Minutes later, the doctor knelt beside the queen's bedding, his experienced hands checking her pulse with practiced care.
Jade sat close, eyes flickering between the doctor's face and Genie's still form, worry etching deeper into his features.
The doctor's brow furrowed, his head tilting slightly as he muttered, "Why could this be...?"
"Well..." Jade's voice was tight with concern. "There doesn't seem to be any physical abnormality..."
A silence hung, heavy and suffocating. Jade's fingers clenched into a fist.
"Then why did she collapse?" he demanded quietly, eyes searching the doctor's face for answers.
The doctor shook his head, his expression grave. "I'm not sure either. For now, we'll have to observe her condition further."
Jade's gaze fell on the queen lying there, fragile and still. His heart clenched with helpless worry.
'Your Majesty…' he thought silently, willing her to hold on.
Suddenly, a faint flutter of movement—a painful opening of eyes, brows knitting together in discomfort.
"Your Majesty...!" Jade's voice softened, hope breaking through the tension.
Her eyelids lifted slowly, revealing tired but conscious eyes.
She saw Jade's anxious, caring gaze fixed on her, and a faint smile ghosted across her lips.
"Jade..." Her voice was weak, but it held warmth.
Relief flooded Jade, the tight grip of fear finally loosening.
Genie's eyes shifted toward the doctor, steadying herself despite the haze of pain.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"
The doctor, recently dispatched from the palace and now residing in the nearby village, bowed deeply with a respectful solemnity.
Genie's voice came out rough and fragile, barely above a whisper.
"I... Did I lose consciousness?"
The doctor nodded gravely.
"Yes, Your Majesty. You lost consciousness and collapsed. Minister Jade carried you here immediately."
Genie's gaze shifted back to Jade, who sat close by. His eyes—filled with a mix of worry and relief—held hers steady, unwavering.
'Jade…'
A sudden swell of emotion rose in Genie's chest, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. His warmth and steadfast concern stirred a deep shame within her, recalling the stubborn moments she had caused him.
In that quiet, heavy moment, the pressing purpose that had brought her here flickered back to life in her mind.
'Right. I came to eradicate the bandits…'
Her thoughts raced to the warriors, still waiting outside, ready to follow her lead.
"Where are the warriors...?" Her voice, though weak, carried the resolve that had not faded.
Jade met Genie's gaze, his voice steady and reassuring.
"Don't worry. I told the warriors to return to their respective taverns."
A pang of guilt tightened in Genie's chest.
'They're all waiting because of me…'
She glanced down, ashamed to have caused such trouble.
"Why did I collapse?" she asked, her voice fragile but determined to understand.
The doctor exchanged a cautious look with Jade, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
"Minister, could you please step outside for a moment?" he requested quietly, his tone low and serious.
Jade froze for a heartbeat, then, as if steeling himself, rose from his seat. He bowed deeply, eyes lowered, every movement measured and respectful.
"I'll step out for a moment, Your Majesty," he murmured, voice steady despite the weight pressing on his chest.
The door closed behind him with a soft click. Silence settled in the room, heavy and expectant. After a pause, a courtier cleared his throat, stepping forward cautiously.
"Your Majesty… that is…"
"What is it? Tell me," the queen's voice, calm but commanding, cut through the tension.
The courtier's expression tightened; he swallowed hard before speaking, his words carrying the gravity of unwelcome news.
Meanwhile, Jade had stepped into the courtyard, the sunlight falling unevenly across the stone paths. His steps were restless, pacing without direction.
'What could it be… Could it be something about Her Majesty…? No.'
He shook his head, the very thought twisting his stomach. The idea that something could be wrong with the queen was unbearable.
Back inside, the courtier emerged from the chamber, his face shadowed with concern. Jade's heart leapt. He moved toward him in urgent strides.
"Your Majesty?" he asked, the word catching in his throat.
"Go back in, Jade," the courtier said gravely, his gaze heavy with unspoken warning.
Jade's legs carried him swiftly to the door. He paused, hand on the frame.
Then he asked, voice low, reverent, "Your Majesty, may I come in?"
A gentle, composed reply met him.
"Yes, please."
