Halt.

Yelena froze in place.

‘Did someone just say something?’ Yelena thought to herself, scared. Then, the voice spoke again.

[Excuse me, you can hear me, right? Hello?]

Yelena looked around, but she didn’t see anyone standing out.

“Who…?” Yelena mumbled without realizing.

Then, the voice answered, as if it had heard her mumbling.

[Could you please come over to where I am? And please take me out.]

Yelena furrowed her brow.

‘A ghost…?’

[I’m not a ghost. Please.]

The voice in her head answered right away. Yelena was bewildered by the mysterious voice that could not only hear what she said, but could even read her thoughts.

“…”

But it was quite strange.

For some reason, a part of Yelena started to believe that rather than fear the voice, she should listen to its request.

It was as if she was hypnotized.

“Where are you?”

[This way. Turn left at the corner and keep going…]

Yelena faithfully followed the voice’s directions.

‘This is… the castle’s storage room.’

Yelena arrived at a door, which was guarded by two soldiers in alternation.

[Indeed, it’s right here! I’m inside. Hurry, hurry and take me out. I’m about to die of suffocation.]

The voice in Yelena’s head grew excited and pressed Yelena. The voice grew louder and sounded like whining.

‘Be quiet, will you? I’ll turn around if you don’t.’

[…]

“Open the door.”

Yelena entered the storage room after making the voice calm down.

‘I know that there isn’t much that is stored here. From what I know…’

[I’m here. To the right. Right there.]

A certain item came into sight. Yelena’s eyes widened.

“That’s…”

[Take hold of me. Hurry. Now.]

As if a mysterious, intangible force was leading her, Yelena’s hand reached out toward the item.

Then, she lost consciousness.

***

Yelena’s quiet surroundings erupted into noise the moment she opened her eyes.

“Madam!”

“Madam has awoken!”

“Doctor! Call the doctor, hurry!”

Yelena watched as chaos ensued and blinked. For some reason, she was familiar with this situation.

“Did I faint again…” Yelena stopped as she spoke to her husband, who was guarding her bedside. Her voice was so hoarse she sounded like a different person.

“Ah, ah. Ahem.”

Despite clearing her throat, Yelena’s subdued voice did not return right away.

‘Why is it so hoarse?’

She didn’t remember her voice being this hoarse the previous times she had fainted.

Yelena sat up. Abbie approached her.

“Madam, have some water.”

She spoon-fed Yelena water from a bowl with a worried expression.

“…?”

Yelena compliantly drank the water, but she couldn’t hide her confusion.

‘What’s going on?’

To think that she was being spoon-fed, something that’s meant for severely injured patients.

As Yelena sensed that something was off, the door burst open. Ben and Dockter ran inside.

“Madam, you’re awake! Thank heavens…!”

“I will inspect you. Everyone, please step aside for a moment.”

Dockter approached the bed and checked Yelena’s pulse. Yelena figured that he would be examining other things as well, but Dockter only let out a long sigh of relief.

“Her pulse, breathing, body temperature, and complexion are all healthy.”

“Are you sure?”

“To tell you the truth, her condition is almost unbelievable, for someone who just woke up after being in a coma for a week.”

“A week?”

Yelena, who was listening to Dockter and Ben’s conversation, was shocked.

“It took me a week to wake up? After fainting?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Merry replied. Her eyes were welling up with tears. “I was so shocked. You were taken back to your room after you suddenly fainted, but you didn’t wake up for a whole week…”

Merry’s eyes turned red.

“No matter how many times we called the doctor to examine you, he kept saying that he didn’t know the cause of it…”

Yelena hugged Merry, who seemed like she was seconds away from bursting into tears, and patted her back. But she still felt troubled as she did so.

‘It’s startling enough to be unconscious for a day or two, but to think that I was unconscious for a whole week…’

Yelena was utterly dumbfounded, wondering what in the world had happened. Then, she suddenly opened her mouth.

“…By the way, do I smell?”

“Sniffle… I’m sorry?”

“I didn’t bathe for a week… I don’t smell, do I?”