PNA~22

Chapter 22

Windsor hadn’t expected the juice to spill. What he had aimed for was the lukewarm tea.

That would’ve allowed things to pass naturally and without awkwardness.

But of all things, it had to be juice. With no other choice, Windsor decided to shamelessly play it off.

Everything had gone just as he planned.

“He’s not going to die, is he?”

“If he catches a cold in this state, that could be the day things take a turn.”

At Doctor Hunter’s words, Windsor fell into deep thought.

“A few days ago, he had a nosebleed and even coughed up blood. Aside from the weak heart, is there something more specific going on?”

“I hesitate to say this, but…”

“Say it. Without a shred of a lie, without omitting anything. Spill everything you know.”

At Windsor’s threatening tone, Hunter, who had been hesitant, slowly opened his tightly sealed lips.

“It’s not confirmed, but… something strange is being detected in the teacher’s body. What I’m vaguely suspecting is sorcery.”

“Sorcery? Isn’t sorcery banned in the kingdom? No—more importantly, the princess… Who would cast sorcery on Teacher Ellen?”

Windsor was so shocked he nearly revealed Erne’s true identity.

The royal physician shrank back under the duke’s darkened expression and shook his head.

“Other than the fact that she was born with a frail constitution, there’s no medical explanation. Which leaves only one plausible cause—sorcery. I suggest calling a sorcerer to investigate. The reason her heartbeat is so weak feels like something is obstructing the heart.”

“That’s why you said the pulse was faint?”

“Yes, my lord.”

At Hunter’s reply, Windsor closely examined the sleeping face of Erne.

Perhaps she was exhausted from tending to the children early that morning, or maybe it was due to her frail condition—whatever the reason, she had dozed off the moment she asked them to leave.

“I will try preparing a tonic to strengthen her heart, but I don’t expect much improvement. Not if what I suspect is sorcery.”

At Hunter’s continued explanation, Windsor felt a cold sinking in his chest.

It reminded him of the time when Shuknen had fallen ill.

“The former king wiped out all the sorcerers back then.”

“If it’s not a sorcerer, there’s no way to understand what’s obstructing Ellen’s heart.”

“…Can you find one?”

“If you command it.”

Hunter wasn’t just an ordinary physician.

He was also a long-serving retainer of the Douglas ducal house.

Windsor gave a slow nod, his face heavy with concern.

“If any sorcerer is hiding out there, bring them back alive.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Although the clean reply was reassuring, Windsor still didn’t like the sound of Erne’s faint breathing as she lay there.

Once Hunter left and the room fell silent again, the only sound was Erne’s calm breathing.

“Damn royals. What the hell did they do to Ellen?”

There was only one person he could imagine doing such a thing—the Queen.

Windsor was starting to think he had treated the royal family far too gently until now.

He should’ve known the moment he heard that the Queen had killed her own sister to ascend the throne.

That she was cruel enough to harm even her own daughter.

Windsor had every reason to suspect the current queen of Nesheld, who also happened to be his biological mother.

“Crown Princess Hestia, the next queen, was killed in what was practically a rebellion led by the current queen.”

Since childhood, Hestia had been the designated heir. The current queen had no faction supporting her.

And then—out of nowhere, in a single day—she launched a coup without any sign or warning. If that wasn’t suspicious, what was?

Windsor, who held the true power behind Nesheld, knew better than anyone.

He suspected that sorcerers who should’ve been gone were involved in that incident.

“There were too many suspicious circumstances.”

Until now, he had turned a blind eye simply because he wasn’t directly affected.

Windsor’s brows furrowed deeply.

He now deeply regretted the thoughts he had when he first met Erne.

She should’ve been happy after rising in status from the countryside to a princess. So why was she teaching children in such a remote corner?

At first, he thought she was just a woman who didn’t know how good she had it.

To willingly abandon a luxurious life and return to the countryside?

When he first learned she was ill, he figured she was simply fulfilling her final wish before death.

“That, too, was a shallow guess.”

Windsor stifled the scoff rising in his throat—for fear it might wake Erne.

Her skin, pale and without a trace of life.

So fragile she seemed like she would vanish in sunlight, yet her white skin bore not a single burn or blemish.

It clenched Windsor’s heart.

“She didn’t leave the palace to fulfill a final wish—she left to survive.”

Once he saw it that way, the pity he’d felt for her grew uncontrollably.

