Chapter 233 A Glimmer Of Hope
Back at the palace, Cedric still lay unconscious. Rebecca had accompanied Julian to visit him once again, and while the little boy sat faithfully beside the bed speaking to the man who had yet to awaken, she remained quietly nearby, watching them with a mixture of hope and worry.
“Lord Cedric… I learned another sword move today. Don’t you want to see it?”
The boy waited for an answer that never came before continuing with the same unwavering hope that had kept bringing him back each day.
“Mother says you’ll wake up soon… When you do, we’ll be able to play sword fights again.”
His small voice remained filled with innocent confidence as he looked at Cedric’s pale face, completely believing that the man would open his eyes sooner rather than later.
It was then that the physician entered the room, and Rebecca greeted him before he returned the greeting with a small nod.
“It’s time to change his bandage,” he said, and she nodded in understanding before stepping forward to help him.
Just as she had done over the past few days, she held the bowl of clean water while the physician carefully removed the stained bandages from Cedric’s wound. His movements remained slow and cautious, making sure not to reopen the injury, and once the wound had been cleaned, he wrapped fresh bandages firmly around Cedric’s chest.
Rebecca remained beside him throughout, handing him whatever he needed without being asked because, little by little, she had become familiar with the routine every time the physician came to examine him.
Not long afterward, Rosalind entered the chamber, and the physician immediately bowed his head in greeting.
“How is he faring?” she asked quietly, her eyes already searching Cedric’s face before the physician could answer.
“He’s doing better,” the physician replied reassuringly. “His condition has remained stable, and that is a good sign.”
A faint breath of relief escaped Rosalind before her gaze shifted toward Rebecca.
“Thank you for helping out,” she said softly, her gratitude sincere.
Rebecca simply nodded as though it was nothing worth mentioning. “It’s no trouble,” she answered quietly because, in truth, she no longer saw it as something she was doing out of obligation.
A short while later, Rowan entered the chamber. The room grew noticeably quieter the moment he stepped inside because, ever since Cedric had been brought back unconscious, he had struggled to find the right words to say to the man who had followed him so faithfully for so many years. The last time he had come here, he had stood in silence before eventually walking away, unable to bring himself to speak.
Now he slowly approached the bedside before resting a firm hand on Cedric’s shoulder.
“Everyone is waiting for you to wake up,” he said quietly, although the familiar sternness in his voice remained. Even so, beneath that composure was a concern that everyone in the room could clearly sense.
No one would have ever imagined seeing the Lord Commander lying so still.
He had always carried himself with quiet confidence, standing tall no matter how difficult the situation became, yet now he could not even open his eyes on his own. The room felt strangely empty without his usual presence, and although the physician had assured them that he was improving, the silence surrounding him remained heavy.
For reasons Rebecca could not explain, she found herself hoping that the next time she stepped into this chamber, he would finally greet them with that familiar composed expression once again.
After the king and queen left, Rebecca and Julian stayed behind as they usually did. It had gradually become part of their daily routine. They would visit Cedric after everyone else, remain with him for a while, and only leave after making sure he had been properly cared for.
Before long, even the physician had begun relying on Rebecca to help with simple tasks such as changing the cloth on Cedric’s forehead, helping him replace the bandages whenever another pair of hands was needed, giving him water whenever the physician instructed it, and making sure he remained comfortable throughout the day.
Without realizing it, Rebecca found herself staying longer each time she visited. At first, she had convinced herself that she only remained because Julian wanted to spend time beside Cedric, but as the days quietly passed, she caught herself lingering even after the little boy had already wandered off to play or returned to his lessons.
One afternoon, while gently placing a fresh damp cloth across Cedric’s forehead, she let out a quiet sigh.
“You really are stubborn,” she murmured with the faintest shake of her head. “Everyone has been worried sick about you, and yet here you are sleeping so peacefully.”
Cedric, of course, gave no response.
On another day, after helping the physician finish tending to his wound, she remained seated beside him instead of leaving immediately.
“Julian cried again today because he’s afraid you won’t wake up soon enough to teach him,” she said softly while absentmindedly smoothing the blanket over him. “He keeps insisting he’ll show you how much he’s improved, so if you’re hearing any of this… you should wake up before he loses his patience.”
A small smile touched her lips at the thought of the little boy before it slowly faded again.
She had long stopped noticing how naturally she had begun speaking to him. Sometimes she would tell him about Julian’s latest antics, while other times she simply sat beside him in silence, listening only to the quiet sound of his breathing and hoping each day would finally be the day he opened his eyes.
That evening, after another long day spent helping the physician and watching over him, exhaustion quietly caught up with her.
Resting her arms upon the edge of the bed, she had only intended to sit there for a moment before returning to her room, yet without realizing it, her eyes slowly drifted shut, and she eventually fell asleep beside him, still keeping him company even in her dreams.