Surely everyone, including my mother, knew that what my mother was talking about was an impossible request, completely impossible to carry out.
In the first place, Colette was unconscious and could not heal herself. And even if she were conscious, it would be impossible for her, with her weak abilities as a saint, to cure such severe symptoms.
"Mother, that's impossible! Colette can't do that!!" (Laurence)
The moment I said that, my mother smiled with satisfaction, and I realized that, aah, that's what she wanted me to say. Even in this situation, my mother was still adamant about clarifying the extent of her abilities as a saint.
Although I was disappointed in my mother, if she was satisfied with getting the words she wanted out of me, then hope began to rise in my mind that maybe she could save Colette. So I looked at my mother with an expectant expression, but the next moment, she easily dashed my hopes.
Because my mother lazily brushed her hair back and spoke these words.
"Today is a bad day. Savis is returning from hunting monsters today, so I'm conserving my magical powers. I won't be using magic."
"So……"
I had just received a report from Lloyd about Savis's return from the neighboring country.
At the request of Kingdom of Dithal, where the cathedral was located, he led a group of knights on an expedition to slay the dragon that had taken up residence in that country, but he never returned having completed his mission.
When Savis went to defeat monsters, he suffered injuries, big and small. For that reason, my mother always made sure to conserve her magical powers a few days before Savis's returned to the castle. But……
"Just for today, could you please have Savis arrange for another Saint? Savis has never suffered a life-threatening injury before. On the other hand, Colette's condition is so severe that the only person who can heal her is you, the First-ranked Saint! And there is no time to waste! Please heal Colette!!" (Laurence)
The fact that the messenger who had informed them of their return to the castle did not say anything more suggests that his younger brother was probably not seriously injured. If that's the case, this was the moment to save Colette.
As I was thinking this, the Queen Dowager looked down at me quietly, then replied without changing her expression.
"You've heard about the 'Tragedy of Sutherland.' Cyril, who joined as Savis's adjutant, only recently lost his parents. I wonder if he'll be able to act as usual. Cyril's illness directly affects Savis, so I don't know if he'll return with only minor injuries like before."
My mother's words certainly indicated one possible scenario. However, if Savis was actually seriously injured, a messenger would come and contact us. Therefore, it seemed highly unlikely to happen, and to me it sounded like an excuse my mother was forcing out because she didn't want to treat Colette.
More than anything, I was puzzled by my mother's attitude of not even moving a finger, even though Colette was in front of us, bleeding so much and looking so fragile at any moment. Didn't my mother have any concern for Colette or any desire to help her?
If we left Colette like this, the flame of her life would surely be extinguished. Not only did she vomit blood, but she also had unexplained cuts all over her body that continued to bleed.
And although I had never seen the skin cut like this without any external intervention before, my mother didn't seem surprised, which made me think that perhaps she was familiar with this condition. Because my mother, being a First-ranked Saint, would receive a lot of information about the illness.
If that's the case, there's no one more suitable than my mother.
"Mother, please, save Colette!!" (Laurence)
I knelt on the carpet and bowed deeply, but my mother just repeated the same words in a flat voice.
"It's the day Savis returns, so I won't be using any magic to conserve my magical powers."
At that moment, I let out a scream so loud my throat almost split.
"Mother! Colette is the most important woman to me! If I lose her, I will have nothing left. Just this once. Please save Colette! Only you, mother, can do that!" (Laurence)
I crept up to my mother's feet, grabbed the hem of her dress and pleaded with her, and she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
"But that girl is nothing to me. If she dies like this, she will never become your queen and will be a complete stranger to me."
At that moment, I realized clearly that my mother wasn't moving. Even if I spent another million words on this, my mother probably wouldn't accept my wish. My words never reached my mother.
——Maybe what my mother was saying was right.
As a mother who put her child first, and as a First-ranked Saint who tried to save the royal family first, her mother's decision might be the right one.
There might have been a certain number of people who listened to what my mother had to say who supported her idea, but when I saw her attitude, I firmly concluded in my heart that it was wrong. My mother, who saw someone dying in front of her, without changing her expression or even moving a finger, was lacking something necessary for a saint.
I didn't remember much about the next few minutes. I probably grabbed Colette and shouted something.
Soon afterwards, the knights, who decided I was half-insane, carried me, with Colette in my arms, and Lloyd to another room. The knights could be heard hastily leaving, saying they were going to call the saint who lived in the villa, but it was clear that Colette's condition was too severe for an ordinary saint to cure.
So I crawled onto the floor and slammed it as hard as I could.
"Please! I'll give my life, my body, everything to you, so please save Colette!!"
The one who answered my heartfelt wish was not a saint or a doctor, but the power of the Spirit King that laid dormant deep within my body.
The moment I vowed to give her my all, the power that overflowed from within me enveloped Colette, and we were connected. And ever since then, Colette had continued to sleep, with her time stopped.