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Prince Edgar led us out of the reception room and farther down the hall we’d taken earlier, to what seemed to be a bedroom.
This must be Prince Bernard’s room—in which case, the yelling we heard on the way to the reception room had to have been his.
“At first, it seemed like he was just bedridden with a bad cold,” Prince Edgar explained. “However, by the time I returned from abroad, his condition had worsened significantly. He was screaming in agony and throwing tantrums in bed.”
“Oh dear...”
In other words, he was in a state of mental agitation as well. In that case, his symptoms were quite severe.
“I hear he’s currently been put to sleep with magic,” Prince Edgar continued. “When I partially restore his consciousness, could you administer the medicine?”
“Certainly.” I nodded.
Lord Felix placed a hand on my shoulder, concern written on his face. “Don’t worry. If Prince Bernard tries to do anything, I’ll protect you.”
“Thank you, Lord Felix. You’re so reliable!”
As we entered the room, I approached Prince Bernard. Prince Edgar weakened the sleep spell, and I gently poured the panacea into his mouth. His eyes opened just a crack as he swallowed the liquid.
It should be okay since he’s barely conscious, but if he realizes it’s me giving him the medicine, he’s bound to throw a fit.
Luckily, Prince Bernard remained calm until I was done. A familiar faint glow surrounded his body.
“Ah, I see why the people call you the ‘angel of miracles,’” Prince Edgar remarked. “What a divine sight to behold...”
Prince Edgar?! I can hear you, you know! Why did you adopt Lord Felix’s embarrassing paraphrase?! I am not okay with this!
I had a feeling that reacting to the moniker would only make things worse, though, so I chose to pretend that I hadn’t heard anything.
When the light faded, Prince Bernard’s vacant gaze focused on me, and he began whispering something that was just barely inaudible.
D-Did he realize it was me?
“The...angel...really...came...”
Actually, there was one thing about this entire matter that bothered me enough to dismiss practically everything else of concern.
No one had brought it up, so it felt inappropriate to ask, but...where in the world was Lady Mina, and what could she possibly be doing that was more important than caring for the man she used to flirt with all day and night?!
✦ ✦ ✦
◯◯◯
After confirming that Prince Bernard had settled into a relaxed slumber, we were led to another room by Prince Edgar, where we took seats on opposite sofas.
The crown prince smiled at me. “Thank you, Miss Lucille. Regardless of that man’s tendencies, he is still royalty. Were anything to happen to him, it would greatly worry our people. Your assistance is truly appreciated.”
“I’m happy to be of help.”
I’d first noticed this a long time ago, but Prince Edgar never referred to Prince Bernard as his brother unless he was in a situation that called for it, such as a public address. He probably didn’t consider him his kin.
With that in mind, I nonchalantly waited for Prince Edgar to continue, only to be completely taken aback by what he said next.
“I’ve long been biding my time, and my chance has finally come, with His Majesty’s favored son’s fall from grace and—most importantly—this crisis that can now be swiftly resolved. Out of every path to ascending the throne that I have considered, this one is the most hassle-free.” He gave an assured nod. “Indeed, it’s thanks to you that I’ll be able to do this earlier than expected, Miss Lucille. If it weren’t for your contributions, the country would remain weakened and weary, and we would have had to maintain the current family structure for some time while concealing our failure to address the disease.”
“Huh?” I blurted out before hurriedly shutting my mouth.
What did Prince Edgar just say?
I’d heard quite a few questionable ideas just now, but the one that stood out most was “ascending the throne.” Well, as the crown prince, he would obviously become king eventually, so that in itself wasn’t a surprise. Prince Edgar was talented and listened to the needs of both his vassals and his people. Meanwhile, Prince Bernard only sought pleasure and seemingly had no interest in the throne—he was hardly a threat to Prince Edgar’s succession.
However, Prince Edgar had spoken as if he would be ascending the throne now rather than in the future...
“Three days,” Prince Edgar said. “Would you be able to cure everyone afflicted with the disease in that time?”
His sudden change of subject startled me, but I answered his question nevertheless.
“Huh? Um, yes. The other regions have already been taken care of, so if only the capital is left, I think it’d be possible to distribute the panacea to everyone within a day, assuming you lend us some manpower. Perhaps budget for two days, just to be safe.”
If the citizens were wary of the medicine, then it would take time to earn their trust. Even three days might not be enough in that case. However, if the king himself had heard the rumor about me and the medicine, it had probably already spread throughout the entire capital. That meant people would be willing to take the panacea, reducing the amount of time required.
Prince Edgar gave a satisfied smile, nodding several times. “Brilliant, Miss Lucille! Really, why were you engaged to Bernard instead of me? I never would have been so foolish as to relinquish you—I would have treasured you with tender care.”
“Your Highness!” Lord Felix rebuked loudly.
Don’t worry! I’m not stupid enough to take such diplomatic compliments seriously.
The crown prince was probably singing my praises in an attempt to help me reclaim my image since I’d been subjected to Prince Bernard’s unjust treatment. It didn’t actually matter to me because I wasn’t bothered by it at all, but I was certainly obligated to respond in kind. He’d even been so humble as to use himself as an example of a hypothetical fiancé, after all.
I smiled at Prince Edgar. “Why, I’m flattered, Your Highness! Prince Bernard never gave me the time of day, so to hear you speak so highly of me truly makes me feel dignified as a woman! Indeed, nothing makes me happier than to hear a fine man of your caliber entertain the thought of being my fiancé.”
“Now that’s the most insincere ‘happiness’ I’ve ever seen.”
Hmm? That’s odd. I was trying to put on the most joyful face I could muster. Has my laid-back life in Leeuwenhoek decayed my ability to shape my expressions?
Lord Felix’s body stiffened beside me, and I realized he probably thought I’d genuinely been happy about Prince Edgar’s empty praise. Lord Felix was a kind man, through and through, so knowing him, he was worried I’d end up with a broken heart when I learned the truth. If he truly believed what I’d said, perhaps it wasn’t that I’d put on a bad act, but that Prince Edgar had simply seen through it anyway with his keen senses.
Seemingly not wanting to discuss this any further, Prince Edgar returned to the previous topic with utmost seriousness. “Please take care of everything within two days, then. In three days, I will hold a soirée to celebrate the eradication of the disease as well as announce the king’s abdication and my own ascension. The official ceremony will be held at a separate date, of course.”
“What?!”
Apparently his sudden change of subject earlier had merely been a continuation of the same train of thought. Still, wasn’t this an awfully hasty timeline for such a major announcement?
Prince Edgar’s confident smile further reinforced the feeling that I’d been dragged into an outrageous scheme. I broke out into a cold sweat.
“Oh, and naturally, as the disease-curing angel and her guardian, you two will be the stars of the evening,” he continued. “I know this is very sudden, but I will handle all of the arrangements, so you can relax and focus on treating the sick.”
“Understood...”
I had so many questions—too many to ask, in fact, because of the rapid pace at which the conversation was progressing. In the end, I gave up and accepted what I was told.
That said, the events unfolding did have a favorable result for me. The crown prince had said, “Think about what you want as compensation.”
There was only one thing I wanted: information on the Great Sage Elios. Depending on the royal family’s connections, perhaps I could even be granted a meeting with him. Then I would be one step closer to lifting Lord Felix’s curse.