158 Rays of the Sun (1/2)
NOW THAT Duke Nystrom had mentioned it, Luna noticed that the air right now was indeed strange.
It was already summertime but the heat right now was unusual.
Usually, when she was near the duke, she felt like she was standing next to a huge block of ice. But right now, Duke Nystrom's body temperature didn't feel as cool as normal. Seeing the bullets of sweat on his forehead also came as a shock to her.
Her thoughts were cut-off when all of a sudden, they heard Duchess's shriek from inside her chamber.
As expected, Duke Nystrom was as fast as a lightning when he ran towards the room.
Luna followed the duke, hoping that nothing serious had happened. Please let the duke and the duchess enjoy their time with their newly born son peacefully.
***
TILLY didn't mean to scream but she was really surprised when Louisa almost dropped Julian when the head maid suddenly collapsed. Thankfully, she had just put Winter in the crib when that happened so she still had the time to catch Julian.
But she didn't have the time to feel relieved because as soon as Louisa collapsed, Leni and Lani also fell on the floor unconscious.
Oh, god. What's happening?
She put Julian in the crib next to Winter before she walked towards her maids to check on them. Much to her shock, she noticed that they were covered in sweat. Their faces were also red and they were breathing heavily.
”Honey!”
She turned to Kiho who looked so worried. Ah, he definitely heard her scream a while ago. ”I'm fine, hon,” she assured him. ”I need your Mana, Kiho. I think Louisa and the twins are suffering from heat stroke. Can you make the room colder?”
Kiho nodded while looking at the maids with worried eyes. ”I can do that,” he said, then he looked at her. ”Are you okay, honey?”
She nodded, then her brows furrowed when she noticed something. ”Kiho, you're sweating,” she said in disbelief. She walked towards her husband and when she touched his face and forehead, she gasped when she felt how hot his skin was. ”What's wrong? This is the first time that your body temperature increased this much, Kiho.”
”I'm fine, honey,” he assured her. ”We should worry more about your maids and the kids. Winter and Julian might feeling the heat, too.”
She gasped and then she quickly went to check on the kids in the crib. Then, she put each of her hand on Winter and Julian's forehead. Julian's body temperature was as warm as normal and he didn't look like he was feeling hot.
Winter, on the other hand, was now sweating heavily just like Kiho.
Oh, no.
Kiho immediately stood up and carefully took Winter in his arms. ”Thank you for checking on the kids, honey,” he said, then he turned to their son. ”Don't worry, little rascal. Daddy will keep you cold.”
When she was sure that Winter was safe in Kiho's arms, she turned to the unconscious maids on the floor. ”They might get too cold if they lay on your ice. I will call the butlers to put them on the bed.”
”Duke and Duchess Nystrom, we have a problem.”
Both of them turned to Luna who just entered the room.
Miss Luna is also covered in sweat…
”All the servants in the mansion collapsed and each one of them is showing signs of heat stroke,” Luna informed them in a worried voice, then she turned to Kiho. ”Your Grace, I'm sorry for asking but I think you should make the whole mansion cold.”
Kiho nodded even though he looked like the heat was also getting to him. ”We should also prepare water for everyone– they must be very thirsty right now.”
Tilly gasped when she suddenly remembered something– causing Kiho and Luna to glance at her. ”If it's this hot inside the mansion, then the heat outside must be very unforgiving,” she said worriedly, then she turned to the window. ”I hope the Black Serpent Knights can stand the heat until they get here.”
***
AKU was surprised when suddenly, the four maids preparing the refreshments for him collapsed at the same time. In the blink of an eye, Sir Gregory and the other royal knights were already surrounding him to protect him from a possible unseen enemy.
He also thought that he was under attack.
But when he noticed that Sir Gregory and the royal knights were covered in sweat, he got suspicious. He turned to the unconscious maids on the ground and realized that just like the knights, they were also sweating heavily.
Come to think of it, the air was way too hot even for the summer season.
In fact, he decided to have his afternoon tea in the garden to get fresh air because the heat was also getting to him.
Now, he realized that the heat wasn't normal.
”Sir Gregory,” Aku said.
Sir Gregory turned around to face him with a polite bow. ”Yes, Your Majesty?”
”We're not under attack,” he said, then he stood up. ”Bring the maids and the knights inside the palace and give them water. Everyone, including you, is suffering from heat stroke.” Only people with high Mana would be able to stand that kind of heat. That was why the royal knights were still standing. ”I'll go to the shrine for the meantime.”
”I'll go with you, Your Majesty,” the old knight insisted.
”Take care of yourself first,” he said firmly making Sir Gregory lower his head. ”I'm entrusting you the lives of the people in the palace, Sir Gregory.”
Sir Gregory bowed again. ”As you wish, Your Majesty.”
He just nodded before he walked away and went straight to the shrine of the Blue Dragon. And that shrine was in the basement of his chamber. Only him and Nia were allowed to enter the shrine. Ah, it would be more appropriate to say that only the royal family could enter that place.
Anyone without the Moonchester blood will literally get their breath taken away if they stepped foot in this room.
And that was because out of all the Four Ancient Beasts, the Blue Dragon was the one that served as the Moonchesters' Guardian.
But he couldn't really say that the Blue Dragon was on their side. After all, out of all the gods, it was the one that was most detached to everyone and everything. The Blue Dragon was like a wind that no one or nothing could truly grasp.
His thoughts were cut-off when he entered the shrine.
It was just a plain white room, to be honest. The only impressive thing in the shrine was the statue of the Blue Dragon with its giant body wrapped around a white coffin.
Yes, a coffin.