Chapter 94
“I’m truly grateful. You saved Butler, who is like family to me.”
Oh no, why would he say that?
Saying it like that makes it sound like he’s admitting he was the one who held her hand.
Won’t that make Sienna feel even worse?
“Well, I was also deeply moved when the Duchess saved my brother’s life. But I didn’t hold her hand… You should be more careful in the future to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Your Highness.”
Oh. Once again, her intuition was correct.
Sienna’s lowered voice was clearly full of displeasure.
Of course, the point of her displeasure was quite strange, but still.
Alice let out a small sigh and opened her mouth again.
“No, Sienna. That was because I—”
But once again, the Third Prince cut off her words.
“I will do so.”
“Dr. Helkin will be here soon for an examination, so please return to bed, Your Highness. Your wounds haven’t fully healed yet.”
And Sienna responded to the Third Prince.
The Third Prince was bewildered, but Sienna was also completely ignoring her.
Right now, the two of them were engaged in their own battle of nerves, forgetting Alice’s existence.
Of course, I’m the shortest one here, but still… to forget my existence.
This is too much.
Alice peeked her head out from beside Sienna and said,
“Excuse me, I’m still here, you know.”
The Third Prince’s and Alice’s eyes met. Only then did Sienna turn her body slightly.
“Duchess.”
“My lady.”
“Haha, I thought you all couldn’t hear my voice. Haha.”
At Alice’s pointed remark, embarrassment flashed across both their faces.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was talking with His Highness…”
“I was focused on the conversation…”
“Well, it happens. I’m fine, so Your Highness, please sit down. You’re not fully recovered yet.”
“Ah, yes.”
The Third Prince obediently went to the bed and sat down. Alice passed by Sienna and approached the Third Prince.
“Your Highness, could you show me your back for a moment?”
“Pardon?”
“I want to use my holy power on you.”
“My lady!”
At Alice’s words, Sienna rushed to her side in one bound.
“Oh my, you startled me. What’s wrong, Sienna?”
Alice clutched her chest, startled by Sienna calling her as if something had happened.
“I’m sorry. You said you were going to use your holy power…”
“Yes. Holy power is much more effective than Dr. Helkin’s treatment. There’s no need for His Highness to suffer unnecessarily.”
He’s going to be taking various lessons, and it would be quite uncomfortable with an injured shoulder.
Moreover, the hunting competition isn’t far off.
It would be best for the Third Prince’s body to recover quickly.
As Alice spoke as if it were obvious, Sienna hesitated.
“That’s true, but… You worked so hard yesterday to save Butler, if you use your holy power again so soon, won’t it be too much strain on your body?”
“Ah, it’s fine. The strain from yesterday was fully recovered after sleeping. Don’t worry.”
Alice gave Sienna a bright smile. However, her face remained disgruntled.
“A wound of this level would heal quickly with just Dr. Helkin’s treatment…”
She spoke as if she disliked Alice using her holy power on the Third Prince.
This… feels like a familiar reaction.
‘There’s no need to use holy power for a wound of that level.’
It was very similar to what Kylus had said yesterday.
Fortunately, it was a much milder reaction than Kylus’s.
But it was clear that neither of them liked her using holy power on the Third Prince.
Like cousin, like cousin.
No, but while Kylus might have a reason, why would Sienna particularly dislike it?
Shouldn’t she be welcoming it instead?
She was offering to heal the Third Prince, who was supposed to be her destined partner.
Of course, Sienna didn’t seem to think that way…
Alice looked back and forth between Sienna and the Third Prince.
Unfortunately, she still couldn’t feel any sense of destiny between the two of them.
Surely the romance setting hasn’t completely disappeared, has it?
For a moment, such an ominous thought crossed her mind, but Alice dismissed it, thinking that couldn’t be possible.
The destiny between these two was the most important framework for creating the future, so it couldn’t have disappeared.
Due to some changed events, the two of them might just need more time.
Alice convinced herself of this as she looked at the two who seemed somewhat uneasy for some reason.
And ignoring Sienna’s dissatisfaction, she approached the Third Prince.
“I’m fine, Duchess. If it’s too much for you…”
“It’s not too much, and I’m fine. Your Highness, please turn around quickly.”
Alice spoke firmly and urged the Third Prince.
The Third Prince hesitated, seeming taken aback by Alice’s forceful attitude, but Alice wanted to finish this quickly.
Before Kylus might come here, if possible.
