Sustaining The King’s Life - Chapter 234

“This is for the best.” The king said.

I want to keep you safe.

“You are no longer safe in Magierstadt.”

I will protect you.

“You will return to Feuersturm at once.”

Just stay by my side.

The king stared at Faustina whose expression transpired from confused to disbelief.

“I will not.”

He stared at her.

“Please put me down.”

He did so, as tentatively as he could. However, the moment Faustina’s feet touched the ground, her knees wobbled and she collapsed into the ground.

The king caught her into his arms easily, making her cheeks flush red in return. The king’s sapphire blue eyes were etched into her face, and she had noticed.

But she wasn’t being swept away.

Faustina…

Doesn’t want to be used anymore.

The king knelt down, and in one knee he sat Faustina tentatively. He stared up at her, waiting for her to talk.

“Your majesty, I can handle this.” Faustina said. “I’ll be alright.”

The king stared at Faustina.

She was so different from before.

“I know you’re worried about how I would be able to accomplish the task when I’m this weak,” Faustina exclaimed. “But I’m trying my best. I—”

“That’s not it.” The king cut her off mid-sentence. “You almost DIED, Faustina.”

Faustina couldn’t utter a word.

“Of course… I would be able to sustain your life when I die.” Faustina stared. “But Your Majesty, I… I’m trying my best. I want to accomplish this mission. I want to find the truth about myself. About Eula. About everything else…”

Faustina thinned her lips.

“I just want answers, Your Majesty.”

The king stared at her.

“There is someone from Magierstadt that knows about Nightmare and your purpose on coming here.” Faustina’s eyes widened, clearly taken aback. “They know that my body has nine souls. It is also highly likely that they know your purpose of coming here, as well as your real identity.”

“Wh-what about the professors? Do they know that I’m a Heilen?”

The king shook his head. “I doubt that Magierstadt professors know. But there is someone here that knew. He is also the one that poisoned you. I’m not entirely sure how, but that only means that you’re not safe in here.”

Faustina clenched her fist, unable to say a word.

The king sighed, and then he stood up, carrying Faustina with one arm. He then lifted her chin.

“I’m sorry if I phrased it wrong, earlier.” The king asserted. “I do not doubt your abilities to accomplish your mission, or to undo the seal of your master in your magic. I believe you can accomplish them, Faustina.”

“But…” the king then caressed her cheek, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.

“…the situation right now is uncalled-for, so we need to restrategize.” The king asserted.

“B-but won’t that make the teachers suspicious?”

“You are Faustina Feuerlon as of the moment. The daughter of the dukedom. If they would summon you for important matters and request a week break from school, the Magierstadt will surely allow it.”

Faustina stared at the king.

He then gave her his usual, gentle smile.

“So, will you return to Feuersturm with me?” The king asked.

Faustina then averted her gaze as she heard the loud thumping of her heart.

“…Yes, Your Majesty.” She answered.

Both Faustina and the king were quick enough to respond to the noise; the king particularly, who then moved forward. Sauntering her way towards the forest was a familiar face. Faustina’s eyes widened as her eyes met hers.

Lilianne Disfiegro was walking with a child.

The child had pale, yellow eyes. The way she spoke reminded Faustina of a single person.

Sheila.

The king then ambled towards Lilianne. Faustina’s chocolate-brown eyes were looking at the king and Lilianne who were drenched in moonlight dew. In that moment, the moment he had caught her to his arms, Faustina could swear to herself she had seen a scene out of a fairytale. And she wasn’t exaggerating things. Lilianne looked completely captivated, with her dim and slightly dazed eyes and small, shy smile. The king looked a bit astonished as well as he caught her into his arms. Now he was sleeping.

“This is the result of your carelessness.” The child earlier then began to glow from the mana peeling away from her. Faustina’s eyes widened as she sees the child gradually transforming into Sheila.

Sheila was looking at the king with a grim expression.

“Warlock magic is even stronger around here. What happened?”

“…the first king exterminated one of the warlock generals.”

“WHAT?!” Sheila’s eyes widened. “The first king? How—his clock couldn’t have shifted so quickly—”

“They requested it.” The king said. “For Faustina’s antidote.”

