“I’ll be back soon. Please wait a little.”

Liz spoke as if he were awake, waited for the time it would have taken for him to answer, and then got up from her seat.

It was a habitual and natural action.

Outside, Liz, who came out through the lattice window, squinted for a moment in the sunlight shining through.

Since the doctor had said that if Hersis saw the sunlight as soon as he opened his eyes, it could damage his visual cells, Liz had covered all the windows of the room where he was with blackout curtains while the sun was up.

Since she had been there for four days herself, it was natural that her eyes would be temporarily blinded by the intense light she faced unexpectedly.

Following Rosa’s guidance, Liz headed to the meeting room. There, she could meet with Ishaar.
“I’ll keep the secret, so please tell me the truth. Actually, I have a piece of information myself.”

“A piece of information?”

“Yes.”

In response to Liz’s question, Ishaar gave a simple answer and fell silent. It showed his firm determination not to reveal his own information unless Liz showed her cards first.

“Okay. I’ll tell you.”

“…….”

“The conversation suddenly took a turn, heading for the forest path. He amazingly found his way to the riverside. I tried several times to rein him in, but it was futile. It seemed like he had completely forgotten that I was riding on his back. He was breathing heavily, as if thirsty, saliva dripping from his mouth, and he wiped his forehead several times. Then he started to run wildly.”

Ishaar listened attentively to Liz’s words without blinking.

“As he was running, I thought he would stop in front of a fallen dead tree blocking the way. It was quite large and tall. I thought it was time to get off. So, I straightened my body, which was lying down, but… then…”

Although Liz could vividly describe the situation with precise details, it was excruciatingly difficult for her to talk about it.

“You don’t need to say more. I’ve heard enough.”

Ishaar said. This time, his unfamiliar consideration was not puzzling but rather appreciated.

Liz barely suppressed her emotions and looked at him. Her eyes might have reddened, but she didn’t shed tears, so there was no problem continuing the conversation.

So, it was now time for her to show her cards.

“Regarding what you mentioned earlier about the information…”

“Your Majesty!”

Suddenly, Rosa burst into the meeting room, opening the door wide. Uncharacteristically, her face was flushed.

Anticipation gradually rose on Liz’s face, which had been bewildered.

“No way… Is it what I’m thinking? Is it true?”

For the first time since Liz had seen her, Rosa smiled brightly and answered.

“Yes, Your Majesty. That’s correct. Emperor Hersis has awakened.”

Liz suppressed the overwhelming joy by biting her lip. Then, she looked at Ishaar. It was a gaze that asked, “Did you hear it too?”

“You should go see him quickly.”

Ishaar, with a relieved expression, stood up from his seat and said. Liz nodded.

“Yes, let’s go quickly.”

The two of them went out into the corridor together, walking rapidly as if running. Then, Liz suddenly stopped.

The news of Hersis waking up made her realize there was someone she had to be concerned about.

Looking back at Ishaar, who wasn’t following, Liz asked with a puzzled expression.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Uh… Well…”

Liz’s mind raced.

She hadn’t informed anyone about her pregnancy yet.

The reason was not only Hersis lying unconscious, but there was more to it.

If the fact of her pregnancy became known, it would undoubtedly bring many restrictions on her actions.
“That won’t do. There’s so much to do in the future.”

Until the planned tasks were completed, it was necessary to keep it a secret. If that wasn’t possible, at least until the ship was loaded. Time was needed to organize thoughts.

“I feel dizzy for a moment. Please go ahead, Your Excellency. I’ll go slowly.”

After a moment of contemplation, Ishaar took a step towards her, as if he had made up his mind. However, when Liz held Rosa’s arm, he didn’t come any closer. He glanced at Liz with an unreadable expression, then raised a salute and left.

‘What’s with that attitude? Hopefully, he hasn’t already figured out my condition.’

Praying it wasn’t true, Liz walked slowly with Rosa.

When they arrived at Hersis’s residence, Ishaar had already finished checking.

Liz asked anxiously, “How is he? Does he not look good? Is there any paralysis in his legs or…”

“He’s perfectly fine. He even tried walking inside the bedchamber, and there was no sign of weakness in his legs.”

Liz’s face brightened at his words. It felt rewarding to have prayed and stayed by his side all this time.

“Except for one minor issue, everything is as it was before the accident.”

“That’s good. I’m really relieved.”

Overwhelmed with joy, Liz only heard what she wanted to hear, and belatedly, she recognized the earlier statement.

“But what’s the minor issue?”

To that, Ishaar answered calmly, “Seems like memory loss.”