Chapter 20
Seeing the deadly aura radiating from him, I firmly denied it.
“I would never think of such a thing. I was planning to end things properly before our wedding so that I wouldn’t bring any trouble to Your Highness.”
As I tried to pull my wrist away from Claude’s strong grip, he tightened his hold even more.
At the same time, his red eyes stayed locked on me.
“Then why did you ask me to keep our engagement a secret?”
“…That’s…”
“You’re hesitating. Does that mean this is about revenge against your ex-fiancé?”
Claude’s lips curved into a crooked smirk.
The sharp look in his eyes made it clear that trying to dodge the question wouldn’t work.
Instead of making excuses, I decided to be honest.
“You’re right. I’m gathering evidence to get revenge on my wedding day. By the way, did you see the newspaper I left behind?”
“Seems like a rat snuck into the castle and spread some rumors. No need to worry—I already cut off the rat’s head and fed it to the wolves. As for its master, I’ve dealt with him, too.”
A rat? A master?
I wasn’t sure about the details, but it seemed like the problem had been taken care of, so I nodded.
“But if you’re planning revenge, is just gathering evidence enough? Isn’t that too mild? True revenge involves blood.”
His red eyes gleamed with cruelty.
I shuddered as I recalled the past—when he had ruthlessly slain the imperial guards with his sword.
“If I commit murder, I’ll be sentenced to execution. Your Highness may have immunity as royalty, but I don’t.”
“Then should I kill him for you?”
A dangerous glint flickered in Claude’s eyes.
“His name was Alex, right? Should I drive a sword through his throat?”
“N-No!”
“Then should I break his legs and leave him crippled?”
“No, I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just…”
“……”
“I just want him to feel the same pain I went through.”
“Then do the same to him.”
Claude’s broad chest slowly rose and fell as he locked eyes with me.
“Show him what it’s like to watch the person you love be with someone else.”
With a crooked smile, he let out a dangerous remark.
“Wouldn’t it be satisfying to have your fiancé watch his bride-to-be in another man’s arms on your wedding day? Just say the word, and I’ll make sure he never comes near you again.”
Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, August had arrived.
I had visited Prince Claude’s mansion two days ago, and I had already prepared enough medicine, so today was a rare day off.
Lying on my bed, I lazily flipped through a book while munching on a sandwich all morning.
By late afternoon, I finally got up and headed to the dining room.
As I walked through the hallway, I heard Alex’s voice.
“Our soon-to-be sister-in-law is not only beautiful but also intelligent. She has everything.”
“Oh, come on, you’re making me blush. But honestly, you’re just as amazing, brother-in-law.”
Peeking through the slightly open door, I saw Rachel playfully tap Alex’s chest, her eyes twinkling like a fox.
Alex, looking at her fondly, gently stroked her hair.
Just twenty more days. I just have to endure for twenty more days, and then I’ll be free of them.
Smirking to myself, I pushed the dining room door open.
“Aselin.”
Alex stood up with a bright smile as our eyes met.
I forced my frown away and put on a cheerful expression.
“Baron, when did you arrive?”
“I figured you were sleeping in, so I waited for you. Did you just wake up?”
“Yes. I was just going to have some tea.”
“Great, come sit. Since Rachel is here too, let’s all spend some time together.”
Reluctantly, I followed Alex to the table.
Rachel shot me a sharp glance before dramatically turning a page in her book.
Rachel, the girl who was the worst student at the academy and had even the professors giving up on her, was now reading a medical book in an ancient language?
I almost laughed out loud at the absurdity.
Sipping my tea quietly, I watched them as if I were observing a play.
“Oh, by the way, brother-in-law, do you know the story behind yellow roses?”
Rachel, pretending to be deeply engrossed in her book, suddenly sparkled with excitement.
“Hmm, yellow roses? I’m not sure.”
As Alex tilted his head, Rachel glanced at me before adding a smile.
“The meaning of yellow roses is jealousy. The story goes that a man was loved by two women, but he chose one and married her. However, it turned out she didn’t love him at all.”
“What a sad story. And then?”
“The woman he didn’t choose was the only one who truly loved him. She waited for him until she died, and in that place, yellow roses bloomed.”
“Hmm, interesting. It sounds like a fairytale.”
“Right? I just can’t understand why the woman married him if she didn’t love him. Maybe it was out of jealousy or inferiority? After all, she wasn’t particularly special, aside from her education.”
Rachel shot a sly glance at me, clearly mocking me indirectly.
That’s just a twisted version of The Yellow Dress, a classic fairy tale.
Rolling my eyes, I quietly sipped my tea, but Alex chimed in.
“That’s true. Rachel, you’re incredibly smart. You seem to know a lot about different topics. How many challenges have you solved so far? Must be dozens by now.”
“I haven’t counted, but maybe? I think the spirit of quizzes must have planted a seed in my mind.”
“What? Hahaha! That’s such a cute way to put it. You really have a charming way with words, Rachel.”
