The Countess Lives Twice in the Apocalypse-Chapter 77: Seventy-six

"Jannah! Goodness! Are you sure you’re okay?!" Clara exclaimed, rushing over to Jannah as soon as she saw the Countess walk through the door of the mansion’s former study room.

Clara holds her arms out, her eyebrows furrowed, a worried and anxious expression on her face as she scans Jannah from head to toe.

When Clara saw the crown princess carrying an unconscious Jannah to the town hall, the color on her face went down the drain, all negative possibilities rushing to her head.

She had known the Countess since she was a child— when she was sold off to the former Marques Ebonics, she relied on no one, but Jannah.

Jannah was always there for her, through thick and thin.

She can lose everyone else, just not her husband, Jannah, and Jeriel.

"I’m really fine now, I got my energy back." Jannah gave the Marquess a small, reassuring smile, "Besides, I really need to start walking around, I feel like a newborn baby because my legs can’t hold my weight."

"I’m glad that you’re thinking of everything you could do to make this town secure and safe, but you shouldn’t sacrifice yourself like that!" Clara hissed, a frown settling on her face, now that she knows Jannah’s fine and well, she can let her friend know how foolish she was for doing that.

"Did you know how much we were worried that you wouldn’t wake up? You slept for almost three days! If it weren’t for your little sister trying to stop your people from barging inside the room then we would have prepared a funeral for you!" Clara was exaggerating, but Jannah really did look like she was dying.

She was so pale, looking so sick, like she’s on her deathbed. Her breathing was quiet, weak, and shallow, almost like she was saying her last goodbye in a quiet whisper.

It was a terrifying sight.

Clara thought that Jeriel would scream, lash, and crash out, but the youngest Rafelon was strangely calm. Jeriel and the leopard stayed with Jannah most of the time, leaving no choice for others to go to Jannah’s room when they had something to ask Jeriel.

Clara knew that the sisters have close bonds so she expected violent reactions from Jeriel, but she showed none.

The Marquess continued to frown, making Jannah sigh.

"I’m really fine, I’ve never been better." Jannah said, shrugging her shoulders in a dismissive manner as she raised her hand to give Clara a pat on the head, "You’re acting more worried than Jeriel, it’s adorable."

"I wasn’t that worried because I know that you’ll be fine." Jeriel stated, rolling her eyes as she walked past the two of them, "Eira wasn’t worried, too, you know?"

Hearing an unfamiliar name, Duke Eulicies perked up, feeling his heart drop to his stomach.

"Eira?" He asked aloud, his eyes shifting towards Jannah.

"That’s the name of the leopard." Jannah said, pulling her hand away from Clara and turning her head, looking at him over her shoulders, "I will be naming the leopard cubs, too, but I need to discuss something important with everyone inside this room first."

"Why name her Eira?" Merlot asked, speaking for the first time since Jannah walked inside the room.

Jannah shrugged, "Just because."

"Okay.. So, what do we need to discuss?" Clara inquired with hesitancy dripping in her voice, "Would it affect your health? Ours? Everyone else’s?"

"No, why would you even think of that?" Jannah immediately flushed Clara’s worries down the toilet then she turned to the man standing by the door, "Anyways, Duke Zacharias, please call for the first princess, the third prince, Marco, Lucienta, Polo, and Arthur. Tell them that we will need them here."

Jeriel snickered which made four heads turn to her direction, "I don’t think he’ll follow your order. I mean, you’re a Countess and he’s a Duke. Why would an honorable Duke follow a Countess?"

What are you doing? Jannah narrowed her eyes at her little sister, hissing the question out through their mental link.

Shush. Jeriel dismissed her with a smirk. If he really likes you, he won’t let my words affect him and will walk out of this room without a word.

Jannah sighed, not expecting for her little sister to be this childish and petty.

However, much to Jeriel’s annoyance and to the Ebonics couple’s surprise, the Duke did something that made Jannah’s heart skip a beat and make her breath hitch.

