When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 858 - 809: Sleeping Moliat

The night descends like ink, the clock tower's hands ticking toward 11 PM.

A cold wind sweeps past the window grilles, leaving streaks of white frost on the stone walls of the Uffizi Palace.

Inside a luxurious bedroom on the third floor of the Uffizi Palace, the fireplace roars with fire.

The orange-yellow flames cast flickering shadows on the walls, and the air is filled with the scent of herbs and scorched ointment.

A large four-poster walnut bed lies in the center of the room, on which Leia leans against velvet cushions.

The thin nightgown clings tightly to her elegant and shapely form, and as the warm wind blows, it reveals arms wrapped in layers of bandages.

A witch doctor from Black Snake Bay sits on a chair by the bedside, carefully replacing the bandages for the Female Grand Duke.

Rolls of bandages fall to the floor, piling up like a coiled white snake.

When the last layer of dressing is removed, the newly exposed flesh of the Female Grand Duke is still red and swollen, a fresh injury from leading the rear guard during the retreat.

The deep wound in the flesh gapes like a blood-soaked maw, filled with dark red blood and pus.

The witch doctor's technique is quite skilled; she gently pries open the necrotic flesh with silver tongs: "Your Majesty, please bite on a stick or towel."

"No need."

The witch doctor hesitates for a moment, then still takes out a small knife and begins cleaning the surrounding clotted blood, necrotic tissue, and pus.

Those damned Leia Knights either smeared Holy Oil on their swords or dipped their arrowheads in poison.

Whenever Leia appears on the battlefield, all the arrows and longswords of the Leia Knights are aimed at her.

If they could kill this Valkyrie on the battlefield, it would likely be a feat no lesser than Prince Kongdai slaying the Vampire Duke.

Leia capitalized on this, repeatedly drawing and dispersing the Leia Army, but it also left her perpetually scarred with new wounds before the old ones healed.

However, even as the decayed flesh was excised, she never uttered a sound.

The Female Grand Duke's face was pale, lips pressed tightly, forehead beaded with sweat, but her gaze remained indifferent and calm.

"Your Highness, please bear with it."

The witch doctor softly reminds, pouring a deep green potion slowly onto her wound. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The moment the liquid touches the flesh, a searing pain engulfs the entire body.

Leia's fingertips tremble slightly, her hand slowly clenching on the sheet, yet still emitting no groan.

Her gaze stays fixed forward, as if entirely unaffected by the rending pain.

The witch doctor looks up at her, sighs, and continues to focus on debridement.

Once the last layer of clean ointment is applied, and new bandages are wrapped, the treatment is finally finished.

Exhaling a long breath, Leia just adjusts her position, planning to rest more comfortably when suddenly—

"Knock, knock."

A gentle knocking comes from outside the door.

Leia furrows her brow, the witch doctor knowingly picks up her medical box and opens the door to leave.

"Come in." Leia says in a deep voice.

The door is pushed open, revealing Catherine with a smile, carrying a porcelain bowl as she enters.

Steam rises from the bowl, with the scent of medicine mixed with a faint honey fragrance slowly permeating the air.

Catherine looks her over, her smile fading, and she walks straight to Leia: "Overdoing it again, aren't you?"

Pale-faced, Leia leans against the pillow, but she doesn't respond to Catherine's words.

"This is a specially made soothing potion." She says, staring at Leia, "It's for relieving pain and relaxing muscles."

Turning away, Leia snorts coldly: "I don't need such sissy stuff."

Catherine is not surprised: "The doctors all said you always went into battle injured before, leaving your wounds never fully healing.

I know you have a witch's constitution and natural physical talents, but even you can't bear to push yourself like this.

To prevent you from acting out on impulse, Lady Louise specifically asked me to deliver this medicinal soup to you."

Leia stays silent for a moment, then waves her hand impatiently: "Leave it there."