As Alex pinched Rachel’s cheek playfully, she smiled, her eyes curling up.
Feeling nauseous from their interaction, I set my teacup down and stood up.
“I need to head to my lab, so I’ll take my leave.”
“Of course, don’t neglect your research. Oh, Aselin.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow? Our wedding is coming up, and we haven’t had a proper date yet. We can go shopping for anything you’d like.”
For a moment, I nearly let my irritation show.
A date? I had no interest in wasting my time on something like that. But I had no choice.
Suppressing my distaste, I responded calmly.
“Alright. Let’s go on a date tomorrow.”
Rachel, sitting beside him, pouted.
Noticing this, Alex quickly reassured her.
“Of course, we’ll also buy a gift for our dear Rachel while we’re out.”
Rachel sulked while Alex tried to console her.
What a perfect pair of trash.
“How kind of you to care so much for my little sister,” I said with a bright smile before leaving the dining room.
As I walked up the stairs and down the hallway, I suddenly saw Dana rushing toward me.
“My lady! The Crown Prince’s attendant just delivered an urgent letter!”
Dana, out of breath, handed me the sealed envelope.
Quickly, I broke the wax seal and read the message.
It was from Alvin, the Crown Prince’s advisor—Prince Claude was in critical condition and I needed to come to the palace immediately.
Upon arriving at the palace, I noticed a tense atmosphere among the servants.
Looking around for the royal physician, I spotted Anna and quickly grabbed her arm.
“Anna, what’s going on? Where is the royal doctor?”
“Well… the thing is, it turns out the doctor was a spy sent by the Second Prince…”
“What? The doctor was a spy?”
I stared at Anna in shock.
The royal doctor was a spy working for the Second Prince?
That would explain a lot—why he prescribed excessive amounts of that dangerous potion, Lazeren Elixir, and why he kept giving Claude Cytherian Mana Grass, knowing it was harmful.
Did he do it intentionally, knowing it would hurt the Crown Prince?
Now that I thought about it, all the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly.
Even when I had insisted on seeing Claude myself, the doctor had looked suspiciously uneasy.
As I questioned why the royal physician would ignore the dangers of excessive mana grass consumption, Alvin suddenly ran toward me with a pale face.
“Lady Acelin, please come quickly! His Highness has started convulsing!”
The word convulsion shocked me, and I hurriedly ran down the hallway. At that moment, a warning from a medical book I had read flashed through my mind:
Especially when a patient suffering from mana poisoning experiences convulsions, caution is necessary. Depending on the severity, they may experience hallucinations, so excessive restraint should be avoided. The priority should be to calm the patient using various treatment methods.
If Prince Claude was convulsing, it meant his condition had worsened. But why?
He had been taking the Lazeren potion regularly for over a month, so this shouldn’t be happening.
Unless… the royal physician tampered with the medicine?
As the one in charge of prescribing and overseeing all treatments, if he was truly a spy for the second prince, then he had been like a fox guarding a henhouse all along.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
By the time I arrived at Prince Claude’s chambers, I took a deep breath to steady myself.
Having too many people in the room wouldn’t help a convulsing patient. In fact, it would only make things worse—especially if someone weak-hearted panicked.
I turned to Alvin and the butler, both of whom looked pale and anxious.
“Lord Alvin, you and the butler should wait here. I’ll go in alone.”
“…Will you be alright, Lady Aselin?” Alvin asked hesitantly.
“I’ll be fine. If too many people enter, it will only cause more confusion. If I don’t come out in an hour, then you can enter.”
They nodded, stepping back respectfully.
Taking another deep breath, I pushed open the door.
The room was a complete mess.
Bottles of medicine and crushed powders were scattered across the desk, while the once-grand bookshelf had toppled over, spilling books all over the floor.
The familiar sofa where Prince Claude usually sat by the window had a broken leg and was lying on its side.
Every single piece of furniture was damaged.
I looked down at the carpet, stained with blood—a clear sign of his struggle.
Then, I turned my gaze toward the bed.
Prince Claude lay there, groaning in pain, his fingers digging into the sheets.
The moment I stepped closer, he weakly lifted his head.
His sharp, sculpted features were striking even in this state.
His dark hair was disheveled, and sweat or some other liquid trickled down his chiseled jawline.
“Your Highness, it’s me—Aselin. Do you recognize me?”
He didn’t respond.
I carefully set down my bag and pulled out a bottle of seizure medicine.
Holding it in one hand, I slowly approached him.
“Your Highness, I’ve brought medicine to ease your convulsions. Please open your mouth slightly, and I’ll help you take it.”
I uncorked the bottle and carefully brought it toward his lips.
But in that instant—
Claude’s hand shot out, gripping my wrist tightly.
The bottle flew from my grasp.
And before I could react, he pulled me down onto the bed with him.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
Advance chapters of this novel are available of my kofi channel
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