Ellen, just what kind of treatment did you receive at the palace?

Why did you run away from it?

Windsor had so many questions he wanted to ask her once she woke up.

“Father.”

Just moments ago, Shuknen had been peacefully napping. Now, he opened the door without knocking.

Lost in thought, Windsor looked up at his son standing hesitantly in the doorway and motioned him to come closer.

“Is the teacher okay?”

Lifting Shuknen into his lap, Windsor silently nodded in reply.

Since Erne was sleeping, the father and son kept their voices down.

Windsor was solemn with worry, while Shuknen tried to hold back tears at the sight of Erne lying so still.

Teacher…

Shuknen liked Erne, even though she taught strange things.

As the heir to the Douglas Duchy, he was always told what to do and how to act. He was forced to learn things like “never be looked down upon.” But with Erne, he faced problems that had nothing to do with all that—and it was fun.

Erne called it ethics and morality, but he didn’t care about the fancy words.

What he liked was seeing her smile whenever he gave the answer she wanted.

She never nagged like the other tutors, nor did she belittle him for his lineage.

To her, he was just a child to raise properly—not a young lord.

“Teacher… I’ll make sure to save you.”

Shuknen made a silent promise as he looked at the sleeping Erne, then tugged at Windsor’s sleeve and whispered,

“Father.”

“Yes, Shuknen?”

Windsor’s dark eyes, dulled by worry, slowly regained their focus.

Shuknen, staring at his father’s different-than-usual expression, finally spoke.

“Win her over.”

“…What?”

“Teacher. Win her over, Father.”

Windsor stared blankly, wondering if he was dreaming.

As his brain slowly rebooted, he looked down at the arrogant gaze coming from his own son and laughed in disbelief.

Win over Erne? What in the world…?

“Where did you even learn to say something like that?”

More than the word itself, Windsor was struck by the fact that it came from Shuknen.

He was sure he’d never taught him that word.

Shuknen’s odd gaze stayed locked on Windsor.

A long silence followed between father and son.

The one who broke that heavy, uncomfortable silence was Huger.

“My lord. Young master.”

With a formal knock, Huger entered with a solemn look on his face.

“What is it?”

“What’s going on?”

The two, locked in silent tension, turned to Huger in unison.

Startled for a moment by the double attention, Huger quickly composed himself and began to speak.

“Today, as the loyal retainer of the Douglas Duchy, I have a heartfelt request to make.”

“Why all the useless preamble? Just say it, Huger.”

Windsor furrowed his brows slightly.

Shuknen, arms crossed and equally displeased, nodded in agreement.

Though he was under pressure from their icy stares, Huger stood firm.

“Teacher Ellen is a great benefactor to the House of Douglas.”

Princess Erne? Windsor’s stiff face relaxed a bit.

Teacher Ellen? Shuknen’s skeptical squint turned round in surprise.

“You’re stating the obvious.”

“She’s the only teacher I’ve ever approved of!”

Neither of them noticed how their expressions kept changing.

Huger, mistaking their words for agreement, clasped his hands in awe.

“We absolutely! Can never! Let her go!”

The praying hands soon clenched into fists.

After maintaining his composure all along, Huger now seemed overcome with emotion, tears in his eyes.

Windsor and Shuknen could only stare in stunned silence.

Looking intensely at both of them, Huger passionately declared,

“So please, my lord! Young master! No matter what, you must! Win! Her! Over!”

“…”

“…”

“She must remain your son’s tutor. That is the key! To peace in the House of Douglas!”

Sniff! Huger began weeping from his own stirring speech.

“Ah…” Windsor and Shuknen both let out a sigh, sounding oddly deflated.

Somehow, they were thinking the same thing.

“Did we just gain another rival? Or is it just our imagination?”

Leaving Huger to his emotional outburst, Windsor and Shuknen exchanged a strange look.

Day by day, more and more people were recognizing Erne’s true worth—and that was a problem.

That’s what both were thinking.

Especially Windsor, who suddenly felt a storm rise in his once-calm heart.

First Shuknen, now even Huger was urging him to win her over?

It was laughable… but somehow, his will started to burn fiercely.

Yes. He would keep Erne by his side, no matter what.

The ominous seed of darkness that Erne had feared in Windsor—just sprouted with a little peek-a-boo.

From here on, it was game time—and a straight path forward.