Chapter 25
“The smell of herbs…”
The Third Prince’s room was filled with the acrid scent of burning herbs.
“The healer says it seems you hit your head hard when you fell from the tree,” the attendant said gently as he seated me on a chair by the bedside.
In truth, the Third Prince hadn’t fallen from a tree but had been struck by a bandit’s wooden club. But, well, whatever.
“Did they say when he might wake up?”
“No. They said they had done all they could within their limits, and the rest is simply hoping for the grace of God,” the attendant explained.
“…Isn’t that guy a total quack?”
I almost spoke like Hariela’s older brother, but I immediately corrected myself.
The healer’s skill wasn’t their personal fault. The medical technology in this world was simply underdeveloped.
If anyone were to be blamed, it would be me for allowing things to reach this state. I hadn’t stopped the Third Prince from taking dangerous actions, nor had I protected him from the bandits.
No matter how mature he seemed, the Third Prince was still a child—and children inevitably cause trouble.
Responsibility for a child’s mischief lay with their guardian. And at that moment, I was the Third Prince’s guardian in the mountains.
“…Alright. That’s enough. You can leave now.”
“Pardon me, but I should stay by Your Highness’ side…”
“Come to think of it, you don’t look well. You must be tired. Go have a cup of tea or something.”
Though I spoke to the attendant, my gaze was on Anna. Quick-witted Anna immediately understood.
“Ah! There’s a tea we recently got that helps relieve fatigue! Will you follow me?”
“Oh, no, I…”
“Come on! Our young lady is being kind for a change, and it wouldn’t be polite to refuse, right?”
The hesitant attendant couldn’t resist Anna’s urging. He kept glancing back, finally leaving the room with a reluctant expression.
The herbal smoke-filled room was left with only the Third Prince and me.
“Your Highness! Your Highness? Now it’s just the two of us. Wake up!”
I gently shook the Third Prince’s arm, just in case.
He made a brief groaning sound but did not open his eyes.
It seemed he wasn’t pretending to be unconscious—he truly was. The heat from his skin pressed against my palm.
Only then did I fully realize the seriousness of the situation.
How did it come to this? Where did it all go wrong?
I tried to retrace everything that had happened between the Third Prince and me.
In the original story, this probably never would have happened. The original Hariela was a coy young lady, reserved in her own way. She wouldn’t have cared whether the Third Prince stayed holed up in the library or not.
Without Hariela’s cooperation, the Third Prince wouldn’t have discovered the secret passage. The attendant Andrew would likely have interfered if he tried.
If the Third Prince hadn’t found the secret passage, he wouldn’t have been threatened by bandits, and neither would the encounter with the minor duke have happened.
All of this chaos was caused by one small change on my part.
“Of course, I can’t say it’s entirely my fault…”
But I could have acted a bit more wisely.
I sat quietly for a long time, waiting for the Third Prince to wake.
But he remained asleep until his attendant returned.
“…Excuse me, but it seems today is not the day,” the attendant said politely but firmly, driving me out.
His rudeness could be forgiven; anyone would be tense with a sick master nearby.
Of course, this was a different story from the attendant Andrew.
I left, promising to return tomorrow.
“Miss!”
Anna, leaning against the corridor wall, called out to me.
“Anna! How did you drink the tea so quickly?”
“Oh, don’t even mention it! I’ve never seen such an impolite person! Drinking the entire cup in one gulp—what country’s manners are those?”
Anna, pouting, continuously vented about how rude the Third Prince’s attendant had been as I walked down the corridor.
During this time, she hadn’t asked a single question about the Third Prince. Nor did I mention anything first.
“Why don’t you take a little rest today?”
When we reached my room, Anna suggested.
“Rest?”
“Yes. You can take a nap or enjoy a bath.”
“Is that allowed?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Anna seemed determined to get me to rest. Though she didn’t say it outright, I could feel she was worried I might be shocked.
So I followed her advice, taking a bath and a nap. Despite waking up later than usual, I felt unusually tired, so Anna’s suggestion was welcome.
Anna woke me as evening approached.
“Actually, I wanted you to keep sleeping, but your master called for you…” she said, looking downcast.
“…Father? Why?”
Still groggy, I blinked slowly.
“He said the whole family would have dinner together.”
“Ugh… not exactly happy news.”
I stretched and gathered my outer clothes, heading straight to the dining hall.
It had been a long time since I had dined with Count Rurupel. At the Count’s mansion, we always ate together, but in the Rudbeckia Palace, everyone ate in their own rooms.
I had a bad feeling. Given the situation, I expected quite a scolding.
And my expectations were confirmed.
“Hariela Liberati Rurupel!”
The first thing that greeted me in the dining hall was Count Rurupel’s angry voice.
Before responding, I looked around the hall. Only members of the Rurupel family were present, so it was fine to greet the Count first.
“…Good evening, Father.”
“Thanks to you, a good evening is ruined, and you greet me so calmly?”
Even my beloved youngest daughter’s greeting did nothing to temper the Count’s anger.
He shouted like a five-year-old told they can’t eat more than two ice creams a day.
His tendency to blow up when things didn’t go his way was typically extra-noble.
“Sit down, Hariela. Also, you should lower your voice. Speaking too loudly in front of the servants is unseemly,” said Countess Rurupel, dismissing the attendants.
The Count, who had been puffing like steam might shoot from his head, immediately quieted at his wife’s rebuke.
I sighed and walked to my seat beside Hariela’s older brother.
As I sat, he greeted me with a glance, his round eyes smiling. He seemed entirely unconcerned whether his father was angry.
The Rurupel family dinner proceeded in a heavy, subdued atmosphere.
I could hardly tell if I was chewing rocks or mashed potatoes.
“…Now, tell me. Why did you climb that tree?”
Countess Rurupel broke the silence as she chewed on her poorly-cooked beans, a taste she could never get used to.
“Well… um…”
I had no clever excuse for climbing a tree, but I scrambled to make one.
“I-I wanted to watch the guests…?”
“You mean you climbed up to watch the carriages?”
“Yes… well…”
We settled on that vague explanation.
Countess Rurupel tapped the table thoughtfully with her fingertip.
“Was this something Your Highness suggested first?”
“Yes… well…”
Again, we agreed to leave it at that. It wasn’t entirely false; the Third Prince had been the instigator.
“…I see. Your Highness was probably waiting for Lady Lamier.”
“Yes… well…”
It seemed this court had many aspiring novelists. Countess Rurupel freely interpreted the Third Prince’s bizarre, never-happened actions.
“Such a pity. This morning, a letter arrived from Lady Lamier saying she cannot attend the engagement ceremony.”
“She can’t come? Why not?”
“Well, it only mentioned an important matter of the royal family.”
Apparently, the engagement ceremony wasn’t included in the royal family’s “important matter.”
“By the way, I heard you visited Your Highness’s room earlier. How was his condition?”
“Not good. He had a high fever and was still unconscious.”
I added an appropriate explanation of the Third Prince’s condition.
Count Rurupel, silent until then, hurriedly spoke.
“The engagement! Do you think he’ll regain consciousness before the engagement day?”
How was I supposed to know?
Though exasperated, I quietly shook my head.
“I’m not sure. I also hope His Highness wakes up soon…”
“…Eh! He’s not a child anymore! Why climb a tree and cause such trouble!”
