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Chapter 42
“What are you doing?!”
At the urgent bell that rang in Julian’s bedroom, the maid rushed in and was startled to see Rai on top of Julian, raising her voice in alarm.
“Quiet.”
“Do you dare say that while in that position? Get away from Her Highness immediately!”
“I would if she’d just let go of me.”
The maid glanced at Julian beneath Rai. But something was wrong with her.
She had lost focus and was trembling. Sensitive enough to notice the smallest sounds, she didn’t even realize someone had entered.
Although she often felt unwell, this was completely different.
“H-Her Highness?! What’s happening to you?”
“Seems like she can’t hear anything. Go fetch a doctor immediately.”
The maid hesitated, not wanting to leave Rai on top of Julian. She was stuck, unsure what to do.
“Then make her let go of Her Highness! I’ll leave myself!”
Rai shouted loudly. The maid, startled by the thunderous voice, immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation and hurried toward them. She placed her hands over Julian’s, trying to relieve the grip.
“Ugh… how does Her Highness have such strength?”
It was immense strength that someone so delicate could never possess. The maid had to exert all her force just to pry Julian’s hand away.
“Ugh! Almost there.”
With clenched teeth, the maid finally freed Julian’s pinky. The rest were released when Rai sharply pulled her shoulders back.
Julian watched Rai retreat with a faint, unfocused gaze before losing focus entirely and closing her eyes.
“Watch over Her Highness. I’ll fetch the doctor immediately.”
“Understood.”
Rai hurried out of the bedroom.
Outside, other maids had already gathered. Their eyes seemed to silently ask, How dare you touch Her Highness?
Rumors about her barbarity appeared confirmed in their gaze.
Rai had tried to avoid misunderstandings, but ironically, she’d caused one in front of everyone.
“What are you all standing around for? Do you just watch while Her Highness is in this state? Go bring the doctor now!”
Ignoring their stares, Rai deliberately raised her voice and commanded.
“I-I’ll fetch the doctor!”
The maids, intimidated by Rai’s presence, flinched and hurried to act. Some ran to call the doctor, while others massaged Julian’s arms and legs inside the bedroom.
Rai waited in the hallway, trying to calm himself until the doctor arrived.
His mind was in chaos.
Julian’s changed demeanor, the unfamiliar voice he’d heard, and the unrelated events were all tangled in his thoughts.
Leaning against the wall, he pressed his forehead with his hand.
“What’s going on?”
But before he could rest, Claude appeared, forcing him to stand straight again.
“Your Highness the Prince.”
Even though it was late, Claude and Chase stood there in formal attire, seemingly still handling affairs.
“What’s the situation? Why all the commotion?”
The maids were busy wiping Julian’s cold sweat with damp cloths, running back and forth.
With so many people bustling, it was impossible for the palace master Claude not to notice.
“Her Highness suddenly collapsed again.”
“What?”
Claude stared into the bedroom in surprise.
“The doctor has been summoned and should arrive soon.”
“They’re coming, Your Highness.”
Chase relayed, seeing the doctor running toward them from behind Rai.
“Chase, oversee the doctor and observe the situation.”
“Yes, understood.”
Chase entered Julian’s room with the doctor.
“Rai, follow me.”
Claude walked ahead without waiting for Rai’s reply. Although exhausted and wanting to return immediately, Rai sighed internally and followed.
As they walked down the corridor, Claude turned right.
Rai, knowing the West Palace as well as Claude, realized they were entering a rarely used area.
He wondered why they were going there but followed without hesitation.
Thud.
Claude pressed Rai against the wall, placing his hand beside Rai’s face to prevent escape.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“Rai Castro. Answer me truthfully, now.”
Rai frowned slightly, startled by the sudden action, and looked at Claude.
“Why were you in front of Julian’s bedroom? Your guard duty should be over by now.”
Even at this late hour, Claude was suspicious of Rai.
