Chapter 51

It was the medicine that suppressed the awakening fever.

“How did he even find this…?”

With this much, she wouldn’t need to ask the crown prince for help for a while. If she managed it carefully, it might be enough to get her through the entire awakening fever.

Bianca placed the glass bottle into the drawer.

As she went to put away the contract her father had given her, she paused to read through its contents once more.

“This part wasn’t in the contract. He didn’t say anything about it.”

She had never asked for anything so excessive. Her father, and everyone else, had their lives changed because of her, and that weighed heavily on her. There wasn’t the slightest trace of joy in her expression.

‘He must feel guilty.’

Before leaving the drawing room, Asilian had taken her hand and said,

‘I never made a deal with the imperial family by putting you on the line.’

He had probably said it because the wealth and power he had gained through her were weighing on his mind. She should’ve known. He said it would just be for a year, but he had no intention of letting her go.

Bianca slid the contract into the drawer and sank into the chair. Her head was pounding, and she just wanted to lie down.

“It’s only been two weeks since I came to the palace.”

The path ahead already felt overwhelming. Bianca lay down, hoping to get some sleep. If the headache eased up, she planned to go for a walk.

She felt stifled.

Maybe some fresh air would help her feel better.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

“The Astri family has left.”

“Really? I guess they had so much to say that they used up the entire visit.”

“Should I ask a servant to look into it? More importantly, what should we do about the guest who’s still waiting?”

“They’re still here? Haven’t left yet?”

Relentless bastards.

Dexter rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb and checked the time. If they had come to the palace, they should’ve met the person they came for and left. Why were they bothering to look for him? The fact that they were still lingering this late meant they were probably trying to test the attendants’ patience.

“Looks like Ilenna’s still with my mother.”

Ilenna was his cousin, and she had been stopping by frequently because of the engagement arranged by his mother.

“It seems that way.”

“So that must be why the fiancé always feels like an outsider. I don’t get why they’re dragging this out instead of just getting married already.”

“It seems that negotiations between the Aron family and the Ethel family aren’t going smoothly.”

“Even if it’s not a marriage they both want, it must still be exhausting in many ways.”

If attendants were here, then Ian had to be as well. Even though Dexter had no issue with them, Ian always made him uncomfortable. That was because Ian was Eliaden’s older brother. It was hard to keep a friendship simple once family got involved. Honestly, he might have only approached him in the first place because of Eliaden.

“Do you still have doubts?”

“Well, I thought that being in this position meant I could have everything, but it turns out that’s not the case. There are still things I can’t have…”

“Your Highness, there’s nothing you can’t have. So take it all.”

“Is that so.”

He laced his fingers together and pressed his forehead against them. Even with his head down and eyes closed, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.

“I guess I should bring her the medicine to ease the awakening fever.”

“I’ll get it ready.”

“I wonder how long the awakening fever will last.”

He hoped it would last as long as possible so she would keep needing him a little longer.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

The quiet stroll through the garden helped Bianca feel better. It was a bit inconvenient without a lady-in-waiting, but a maid had stepped in to help her change. Thankfully, she managed to come out dressed comfortably.

Bianca paused to gaze up at the darkening night sky, then began walking slowly through the garden. With each step, the soft rustle of grass met her ears.

The heaviness in her chest began to lighten, even if just a little.

As she walked through the garden, she noticed some tulips and leaned down. Their fragrance made her feel at ease. The bright yellow petals glowed even more beautifully in the moonlight. Rare tulips blooming so abundantly, of course, the crown prince’s garden would be something special.

“You could probably earn a good sum just by selling these bulbs.”

Bianca brushed her fingers over a petal and started to rise. Just then, she heard voices coming from somewhere nearby. Anyone coming into the crown prince’s garden was likely part of the imperial family or somehow connected to him. Either way, it was best to avoid being seen, so she turned to walk away.

But when she heard footsteps heading toward her, she quickly crouched down and held her breath.

“Isn’t he really a ruthless man?”

“Watch your mouth. Even with friends, there are boundaries.”

“You’re more uptight than the Crown Prince. Maybe that’s why Ilenna won’t open her heart to you.”