Chapter 60
The doctor explained many things to Wakako, saying that the poison she was afflicted with likely came from an extremely toxic plant. The venom would spread from the wound, creeping towards her heart… Because she had swung her sword after being injured, the rate of its spread had accelerated. There was no hope for treatment.
She probably had two or three months left to live.
Lin Lin and Liu Siruo stood by Wakako’s bedside every day, shedding tears. Wakako herself was far calmer than anyone else.
Her left leg was tightly bandaged, and it would take a few more days before the dressing could be removed. Fortunately, winter hadn’t passed yet, so it wasn’t a major issue. For now, walking wasn’t a big problem, though she had a slight limp.
Although Wakako couldn’t see herself, she could imagine how she looked, surely quite comical.
“Alright, stop looking so down,” she said, resting her hand on the door and looking up at Lin Lin. “Give me a smile.”
But Lin Lin’s eyes were swollen like peaches, and she couldn’t force a smile no matter how hard she tried.
“Does it hurt?” she asked softly.
Wakako thought carefully for a moment, then shook her head. “Not really. It’s no different than before I was poisoned. I guess I’ve been resting well these past few days.”
Lin Lin didn’t believe her at all, assuming she was just putting on a brave face. Without saying anything more, she covered her eyes and ran off again.
Wakako continued walking slowly, practicing shifting her weight onto her good right leg, gradually getting used to the feeling of imbalance.
The doctor knew Wakako was engaged to another mercenary named Miki and thought to inform her, but Wakako stopped him. “There’s no need.”
“And for the others… don’t tell them about my poisoning just yet.” She pleaded with the doctor, “Please keep it a secret for me.”
“But why?” The doctor had seen countless patients, and upon learning of their terminal illnesses, they either became numb or terrified. No one had ever remained so composed. “Lady Kitagawa, you don’t have much time left. Why…”
Wakako just smiled and said, “The kingdom is in chaos. Everyone has more important things to do. I should continue to serve my kingdom as well.”
The doctor was deeply moved, unable to suppress his admiration for her unwavering sense of duty. Even while suffering from poison, she remained determined to fulfill her role as a mercenary. He lauded her noble character with heartfelt praise.
But in truth, Wakako didn’t think of herself as being as noble as the doctor described. She simply thought that if she didn’t have much time left, she might as well use the remaining days to do what she could.
For example, she wanted to help Miki through her difficulties, to hide the existence of that unborn child. And she wanted to protect the Crown Princess, to help the Queen and the others successfully navigate this trial.
Wakako reflected on her past. Her life hadn’t been long, just under twenty-four years.
The first thirteen were spent begging on the streets, then five years with the Saionji clan, followed by five years as a mercenary… At least she had traveled to many places and seen much of the continent’s varied landscapes, so she didn’t have too many regrets.
Except for her master—the one she should never have touched—the Saint.
Wakako had once talked with Lin Lin about what kind of person she wanted to be in her next life, if there was one.
Lin Lin said, of course, it would be best to be as wealthy as possible, so she wouldn’t have to worry about anything, sleeping on a mountain of gold and silver, with endless food and drink.
Wakako’s immediate thought was that it would be nice if she could be someone of noble birth, then she wouldn’t be a lowly servant anymore, and she wouldn’t have to look up at the unreachable Saint.
But then she thought, if that were the case, would she still be herself?
It was precisely because of every event, every moment of the past twenty-three years that had shaped Kitagawa Wakako into who she was today. She often despised this version of herself, but she had to admit that if even one piece were missing, she would be someone entirely different.
She had merely wished to love Miki in her own way, but even that was not allowed.
The doctor, as they had agreed, did not reveal the poisoning to anyone, so aside from Lin Lin, Liu Siruo, and the Queen, no one else knew. To outsiders, it appeared Wakako had merely suffered a leg injury and would recover with a bit of rest.
“Master…” Tsukiyo, who had been safely returned, looked worriedly at her left leg. “When will it heal?”
Wakako patted her on the shoulder and changed the subject. “Even if my leg doesn’t heal, I won’t neglect your training. How about sword practice today?”
Tsukiyo swallowed her words and reluctantly went to retrieve her weapons. Seeing her master so full of energy, even taking the time to oversee her training, she convinced herself that things couldn’t be all that serious.
The Kitagawa estate had come under attack, with several buildings reduced to rubble by explosions. Even so, there was still ample space for them to stay. The assailants had been few in number, most of them either slain on the spot by Wakako or captured by arriving reinforcements. The true chaos stemmed from the destructive force of the explosives, but little actual harm had been done.
The Second Daughter promptly arranged for craftsmen to begin repairs on the estate. As a family of merchants, they might have shortcomings in other areas, but wealth was not one of them. With ample funds at her disposal, she had no trouble covering the cost of the restoration.
But even with their wealth, their merchant instincts made them cherish every coin, especially when faced with such unexpected losses.
The Second Daughter didn’t say anything directly, but for several days her gaze was icy, as if she wanted to skin those who had cost her money alive.
When she came to visit Wakako, despite offering words of comfort, her gloomy expression was hard to conceal. “Rest well, recover fully, and kill a few more enemies for me later.”
