Chapter 92: I Just Wanted To Tell You

Chapter 92: I Just Wanted To Tell You

Your Majesty, His Highness, the Crown Prince, intentionally consumed poison!

It had been five months and fifteen days since Leon had collapsed, coughing up blood after being poisoned at his birthday banquet.

But the culprit who had attempted to poison the Crown Prince that day had yet to be revealed.

Not only that, they did not have a single trace or lead to find the perpetrator.

Because the culprit had not left any evidence for them to follow.

It was already shocking enough that Leon had collapsed again from poison at the banquet that the Emperor had put so much effort into.

But Leon had drunk the poison of his own accord?

The Emperor was struggling to comprehend what the palace knights were reporting.

His eyes sharpened as he gazed at the knights standing before him.

I do not understand what you mean. Leon took the poison by his own hand?

That is what Sir Cassadin reported. After leaving the banquet hall, His Highness went to drink poison!

Who else knows of this situation?

Sir Cassadin was the first to find His Highness after he collapsed, so we are the only ones aware that His Highness has taken the poison.

I will see this for myself. Lady Serkia, follow me.

Leaving the interrogation room, the Emperor hastened behind the knights towards the Crown Princes location.

Worried that something dire might have befallen his only successor, the Emperor quickened his steps.

They bypassed the banquet hall where the festivities continued, moved past several other opulent palaces, and headed straight for the Crown Princes palace.

At the Crown Princes palace.

After navigating through several long hallways, they found Cassadin standing guard in front of the doors to the Crown Princes bedroom.

The Emperor confronted the man who appeared to be protecting the entrance.

Sir Cassadin, may I ask what this entire commotion is about?

His Highness, the Crown Prince suddenly asked me where the palaces unused items were stored, and I believe he drank one of the poisons he found there.

One could see the Emperors beard tremble after hearing Cassadins explanation. With a short bow, Cassadin continued.

When I arrived, His Highness had already collapsed from drinking the poison, so there was nothing I could do. I called a doctor in private, but not even the palace doctor could create an antidote.

Just what reason would Leon have to drink such a dangerous poison of his own will!

The Emperors voice shook like a sapling in a storm of fury.

Sir Cassadin and the knights will remain outside, and Lady Serkia, follow me.

The Emperor took Aren and pulled open the door to the room where Leon was.

As soon as he opened the door, he was met with his son lying on the white sheets as if in deep slumber.

The Emperor cried out his only successors name with an ashen face.

Leon!

Panting lightly, Leon seemed to be in incredible pain. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead, and his face had become dangerously pale.

Walking closer to his son, the Emperor clasped Leons hands with trembling hands, but Leon coldly pulled away from his fathers grasp, even amidst immense pain.

Leon

He stared down in despair at Leon, but immediately returned to his senses and asked Aren, who had been standing next to him, to cure the Crown Prince.

Lady Serkia. Please heal Leon.

Aren stepped closer to the bed to place her palms on the Crown Princes body and heal him.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Aren reached out to unbutton his shirt but then pulled back.

Because just then, she had realized something.

Even if she healed the Crown Prince right now, as the Emperor had asked her to, she would still end up as the Emperors pawn.

Just as the Emperor had blackmailed her with her weaknesses, she also needed to utilize the Emperors weakness.

More than anything, there was no reason for the Crown Prince to have ingested poison while she had been speaking with the Emperor.

I will also protect you, Aren, as my first priority. So there is nothing you need to worry about.

The Crown Prince kept his promise, even going so far as to put his life on the line for it.

She didnt know whether to call him reckless or irresponsible.

Realizing the Crown Princes intent, Aren placed her hands on her knees and quietly stared down at him.

She bowed to the Crown Prince, who was still writhing in pain, and thanked him sincerely.

Thank you, Your Highness.

The elderly mans beard trembled again.

At that moment, he lamented the fact that such a disobedient child was his son. Yet for the Emperor, who had no intention of taking other concubines, Leon was his one and only son and the heir to his throne.

Lady Serkia loves Sir Cassadin. It was foolish of you to have drunk poison for her.

The Crown Prince chuckled in response to the Emperors remark.

I am well aware of that.

You already knew?

Well, yes.

Leon shrugged, appearing unbothered by the fact. The Emperor narrowed his eyes and questioned his son.

So you ingested the poison even though you knew?

Isnt it selfish to expect someone to reciprocate your feelings just because you harbor them?

Because, unlike Sir Cassadin, Im quite nice, Leon added in a joking manner.

He then turned his gaze away from the Emperor, who seemed to have come to a loss for words, and spoke to Aren.

Aren, thank you.

Aren smiled at the Crown Prince and responded.

It is I who should thank Your Highness.

As he had promised Leon, the Emperor no longer said anything that would cause Aren trouble, but he still glared intently at her to express his displeasure.

Lady Serkia, you may leave now. I expect that you will keep quiet about this incident with Leon.

After leaving the room in accordance with the Emperors command, Aren shared a few private words with Cassadin. There, she learned that it had been Cassadins idea for the Crown Prince to drink the poison.

This was the only way to save you.

Instead of returning to the banquet hall, Cassadin embraced Aren in the conservatory located within the palace.

The conservatory was tranquility quiet, with only the two of them inside. Filled with hyacinths and all sorts of different colored roses, it permeated with a dense floral scent.

Cassadin had been on the brink of going insane with worry after Aren had taken the blame for his own sins.

Stroking Arens back with his large hand, Cassadin asked her.

Why did you have to protect me?

Because you are precious to me, more than anyone else.

Hearing her answer come out without any hesitation, Cassadin let out a soft sigh and trailed off his sentence.

I had been so worried that something might have happened to you

Cassadin.

Aren calmly spoke out Cassadins name within his embrace.

Hearing his name, Cassadin peered down at Aren. He saw her sapphire eyes and long eyelashes slowly sink down.

Cassadin continued to gaze at Aren. With her eyes cast to the ground and lips pursed, she seemed as if she was hesitating to say something.

He waited patiently for Aren to take her time. When he gently tapped Aren on the forehead to comfort her, Cassadins name slipped from her lips once more.

Cassadin.

Finally, seeming to have made up her mind, Aren raised her head and met Cassadins eyes.

Within his embrace, Aren mumbled quietly with a watery voice.

Would you believe me if I said that I died and returned to the past?

Unable to believe what he had just heard, Cassadin asked Aren.

What do you mean?

In the past, I was Damians fiance, and you were the Commander in Chief of the Knights because the Crown Prince found you in that arena. There, you and I did not have even a single interaction. The only time was when we made eye contact during an imperial banquet.

With the same hand he used to stroke Arens back, Cassadin grasped her frail shoulders. A dark shadow had cast over her eyes, Cassadin could not discern what Aren was thinking.

And for some reason, after dying at Damians hands, I came back four years into the past.

.

So I purposefully approached you because I already knew who you were going to become in the future. I was going to take advantage of your desperation, just so that I could live.

After revealing the truth, Aren seemed to laugh wordlessly at herself.

That must be why I was punished. Because now, I love you, whom I tried to use, more than myself.

Aren.

I know that you wont believe what Ive said, but I kept feeling as if I was deceiving you, so

With a smile resembling shattered glass, Aren added on.

I just wanted to tell you.