TPOP 48

Chapter 48

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The meeting place with Prince Eisen was outside the imperial palace, on the outskirts of the capital city of Liposa. As she stepped out of the carriage, someone grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her into another carriage. They must have realized that there were still spies in the Crown Prince’s palace, and that Diana had escaped to get to the prince.

Through the same process as before, Diana was taken up to a mansion.

Her heart pounded loudly.

It smelled like the place she'd been before. The chill of cold, polished marble, the faint smell of plaster from the statues that decorated noble homes, the smell of lubricants and varnishes used to polish floors. From the entrance, she was led straight through the room. Up to this point, it was the same.

'Previously, the prince was waiting here....'

The knight leading Diana abruptly changed direction. Puzzled, Diana followed him into the hallway on the left. They walked straight for a while, then turned right, then left. Disoriented, the floor plan she remembered of the place became a jumbled mess.

Where was he taking her?

"Go in."

Diana was shoved through a doorway, the smell of herbal poultices filled the air, and for a moment she frowned, but quickly recovered.

"I have brought the maid, Your Highness."

Diana immediately dropped to her knees on the bare floor and bowed.

"It's been a while, Diana."

"Your Highness."

Prince Eisen was nearby. About five or six paces in front of her. He was drinking the medicine. He called to the knight and ordered him to leave, and when the knight with the medicine bowl retreated, Diana was left alone with her head bowed to the floor.

"I thought maybe you wouldn't come, but you're good."

His voice was still beautiful. A dry lump formed in her throat.

"I'm late because of the increased surveillance, but I have no reason not to come, I promised."

"Well, then, shall we debrief?"

Prince Eisen sat, or rather reclined, on a large sofa or armchair. The velvet cushions rustled as if they were being crushed. The smell of herbs was still lingering. It was the opposite of the poisonous scent she often smelled on the Crown Prince. It seemed to hint that the half brothers had no common ground.

How much does Prince Eisen know? Where to lie and where to tell the truth?

Diana hadn't slept well since last night. First, she must earn Prince Eisen's trust. To get what Felix called "valuable information," she needed to show the prince tangible proof that she was his person.

"So, how close are you to my brother?"

"About ten days ago he took me to his cottage in the hunting grounds behind the palace, and we've been there ever since."

"In the cottage, just the two of you?"

"No. Servants and knights who keep the cottage in order often come and go."

"You're playing with words. You know that's not what I'm asking, Diana."

"That...."

"Have you forgotten everything? Why my brother took you there, what you two were doing in that cottage, what he whispered in your ear. Tell me everything you heard and felt."

The prince's voice was not as harsh as before, perhaps because he was healing from something. Diana was encouraged by his languid tone.

"The Crown Prince spends most of his days painting. I sit by his side, mixing pigments into oil to make paint, cleaning and tidying up his painting tools, trying not to bother him...."

Somewhere in the distance, sharp metal clattered. Someone nearby drew a sword. Diana’s back went cold as she lay flat on the floor. She tried not to shake.

"Bath, serve.... When he commands, I follow orders….”

Still, her heart was beating so fast she felt nauseous. Felix's spy was in here, too, and he would hear every word she spoke now. Each word felt like a thorn in her throat.

"Five days ago, for the first time, he...wanted me...for the first time, and I think he trusts me...much more than he did last month, because he doesn't do that to any of his other maids."

"Did you spread your legs for him?"

"...Yes."

Her ears burned. Thank goodness she'd let her hair down.

Prince Eisen's questions didn't stop there.

"How many times a day do you have sex? Do you have sex every day? How long?"

Was there a reason he wanted to know such detailed reports on his stepbrother’s private life? Diana’s cheeks flushed a shade of red she couldn't hide with her hair.

"I don't think it's consistent.... Some days, less so...."

Her master had been particularly rough on days when he was in a bad mood, but he was also generous on days when he was in a good mood for no apparent reason. However, from what she had seen over the past five days, he was basically not gentle in bed. Either way, Diana was overwhelmed.

"Does he leave marks on you? Does he enjoy being inside you?"

The words were unbelievably crass coming from the prince's mouth. Diana fought to keep her mind from slipping away.

"Ha, I think... he does."

She didn't have to reveal it, but the bare skin exposed beneath her maid's dress was dotted with marks made by the Crown Prince’s lips. Eisen's lips twisted in a sly smile.

"As for birth control, I assume you're on your own, or he gave you one?”

"That's... well...."

Of course, her master didn't use protection when he slept with her. Nor did she remember taking any pills. It was all Diana could do to cleanse herself with her elemental powers when Felix wasn't looking.

"Then it's not impossible that she could be pregnant, Your Highness."

A stranger who had been silent until now spoke up. The voice sounded very dull and clogged at first.

"That would make the Crown Prince look very funny."

"Well, she may not have known what she was eating, but Duke Christen wouldn't have let the matter pass. It won't be easy."

"Sure. It's hardly a chore to feed a blind girl a contraceptive pill, so perhaps the Crown Prince is taking matters into his own hands."

"He can't be that heartless. Anyway, if she’s pregnant, he won't be able to turn away."

Felix was said to be sweet and docile, but apparently they still thought so. Diana admired Duke Christen's handling of the situation with a newfound respect.

"Well, His Highness, as for not being ruthless... I beg to differ. Didn't you see the paintings that was thrown in the mansion? Could there be two painters capable of creating such a horrifyingly realistic image?"

"Yes. It was definitely painted by my brother, and I thought he was the only one who could paint a corpse...."

Prince Eisen never addressed the man by name or title. But from what Diana heard, it was clear he was one of the noble factions supporting the prince. Diana let the mysterious man's voice sink into her ears.

"In any case, once the imperial child is born, even Duke Christen will not be able to destroy it. She may have taken a fertility drug, so we'll have to give her an antidote."

It was a strange feeling: curled up in a ball before them, Diana was clearly the center of attention, yet she was being treated as less than an object.

The men in front of her, talking about her, seemed to forget that she, too, had ears to hear.

"We'll have to test her first, Your Highness, and if the Crown Prince doesn't turn out as expected, that's good news too."

"Very well."

Prince Eisen pushed the incense away and stood up. Diana’s knees began to wobble under the weight of his approaching presence.

"I realize you're stuck with my brother in the middle of the woods, Diana."

"......."

"Well done. I knew you could do it."

Eisen stroked a stray strand of wheat-colored hair that had fallen below Diana’s ear. When she flinched, he soothed her gently.

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