Wakako casually asked, “How much gold did it cost to repair the estate?”
The Second Daughter forced a smile. “Enough to make everyone in the Eagle Kingdom my grandson.”
“Oh, right,” she added as she was leaving, “I’ve reassigned Rika and the others. The Saint still needs someone who can fight and serve closely. I’ll have to choose again. Once you’ve recovered, could you help me pick a few?”
Wakako recalled the hesitant expressions of those young girls and Miki’s parting words:
“I will have them serve me as I see fit. No one else has a say in the matter.”
For a moment, Wakako felt an almost shameful sense of relief, grateful that the girls had only spent a very brief time by the Saint’s side.
But when Wakako had gone to speak to the Saint about them, Miki hadn’t given any clear approval. Why would the Second Daughter suddenly give such an order?
She asked the Second Daughter, “Did they come to you and ask to leave?”
“Asked to leave?” The Second Daughter had already reached the door, but she turned back with a mocking smile. “They failed to protect her properly. Do they really need permission for something like that?”
“Failed to protect her?”
The Second Daughter’s gave her a knowing look. “Ah, yes, you’ve been resting these past few days, so you probably haven’t heard. It wasn’t just you who was injured that day. The Saint was injured as well.”
Injured?
Wakako vaguely recalled the last thing she saw before collapsing: the Saint’s pristine white robe, as pure as if she had stepped out of a painting.
Hadn’t she used her last ounce of strength to kill the enemy? It hadn’t been stained, had it?
But she was injured nonetheless.
Seeing Wakako’s silence, the Second Daughter turned to leave. After taking a few steps, a voice came from behind, huskier than usual: “There’s no need to look for new guards.”
“Hmm?”
“From this day forward, I will serve the Saint,” Wakako declared. “So there’s no need to find anyone else.”
She only had two or three months left, and after that, she would have to leave. What was wrong with following her heart for these remaining days?
She was meant to serve Miki, had been for ten years. Even if she died, she wanted to die in that role.
What was wrong with that?
***
For mercenaries, injuries were not a small matter, but they were battle-hardened, with thick skin, so it didn’t raise much concern.
However, the Saint’s injury was a different matter. Moreover, it had happened at the Kitagawa estate, so the Second Daughter naturally wouldn’t allow any gossip to spread.
She paid a hefty sum to hire craftsmen, who swiftly built a spacious and elegant bamboo courtyard specifically for the Saint’s recovery.
As for why they remained at the Kitagawa estate, the doctor advised against moving the Saint due to her significant blood loss. It was best for her to rest and recover where she was.
Miki’s injury was on her arm, reportedly deep enough to expose the bone. The wound had been treated and wrapped, so the exact damage was hidden, but her complexion was pale, almost like porcelain. Her long hair, white as snow with no trace of black remaining, flowed down as she sat in her soft chair, gazing at the person standing before her.
The room was thick with the smell of medicinal herbs, and even Wakako found the bitterness overwhelming.
“Have you finally decided to take her place?” Miki asked softly, “You change your mind more often than the weather.”
Wakako didn’t refute her; in fact, she couldn’t. It was true, her decisions were as fickle as the wind.
But…
“If I had stayed by your side, you wouldn’t have been hurt,” she said, her gaze fixed on Miki’s bandaged arm. “I…”
Before she could finish, Miki interrupted her: “What about the Crown Princess?”
“Didn’t Ruijun order you to guard the Crown Princess at all times?” Her lips curled into a smile, but it never reached her eyes. “If you serve me, then who will protect the Crown Princess?”
Wakako fell silent for a moment. “…Senior Sister Liu Siruo is currently responsible for the Crown Princess.”
Her leg injury made it difficult for her to move, and if something unexpected happened, she wouldn’t be able to protect Tsukiyo or help her escape in an emergency. For the Crown Princess’s safety, it was only logical to temporarily replace her until her leg healed.
Even though Wakako was slow to realize certain things, she knew that saying this would not sit well with Miki.
As expected, a faintly mocking expression appeared on that cold, porcelain-like face.
She picked up the teacup beside her and took a sip, her every movement as graceful as befitting a Saint.
“So, Lady Kitagawa only remembers me when she has nothing better to do,” she said indifferently.
“I…”
Wakako almost expected Miki to hurl the teacup to the ground, shattering it into pieces, but she didn’t.
She was the Saint, and she would never behave in such a vulgar manner.
Miki simply placed the teacup back down slowly, her slender fingers paler than usual.
With eerie calmness, she commanded, “Masturbate in front of me now, or leave.”
For some reason, Wakako always felt that such blunt words shouldn’t come from Miki’s mouth.
Though she had heard those commands countless times during her time with the Saionji clan, she had never grown accustomed to them.
She didn’t even understand the reason behind it. All she knew was that whenever Miki got angry, she would give this order without reason, regardless of the location, as if Wakako’s humiliating submission, her degradation in the throes of desire, was the only thing that could extinguish the Saint’s fury.
Perhaps there was no need for a reason at all. Miki was, after all, someone who didn’t care for logic, and Wakako knew this better than anyone.
Under Miki’s unwavering gaze, she slowly reached for the black sash of her clothes.
