Kiev sat by Elis’s side, offering supportive words.
"That’s it... Breathe... Breathe," he told her while gently patting her back. Finally regaining her breath, Elis lay sideways on the floor, coughing hard after the derian Prince had blown air into her mouth multiple tis.
Relief washed over Eva as she witnessed Elis starting to breathe again. She rubbed her own chest, sharing in the alleviation of the incident. Her anxious maid, who stood beside her, also let go of her worries, and the onlookers breathed sighs of relief as well.
"Lift her upper body and straighten her posture so she can take in more air," ordered Rafe to the derian Prince.
Kiev followed the healer’s instructions without hesitation, carefully supporting Elis’s shoulders and gently raising her upright. He positioned himself behind her, providing support for her weakened body.
Elis continued to pant heavily, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Her once-pale complexion began to regain colour as the rush of blood returned to her cheeks.
Just as Rafe prepared to take further action, Elis suddenly bent over her body. Before anyone could react, the maid opened her mouth, emitting sounds of discomfort.
"Uwekk! Urgh! Urgh!"
The contents of Elis’s stomach mixed with substances poured out from her lips. The vomit sared her dress, filling the air with an unpleasant odour.
Despite the ss, Kiev, holding her, rubbed her neck and back, displaying utmost concern. His gaze remained unwavering, focused solely on her condition.
Elis gasped for breath, slowly regaining her composure. Having requested water and a clean cloth from one of the onlookers, Rafe held a fully filled glass and the fabric, intending to assist the maid. However, before he could offer them, Kiev swiftly extended his hand.
"Give it to ," Kiev interjected with a firm tone.
Rafe handed the glass to the derian Prince. Kiev then gently instructed Elis to rinse her mouth, clearing away the unpleasant taste of vomit and urged her to spit the remaining liquid onto the floor before taking a sip of water.
Putting the glass back on the floor, Kiev took the cloth from Rafe and ticulously wiped the maid’s lips, cheeks, and the stained portions of her dress.
"Are you all right?" Rafe asked, his voice filled with worry.
Elis took a mont to collect herself before giving a slight nod, her countenance still weak.
Seeking clarification, the healer inquired, "What happened?"
Taking a deep breath, the maid responded, "The soup..."
Kiev’s intense red eyes locked onto Eva’s maid, his gaze filled with suspicion.
"What did you put in the soup?" he demanded, his voice carrying a hard edge as he pressed for an explanation. He then threw the soiled cloth onto the floor.
Eva’s maid was taken aback by the question, feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze upon her as if she had deliberately intended harm upon the derian Prince’s wife.
Fear etched across her face as she hastily responded, "I didn’t put anything out of the ordinary! They were just regular ingredients, as instructed by Mrs Amares! I swear!"
Despite her weakened state, Elis made a valiant effort to speak up.
"No... not her fault! The soup... liver... I can’t..."
Though her explanation was sowhat disjointed, it managed to dispel the misunderstanding that had arisen.
Eva quickly interjected, expressing remorse, "I’m so sorry! I had no idea you couldn’t tolerate the taste of liver! I only wanted to prepare a nutritious soup because you appeared pale!"
Her maid, fearing reprimand or worse consequences for her actions, added, "I apologise as well, my lady! I never intended to make you sicker!"
Eager to rectify the situation, Louis spoke up in defence, "Please forgive us, Kiev. We had no intention of causing harm to Lady Elisabeth. She has been unwell and ntioned it to my wife this morning. Everything Eva did was with good intentions. We were unaware of her food restrictions."
Though Kiev still harboured anger, the collective attention focused on them prompted him to back away from further scolding to avoid further discomfort.
"Fine... since it wasn’t intentional, let’s forget about it. After all, I was unaware, too," he relented.
"You can’t eat liver?" Rafe suddenly asked Elis.
Feeling guilty for causing such a commotion, the maid answered, "I used to be able to... but nowadays..."
Her words trailed off as mories of the past flashed in her mind. She quickly closed her eyes, pushing the images away—the reason she could no longer consu that particular organ.
