~Chapter 154~
‘What’s this?’
Seraphina froze in place.
A sudden tingling pain shot through her legs.
“How strange… did I sleep wrong?”
She sat down on the bed and rubbed her legs from ankle to calf.
After massaging for a while, the sensation faded.
But her expression didn’t ease.
‘Yesterday… the banquet where His Highness the Crown Prince attended… what happened there?’
She had tried to push the thought away, but it returned.
Her green eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling.
‘It’s always like this.’
She was popular in society, admired by many gentlemen.
But that was all.
She was never invited to the truly important gatherings.
It was as if she always stood right at the border but could never cross it.
‘Forget it. Thinking about it only makes me miserable.’
Seraphina got up and walked a few steps.
The tingling in her legs was completely gone.
Relieved, she strode toward the door.
Bang!
She opened it.
In the hallway, several ladies were huddled together, whispering over a newspaper.
‘What’s this?’
Seraphina blinked in confusion.
Even though she had opened the door noisily, none of them turned to her.
‘Are they ignoring me?’
Her face twisted with irritation.
“Why are you being so noisy this early in the morning?” she snapped.
“Some people might still be sleeping. Keep it down—”
“No, look at this!”
One lady, flustered, shoved the paper right in front of Seraphina’s nose.
“Last night—Her Majesty the Empress collapsed!”
“What?!”
Seraphina’s eyes flew wide.
“Give me that paper!”
She snatched it from the lady’s hands.
The shocking headline leapt before her eyes.
[Early this morning, the Imperial Palace officially announced that Her Majesty the Empress has fallen ill.
Her Majesty collapsed with a high fever of unknown cause and has yet to regain consciousness.
The Imperial physician, Sir Schultz, stated only that he is doing everything in his power to treat her…]
At that moment, voices echoed in her memory—
“Do you still exchange letters with Her Majesty the Empress?”
“And… the ink I gave you—you’re still using it, aren’t you?”
Seraphina shivered.
‘Chief Priest Evans.’
Why did he keep asking about her letters and that ink?
Why was it so important to him?
She had brushed it off as trivial at the time.
But now, it gnawed at her like a curse.
“Thanks for showing me.”
Seraphina tossed the newspaper back and turned away.
Her beautiful face was set in stone.
‘I need to see Chief Priest Evans.’
Once suspicion took root, it clung like a swamp, dragging her down.
Overwhelmed by unease, Seraphina hurried away.
“Will Her Majesty the Empress be alright?”
Lady Eva asked me with a downcast look.
No matter what, the Empress was one of the few people Eva could lean on.
After losing her mother so young, the Empress had filled part of that empty space.
I gently reassured her.
“Of course. She’ll recover soon.”
“But… she hasn’t looked well lately. I’m worried.”
“….”
I faltered.
Though I comforted her, I too felt uneasy.
The truth was, she really had seemed unwell.
The last time I saw her, two weeks ago at tea, there had been faint shadows beneath her eyes.
Eva had even asked back then:
“Your Majesty, is something wrong? You look so tired.”
The Empress only smiled.
“I’m fine. It’s just that the Crown Prince is returning soon. With all the preparations, I’ve been worn out.”
Eva had insisted she delegate the work.
“But I want to prepare with my own hands. He’s my son, after all.”
She had looked so happy saying it that I believed her strength would carry her through.
‘Wait…’
Lost in my thoughts, I noticed the Duke had been silent for some time.
I glanced at him.
‘What’s he thinking?’
His face looked serious, too serious.
“Your Grace?”
“……”
“Duke?”
“…Ah.”
Slowly, he blinked and looked at me.
Finally, light returned to his blue eyes.
“Why do you look so troubled?”
“It’s nothing.”
He shook his head and rose.
“I’ll remain at the palace to watch the situation.”
“Yes…” I nodded with concern.
He smiled faintly.
“Don’t worry. The Imperial physicians are monitoring Her Majesty closely.”
True enough—their skill was unmatched in the Empire.
If anyone could save her, it would be them.
‘It’ll be fine. It has to be.’
I tried to calm myself.
“I’ll send word if her condition improves.”
“Promise me, brother,” Eva begged.
The Duke patted her shoulder before stepping out.
Click.
The sound of the door closing lingered strangely in my ears.
Something felt wrong.
The reassuring smile he had shown us was gone.
As he climbed into the carriage, Dietrich’s face was grim.
‘Fever. Delirium. Hallucinations.’
He went over the Empress’s symptoms.
For weeks she had suffered from fatigue and mild fevers.
Then, suddenly—high fever, collapse, and delirium.
‘Damn it.’
He clenched his jaw.
Maybe he was overthinking.
But those symptoms—
…They were exactly the same as what had killed his parents.
Meanwhile, Seraphina clung desperately to a priest at the Temple.
“I need to see Chief Priest Evans!”
“I’m sorry, Lady Lopez, but the Chief Priest hasn’t arrived yet,” the priest replied awkwardly.
It was just before 10 in the morning.
High-ranking priests rarely came before lunch.
“Please come back later…”
“Then I’ll wait!” Seraphina cried.
“I must see him today—please, I beg you!”
And then—
“What is going on here?”
She turned her head in shock.
There stood Isaac.
Their eyes met.
“….”
Seraphina forgot even how to breathe.
