TPOP 71

Chapter 71

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"Your Highness, they're waiting to see you immediately today..."

But that trivial matter could wait until tomorrow. The nobles would have kept their mouths shut anyway. What good would summoning him here do, other than subject him to his tiresome nagging? Right now, soothing Hugo Christen’s anger wasn't the priority.

Diana's small back stiffened rigidly. It had been like that since Arnold opened the door and entered.

Diana, who had stopped even the slightest movement, stared blankly into space. Her eyes were empty, unfocused, without a trace of emotion, and it was impossible to tell what point she was even looking at. It was that very gaze that always made him feel suffocated.

Felix growled fiercely.

"I told you it’ll be tomorrow. Do I have to say it three times?"

"...No. I will convey that."

Arnold closed the door politely and left.

Diana remained silent as a mouse. Her eyes, which had been trembling aimlessly, were soon hidden behind her eyelids.

The pleading voice asking what had become of the forest was gone. She seemed drained. Well, after all that crying and fussing. Felix felt a strange sense of relief as he lifted her and stood up.

The bedroom, swiftly tidied by the maids, was as neat as ever. The chain that had been fastened to Diana's ankle lay on the side table. He ignored it. Her entire foot was bandaged anyway, making it impossible to secure the restraint.

Felix sat her on his bed and removed her bloodstained nightgown. The woman, her eyes completely closed, showed little reaction even as her clothes fell away.

Her dressing gown lay neatly folded on the bed. Felix wrapped it around Diana and laid her down. Only after pulling the blanket up over her thin shoulders did he realize he was acting like a servant tending to her.

"...Ha."

A chuckle escaped him. Leaving the boardroom on a whim in the first place was unlike him.

This was a critical time. The emperor, clinging to life just above him, was gasping for breath. Two days prior, there had been an attack on the residence of the Marquis of Grandfar, the second most powerful supporter among Felix's allies. The assailant who had targeted the marquis's life had fled, but the mastermind behind it was obvious. This was likely just the beginning; assassins would be sent relentlessly from now on.

To ascend the throne without a troublesome civil war, Eisen must be given no pretext whatsoever. But.

"......"

A small, bandaged foot poked out from beneath the covers. Once the anesthesia wore off, the pain would linger for quite some time.

Not only could she not walk unaided, but with her right wrist injured too, she couldn't bathe or change clothes by herself. Especially someone like Diana, who had never been particularly agile to begin with.

Today, he finally confirmed the substance of what had vaguely bothered him before: there were far too many elements threatening Diana in her surroundings. It wasn't just a matter of quantity; the problem lay in the countless household items all around her that he didn't even know existed. If she could see, she wouldn't have to endure this hardship.

Felix fumbled inside his jacket pocket. A small glass vial stood out against the smooth silk lining. He pulled it out and held it up to the moonlight.

Inside the transparent glass, a violet-colored liquid filled about half the space.

Diana had ingested a toxic substance with cursed effects, the knight had relayed the physician's words; taking the antidote would slowly but surely restore her sight.

"Not bad."

He opened the vial's cap with his thumb. The moment the pungent medicinal scent wafted out, Diana, who had been asleep, flinched and shuddered.

Felix glanced down to check on Diana. Her eyelids were half-raised, her unfocused eyes blinking. Even with the antidote she'd so desperately wanted right before her eyes, she didn't notice it.

Lately, whenever Felix saw her unfocused pupils, it felt like chains were tightening around his entire heart. It was precisely in moments like this that the urge to tear away the cumbersome veil separating them surged powerfully.

Without thinking, he brushed the corner of Diana's eye. Imagining light filling those pale green irises, his face imprinted on her dark pupils, sent a shiver down his neck.

But.

Felix's gaze climbed up the window frame. The windowpane was firmly shut, but the curtains were open. The dust-free window offered a clear view of the outside scenery.

"......"

Well, he didn't exactly regret it.

It was just unexpected that Diana would react like this, leaving him flustered.

Felix pressed the cap back onto the medicine bottle, sealing the opening. Then he opened the drawer beside the bed and tossed the antidote inside.

He considered locking the drawer but decided against it. To someone unaware of its contents, it was just a suspicious liquid—impossible to tell if it was poison or medicine.

"...Not really."

Truly, that was the case. Giving it to Diana wouldn't be so bad. It would make meeting her gaze easier, and he wouldn't have to boil with frustration watching her hurt herself by bumping into random things.

But if he must.

Once she began seeing the world again, this would undoubtedly vanish. She would see things through the forest that he couldn't, and slip away seamlessly down paths he couldn't detect.

Then, an emotion far more intense than anything before boiled up inside him. Grief twisted into rage, and his frozen heart began racing madly.

Of course, even if she ran away, he could simply catch her again. He could search every corner of Carman's territory, and if that wasn't enough, he could comb the entire continent to find her. Felix had the power to do so.

But was it really necessary to go to such trouble? Especially at a time like this?

The unsightly scar on his possession was unpleasant, but wounds would eventually heal. He intended to make it heal without a trace. And going forward, he could simply watch over her carefully to prevent new wounds.

Even without granting Diana freedom of sight, there were many ways to keep her safe and sound. His mind gradually calmed.

Felix confirmed the window lock was firmly secured and turned away. Commotion was brewing outside. It seemed Duke Christen had finally stormed back here.

He heard the hesitant footsteps of the guard knight, unsure what to do. When Felix opened the bedroom door, Arnold reported, unable to hide his disappointment.

"My apologies. The Duke is so adamant..."

"Enough. Stand guard. Report immediately if you hear any noise from inside."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Felix walked past him toward the living room.

***

“I hadn’t expected to see you today, uncle.”

Hugo Christen’s face had aged dramatically over the past few months. Fatigue and irritation were thickly caked between the fine wrinkles on his forehead.

“I thought Your Highness understood better than anyone that the child must not be seen by the world. What do you intend to do now? Many are asking about that woman’s true identity.”

Though the nobles had been temporarily silenced, the maid's commotion had stirred the servants into a frenzy. Word would inevitably leak out somewhere.

The maid from Hilde’s prostitute, who had been attending to the Crown Prince's chambers for months now. If that rumor spread, it would not only damage the Crown Prince's dignity but also threaten the very authority of the imperial house. Wasn't that precisely why the origins of the woman—the biological mother of Prince Eisen and the Emperor's favorite concubine—were still being concealed from the public?

"Your Highness has been acting uncharacteristically lately. I lie awake at night, fearing you might suddenly father an illegitimate child. Why did you permit that maid into your bedchamber? And why has your beloved hunting ground fallen into such disrepair...?"

"Watch your tongue, Duke."

Felix cut Hugo off with a firm voice. Hugo caught his nephew’s glance darting toward the bedroom.

A bitter groan escaped the Duke. It was no longer suspicion, but certainty. Prince Eisen had indeed sent Felix poison. And a deadly poison at that.

The Crown Prince's subsequent order only stoked his ominous foreboding.

"Protect Diana. Arrest everyone who knows her. Starting with the Count of Depierre, and everyone she knew from her time working there."

"Capture them... What do you intend to do with them?"

"Dispose of them appropriately."

"'Dispose' and 'appropriate’ aren't words that go together, Your Highness."

"The fact you have the mental capacity for wordplay suggests this isn't an urgent matter, is it?"

Felix snorted derisively. Before the Duke could even feel his blood boil at the tone, anxiety washed over him.