Sheila clenched her jaw as she sharply glanced to Faustina, who then flinched in response.

“Then I doubt this girl can stay here any longer, right?” Sheilalev exclaimed.

“…if that’s the case,” Sheila then summoned her staff, and thumped it against the ground, trapping Faustina in a magic barrier. “You should absorb her mana now, Your Majesty.”

Faustina blinked, glancing towards the king.

A shiver ran down her spine as she sees how he stared at Sheila.

“Why are you so desperate to have me absorb her mana, Sheilalev?” The king questioned. “And why is there clairvoyant magic in Faustina’s room?”

“What?”

“Why are there traces of your magic in her dormitory, Sheilalev?”

Sheila parted her lips, as if to answer. But no word escaped her mouth.

“I do not even want to talk about what kind of spell it is.” The king whispered to her.

Sheila felt a shiver run down her spine.

How? How did the king find out when she conjured the strongest glamour?

Sheila’s fingers trembled.

He was easily able to see it.

Sheila held her forearm to stop it from trembling.

How much… does the king actually know?

—

The next day:

“What? Faustina’s excused for a week? The classes barely started!”

“They said she’s been summoned to the dukedom for important matters. You know nobility,” Michelle answered.

Leviticus had an odd feeling about such news. Faustina, the youngest daughter of the Feuerlons, is called back to their state.

“You think it’s because of her health?” Michelle asked.

They were in the classroom, looking at Faustina’s empty desk.

“They said she had a weak disposition ever since she was born, so she’s practically only gone outside now that she’s studying in Magierstadt.”

Now that they’ve mentioned it, Faustina had always been an oddball. Her mana felt different, and back at the examination, she was unstable. Is that due to an underlying health condition? But doesn’t mages usually weaken rather than being unstable if their health are compromised?

Leviticus glanced towards Anakin. “You were with her last night, weren’t you? Was she sick?”

No response.

“Anakin!”

Anakin flinched.

“You were spacing out,” Michelle exclaimed.

“R-really?” Anakin asserted. “Were you guys asking me a question?”

“Yes,” Leviticus said. “We’re asking if Faustina was sick last night, since you two were together.”

The announcement was made just in the morning; not even Anakin anticipated it. Earlier that night, he had gone back to his dormitory because Orwell said he had to talk to Faustina, a lady he serves. He said that he was her teacher in magic, and he also conducts occasional checkups on her. Both he and Ezekiel went home afterwards. Orwell’s niece then left an unconscious Lilianne to them.

Lilianne was picked up just this early morning. Anakin figured she was still being groggy, given the fact that she kept spewing nonsense about seeing the king, or her ‘betrothed’ last night.

“I don’t really know.” Anakin said. “Lord Lotheringwood was the last one she was with.”

“Orwell Lotheringwood, huh?” Leviticus had seen him. He had bid Faustina goodbye.

“He was her teacher and he was the one checking her body up.” Anakin said. “Maybe they found out something from the diagnosis which required Faustina to come back home?”

“Maybe…” Michelle said with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I hope Faustina will be okay.”

Leviticus then stared at the arched window.

‘Please come back to school soon,’ Leviticus whispered on the back of his mind.

‘Faustina.’

**

The familiar sound of birds chirping and the sunrays radiant against Faustina’s face had woken her up. She slowly sat down to the bed, still half-asleep.

Somehow, the room of her dormitory looked twice as big…

She sleepily looked around,

And sees someone reading a book beside her.

“Ah, good morning.” He says, noticing she was awake.

“Good morning, your majesty.” Faustina yawned.

Wait.

‘Your majesty’?

Faustina’s eyes widened, “Y-your majesty!?!?” as she pulled the sheets to her body, drawing away from the king.

The king was wearing his sleeping robe—

And she was able to see his hard and toned abdominal muscles from the slit.

Faustina’s face heated up as she noticed what she was wearing, too.

A pink sleeping robe and nothing else.

What?

Nothing… else?

The king then leaned to caress her cheek—but froze on the spot as Faustina spoke.

“Y-your majesty…” Faustina’s lips trembled. “Wh-what happened? Why… why am I… here…?”

The king’s sapphire blue eyes narrowed down.

“You don’t… remember?”