Aifé finished checking Helian’s pulse and stood back up. “How long has it been?”

  “A bit over a week this time. The first time, she was asleep for a few hours… that was nearly two weeks ago.”

  “Assuming it’s the same problem, that’s much too fast. I thought you said she’s happily married?”

  “She is. Though to be honest, she has plenty of things weighing on her… she’s had a hard time. And her wife is… a complicated person. They’re both complicated people.”

  She sighed. “Nothing is ever simple, is it.”

  “If you can believe it, His Majesty even arranged to marry her off to Duchess Coroban.”

  “That damned-”

  A furious shout withered in her throat, either because she realized she was about to commit lèse-majesté, or because she was afraid of waking Helian. Not that either of those things would have bothered me.

  It was my turn to sigh. “Like father, like son, I suppose. He really hasn’t learned anything.”

  “Where on earth is her wife? She’s not going to get better if the people important to her aren’t around.”

  “The timing was unfortunate – Frost departed for a Hunt right before Helian fell asleep. We sent someone to fetch her, so she should get here soon… assuming nothing happened to her.”

  Aifé shushed me angrily, like when I was little. “You mustn’t speak things like that aloud, they might come true!”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time, revered one. Frost tends to get herself into trouble… which is part of the problem. They had an argument about this the day before her first episode, now that I think of it…”

  She groaned and then stared at the ceiling. “This girl doesn’t need a physician; she needs a therapist! Still, the progression makes no sense to me. I checked our records before, and none of the cases before Fuyu’s were this fast either.”

  Hearing my mother’s name made me flinch. It reminded me of how it sounded when Aifé said her name during our visits, though the emotions behind it were quite different now.

  Another thing we had in common.

  I decided to voice another thought that was unfit to be spoken aloud. “Aifé, is it possible someone did this on purpose?”

  “What? That’s absurd, why would you even-”

  “A great many things are possible, given enough resources and the right knowledge.”

  Aifé clenched her fists tightly. “I suppose… it’s possible. There aren’t many people who could do it, and it would be exceedingly dangerous. Who could she possibly have upset badly enough for them to go to so much trouble?”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  I sighed. “Well, she was involved in the deaths of a baron, and a marchioness, and a duchess, and-”

  “Heavens above! Why do saintesses always get into so much trouble? It’s like the universe has a grudge against them.”

  “Yes, I’ve thought that myself.” Many times, in fact. I eventually came to share Frost’s opinions about “The Author”, even if she was misinformed about how things in our world actually worked.

  “If this is really the result of foul play, the usual solution probably won’t be enough.”

  “The usual? I’d prefer not to repeat those events.”

  “Don’t be like that, Rosa. You know what I meant.”

  Ugh. “You’re right. That was unfair of me.”

  “For now, I’ll do some thinking. If you come up with a list of the people who’d have a good reason to wish her ill, perhaps the two of us can narrow it down…”

  Perhaps elder brother would turn out to be involved, and I could finally get away with wrapping my hands around his neck.

  ------

  “Is everything alright, Lady Rosa?” Ernest poked his head in the door as Aifé exited. “The revered mother looks upset.”

  “Not really, Ernest. But you don’t need to worry, nothing has changed. We just had to revisit some unpleasant memories.”

  “‘We’? Do you and the revered mother know each other?”

  I nodded. “Yes. She was… a friend of the family when I was younger, I suppose.”

  “Ah, back before she was exiled from the capital. I heard she got tangled up in a real scandal back when she was younger, and that’s how she ended up here at this branch temple. You wouldn’t happen to know what the cause of all that was, would you?”

  “I do, yes.”

  As I’d hoped, he knew better than to press the subject. “Ah. Well… I suppose it’s good to have someone you know around here, right? Instead of being completely surrounded by strangers.”

  “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”

  “Ah. Well…”

  I turned away from Helian to smile at him. Don’t worry about it, Ernest.

  Before he could make a third attempt at small talk, a frail-looking young priestess entered the room carrying some towels and a basin of water. What was she doing here?

  “Excuse me.” Ernest put his arm out to block her path. “This room is restricted, sister.”

  The priestess seemed surprised. “Really? Sister Providence told me to go look after all the bed-bound patients, and this room was third on the list.”

  I frowned. “You’re sure you didn’t misread it?”

  “Absolutely certain, my lady. In any case, I apologize for the intrusion… I meant no offense.” As she said this, the priestess began to edge past Ernest and approach Helian. “Since I’m already here, would you like me to assist you today?”

  The crest on my hand itched. “No, that won’t be necessary. Thank you for offering.”

  “Are you sure, my lady? I mean no offense, but we’re experts at caring for the ill here. And you look quite tired from looking after her all by yourself. It won’t inconvenience me a bit to help.”

  Why was she so insistent? Something about the priestess’s demeanor made me uncomfortable. I shot Ernest a look I hoped he would understand, and he replied appropriately. “Sister, why don’t I walk you back to the nursing station, and we can sort out the confusion with the list?”

  The priestess stared at Helian for a moment as if contemplating something, then turned back to Ernest and nodded. “Okay. Thank you, brother.”

  She then proceeded out of the room without paying me any mind, and Ernest followed swiftly on her heel.

  I promptly closed the door behind them once they’d left, and then locked it.

  The odor that lingered after the priestess left was strangely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I had been smelling it frequently since arriving here and had been trying to figure out what it was. At least now I knew that it was some sort of perfume or oil used by the priestesses. Perhaps I could ask Aifé about it.