Your Majesty, His Highness, the Crown Prince, intentionally consud poison!
It had been five months and fifteen days since Leon had collapsed, coughing up blood after being poisoned at his birthday banquet.
But the culprit who had attempted to poison the Crown Prince that day had yet to be revealed.
Not only that, they did not have a single trace or lead to find the perpetrator.
Because the culprit had not left any evidence for them to follow.
It was already shocking enough that Leon had collapsed again from poison at the banquet that the Emperor had put so much effort into.
But Leon had drunk the poison of his own accord?
The Emperor was struggling to comprehend what the palace knights were reporting.
His eyes sharpened as he gazed at the knights standing before him.
I do not understand what you an. Leon took the poison by his own hand?
That is what Sir Cassadin reported. After leaving the banquet hall, His Highness went to drink poison!
Who else knows of this situation?
Sir Cassadin was the first to find His Highness after he collapsed, so we are the only ones aware that His Highness has taken the poison.
I will see this for myself. Lady Serkia, follow .
Leaving the interrogation room, the Emperor hastened behind the knights towards the Crown Princes location.
Worried that sothing dire might have befallen his only successor, the Emperor quickened his steps.
They bypassed the banquet hall where the festivities continued, moved past several other opulent palaces, and headed straight for the Crown Princes palace.
At the Crown Princes palace.
After navigating through several long hallways, they found Cassadin standing guard in front of the doors to the Crown Princes bedroom.
The Emperor confronted the man who appeared to be protecting the entrance.
Sir Cassadin, may I ask what this entire commotion is about?
His Highness, the Crown Prince suddenly asked where the palaces unused items were stored, and I believe he drank one of the poisons he found there.
One could see the Emperors beard tremble after hearing Cassadins explanation. With a short bow, Cassadin continued.
When I arrived, His Highness had already collapsed from drinking the poison, so there was nothing I could do. I called a doctor in private, but not even the palace doctor could create an antidote.
Just what reason would Leon have to drink such a dangerous poison of his own will!
The Emperors voice shook like a sapling in a storm of fury.
Sir Cassadin and the knights will remain outside, and Lady Serkia, follow .
The Emperor took Aren and pulled open the door to the room where Leon was.
As soon as he opened the door, he was t with his son lying on the white sheets as if in deep slumber.
The Emperor cried out his only successors na with an ashen face.
Leon!
Panting lightly, Leon seed to be in incredible pain. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead, and his face had beco dangerously pale.
Walking closer to his son, the Emperor clasped Leons hands with trembling hands, but Leon coldly pulled away from his fathers grasp, even amidst imnse pain.
Leon
He stared down in despair at Leon, but imdiately returned to his senses and asked Aren, who had been standing next to him, to cure the Crown Prince.
Lady Serkia. Please heal Leon.
Aren stepped closer to the bed to place her palms on the Crown Princes body and heal him.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Aren reached out to unbutton his shirt but then pulled back.
Because just then, she had realized sothing.
Even if she healed the Crown Prince right now, as the Emperor had asked her to, she would still end up as the Emperors pawn.
Just as the Emperor had blackmailed her with her weaknesses, she also needed to utilize the Emperors weakness.
More than anything, there was no reason for the Crown Prince to have ingested poison while she had been speaking with the Emperor.
I will also protect you, Aren, as my first priority. So there is nothing you need to worry about.
The Crown Prince kept his promise, even going so far as to put his life on the line for it.
She didnt know whether to call him reckless or irresponsible.
Realizing the Crown Princes intent, Aren placed her hands on her knees and quietly stared down at him.
She bowed to the Crown Prince, who was still writhing in pain, and thanked him sincerely.
Thank you, Your Highness.
When the Emperor saw that Aren was not following his orders at such an urgent mont, his furious voice could be heard from behind her.
Milady.
Why are you disobeying my orders? Did you not hear instruct you to heal the Crown Prince?
Aren continued to stare down at Leon as if she couldnt even hear the Emperor speaking.
Unlike the Emperor, who had his face contorted with anger, the one who had actually drunk the poison instead wore a faint smile.
Leons parched lips slowly parted.
Aren.
The man who called out Arens na seed so weak that he could pass away at any mont.
Leon!
The Emperors anguished voice echoed through the room. And observing such an Emperor with cold eyes, Leon mustered his strength to speak once more.