The n who had abused her during her ti as a slave of the Count of Abinair had forced raw liver into her mouth, causing her to swallow the blood-dripping organ against her will.
Overwheld by fear, Elis’s trembling hand sought refuge in Kiev’s grasp out of her consciousness, which was now securely holding her waist. Sensing her agitation, Kiev reciprocated, drawing her closer.
Observing this tender gesture, the female guests blushed, perceiving it as a display of the derian Prince’s deep care and love for his wife.
Observing Elis’s state, Rafe was certain there was more to her condition than she had explained. He could discern traces of trauma in her behaviour, hinting at deeper wounds left unspoken.
"It’s best if we take her to the room to rest. She needs so ti to calm down," the healer suggested. Turning to Elis, he asked, "Can you get up?"
The maid attempted to rise, but her weakness overwheld her.
"I’ll carry her," Kiev offered, swiftly moving his arms to support her; one hand rested behind her back while the other cradled below her knee.
"Wait... I..."
Elis stamred, wanting to protest, but Kiev’s words silenced her.
"You are my wife... my responsibility. I’ll take care of you," he declared.
His earnestness left the maid speechless, caught off guard by his sincerity. How could he speak those words when their relationship was rely a pretence?
Glancing around, Elis noticed that all eyes were on them. It dawned on her that the derian Prince was once again orchestrating a performance.
Disregarding Elis’s silent protests, Kiev effortlessly lifted her body and began striding toward their room.
Passing by Louis, the event host, he spoke, "Since my wife is unwell, we’ll retire for now. Do continue the celebration without us. It would be a sha to end it too early. Please excuse us."
Louis and Eva nodded, concern etched on their faces.
"Then, let my maid follow to assist you," suggested Eva.
"No need. Elis could beco more anxious with more people around. I will attend to her myself," Kiev quickly declined in a firm voice.
"I’ll co with you. She requires dical care," Rafe said.
"Wait for !" Callis interjected, not wanting to be left behind. "I’ll accompany her and offer my assistance, too."
Louis expressed concern about the derian Princess’ injury, "But your shoulder is still recovering."
"Don’t worry about it. I’ll be careful. Besides, Elis will feel more at ease with by her side," Callis assured him.
Kiev didn’t counter the suggestion, understanding that the presence of his sister would be beneficial. Louis and Eva finally relented and agreed.
As the quartet left the main hall, the host announced to the guests, addressing the commotion. Eva’s maid swiftly cleaned the floor, ensuring everything was back in order.
anwhile, Jason and Nick approached their mother, curiosity evident on their faces.
"Is sothing wrong with Lady Elisabeth?" Jason, the eldest, inquired.
Eva filled them in on the situation. "She probably has an upset stomach from consuming the liver soup. She ntioned she couldn’t endure the taste of it."
One of their relatives chuckled and interjected, "Oh, Eva, haven’t you noticed yet? It’s quite obvious!"
Perplexed, the middle-aged woman asked, "Notice what?"
The relative continued, "That lady is pregnant! She ntioned that she used to be able to eat liver, but suddenly, she couldn’t and vomited. That change of appetite is quite common for pregnant won. Also, we’ve seen how His Highness Prince Kiev always clung and affectionate to her. It wouldn’t be surprising if it’s happening so soon!"
"Hah! Co to think of it, she has been pale since they arrived and hasn’t looked well. Now it all makes sense!" Nick chid in, supporting the idea.
Realisation dawned on Eva.
"Oh, my! How can I not notice that she’s expecting? Since you ntioned it, I rember now that she did ntion she was craving the nuts last night! This is wonderful news! Rafe and Callis will be having a nephew or niece soon!"
Her excitent grew.
"You should go and ask Rafe to confirm it! He’s a healer, after all. He can tell after examining her!" encouraged her relative.
Eva agreed.
"You’re right! But first, I should prepare a porridge for Elis since she had already emptied her stomach. The baby needs good nutrition."
