Chapter 23

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“It’s done.”

Edith said, seeming to be relieved, as she wiped her hands.

“You said you were healed by the divine power of a priest, right? I think that helped. The ice flower worked well too, but the priest must have been quite capable. Perhaps with one more treatment, the nerves that have paralyzed your emotions can be revived.”

“You will have to come back soon.”

Alexis raised his body and responded, ignoring her words. Edith’s face contorted at his words.

“What are you talking about! We’re done with the ice flower potions. Why do I have to come back here?”

Angry at the differing words from his original promise, she rolled up her sleeves, huffing.

“Look at this. How bad are the injuries I got from administering medicine to you for over 3 years! Every time the Duke goes wild, no, every time you lose your mind, I get scratches and tears here and there when I restrain you.”

Just like a Southern immigrant, she was hot-blooded, her face easily became as red as the color of her hair when she got agitated.

“A commoner is shouting at a member of the Imperial Family. I guess the liver has finally come out of the stomach?”

[T/N: I don’t know exactly what this means but it could be related to the saying “swollen liver” which means to have an audacious / impertinent personality. So I guess maybe he’s saying she’s finally showing her true colors?]

She was not deterred by Alexis’ words as he put his shirt back on.

“That’s what a pharmacist says to the patient! If it weren’t for me, the Duke would be dead, so how could I not be bold?”

“You are lucky that you are a pharmacist. Or else you would have been decapitated.”

“If you cut the throat of a pharmacist who kept the patient’s secrets well like me, you will regret it. A pharmacist who knows how to concoct ice flower medicine is even more rare. If you kill me, it will be the Duke’s loss.”

She was right, so Alexis got up without saying a word. Edith, who sat across from him in her chair, observing his condition, asked.

“How are your symptoms these days?”

“I don’t have any.”

“I think the ice flower effect is great. It can suppress the Southern scorpion’s venom. It’s terrible because my arm hurts every time I make the medicine, but if you could get more, it could be better. It’s a shame.”

An ice flower was a hard-to-find herb, so it was terribly difficult to make it into medicine. The Duke of Walten, who threatened to continue even when he was on the verge of collapse, was even more terrible.

‘The corner of the bed even broke back then.’

He clenched his teeth and grabbed the edge of the bed to fight the pain, but it broke. She was so surprised that she even burnt the pot that was being used to make the ice flower medicine.

Had it not been for money, she would never have taken such a st*pid gamble. Edith rubbed the scar on her forearm.

“What if I go and find more?”

“I don’t like it. It’s a place where you have to risk your life. The Duke almost died too.”

“……”

“You haven’t heard from the Duchess yet?”

The question was met with silence.

Alexis hid a vial in his pocket. Edith said cautiously.

“This is just my opinion, Duke. Maybe Madame misunderstood? You know? When a husband travels a lot and gets close to a woman, the wife usually gets hurt. Therefore ……….”

“That’s enough.”

Alexis cut her off coldly.

“There is a limit to crossing the line.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Edith sighed and took the gold coins she received for this month.

“Oh, but are you really going to call me again? The ice flowers you brought back are all gone.”

“You’ll make more. I’ll send Viscount Rylent when you’re needed.”

“Yes, yes, I will come as long as you pay me.”

He left the hut with his cloak on. It was time for him to go to the Imperial Palace.

– A woman named Edith came to the Duke’s residence.

-Are you coming back today?

As he climbed his horse, her last question suddenly came to mind.

The woman disappeared after asking if he would come back.

Even though he searched the empire, she was nowhere to be found.

At first, he made excuses saying that he had lost something, but the Imperial Palace soon noticed. Count Winston also accepted the investigation team sent by the Imperial Family, and cooperated with the search in the estate, but Kathleen was not found.

Meanwhile, rumors rapidly spread in social circles.

The Duchess of Walten met another man and tried to run away, and the Duke of Walten found out about it and killed them. To avoid getting caught, they announce that it was a disappearance case to the public.

Rumors didn’t matter. Alexis had been scrutinizing the people around her, examining the possibility of who she might have held hands with.

But, strangely, no conclusion was reached. His valiant knights could not catch even the slightest clue, and Kathleen Walten was completely alone.

Neither side has benefited from her disappearance. As time went on, there were no clues, only doubts.

In any case, all investigations ended and the Duchess was declared missing. Kathleen Walten only became a Duchess in name.

Everyone found it strange that the Duke of Walten didn’t organize her papers, but Alexis let it go. He thought he would be able to find her.

However, despite no progress in his search, there were occasional days when an image of Kathleen came to mind. Just like today.

Alexis was annoyed by the strange feeling at the tip of his chest when he remembered her bare limbs that he had seen in the Carmine Mountains.

In the end, he arrived at the palace later than the scheduled time. So, when he entered the Emperor’s bedroom, the few members of the imperial family had already gathered there.

“You are late, Alexis.”

The Emperor, who was clearly ill, said while lying on the bed. His face, already overshadowed by death, seemed to have not improved, his voice was also weak.

“I’m sorry.”

