge's chair that had been usurped by the Marquise a few days before.
He was sitting with his arms on his knees, immersed in deep thought, like a leader contemplating the appropriate punishment for the vanquished. Suddenly there was a violent knock on an iron door.
"Take me out! Please!! N, fire!! Darkness... Ahh!!"
Ares slowly raised his eyes and stared into the dark opening. It was the entrance to the stairs leading to the cell where Grace was imprisoned.
Ideas flowed without permission. The body that was deathly cold a few days ago was today as hot as fire. Ares clenched his palm, then spread it, and muttered sarcastically:
“It hasn't been long since they were locked up, and here they are wailing.”
He pressed his fingers to his eyelids. He had not slept for the past three days, and his eyes were hurting. He wiped his face with his hand, then straightened up and said:
“We will question them one by one.”
“Who do we bring first?”
“Bring Iron Foot first.”
“Yes, sir.”
As if the south wind had suddenly turned to the north, the air of the Duke's Palace changed. Rather, it was not just a change... it was a herald of a coming storm.
The soldiers did not know the size of that storm, nor what would remain after it, so they contented themves with hunching their necks and waiting for what was coming.
M.M.: How are you, my dearest readers? Here is the end of the installment and we are ahead of the events of the manhwa. Don’t forget the comments💕
Update: A new group for female translators on Telegram to publish novels 💕 https://t.me/+Ze9Miye3D21mZWI0