Chapter 436:

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Everything she needed, from food to fresh linens, was brought directly to the royal residence.

There was no world beyond the king’s chambers; her life revolved only around the still figure in the bed.

Madam Livia visited occasionally to assist Emeriel in preparing the herbal remedies. Each visit, she patiently guided Emeriel, teaching her how to concoct medicinal teas and brew potions to reduce the fever and stave off the symptoms of soul death.

Afterward, Madam Livia blended fragrant oils while Emeriel ground roots into fine powders, using their rich, earthy aroma to rise as incense.

Male Urekai servants handled the king’s bathing and changing of clothes, and the maids came to replace the bed linens and tidy the chamber. But for the most part, Emeriel was left alone with her unconscious king.

She would often choose books from the grand library, reading aloud to him tales of epic battles won and lost, stories of distant lands and gods. Along her wanderings, Emeriel had encountered rooms, sealed like tombs with heavy locks, that she realized held the memories of his late bondmate and children. Out of respect, she never ventured near them, honoring their space.

On the fifth day, after sponging his fevered skin and applying drops of medicine into his open, unblinking eyes, Emeriel knelt by the hearth.

Clutching the worn leather-bound book of religious texts and ancient prayers, she opened it to the page where she had left off the day before and resumed praying.

“Grant, O Great Ukrae, the restoration of health, and healing hands, both to body and soul,” she read, tending to the flickering flames in the stone fireplace with her free hand. “Almighty and powerful Ukrae, who heals all and saves all, may thine blessings restore strength and life.” She lost herself in the sacred texts, time drifting away unnoticed as always.

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It wasn’t until Madam Livia entered to administer his night medicines that she stirred, gently closing the prayer book and rising to join her.

“Have I thanked you for returning to Urai?” Madam Livia asked later, as she prepared to depart, pausing at the threshold. “I know it couldn’t have been easy, considering everything that’s happened.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Emeriel said.

The truth was, despite her desire to leave the past behind, Aekeira had been right. She needed to know her male was hale and hearty, even if they were halfway across the world from each other.

“During his brief return, I understood why his people are so devoted to him,” Madam Livia confessed, her hands resting on the doorframe. “They all hated us humans, but he was the only ruler who treated us like living beings.”

The head maid’s gaze drifted to the bed. “Lord Ottai ignores us at best. Lord Vladya would harm any human who got in his way, and Lord Zaiper… well, he treats us worse than dirt, killing us like vermin.” A pause. “But King Daemonikai? He sees a child fall, and he helps her up. Did you notice the kitchens started making better meals for us when he returned? He included us in festivals as attendants, not slaves. And when we were sick, he made sure the healers tended to us.”

Emeriel stared, speechless.

She had been aware of some of the grand king’s benevolence toward humans, but not the full extent.

Much of her time had been spent in Lord Herod’s home, too preoccupied with her own struggles, worrying about her heat and hiding her secrets.

“The Urekai aren’t the only ones praying for his recovery, you know,” Madam Livia added. “We all are. That’s why I’m convinced that assassin was sent; he didn’t act on his own just because he was human.”

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