Duke Eulicies’s chest rose and fell, a deep and heavy sigh escaped through his nostrils as he shot a glance towards Jeriel for a brief moment. Then, he nodded his head, smiling at Jannah.

"Understood, my lady. It seems that they will be part of the town’s future endeavors so I’ll come back with them." He said, his voice gruff with an unidentifiable tone.

Jannah thought he was done and would walk out of the room, but to her surprise, he lowered his head instead.

He reached out for Jannah’s arm and gently grabbed her hand, he pressed his lips on her knuckle, his soft lips placing a quick kiss on her skin, eliciting a shiver down her spine.

"Please wait for me." Duke Eulicies muttered, slowly letting go of Jannah’s hand and turned in his heels, throwing a mischievous and smug smile on Jeriel’s way as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

The short and quick interaction between the Countess and the Duke had left the three people around them speechless.

However, Jeriel recovered faster than their friends.

"That shameless man!" Jeriel hissed, seething with frustration and irritation, "How dare he?! Come here, sis! Let me disinfect your skin! You were in contact with a deadly bacteria and I don’t want that to cause your death!"

Almost immediately, the younger Rafelon was on Jannah’s side, a handkerchief in her hand.

Clara, who was taken aback from the Duke’s bold action, snapped out of her inner shock and rushed towards Jeriel with a cup of water that she grabbed from the table beside her, she held it out to Jeriel.

As much as she wants to know what’s going on between Jannah and the Duke, she doesn’t want to pry. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

All she could do is watch from the sidelines with bated breath and root for him, offering him the moral support he needs because she knows that Jannah is one of the toughest cookies out there.

It will take him more and longer than that to capture her heart, and with Jeriel being there almost all day, everyday, she knows that the Duke wouldn’t be able to court Jannah without any trouble.

From Jeriel’s statement alone, Clara could tell that the youngest Rafelon doesn’t like him.

Of course, Jannah already knows that Jeriel doesn’t like the Duke so Jannah watched her friend and her little sister clean the spot the Duke had kissed, making her roll her eyes, but did not protest.

She felt the handkerchief’s soft texture against the back of her hand, rubbing gently and softly on her skin, washing off the remnants of the Duke’s lip’s lingering warmth.

After what felt like forever, Jeriel is done and was satisfied with her disinfection wiping.

Jannah discreetly let out a sigh of relief.

"I have a feeling that he won’t be the first and last person to pull a stunt like that so they leave me no choice." Jeriel muttered under her breath, putting away the handkerchief.

Jannah heard the first bit of what she said, but she walked away, taking a seat in front of Merlot.

Much to her relief though, the door creaked open, distracting her from the thought and pushed on the back of her head, looking at the person who opened the door.

"Countess." Arthur greeted her, a look of relief and amazement in his eyes, "I was told that you called for me."

Jannah smiled and nodded her head, ushering him to go inside the room, "I can’t say it just yet so come inside and make yourself comfortable."

Doing as he was told, he closed the door behind him and walked towards the couch.

He dropped himself on the soft cushion, a grunt leaving his lips as he did so. He placed his hands on his thighs, tucking them in place and made himself look presentable as much as possible in his current attire and situation.

Jannah could tell that Arthur was feeling anxious due to him fidgeting with his fingers, he tried to be discreet about it, but he wasn’t discreet enough.

Thankfully and fortunately, Jannah and the others didn’t have to wait for long.

The doorknob turned and the hinges cried in protest as the door got pushed open. Duke Eulicies opened the door, walking inside the room with the people Jannah called for trailing behind him.

Princess Huenazia and Prince Hanzo looked calm, but the way their eyes scanned the room told her otherwise.

Marco, Polo, Kirie, and Lucienta, on the other hand, looked pleased and happy as soon as their gaze landed on her, a smile settling on their faces.

"I brought them as requested, my lady." Duke Eulicies announced, his voice monotone, but the look on his eyes tells her that he was expecting something.

"Thank you." Jannah hummed out and smiled at him, "You did a good job."