The relative offered her assistance, "I’ll co with you and help! We’ll prepare a vegetable porridge for her to consu. It will suit her palate now, considering she’s already experiencing morning sickness."
With a cheerful nod, Eva and her relative made their way to the kitchen.
anwhile, the banquet continued, and the bard played a new song at Louis’s instruction. The crowd resud socialising, embracing the revived atmosphere of the event.
***
"We need to change your attire to sothing more comfortable first. Your dress is already sared from the vomit," Kiev said, gently placing Elis on the bed.
"I’ll manage... I’ll go to the bathroom," she replied, attempting to stand.
However, her weakened state caused her feet to wobble, and she nearly fell. Fortunately, the derian Prince swiftly caught her body, preventing further mishaps.
"Stay. Let’s change your attire here. Callis will assist," Kiev suggested.
"But..." Elis started to protest.
"I will close my eyes and not look, I promise," he assured her.
Callis nodded in agreent.
"It’s best if we do it here, considering your condition," she said.
Elis’s eyes darted to Rafe, standing a few steps away. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassnt. Sensing her discomfort, Kiev instructed the healer to wait montarily outside.
"Shouldn’t you co with too?" Rafe asked the derian Prince.
"She needs ," Kiev responded firmly.
"She’s not your wife! It’s inappropriate!" the healer argued.
"Callis can’t manage her alone, considering her shoulder is injured," Kiev explained.
"In that case, let do it instead of you. At least I’m a healer," Rafe proposed.
Kiev’s tone turned stern.
"I’ll cut off your hand if you dare touch her! She’s my responsibility!"
"Since when? She’s only your fake wife!" the healer retorted.
Kiev growled in anger, but Callis intervened before the argunt could escalate further, "Stop it, both of you! Can’t you see that Elis is unwell here?"
Both n fell silent at the reprimand, but neither was willing to leave the room. Understanding the need for a resolution, the derian Princess took charge.
"Rafe, please take a few steps away and turn around. Brother, you’ll help support Elis while I assist in changing her dress. I need you to hold her body, but keep your eyes closed and don’t peek," Callis ordered, establishing a clear plan of action.
"All right. Do you want to heal your shoulder now so you can attend to her without hassle?" offered the derian Prince.
"No! It would be strange if anyone else noticed it was miraculously cured overnight. Even if I tried to pretend, I would be easily caught since my acting skills are terrible! I’ll be fine," Callis insisted.
"Just be careful and don’t exert yourself," Rafe said, concern evident in his grey eyes.
"I will," she assured him.
However, Elis hesitated at the suggestion, afraid of exposing her scarred body to everyone. Before she could voice her concerns, Callis intervened, understanding her feelings.
"Don’t worry. I won’t look either. I’ll cover you with the blanket just like you did to when I received treatnt, so you’ll feel more comfortable," said the derian Princess.
Elis recognised that she couldn’t reject the offer given her current condition, so she nodded in agreent.
With Kiev’s assistance, Callis helped the maid change into her nightgown. Then, the derian Princess took the soiled dress and placed it in a basket in the corner of the room.
As Elis held onto Kiev’s hand for support, his arm gently supporting her back, a knock interrupted their mont. Eva entered the room, carrying a tray of a steaming bowl of porridge and a mug of warm milk.
"Forgive for interrupting your rest ti. I thought you must be hungry after vomiting, so I prepared a warm al for you. Don’t worry, there’s no at in the porridge, only vegetables and grains. It will help replenish your energy," she said as she served the bowl on the table.
"I appreciate your kindness, but I don’t feel like eating," Elis replied.
"You need to eat sothing. You vomited all the food you consud. If you don’t, you’ll beco even weaker. We are returning to Gantz tomorrow, and you’ll need energy for the journey," Kiev insisted.
Eva interjected, concerned for Elis, "Oh, I don’t think she should travel in her condition. It’s not good for the baby."
"Baby?"
The quartet exclaid in surprise at Eva’s statent, their eyes widening in astonishnt.
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