Curing the Betrothed

When Frederick first saw Diana after he had teleported to Evymeria, he thought she was dead since he could not sense her mana at all. But according to Lumina and Francesca, it must be due to the magic that they used.

Thus, when he was informed that Diana was merely frozen in time and still needed to be cured, Frederick instantly checked her and cast healing magic. It did not work. Any of the antidotes he had were not compatible to be used to rid the poison just as it was with Anthony, Nicholas, and Duke Cedrick.

Even Lumina and Francesca who had been educated in Evymeria about all kinds of poison did not know what it was since it was an ancient one from another country.

It was extremely rare for the Evymeria ducal daughters not to know a poison since they specialized in healing. But it was due to the fact that it was a poison that had never been used in centuries; probably even more than a millennium.

Frederick himself had never personally encountered the poison before that ill-fated day. He had only read it in a very old book in the Royal Library which the Grand Magus and the King had given him access to.

After the burial ceremony of those who died in the war between Yebersol and Evymeria, Frederick departed to gather ingredients for the antidote to cure his betrothed.

The ingredients were extremely rare and hard to find. Yet, Frederick persevered. He did not bother to rest despite the protests of his servants. He was determined to heal Diana as soon as possible. He had no time for himself. He could have all the rest he needed later or else he would have another regret that he would bear for the rest of his life. He would rather not yet fail again.

‘I will cure Diana no matter what. I will fulfill my promise.’

Frederick sneaked from one country to another until after almost three months; he was finally able to gather everything he needed. He returned home and finally made the antidote.

Diana’s mana and life force were already too weak that she was barely alive. She was supposed to be frozen in time so Frederick did not understand why there were changes in her condition.

Lumina and Francesca immediately arrived in a panic when Frederick informed them of Diana’s condition. Raphael and Herbert were also with them.

“It was our first time using that technique, perhaps we failed somewhere?” terrified Lumina asked Francesca who was also looking grim.

The technique they used was almost never used since their potions and healing magic had always been effective before. The technique was just continued to be passed down as insurance. Even the late Duchess Evelyn and Queen Isabella had never used it before.

“What should we do sister? Maybe we should cast it again,” Francesca worriedly glanced at the sleeping Diana.

“Please calm down. I have already made the antidote. I was waiting for you two to arrive so you could open it,” Frederick explained and the two sighed in relief.

The two almost embraced him but Herbert and Raphael hugged them instead. A man was not allowed to hug another man’s wife. It was considered cheating and Frederick would be the one punished not the two from Evymeria. The ladies apologized when they realized what they had almost done.

“Say that first!” Herbert scolded Frederick.

“I was about to say it when the communication was cut off,” Frederick rebutted.

After he informed them about the changes in Diana’s condition, he was about to tell them that he had finished the antidote.

However, the communication was suddenly cut off and in a few moments, his brothers and Diana’s sisters were already in his abode.

He had prepared teleportation portals for them in advance for them to be able to come and go in his estate to check on Diana while he was away and they used it at will.

Diana was transferred to the bed and her elder sisters unfroze her. Frederick then administered the antidote. He also cast healing magic when he detected that the antidote was working.

Due to the unforeseen changes such as her life force and mana weakening, her body might have grown weak due to the poison, so healing magic was necessary to get the best results.

Lumina and Francesca also cast healing magic right after he did to make sure that there was no room for failure. They had to cure Diana no matter what. All of them knew that.

Frederick gasped in surprise when he felt his mana getting sucked when his hand touched Diana’s wrists. He could not unhand her like an unseen force was keeping their hands intact. His mana was getting sucked too fast that everyone noticed him turning pale.

“What’s happening?!”

Lumina and Francesca were starting to panic. They could also tell that the antidote was working but seeing Frederick turn pale and hearing his gasp seemed to have scared them.

“She is absorbing my mana. And the flow is too fast. I cannot even control it,” he explained.

