Due to the significant blood loss, Kaius’s vision was blurry.

“Are you in a lot of pain? Can you move?”

The chattering woman caused his head to ring. Ignoring the woman who was bothering him, Kaius closed his heavy eyelids.

Ariel felt a surge of defiance when she saw Kaius ignoring her very existence without moving. Fortunately, his eyes were closed, and the most severe wound on his arm was exposed.

Right. Treating his arm would prove it.

Lifting the hem of her dress, Ariel untied the artifact wrapped around her thigh. To use her healing power, she had to release the transformation magic. The two abilities were incompatible, so it couldn’t be helped. There seemed to be enough time to put on the artifact after finishing the treatment and before he opened his eyes.

In place of the woman with ordinary gray hair and brown eyes, a beautiful woman with a mystical aura appeared.

Kneeling beside him as he leaned against the wall, she began treating his arm. A misty energy was absorbed from Ariel’s hands into his wound. As the treatment was nearing completion, his eyes slowly opened. Ariel quickly turned around and put on the artifact again.

The dazzling silver hair and moon-bright golden eyes vanished in an instant. Ariel, who let out a quiet sigh of relief, turned to face him.

“How is it? Are you feeling better now? I only treated the arm that seemed to have the worst injury.”

“…”

Kaius, more surprised than he expected, quietly looked down at his arm. It wasn’t a dream. He had heard that some people were born with special abilities, but this was the first time he had seen it directly.

Moreover, the power of healing.

“It’s difficult to treat in this state, so if you have more injuries, go lie down on the bed.”

Kaius, who had been staring silently at Ariel, slowly got up. Having confirmed her healing power, there was no reason to hesitate any longer.

As Kaius moved, Ariel supported his arm. She was momentarily surprised by the thick and firm feel of his arm but didn’t show it. His clothes were torn in various places as he lay on the bed. His chest, abdomen, arms, and thighs were in such a mess that it was a wonder he could move at all.

‘What kind of magical beast attack could cause this?’

When she tried to remove his top, he grabbed Ariel’s wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“For the healing power to be effective, you need to take off your clothes.”

Ariel’s healing power required direct hand contact. Kaius stared at her quietly with narrowed eyes, as if searching for the truth in her words. As he didn’t release her captured wrist, Ariel let out a small sigh.

“If you’re not going to receive treatment, I’ll leave, so please let go of my hand.”

“…”

Having already proven her healing power, it was now Kaius who was in a hurry, not Ariel. As she looked at him carefully, a sympathetic exclamation escaped involuntarily.

Kaius remained calm without a single frown, as if quite accustomed to pain. After scrutinizing Ariel’s face for a long time, he finally released her wrist.

“You’ve made a good decision. You’ll never regret what happens today.”

Kaius sat up, removed his top himself, and lay back down. His exposed body was surprisingly full of scars. The muscles that looked so firm that one could be dumbfounded were not even noticeable due to the scars.

This man, what kind of life has he lived…

He probably lived with such a body in his past life too? I had never shared a bed with him, so even seeing his body was a first. We had never desired each other, not even once.

“Close your eyes. Or rather, think of it as taking a nap and waking up.”

“Why.”

“Any further questions will only delay the treatment time, so please act accordingly.”

After briefly looking at his already healed arm, he slowly closed his eyes.

“I need to place my hands on the wounded areas, so don’t be surprised. And if you open your eyes, I’ll stop the treatment, so absolutely don’t open them.”

Ariel removed the artifact and began treatment by placing her hands on each injured area one by one.

All the recent scars were due to her. Feeling very sorry, Ariel bit her lip hard. Perhaps because her concentration wavered, her hands applied too much pressure, causing Kaius’s body to flinch.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

Her guilt grew even more because of him not making a single sound of pain despite how much it must hurt. All she could do was hurry with the treatment.

Kaius, with his eyes closed, gradually became amazed as the pain disappeared. The effect was as immediate as if he had drunk a potion.

To treat so many wounds in such a short time.

In a moment of unconsciousness, Kaius opened his eyes, and his blurry vision caught sight of a woman who looked very different from before. After blinking a few times, thinking something was odd, her appearance had returned to its original form.

“Do you want to stop the treatment?”