Even with lingering tensions between them, Claude’s tone demanded an explanation while knowing Rai’s character.
Biting his lip, Rai calmly explained.
“Her Highness summoned me.”
“Why?”
What could he say to avoid further misunderstanding?
Should he say she asked him to stay by her side until she fell asleep? Or that he entered the room for ten minutes on her request late at night?
Any explanation could be misinterpreted. There was only one option left: straightforward truth.
“Rai Castro, answer me.”
Claude pressed in a low voice.
“Initially, Her Highness ordered me to come to her bedroom. I refused because she asked me to enter the room, not just stand outside.”
“And then?”
“She requested I stay with her for ten minutes. I had no choice but to enter.”
Rai knew he had no talent for lying. A flimsy falsehood would only worsen the situation, so he explained everything honestly.
“So you entered her bedroom?”
“Yes. But Her Highness then behaved as if she were someone else and collapsed.”
“Someone else? Explain in detail.”
Claude’s eyes sharpened, shifting into a look of determination to get the full story.
“She told me to stay for ten minutes and suddenly said she wanted my heart.”
Claude already had a rough idea of Julian’s feelings but concealed it, maintaining a neutral expression.
“When I apologized for not being able to accept her feelings, she placed her hand over my heart.”
“What?”
“Then she called my name, but it was as if it were another person speaking.”
Rai had felt Julian as a stranger before, but now she behaved exactly as he’d described.
Claude finally released his grip on Rai and crossed his arms.
“Another person? How was she different?”
“She called my name, but her voice seemed split, like multiple people speaking at once.”
“Anything else?”
“She coughed violently while calling my name and collapsed. I laid her on the bed, but she still held on to me.”
Claude’s gaze shifted to Rai’s shoulder, furrowed in thought.
“But the grip was immense, not like her usual strength.”
Claude tilted his head, surprised at the sudden display of power from the weak, convalescent Julian.
“You couldn’t break free?”
“I couldn’t defy Her Highness, so I asked the maid for help. Only after she used all her strength did we manage to release Her Highness’s hand.”
The more Rai described, the harder it was to imagine Julian behaving that way.
Yet Rai had no talent for fabricating stories. Claude’s suspicions about Julian only grew.
“Anything else?”
“I immediately left the bedroom afterward.”
It wasn’t only Claude who felt something strange.
Rai also noticed Claude’s unusual behavior.
Initially, Rai thought Claude suspected him out of concern for his only sister, but now it was clear. Claude’s expression reflected certainty in his own assumptions.
Covering his mouth, Claude was deep in thought but quickly glanced at Rai.
“I can’t fully believe your story yet.”
“Yes.”
“When Julian wakes, I’ll ask the maid present about what happened with you.”
“Understood.”
“Then we’ll see if your words are truth or lies. If false, your punishment will increase. Remember that.”
“I will.”
Rai nodded in acknowledgment.
“Your Highness Claude? Where are you?”
Chase’s voice prompted Claude to move.
“Go ahead.”
Alone, Rai washed his face with both hands.
“What on earth is happening?”
Claude’s behavior toward Julian had changed, and Julian confessed her love to Rai. When rejected, she acted as if she were someone else. Although nothing serious happened this time, her behavior clearly seemed harmful.
Normally unshaken by emotions, Claude found himself helplessly affected today.
Thinking about resigning from his position, his anxiety deepened.
He gently placed his hand over the area near his heart where Julian had pressed hers. Everything seemed fine, but he whispered softly to confirm.
“…Iva.”
Hearing her name in a low voice made his heart race reflexively. The same heartbeat he felt thinking of Iva before.
“Fortunately, she’s unharmed.”
Though her condition was fine, a side effect had emerged.
“I want to see her.”
He missed her terribly. Unable to see her made him long even more. Closing his eyes and picturing Iva’s face, a faint smile appeared.
“…I want to meet her.”
Gradually, his previously chaotic thoughts began to settle.
