Chapter 42
“Are you alright, Your Highness?”
“Do you not have eyes, Lady Willoughby? Does this look alright to you?”
Arendtert, now standing just before his bedchamber door, snapped irritably. At his sharp reply, Grizelle lowered her eyebrows, her face falling into a gloomy expression.
“I just feel so sorry for you, Your Highness…”
At her murmured words, Arendtert’s eyes shot open. Who dared to pity a prince of the Empire?
Even if he looked like a mess right now, he was not someone to be pitied by some no-name noble from the sticks.
His rage surged, and he clenched his fist tightly. As he glared down at Grizelle, who stood before him with her hands clasped and eyes lifted up at him, his teeth ground together.
He wanted nothing more than to slap this foolish woman across the face. But betraying the knightly code once per day was quite enough.
For now, getting her out of his sight would have to suffice.
“It would be wise for you to watch your mouth, Lady Willoughby. I say this for your own good.”
“Are you angry with me, Your Highness?”
Grizelle tilted her head as she asked, apparently too stupid to read the room.
“I’m only worried about you…”
“How far are you planning to follow me?”
Arendtert cut her off with a curt tone. His hand had already grabbed the doorknob, and seeing this, she opened her mouth slightly, as if shy. It seemed she had at least enough sense to read the situation.
Good. If she hadn’t, he really might’ve hit her.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
“Don’t ever show yourself before me again. This is your final warning.”
Grinding his teeth, Arendtert said his piece and entered his bedchamber. He slammed the door shut behind him, and even after his figure had disappeared completely, Grizelle remained standing there in a daze.
“He must’ve been hurt deeply by Syllie… Poor thing.”
Murmuring words that would’ve made Arendtert blow a fuse had he heard them.
* * *
The Second Prince had struck the First Prince’s woman across the face.
The news spread throughout the imperial palace in less than a day.
Some clicked their tongues at the Second Prince’s violent behavior, which had betrayed the code of chivalry. Others blamed his former fiancée for enraging him in the first place.
“…So we’re planning to steer the conversation toward blaming Lady Rainier instead.”
“You think that kind of public opinion matters right now?!”
Cressida exploded at the maid’s report.
She shoved aside the flower vase and kicked the shin of the maid who had been standing quietly beside her.
“Ow!”
“Shut up!”
Still fuming, Cressida glared at the maid and huffed heavily, her shoulders rising and falling. Then she sharply turned her head to the lady-in-waiting.
“What about Euclid? What’s his condition?”
“There’s been no change. He was training at the sparring grounds from early this morning, as usual.”
“So now even poison doesn’t affect him anymore?”
Cressida bit her lip hard. She had lit a poisoned incense in an attempt to at least get rid of Euclid, the root of all her problems. But he was perfectly fine.
Even though she’d used something twice as strong as usual, it hadn’t worked. It was infuriating.
“Well, if he were going to die from something like this, he would’ve died long ago.”
Cressida let out a cold laugh, muttering to herself. Even before becoming Empress, she had persistently tried to kill Euclid.
In ways so quiet and subtle that the Emperor would never catch on.
Yet all her attempts over the years had failed. For someone like him to collapse just from inhaling a bit of poisoned smoke now would’ve been ridiculous.
She’d known it wouldn’t work. Poisoning him had been nothing more than petty spite.
Your actions ruined my son’s reputation, so you can suffer a little too.
But still, seeing him so unaffected… It was impossible not to feel resentful. Of all people, Sylaria had ended up by Euclid’s side. She was the easiest Purifier to manipulate.
“A shameless little wretch who doesn’t even know the virtue of chastity.”
The harsh words slipped from the Empress’s clenched teeth, and the servants in the room all held their breath.
Then, breaking the silence, the lady-in-waiting spoke up.
“So, I was thinking… Instead of targeting the First Prince, what if we went after that woman?”
“That’s a good idea, Aria.”
At her maid Aria’s suggestion, Cressida smiled sweetly. She stroked Aria’s cheek gently and spoke.
“I’ll have to make that country girl pay. On Aren’s behalf.”
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