TPWSM 57

Chapter 57

“Alisa, isn’t it about time you realized? No matter how mercifully you rule over colonial lands, nothing good comes of it.”

“……”

“Did turning Blansk into a paradise bring you any wealth or glory? All the money and effort you poured in only earned you harsh criticism. You have no idea how much I laughed when I heard your infamous title as the witch from hell. Isn’t it just perfect?”

The Crown Prince laughed loudly. The grotesquely twisted laughter made my eardrums tingle. I wanted to cover my ears and scream. Please, just shut up and release my husband.

“Alisa, no matter how hard you try, you can never escape the fate of being the head of the family that laid waste to Dvorca. You seem to care quite a bit about him, but you’ll never become a beloved wife. Seeing you desperately trying to escape the side of a hellish witch, after all…”

“…Unhand me.”

“How unfortunate. There is a man whom the red rose of Levanteia cannot capture… and that happens to be my husband.”

The Crown Prince finally took a key from his pocket. With a click, the metal shackle around the Duke’s neck was unlocked.

A red mark remained across the Duke’s long, straight neck, like that of a deer.

I clenched my fists instinctively. Crown Prince Daimon… this man really knows how to push someone to their limits.

This wasn’t the first time he had behaved this way. Before marriage, he teased me endlessly for being an old maid. Back then, I could brush it off. Nothing he said could hurt me; I could just dismiss it as nonsense from a temperamental uncle.

But now… I felt like I might snap at any moment.

I regretted not keeping the Duke by my side. Should I have deliberately tried to seduce him? Should I have approached him in a more primal, straightforward way?

…No.

He is not the kind of man who can be captured through such tactics. I remember how wary he was of me before our wedding night.

I wanted him not to feel like he was a prisoner or a hostage. For that, I had to respect his wishes first—

Even if that meant he wanted to keep his distance from me.

The Crown Prince patted my back lightly with a gentle smile. His arrogant expression, as if he could see right through me, made my irritation flare.

“Alisa, act like the witch they call you. If you have power but do not use it, isn’t that a waste? Do you not understand that trying to win the favor of the Dvorca people is nothing but overambition? The consequences of defeat are always miserable. You must let them pay that price. They are not entitled to their own will.”

The Crown Prince’s long lecture was harder to endure than any stuffy sermon from the Minister.

I bit my lips to suppress my anger. He seemed pleased with my silence, nodding approvingly.

“Your honeymoon has about two months left, right?”

“……”

“I hereby impose disciplinary action on your ill-mannered husband in the name of the Governor of Dvorca. If he so much as tries to sneak outside Blansk during the honeymoon without my permission, I will not hesitate to carry out immediate punishment.”

The Crown Prince suddenly assumed a serious expression and issued the command with solemnity.

“Immediate punishment? Are you threatening to kill him now?”

I couldn’t hold back and flared up.

The thought that the Governor of Dvorca—the Crown Prince—had control over the Duke’s life and death was infuriating.

“It’s disappointing that you interpret it that way, dear niece. All that’s needed is to properly train him. If you tie him up tightly so he dares not think of running away, won’t that be enough?”

“…Hah.”

“Today, a commotion erupted in the middle of Yorka’s intersection. Witnesses saw the arrest, so rumors will spread quickly. I will handle it this time, but if this happens again, the repercussions will be severe.”

The Crown Prince leaned close and whispered into my ear.

“Alisa, your reputation is at stake too. I trust you’ll handle this well.”

I returned to Blansk in the carriage provided by the Crown Prince, with the Duke.

Even under the influence of the drug, the Duke could walk without support. He followed me as if subconsciously, looking dazed, like someone walking in a dream.

I quickly took his arm and looped it through mine, leading him toward the main residence, all the way to his bedroom.

His uniform was stained with dirt and blood from rolling around during the skirmish with the knights. I summoned the servants and ordered them to bathe him.

After he cleaned up and changed into a gown, the Duke walked slowly toward me. He looked entirely normal, not at all as if he had lost his senses.

I guided his wrist and helped him sit on the bed. I covered him with a blanket up to his waist and calmly attempted to speak with him.

“Duke, can you tell me exactly what happened?”

“……”

“They forced you to take some drug, didn’t they? Right?”

“……”

“Please tell me. Only then can I repay them.”

No matter how many times I asked, the Duke remained silent. He only blinked slowly at me as I sat by his bed. At least I could take solace that his eyes were no longer unfocused.

Before leaving, I asked the Crown Prince about an antidote. He insisted that no poison had been administered, saying only, “It will pass with time.” Eventually, he would return to his senses naturally.

He didn’t say how long it would take. I suspected the drug hadn’t been fully tested for antidotes.

I was furious inside. Even if it was necessary to calm him, how could anyone administer such a thing? Cursing the Crown Prince silently did nothing to soothe my rage.

I immediately informed the chief physician.

Sir Julio and I took turns nursing the Duke. We fed him a thin gruel and cleaned his face, neck, and hands with warm cloths. The only thing left to trust was the old adage: the heavens respond to sincere devotion.

Sir Julio chattered beside the Duke like a sparrow, keeping him company.

“Wake up quickly, Your Grace. If you’re pretending to sleep because you’re afraid our lord will scold you for sneaking out, don’t worry. Our lord may seem harsh, but he’s actually gentle. Just wake up and take a few spanks on the back.”

“…Sebastian Julio, I hear everything.”

“But… there’s something strange.”

Sir Julio leaned closer to the Duke.

“What is it?”

“Even though I’m speaking right beside you, Your Grace, you only look at our lord.”

Looking at the Duke, Sir Julio was right. The Duke’s gaze was fixed on me, sitting on the sofa, even though Sir Julio was right next to him.

I walked over and sat beside Sir Julio. Strangely, the Duke’s eyes followed my movement. I met his gaze and took his hand.

“Duke, if you recognize me, please say something…”

I was going crazy. He didn’t answer or even change expression. If only those perfectly painted lips would move just once.

At this rate, what’s the difference between him and someone in a vegetative state?

From that day on, I spent three nights straight in the Duke’s room.

It was frustrating, as there was no improvement. I couldn’t wait any longer. There were so many things I wanted to hear from him.

I even thought about pouring cold water over him to snap him out of it. Just as such extreme thoughts crossed my mind, the chief physician arrived. He held a lit match near the Duke’s eyes and shook his head.

“It seems he’s close to an unconscious state.”

“…Unconscious?”

“I’ll prescribe a stimulant for now. If it doesn’t work, we can only wait. What kind of drug did he take?”

“This one. Please examine the ingredients.”

I handed the small vial of the drug given by the Crown Prince to the physician. He opened it, sniffed it after wafting the scent toward him, and immediately—