Ariel had been constantly watching Kaius’s eyes. She was worried about him catching a glimpse of an appearance he might dislike. Thanks to this, she quickly turned around and put on the artifact the moment his eyes opened.

“I’m sorry.”

Remembering her words not to open his eyes, Kaius closed them again. Naturally, the mysteriously beautiful appearance he had just seen came to mind, but it must have been an illusion. It was probably due to the unusually bright moonlight.

After all, there would be no woman in the world who would deliberately hide such a beautiful appearance.

Kaius set aside thoughts about her appearance. More than that, her healing power moved his heart. It was an ability he desperately needed right now.

Who could this woman be?

Five years of life on the battlefield had given him the ability to judge people quickly.

The boldness of an outsider who doesn’t flinch at the sight of an injured person. The natural grace and elegance that seemed ingrained in her. This revealed that the woman’s life had always been this way.

Also.

She was a woman who could be in the palace at this late hour. This was the North Palace where the princess resided. Considering everything, the woman before him was likely to be the princess. Although he hadn’t heard about her healing power, that was something that could easily be kept secret.

His fiancée, whom he had come to break off the engagement with, unexpectedly had healing abilities? That fact was important enough to make him reconsider his decision.

Then it’s a matter of confirming it.

While Kaius was thinking about her, Ariel, having finished the treatment, began to properly examine his appearance.

Tall stature and firm body, beautiful features, white skin contrasting with black hair. Why was such a handsome man so frightening in his past life?

Kaius, who had died because of her in the past, was now suffering because of the netherworld flower she had cultivated.

I’m really sorry, Kaius.

Please bear with it a little longer. I’ll definitely make an antidote and cure you completely. Perhaps due to her guilty feelings, Ariel’s hand moved towards his face without her realizing. Just as her fingertips were about to touch his cheek, Kaius’s voice was heard.

“It seems the treatment is over, can I open my eyes?”

Startled, Ariel withdrew her hand and said,

“No, not yet. Just a moment.”

He’ll start asking questions when he gets up. Who I am.

But now wasn’t the time for a long conversation. After using her ability extensively, she needed to replenish her life force through water as quickly as possible. Silently slipping out of the annex, Ariel hurried towards her bedroom.

Shortly after Ariel left that room, Kaius, having hastily dressed, also came out immediately, but she was nowhere to be seen.

His plan to have a conversation after the treatment ended up as a bubble before it even began. After looking around once more, Kaius let out a sigh tinged with disappointment.

Tomorrow, he would surely know her identity.

Kaius’s face was as calm as this night as he leisurely headed towards the outer palace.

Letiana was a hot country all year round.

“I’m going in for a bit. Anna, don’t forget what I asked you to deliver directly to Duke Elbartan. No one should see the note. Not even you, Anna.”

She had asked to deliver a letter proposing a contract marriage to Kaius. She wanted to give him time to think before today’s welcoming ceremony.

The greenhouse glass was special, allowing sunlight to pass through while preventing the inside from being visible from the outside. Ariel’s appearance inside the greenhouse was as mysterious as a goddess.

With her true appearance without the artifact. The life force that bloomed like the morning mist on a lake gradually enveloped the plants inside the greenhouse.

Inside the greenhouse, besides lilas and japaros, there were various plants used as perfume ingredients and spices like pepper trees and basil. The pepper trees were brought from the Malabar domain, and they succeeded in matching the environment exactly like there.

The key to the spice business was to maximize the taste while masking the gamey smell of meat. The work of researching the combination and ratio of salt, pepper, basil, and other spices continued to this day. The currently sold product was made based on the golden ratio found so far, and those who tasted steak sprinkled with this could never eat steak with just salt again.

“Hmm… If he doesn’t marry me, should I apply as a cook at the Duke’s household?”

She chuckled at her own quirky thought. It was a thought that came to mind because Kaius was particularly picky about the taste of steak. However, Ludvian would never allow it.

As she was finishing tending to the plants, Ariel grew pale. It was due to using her ability extensively. Heading to the large pool right next to her, Ariel closed her eyes as she immersed herself in the cold water for recovery.

Will Kaius accept the proposal…?

As the dizziness subsided, Ariel began to move freely through the water like a mermaid.