The Abandoned Empress

“Tia.”

“Please tell me, Daddy.”

“… Yes, that’s right.”

“I expected that…” I broke into an empty smile.

Poison, poison? Just as I thought the pro-emperor faction couldn’t touch Jiun because of God’s possible punishment, I thought that the noble faction couldn’t touch me because I could hear God’s prophecy. I felt I let my guard down too early.

“Can the doctor neutralize it?”

“…. ”

“It looks like he can’t.”

“… Currently, I’m trying to catch the mastermind, and the emperor ordered them to find the High Priest and bring him to the palace.”

“Even if you catch the criminal, there is no guarantee that you can get an antidote, so it’s probably the best policy for me to stick it out until the High Priest arrives.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

He smiled bitterly. Compared to the past, my physique improved a lot, but I wondered if I could hold out until the High Priest came.

“Did you discover who was the suspect?”

“The maid who served you at the 1st Knights’ Division.”

“Oh, I see.”

She was the maid I scolded for her sloppy job. When I asked her, she was always late.

I unwittingly let out a sigh. If so, the reason that the crown prince sent me a set of silverware teacups was because he wanted to prevent this kind of danger in advance. I should have paid more attention to his motivation, but I didn’t because I was absent-minded. If I had discovered it earlier, I would not have gone through this.

“Did you find out who ordered the maid?”

“…No, because the maid has already been killed.”

“As expected…” I broke into a bitter smile.

What should I do now? If I can’t find the mastermind, I wouldn’t be able to raise my head before the emperor. It is impossible to punish the suspect with circumstantial evidence. I needed decisive evidence, but it was impossible because the maid was already killed.

At that moment, something came to my mind suddenly.

‘Oh yeah, I knew it.’

“Daddy, I’m not so sure… but maybe we could find the mastermind.”

“Really? How?”

“On the second day, there was an attendant who gave me a soft drink. He said the crown prince sent it to me, but I think we need to double check.”

“Got it. Let me check him out immediately.”

As if the medicine didn’t take effect any more, I was feeling a loss of energy rapidly.

I hurriedly spoke to my father, who was standing up.

“Daddy.”

“Um?”

“I’m sorry I was sick like this…”

“I’m fine. So, just focus on regaining energy and getting better,” he said with a hoarse voice.

I nodded, looking at him leaving the room. After burying my hazy head on the pillow, I fell deeply asleep.

I woke up at the strange feeling over my body.

Someone was touching my face. His warm fingers touched my forehead, then came down gently and stroked my cheeks.

The moment I tried to open my eyes in surprise, I stiffened at the cool scent from the man who adjusted his posture. ‘Is it the crown prince?’

“It’s the first time you haven’t avoided my touch.”

My eyelashes trembled at his whispering. Yes, he really did come to me. How did he get here?

“I didn’t want to see you sick like this. You are so cruel to me. ”

“… ”

“I really didn’t want to see you so pale again. What’s the matter with you? I want to know why you hate me, but you know I can’t even ask because you might be freak out again?”

My heart became heavy when he sighed deeply as he was frustrated. I knew at some point that his attitude toward me was prudent and cautious, but I didn’t know it was because he felt that way.

“Forgive this selfish man who couldn’t tell you I would free you, though I knew you ended up being in this situation because of me. Currently, I’m looking for the High Priest. So, stay alert and in good heart until then. Please.”

He put his hand on my face cautiously, took off the hair stuck to my face and swept it over the back of my ear. I felt goosebumps and curled towards his soft hands as he touched my cheeks. My heart skipped a beat for fear he might notice I was awake, but fortunately, he got up with a sigh.

The sound of his footsteps faded away, and the door was closed.

I tossed and turned on the bed for some time because of confusion before taking a catnap.

But I woke up again when somebody shook me cautiously.

‘Who is it this time?’

When I blinked my blurry eyes, someone helped me raise my body.

His voice was familiar to me.

“Tia.”

“…Oh, Sein!”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Long time no see.”

“Yeah, it’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to you.”

When I leaned my upper body on several pillows stacked against the bed, I felt something cold touching my lips. He held my hand tightly when I flinched.

“I was told it’s time you took medicine, so I asked to come here. You have to swallow it even if it tastes bitter. Got it?”

“Sure.” I gently put the cup to my lips and drank the bitter liquid. The poison was taking the turn for the worse, the dosage of the medicine was gradually being increased.

When I shuddered at the bitter taste, Carsein hugged me silently. Something reddish shimmered in my blurred vision.

“Your body is cold.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I see…” I responded slowly. That’s why I missed his warm chest.

When I lifted my sagging arm and wrapped his back, he tried to make me feel warm for some time, then said, “Tia.”

“Huh?”

“You must survive. Please.”

“Yes, I will. ”

“Good.”

He carefully laid me on the bed and pulled a thick blanket over me, then swept my hair dishevelled on the pillow. Feeling his gentle touch, I was again sucked into the darkness I was accustomed to. I was in deep sleep now.

I found myself more and more sleepy everyday. Now, even after taking the medicine, my mind didn’t clear. I felt somebody coming and going in my room, but I could not see anything. It has been a long time since I could not see, and I could hardly hear at some point. All the senses that existed in me were gradually disappearing.

Day after day, I took medicine when somebody woke me up, then fell asleep. It was even hard for me to realize where I was, who I was talking to, and what I was saying.

I was gradually dying in the middle of time when I couldn’t even know whether I was alive or not.

Then one day my senses also began to come back gradually. Thanks to this, I could hear somebody calling me clearly.

“… my lady.”

I had to recall what it meant.

What does ‘my lady’ mean? Obviously, it refers to the noble family’s daughter. Why is he looking for her here? Am I a noble’s daughter?

Who am I? Oh, I am Aristia La Monique. The daughter of the proud Marquis Monique family.

Oh, if so, is he calling me now? Who is the man calling me repeatedly? Whose voice is it that I seem to have heard from somewhere?

I cautiously opened my eyelids, which I had closed because I couldn’t see anything at some point. Although my eyes were still blurred, my vision was much clearer now. Something white came into my view.

Flash.

White waves came to me, making a rustling sound.

Flash.

A human figure appeared in my vision.

Flash, flash.

Whenever I lifted my eyelids, the cloudy fog surrounding me was cleared away.

When the thick and dark fog finally cleared, a man shining white in a clear world came into my vision.

“Now, you seem to have recovered your consciousness, Lady Monique. I’m sorry for coming late.”

Only

“… Your Eminence.”

His white hair hanging down to the ground, transparent green eyes, and mysterious voice echoing into the air were familiar to me.

The one who is loved by Vita, and one of the six High Priests in the whole continent. He was the High Priest that I met before.

“Have you come to your senses, Lady Monique?”

“Ah… ”

While I tried to raise my body in a hurry, I almost fell because my arm that was supporting my body collapsed. Someone came to support me quickly. Something like red threads scattering in the air caught my eye.

“You shouldn’t get up yet, Tia.”

“… Sein.”