CHAPTER 151
“Take a seat.”
Instead of reacting to Priscilla’s sneer, Lloyd sought the guard’s permission.
But letting a prisoner meet a visitor without the guard’s supervision was out of the question.
Especially if the visitor was the prisoner’s son.
Even if he was the son of the woman imprisoned, sympathy could arise, and he might even try to help her escape.
“By protocol, that is not allowed, Your Highness.”
The guard’s curt response once again scraped at Priscilla’s pride.
She was forced to confront her position all over again.
Priscilla had to restrain her fists on her lap to prevent them from trembling.
Any clatter of chains could alert Lloyd to her agitation.
“If it’s not something you can’t say, then leave it be.”
Priscilla still tried to put on a facade of superiority.
Lloyd, however, began scrutinizing her closely.
At that moment, Priscilla realized the full weight of shame.
Her prisoner’s uniform was made of rough fabric she’d never worn in her life, not the smooth silk she was used to.
Her hair, which she normally spent an hour carefully styling with oils, had long since clumped and been hastily tied up.
Her signature blood-red lips had been wiped away long ago, and in just a single day, her skin had become dry and coarse.
In contrast, Lloyd was impeccably neat.
She had always judged his appearance, yet now her own aesthetic and cleanliness paled in comparison.
Priscilla’s jaw trembled.
Lloyd glanced at her with a complicated expression, then handed a package to the guard.
“I wish to deliver this to your mother.”
“I will inspect it.”
The guard opened the unexpectedly large package to check its contents.
For a moment, his eyes seemed to waver, but he quickly returned to his usual stern demeanor and nodded.
“Yes. One item is questionable, but nothing here could be used as a weapon, so it should be fine.”
“Thank you.”
The guard nodded shortly and stepped back.
Lloyd displayed the contents before Priscilla.
Her eyes widened at the familiar items.
“…Are you mocking me?”
Priscilla had been focusing all her energy on not trembling, but her resolve crumbled in front of the white fur and the two pairs of sapphire earrings.
“If you weren’t mocking me, there’s no way you would bring me things like this, let alone these earrings!”
She seized a sapphire earring with her handcuffed hands and flung it to the floor.
She understood Lloyd had come to humiliate her, but now that she experienced it firsthand, her anger was uncontrollable.
How dare he—after all she had done for him, leaving her in this state!
Lloyd, seemingly expecting such a reaction, remained calm.
He casually picked up the earring and placed it neatly atop the fur.
His composure only fueled Priscilla’s fury. Just as she was about to toss it again,
“Calm yourself.”
“…!”
Her arms shot out into the air.
Minerva had grabbed Priscilla’s handcuffs.
Of all things, the handcuffs.
“Princess! Let go immediately!”
She was no longer a noble, and striking royalty, even accidentally, would lead to increased punishment.
But Priscilla, blinded by shame, struggled wildly.
Eventually, the guard had to forcefully secure her to the chair.
Weakened and outmatched, Priscilla panted and glared at Lloyd as if she wanted to kill him.
Overcoming deeply ingrained fear was impossible.
Yet, with Minerva holding her hand close by, Lloyd gathered himself and spoke.
“The north will be very cold. The cheap quilted clothing provided won’t suffice.”
“Ha! Sympathy, huh? I’d rather freeze to death! And you, who put me in this state, speak so well!”
Seeing her about to riot again, the guard pressed down on her shoulders.
“Ugh…!”
Even a mere shoulder press made Priscilla groan as if a bone had snapped.
Even Lloyd hesitated, raising a hand to stop the guard.
He didn’t ask if she was alright, letting her gnash her teeth in frustration.
“I resented you greatly, Mother.”
Priscilla raised her head, questioning his words with her gaze.
Lloyd no longer lowered his head before her anger.
Instead, he slid the fur on the table toward her.
“Yet I do not recall you ever letting me shiver in the bitter cold. You always provided me with fine clothing. This is my repayment.”
The soft fur at her fingertips ignited a surge of desire in her eyes.
Yes, she honestly needed the fur.
A single quilted garment for a lifetime in the north was far too harsh.
‘Even Sebastian won’t visit.’
Sebastian should have come to check on her, yet after the trial, he vanished.
The culprit was obvious.
“Occasionally, I will send Sebastian. But he will not carry the items you need. He was given just enough to survive on his own and sent away.”
It was perfect revenge on Sebastian, who had devoted his life to Priscilla.
He would watch her wither in prison, and she would see that her lifeline had disappeared.
Worse than she expected.
Priscilla’s vision went dark.
‘In that freezing place, I must rely on only this one fur coat?’
Perhaps she should be grateful that breakfast even included the black bread and thin soup she had left.
The stark reality hit her suddenly.
The fur and earrings were Lloyd’s last act of mercy.
In a voice weaker than when she had rioted, Priscilla asked:
“Why give me this? Gold and jewels would be useless anyway.”
“Wear them occasionally. I gave them to you as gifts; what meaning is there in keeping them myself?”
“…”
Priscilla hung her head.
All her wealth had gone to Lloyd; all she had left was this fur coat and a small pair of sapphire earrings.
Her entire fortune reduced to these few items—it was laughable.
As her weak laughter faded, Lloyd rose.
“Go and pay for all your sins.”
“Sins? Do you mean I should die?”
Priscilla smirked, as if daring death.
Feeling pity for her extremism, Lloyd didn’t bother hiding his sympathy.
“That would be too easy for you. Live out your remaining days, and in the end, you may return to the land you loved most.”
“…What?”
“Take care of your health. I will be leaving now.”
So she shouldn’t even die comfortably in that freezing place!
If she did, her body would be buried in the frozen northern lands.
A criminal could only be buried in their homeland with the consent of kin or the lord.
Priscilla had firmly believed her last resting place would be Eckhart’s land.
Her lifelong cultivation.
If she didn’t return there, no one else could.
But that authority now rested with Lloyd.
“Wait, Lloyd! Surely you’re not serious? Lloyd!”
Priscilla tried to grab him as he stood.
But the shackles made her lean dangerously, and soon she was blocked by the guard.
All she could do was shout after Lloyd’s retreating back.
“Lloyd! Wait! Lloyd!”
She cried out the name of her only blood relative.
The clatter of chains rang incessantly behind Lloyd, but he left the visiting room without responding to a single sound.