Alexis answered briefly and sat down. The atmosphere was unusual. The Empress couldn’t contain her anger and her whole body was trembling.

He glanced at Isabella Winston, whose face resembled the Empress.

“Your Majesty, I am sorry to have caused you so much concern. But the young Lady Winston and I have agreed that this engagement cannot be maintained any longer.”

“Young Lady Winston, do you wish the same thing as the Crown Prince?”

While clenching her lips well, she finally nodded her head.

“……Yes, Your Majesty. That is my wish.”

“I’m sorry. My Peter is now an adult, so I was just looking forward to the wedding.”

“I’m sorry.”

It was surprising because Alexis knew more than anyone else that she wanted to be the Crown Princess. It would be interesting to find out what the condition was to convince her after she had endured for three years. But he didn’t want to know.

“You must find a good man.”

“Yes. I will take care of Young Lady Winston so that she can find another partner and be happy.”

After that, small greetings came and went, and the Emperor’s audience ended. The Empress, unable to bear her wrath, returned first, and Alexis left the Imperial Palace with the Crown Prince couple, who had just broken their engagement.

“I will take my leave now. Your Highness. Thank you for your care.”

“Alright, Young Lady Winston, I’m sorry.”

Isabella greeted him with a stiff face and left her seat sullenly. Somebody grabbed Alexis’ arm the moment he was also about to leave.

“What are you doing?”

“I thought my brother might be curious about the reason for my breakup.”

“I’m not curious.”

“Everyone is curious.”

“If your mouth is itchy, go outside and talk. There must not be just one or two party invitations flying in.”

“I have no intention of telling them.”

“I don’t even want to hear it.”

“Brother, you should listen even if you are not curious. My fiancee was a lady from the Winston household.”

His eyes were smiling as usual, but his lips were not. Alexis struck his arm off.

“What do you want to say?”

“Even if I am the Crown Prince, I can’t marry my Sister-in-Law’s half-sister.”

Alexis was speechless for a moment at his stinging words. His 12-years younger half-brother had suddenly become hostile to him recently.

‘Maybe he’s just feeling a sense of crisis.’

Just as the Empress was always crazy due to anxiety, the buds of suspicion that his half-brother was aiming for the Emperor’s throne may have been implanted in his head.

Alexis responded, thinking that the realization came late compared to his mother who had been making a fuss for the past 20 years.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. If that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Older brother!”

“You know. There is no one for you to call your Sister-in-Law anymore.”

“Then why don’t you go through the divorce proceedings?”

“Do I really need to do that?”

“Brother is selfish until the end.”

Peter said with a smirk.

“You don’t really want to find out where Sister-in-Law is, but you still want to use her? If the Duchess’ position is officially vacated, pressure on marriage and succession will fall on brother again.”

Alexis found the answer in the words of his half-brother. Yes. That was the reason he was looking for Kathleen Winston. He was looking for her, to use her. There was no other reason.

“You know it well. If you are dissatisfied with that fact, you should first find someone else to marry. Then my divorce problem will be dealt with naturally.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I am sorry if this sounds like a joke, Your Highness. I’m serious about it.”

Peter’s golden eyes seemed to be brimming with anger but it quickly disappeared. Like an heir who was educated in disciplines of royalty from birth, he managed his emotions within a short period of time and whispered.

“Brother, you kicked the opportunity you had. Perhaps that kind of luck will never come again in your lifetime.”

“I’ll see you next time.”

[T/N: Hohoho. What is this Peter? Are you going up against hyung now?]

Alexis ignored him and turned around, the Crown Prince shouted from behind.

“If I were Kathleen Winston, I would never come back.”

Alexis’ feet stopped at those words. He smirked.

“Your Highness, by what talent did you guess the heart of a person?”

“Surprisingly, my Sister-in-Law and I have quite a lot of similarities.”

“What are those similarities? Between that person and Your Highness?”

“You wouldn’t even be able to imagine it. Even though you don’t have the right to do that in the first place.”

With a sarcastic voice as cold as ever before, Peter brushed past his shoulder. He couldn’t help but be amazed.

Alexis involuntarily felt suffocated again, he unbuttoned his collar and hurried his steps.

Kathleen disappeared without a trace, but many people talked about her in unexpected situations.

Perhaps that was why he kept thinking of her.

“Nonsense.”

***

Peter struggled to contain his anger and went up to his bedroom. Noticing that the prince’s mood was bad, the handmaiden blocked everyone around him.

After a while, Peter calmed his mind and locked the door. After that he lifted up a colorful tapestry and pushed the slightly protruding wall.

A small gap opened as the sound of the stone wall moving was heard. When the rope hanging from it was pulled, the gap became wide enough for a person to pass through. Peter went in and closed the stone wall again. The passageway with torches was quiet and dark.

The silent secret passageway was connected outside the Imperial Palace. After walking for a while, Peter stopped in front of the box he had prepared.

When he opened the lid, the clothes of an ordinary commoner woman were revealed. Peter picked up the clothes and took off the splendid and delicate crown prince robe.

A thick bandage was wrapped around Peter’s exposed chest.

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