He pushed the door open slowly. Inside, the queen stood upright, serene yet alert, arranging her bedding with careful hands. Light from the window painted soft shadows across her face, giving her an almost ethereal presence.
"Your Majesty," Jade breathed, stepping forward instinctively, ready to assist.
She shook her head, her movements deliberate and composed.
"No, it's all done," she said
Her voice sounded stiff, but it wasn't anger. There was something in it that seemed to suppress emotion.
Jade's gaze lingered on the queen, cautious and searching. The faint glimmer of tears clung to the corners of her eyes, delicate and almost imperceptible.
"Your Majesty…?" His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, laden with concern.
Genie turned to him, and in an instant, her entire expression transformed. A radiant smile bloomed across her face, lighting up the room. Her large, clear eyes sparkled, and the dimples in her cheeks deepened, a warmth that seemed to push back the shadows around them.
"It's just a slight illness," she said, her voice gentle yet resolute. "I'm still embarrassed that I can't manage my stamina well. I can't make the warriors wait any longer because of me. Let's finish tidying and continue on our journey."
With a graceful motion, she pushed the neatly folded blankets to a corner, as if letting go of her weakness along with them.
"Your Majesty, if you're not feeling well, you could rest a bit longer…" Jade's words came out hesitantly, his worry etched in every syllable.
"No!" Genie's reply was firm. She turned back toward him, her eyes blazing with quiet determination. "We must leave now. Everyone is waiting."
Before Jade could gather his thoughts, she moved toward the door, swift and purposeful. But just as her foot crossed the threshold, her body wavered, a sudden sway betraying the fragility she had hidden so well.
"Your Majesty!"
Jade's heart leapt.
Without a second thought, he closed the distance and wrapped both arms around her shoulders, steadying her in a protective embrace.
"Are you alright?!"
As Jade held Genie close, feeling the faint tremor of her frame against his chest.
"Ah…" Genie drew a slow, steadying breath, as if gathering every fragment of her composure. "I'm fine. Once I move again, I'll be perfectly alright."
Her head tilted slightly, and her eyes met Jade's—soft, steady, and yet carrying an unspoken weight. He could feel the warmth of her shoulders beneath his hands, the gentle rise and fall of her breath against him.
"You don't need to worry…" Her voice was quiet, almost fragile, quivering at the edges, betraying the calm she tried to project.
Jade's chest tightened.
"Are you really going to be alright…?"
"Yes. Don't worry."
Her faint smile flickered across her lips, delicate yet unwavering, a gentle shield against his concern. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, catching in her hair and illuminating her features, making her glow as if painted by the light itself.
But beneath the brilliance of that smile lingered an inexplicable sorrow, subtle yet undeniable. It seeped into Jade's heart, twisting it with a sudden, sharp ache. A cold sense of foreboding washed over him, leaving him unsettled, as though a shadow had quietly slipped between them.
He tightened his hold, unwilling to let go—not just from worry, but from a silent promise he could barely articulate: he would not let her stumble, not now, not ever.
"Boss…"
Manny's voice echoed softly as he stepped into the underground chamber, the flickering candlelight casting long, trembling shadows along the walls. The air was thick with smoke and unease.
Teel sat in his chair, body slouched, chin resting on his hand, eyes closed as if the world outside didn't exist. Silence stretched between them like a taut wire.
"Perhaps it's time to stop hiding…" Manny said cautiously, each word hesitant, careful.
Slowly, Teel opened his eyes. A deep scar ran beneath his right eye, glowing unnaturally red in the dim candlelight. Manny's stomach knotted, and he instinctively took a step back.
"Hiding…?" Teel's voice was low, deliberate, each syllable measured. "What happens to everyone if I leave this place?"
Manny froze, caught in the weight of the question.
Teel's gaze pierced him, unrelenting.
"If I… leave this place… what will happen to everyone?"
Manny's lips trembled, his mind scrambling for an answer. "Th-that is…"
Teel's voice dropped even lower, cold and heavy, reverberating off the stone walls.
"Manny."
Manny straightened, uneasy under the intensity of those eyes.
"How many people do you think lost their lives for me to reach this position?"
The words hung like a guillotine above Manny's head. His lips quivered, heart hammering.
"W-well… maybe… h-hundreds…?"
Teel's mouth curled into a sharp, cruel smile.