Frederick did not dare stop the flow either since the fact that Diana was absorbing it meant that she needed it. It must be to augment her own supply of mana which was on the brink of running empty.

“I have never heard of that happening before,” Francesca frowned and held Diana’s other hand. She also gasped.

“She’s absorbing my mana too!”

Ten minutes passed and Francesca almost collapsed in exhaustion if Raphael had not supported her. The absorption stopped when she had barely enough to stay conscious.

“She is still absorbing my mana. I believe she needs more,” Frederick informed them.

At the rate of absorption, he was not sure how long he could last since he was not in his best condition. He had been overusing teleportation magic the past three months and it had taken a toll on his health. He had not yet had the chance to rest as well.

Francesca had an enormous amount of mana much more than Lumina but it was almost emptied in only ten minutes. She had to drink an instant recovery potion.

“I shall supply as well,” Lumina volunteered in place of Francesca. She also gasped at the rapid rate of absorption since even using magic for a whole day would not drain them that fast.

After nine minutes, Lumina said that the absorption stopped since she ran out of mana. She also drank an instant recovery potion.

Everyone looked at Frederick. He could still keep going but he did not know if what he had was enough. A third of his mana was already depleted.

Francesca and Lumina alternated between supplying and drinking a potion.

“Would we need to help?” Herbert wondered. He and Raphael were obviously getting anxious despite remaining silent and pretending to be calm the whole time.

“Other men aside from her betrothed or family members are not allowed to touch a lady,” Raphael reminded his brother.

“I know, but isn’t this an emergency?” Herbert worriedly glanced at Frederick.

“I’m fine. I could still keep going,” Frederick assured them.

Frederick collapsed to his knees in exhaustion when less than a tenth of his mana remained.

This was the first time he ever fell to his knees that Raphael and Herbert panicked. He waved them off when they were about to rush to him. He calmly drank an instant recovery potion.

After about nine hours, the mana absorption finally stopped. Lumina was barely conscious and was deathly pale.

Francesca said she was nauseous and felt like she might throw up any second so she was sitting near the exit.

Frederick was utterly exhausted for the first time in his life. He was still on his knees beside the bed as he was the last one to continue supplying mana. His knees gave out when he tried to stand.

Lumina and Francesca had used a dangerous amount of instant recovery potions so Herbert and Raphael forcefully stopped them when they tried to drink another.

Instant mana recovery potions should only be used for a maximum of thrice a day during emergencies and even that was not advised.

However, Lumina and Francesca had already taken ten each. It was a deadly dangerous amount and yet they wanted to continue. Frederick on the other hand was on his third.

“Let Frederick handle it. He had the most mana among everyone here. If he could no longer supply, we will help as well,” Raphael assured the desperate sisters.

After Frederick’s fifth take of potion, the mana flow continued for a few more minutes before Diana finally stopped absorbing when he still had a fourth of his maximum. He drank his sixth potion to ensure that the absorption had not stopped because he lacked mana.

Even as Frederick’s mana was filled to the brim; the mana absorption no longer continued. He checked Diana. She now had a better complexion and her life force was stable.

“I believe her life is no longer in danger. We just need to wait for her to wake up,” Frederick declared and everyone sighed in relief.

Lumina and Francesca who had been struggling to stay awake, lost consciousness and were brought to their rooms.

Frederick, his servants, and Diana’s servants stayed with her to keep watch in case something else happened. He was only able to leave the next day when Lumina and Francesca could finally keep watch.

On the third day, when it was Frederick’s turn again to keep watch, Diana finally showed signs of awakening. He instantly had her sisters summoned.

Diana’s hand gripped the sheets and her breathing quickened. She was gasping for air like she was having difficulty breathing.

They checked her condition and there was nothing wrong with her body or her mana flow.

Lumina and Francesca suggested sitting Diana upright with pillows supporting her to make it easier for her to breathe since she seemed uncomfortable with lying down. They still supported her though since she might move around.