Catherine shrugs, gently placing the bowl on the bedside, then calmly lifts her skirts and sits down.

"Where's Mom? I haven't seen her." Leia suddenly asks.

Catherine pauses, teasing her with a look: "I thought you didn't care, asking only now?"

Leia doesn't respond, simply watching Catherine's face quietly.

"Alright, stop glaring at me." Catherine sighs: "She took the Witch Doctor Corps to Kenke Town."

Leia nods gravely at this.

The current public opinion in the city is unfavorable to her, something she had long anticipated.

Her control over public opinion is far less than Horn's, nor does she deign to turn defeat into victory.

Therefore, the urgent matter is rather how to retain as much of her current power as possible.

Leia dared to come to Rapids City alone, besides nearby reserves, leaving a backhand with Herman on the front line.

She had been worried whether Herman could handle the scene against the two Battle Groups Horn had dispatched.

But since Mom went, that's enough.

After all, Louise is practically a founding elder of the Holy Alliance.

Closing her eyes, Leia begins to analyze the situation before her.

She could transfer the command of her army to Horn, but cannot accept Horn eliminating her influence within the army.

Even if Horn were to calculate against her tomorrow, she could still retain Herman and André as pivots within the army.

After all, besides Herman, no matter who Horn replaces him with, they would struggle to command the Mountain Knights, the same goes for André.

Catherine breaks Leia's silence and contemplation first: "Tomorrow's Advisory Council inquiry session, do you think it'll just go through the motions, or get serious?"

Leia opens her eyes: "Of course, it'll get serious."

"I think..." Catherine hesitates, "It might revoke quite a few noble privileges, and Horn's bottom line is to completely strip nobles of their ability to interfere with the military."

Leia squints slightly, then responds blandly after a moment: "So there'll definitely be constitutional amendments?"

Leaning back slowly against the headboard, her voice steady and firm: "Alright, I agree to the constitutional amendments, according to the original draft... but I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"The nobles surviving on land annuities can be weakened, but the commercial and mountain knights' nobility cannot be weakened, at least not until the war ends." Leia looks at Catherine as if seeing through her, "Can the Messenger please relay this message?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean, you're practically sitting on Horn's lap!"

"What nonsense is that!? What are you talking about?"

"Wasn't it Horn who sent you to probe me? And you say you're not biased towards him?"

"I gave you the best bedroom; Horn's sleeping in a storeroom converted bedroom." Catherine rolls her eyes, "Enough talk about this, your words, I will convey to His Majesty Horn."

"Good." Leia retracts her smile, "Please convey my thanks."

Glancing at the wall clock in the corner, Catherine notices it's already 11:30.

"The meeting is at 8 AM tomorrow, you need adequate sleep; remember to take the medicine."

"I don't need you to tell me."

Catherine gently closes the door, and Leia sits on the bed, pondering for a moment on her departure direction.

After contemplating for a long time, she finally picks up the bowl of soothing potion and drinks it all.

The warm medicinal broth flows down her throat into her stomach, bringing a rare warmth.

She sets down the bowl, enduring the pain as she slowly lies on the soft bed, closing her eyes.

The room falls into silence.

It's unclear how much time passes, when sudden clattering sounds come from outside the window.

It's the sound of small stones tapping against the window.

Leia's brow slightly furrows, but the medicine's effects have begun to take hold, her body grows heavy, consciousness blurred.

The commotion outside grows louder.

"Who goes there!" the Guard's angry shouts are heard.

Soon after, a hurried voice calls out.

"Her Highness Leia... Her Highness the Grand Duke..."

"Her Highness Leia! Her Highness the Grand Duke!"

The shouting outside grows more urgent, interspersed with the guards' rebukes.

However, having drunk the medicinal soup, Leia only drowsily turns over, continuing to slip into slumber.

The night wind and shouting are kept at bay outside the window on this wintry night, while inside the room, only the firelight dances faintly from the fireplace.