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Chapter 37
The Grand Duchess Christina must be looking for me.’
For now, I still need a safe fence to stay behind.
Elia was still young and needed protection.
“Take care on your trip, Duke.”
“Yes. When I come back, I’ll bring a friend with me. Be kind to them.”
“A friend?”
Who was he planning to bring to say something like that?
Alexis patted Elia’s head.
“Have fun while I’m away.”
He then pulled out a small case from his pocket and took out a tiny ring, slipping it onto Elia’s middle finger.
“A ring?”
“If you open this part here, you can press a seal with it.”
When Alexis twisted the jewel set in the center, the crest of House Cartellani was revealed.
“This is the seal for the heir of the house.”
“The heir?”
“I’m entrusting it to you, Elia.”
“Is it really okay for me to have this?”
“Of course. You’re my daughter now.”
He seemed oddly happy to be a young father.
But Elia didn’t dislike it—
It felt reassuring, as if she finally had a reliable protector.
* * *
Deep inside the imperial palace of Adelheit, in a shabby palace hall.
Noah stared blankly out the window, his face pale.
His body was so emaciated that he hardly had the strength to move. The reason for his wasted figure was that he had refused food.
His gaze shifted toward the table where meals were laid out.
For months, the meals had changed.
What used to be just thin soup and bread had become different: rich, fresh salads, greasy steak, warm soups—better quality meals.
At first, he ate them.
Because he had to live.
But soon, he couldn’t eat anymore.
Every time he ate the changed meals, he vomited violently. The reason was obvious: poison in the food.
Noah was no fool not to realize it.
Born as the Empire’s First Prince, yet forced into a miserable life—that was his cruel fate.
“Your Highness, you’ve refused to eat again today.”
A maid entered the room, opening the door.
“If you keep this up, you may starve to death.”
“Wouldn’t that make you all happy?”
“The Empress has said it would be troublesome if you were to die now, Your Highness. So please eat.”
Noah chuckled bitterly and staggered to his feet, then shoved the table over.
Crash! The food scattered across the floor.
“Your Highness!”
“You’re too loud. Don’t shout. And I’ll never eat that food, even if I die. Now get out.”
“…!”
The maid frowned, strode forward, and slapped him hard across the face.
“You really think you’re something just because I keep calling you ‘Your Highness’? Her Majesty the Empress can kill you anytime she wants. You should be grateful she hasn’t.”
Noah wiped the blood from his lips with his sleeve, his violet eyes glinting.
“That’s it?”
“…What?”
“Pathetic. Didn’t even hurt.”
The maid, angered, raised her hand again—
“Stop. What do you think you’re doing, Hannah?”
Startled, the maid whipped her head around.
“Y-Your Majesty the Empress…”
Marianne, the Empress, was standing at the door with an icy expression.
“Leave us.”
Bowing, Hannah glared at Noah once more before leaving.
Marianne glanced around the room and ordered her other maids:
“Clean this up.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
While the servants cleaned, the Empress calmly studied Noah sitting slumped on the floor.
“My maid has gravely offended you, Prince.”
Noah spat blood from his mouth.
“This isn’t anything new. Nothing worth remarking on, Your Majesty.”
His sharp violet eyes glinted coldly.
Marianne hated those eyes.
No matter how much she crushed him, that gaze never faded.
“Prince, do not test my mercy. The only reason you’re still breathing is because of it.”
“No, Your Majesty. I know the truth. The reason you can’t kill me is because of the Grand Duchess’s orders, isn’t it?”
“…!”
“The Grand Duchess doesn’t want me dead. If I die, Serhi becomes the sole prince. That’s not in her interest.”
Noah understood the situation perfectly well.
He wasn’t so foolish as not to.
“I’ll survive this place, Your Majesty.”
“You’re arrogant. So that’s why you reject the food I send? Keep this up, and you’ll starve to death.”
“Let’s see, shall we? Whether I can withstand refusing your food, or whether I give in and starve.”
His violet eyes blazed defiantly.
“Then try, Prince. People, when starving, will crawl just to live. I’ll see how long you last.”
Marianne smiled faintly, turned, and the door shut behind her.
“Kh…”
Noah let out a breath he had been holding.
“Huff… huff…”
He looked down at his hand, veins bulging.
Violet lines spread across the back of his hand like a web.
“I will live…”
He would not die like a dog.
He would cling to life and prove it.
That the prince they trampled on would survive and stand before them.
Noah endured, waiting only for that moment.
* * *
The next day.
Alexis left for the capital with the Iron Eagle Knights. It would be some time before Elia saw him again.
She went to the castle gate to send him off.
“Take care on your journey, Duke.”
“Yes. You take care too, Elly.”
Elia smiled and held up her hand, showing the seal ring.
“I’ll take good care of the household while you’re away.”
“Good.”
Elia then gestured to him, and Alexis picked her up.
Smooch.
She cupped his cheeks and gave him a kiss.
“Even in the capital, be proud and stand tall, alright?”
“I will. If anything happens, go find Campbell, understood?”
Campbell, the vice-commander, had remained behind to protect the ducal estate. Alexis was leaving with Dmitri, the commander, and the elite knights.
“Alright.”
He set Elia down and mounted his horse.
As he rode to the front, the Iron Eagle Knights followed behind.
He looked so dignified and heroic that Elia couldn’t help but admire him.
She waved until he disappeared from sight.
“Shall we head back inside, my lady?”
“Yes.”
Hand in hand with Meril, Elia returned to the manor.
But inside, the house felt emptier than usual today.
As she walked up the stairs and stood in the hall, she saw the path leading to the office. Alexis would always run out from there to hug her.
“Would you like to go to your room?”
“My lady, how about we have a snack?”
“A snack?”
“The chef baked a cake.”
“A cake?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s eat.”
The thought of cake lightened her mood.
In her room, she sat on the sofa and saw the cake Meril brought.
“This is… mango cake?”
“Yes, the palace sent mangoes this time.”
A chiffon cake, covered with whipped cream, topped with mango slices.
“Please try it.”
Elia cut a piece with both mango and cake, then popped it into her mouth.
Sweet and tangy juice burst inside.
“It’s delicious. Nom nom.”
Meril watched her smile while eating the mango cake, thinking she had done well to pester the chef into making it.
* * *
The next day, after breakfast, Elia went to see Felix. The valerian root had arrived.
It was time to prepare.
She ground all the valerian root into powder, with Felix and Jasper helping her finish quickly.
“Now we mix this with hops.”
She glanced at Felix.
“Well? Follow the proportions I give you.”
“Ah, yes.”
“First, one cup of valerian root, half a cup of hops. Mix them.”
Felix did as she instructed, measuring and mixing in a beaker.
The powders darkened as they blended.
“Now we’ll turn this into capsules. Uncle, mix Ragellus sap with Reese berries to make the paste.”
“That rare stuff…?”
Felix looked pained at wasting such valuable herbs.
“Do it, Uncle. We can buy more later.”
With no choice, Felix made the paste as instructed and rolled it out thin.