The conversation had already delayed things too much.
Unlike Sienna, Kylus might actually prevent her from using her holy power.
Saying it would be too difficult for her.
And above all, she didn’t want to face Kylus today if she could help it.
Since the Third Prince said he would be taking various lessons from Kylus, she needed to finish the treatment and leave quickly.
As soon as the Third Prince awkwardly turned his back, Alice immediately placed her hand on the wound below his shoulder blade.
Light spread from her hand.
The wound must not have been deep, as the light faded quickly.
The Third Prince rotated his arm widely with a surprised expression at the treatment that ended in the blink of an eye.
“It’s completely healed. Thank you, Duchess.”
“It’s nothing.”
“…I should send someone to tell Dr. Helkin not to come. I’ll have to tell my brother that His Highness’s arm has healed when he returns later.”
Sienna said.
Alice nodded at Sienna’s words but then paused.
When her brother returns…?
“Sienna, isn’t the Duke in the mansion right now?”
“Ah, no. He was supposed to go to the Imperial Palace today regarding His Highness’s matter. He probably left by now. I saw a carriage in front of the lobby before coming up.”
“Ah…”
So Kylus isn’t in the mansion.
That’s a relief.
She had been secretly anxious that Kylus might suddenly open that door and come in, but knowing he wasn’t here brought a sense of relief.
At least for today, she could avoid him comfortably.
After today passes, both the dream and last night’s events would fade further.
Yes. Then I can face him shamelessly.
As her anxiety dissipated, Alice’s stomach growled audibly.
“Ah…”
Sienna, who heard the blatant sound, looked at her stomach and then quickly raised her head.
“My lady, haven’t you had breakfast yet?”
“No.”
In fact, she hadn’t even had a sip of water, rushing straight to see the Third Prince.
“Oh no, did you miss breakfast because of me?”
The Third Prince lowered the corners of his eyes as if feeling guilty.
“Ah, no, Your Highness. I just didn’t eat because I wasn’t thinking. Now that I feel hungry… I should go to the dining room.”
“Shall I go with you?”
Alice waved her hand at Sienna’s question.
“No. You’ve already had breakfast, right? Please attend to His Highness.”
Alice intended to keep the two of them together as much as possible while the Third Prince was staying at the Duke’s residence.
So Sienna shouldn’t come along.
“Then rest well, Your Highness. Butler, see you next time.”
Woof!
Alice only smiled at Butler, who responded cheerfully, and then hurried out of the room.
Too quickly for either of them to stop her.
* * *
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
As soon as she left the Third Prince’s room, her hunger felt even more intense. As Alice muttered while rubbing her stomach, Aileen said,
“Ma’am, I’ll go to the dining room first and have them prepare your meal.”
“That would be great, thank you.”
“Take your time, Ma’am.”
Aileen smiled at Alice and then hurried off to the dining room.
Alice wanted to run along with Aileen. But regardless of the reality, on the surface, she was the lady of the Dearrut Duchy, so she couldn’t show such unseemly behavior.
But walking quickly is possible, right?
Alice briskly walked down the stairs. Just as she was about to pick up speed towards the dining room, she saw a familiar back standing in the lobby.
Uh… no way.
Shoulders as wide as the Pacific Ocean, not hidden even by the black coat, and a smooth physique that exuded an overwhelming presence.
Kylus Dearrut.
It was definitely him.
Why is he here?
Sienna clearly said he went to the Imperial Palace…
Thinking about it carefully, she said he was going to the Imperial Palace, not that he had already gone.
She only said she saw a carriage in front of the lobby.
And it seemed Kylus had just come to take the carriage to go to the Imperial Palace.
And Alice had arrived in the lobby at that exact moment.
How could the timing match so perfectly?
This wouldn’t be easy to do even if one tried.
It’s as if someone deliberately brought her in front of Kylus.
She really wanted to avoid him today.
Coincidences that don’t happen when needed always seem to occur when you want to avoid them.
Is this truly the mischief of some malicious deity?
Alice stood still, one step away from the bottom of the stairs, looking at Kylus’s back about ten paces away.
Kylus was facing forward, talking about something with the butler. He didn’t seem to know Alice had arrived yet.
Should I go back?
The thought flashed through her mind.
Oh, yes. That would work.
Since Kylus hadn’t seen her yet, she could go back up for a while and come down after he left.
He seemed about to leave anyway.
Just as she quietly turned around, Ruyd suddenly approached her side.