Why dont you leave Aren alone now
It was astonishing that he was telling the man to leave Aren alone while poison was spreading through his body at that very mont.
The Emperors eyes grew dull as he looked down at his one and only son.
Dont tell the reason you drank that poison was for Lady Serkias sake?
And what if it was? How about you dethrone for this dishonor?
Leon twisted his lips into a smirk.
He could only stare at Leons smile with a dumbfounded expression.
.Youve gone insane.
Hadnt I already told you that? I am now sick and tired of everything.
The Crown Prince seed as though he had let go of everything. Seeing his sons attitude, the Emperor could do nothing but fall into despair.
Lady Serkia!
Hearing the Emperors furious voice, Aren turned to look at him. Arens eyes glowed with a cold aura that no one had ever witnessed before.
But before the Emperor could say anything more, the Crown Prince spoke first.
I can drink poison like this as many tis as necessary.
So leave that innocent girl alone.
Are you threatening with your life right now?
Oh, so my life is valuable? Then Im glad I chose to stay alive.
With every word Leon spoke, the Emperor felt as if spears were piercing his heart.
Are you truly risking your life for a re healer? Leon, how dare you..
Isnt it because of that re healer that Your Majesty was saved before?
Leons cold voice silenced the entire room. Even with his life in jeopardy, Leon managed to infuse each word with power.
He could not afford to lose his only successor. Knowing this, the Emperors head drooped as if he were admitting defeat.
Alright. I have lost. So, Leon, please accept the treatnt.
I will leave Lady Serkia alone, as youve requested, so hurry and.
Youve promised.
Yes.
After securing the Emperors promise, Aren carefully unbuttoned Leons crimson uniform. She placed her hands on his bare chest and quickly began to extract the poison that had spread through his body.
A white light emanated from Arens hands, and the poison within the Crown Prince vanished without a trace. His ashen face regained its lively color, and his feverish body cooled to a normal temperature, as if nothing had happened.
Leon observed Arens healing with a calm deanor. After she finished her treatnt and began rebuttoning the Crown Princes clothes, the Emperor spoke up quietly.
Do not do anything like this ever again.
I cannot guarantee that. Just as I cannot trust Your Majestys promises.
The Emperor sighed deeply at Leons sardonic reply.
But I will not allow news of you consuming poison to spread to the public. On that, I cannot compromise.
.As Your Majesty wishes. But in return, I ask for one more promise to be fulfilled by Your Majesty.
What is it?
Restore Arens reputation. Surely it is a childs play for Your Majesty to rehabilitate soones tarnished reputation?
The elderly mans beard trembled again.
At that mont, he lanted the fact that such a disobedient child was his son. Yet for the Emperor, who had no intention of taking other concubines, Leon was his one and only son and the heir to his throne.
Lady Serkia loves Sir Cassadin. It was foolish of you to have drunk poison for her.
The Crown Prince chuckled in response to the Emperors remark.
I am well aware of that.
You already knew?
Well, yes.
Leon shrugged, appearing unbothered by the fact. The Emperor narrowed his eyes and questioned his son.
So you ingested the poison even though you knew?
Isnt it selfish to expect soone to reciprocate your feelings just because you harbor them?
Because, unlike Sir Cassadin, Im quite nice, Leon added in a joking manner.
He then turned his gaze away from the Emperor, who seed to have co to a loss for words, and spoke to Aren.
Aren, thank you.
Aren smiled at the Crown Prince and responded.
It is I who should thank Your Highness.
As he had promised Leon, the Emperor no longer said anything that would cause Aren trouble, but he still glared intently at her to express his displeasure.
Lady Serkia, you may leave now. I expect that you will keep quiet about this incident with Leon.
After leaving the room in accordance with the Emperors command, Aren shared a few private words with Cassadin. There, she learned that it had been Cassadins idea for the Crown Prince to drink the poison.
This was the only way to save you.
Instead of returning to the banquet hall, Cassadin embraced Aren in the conservatory located within the palace.
The conservatory was tranquility quiet, with only the two of them inside. Filled with hyacinths and all sorts of different colored roses, it perated with a dense floral scent.
Cassadin had been on the brink of going insane with worry after Aren had taken the bla for his own sins.
Stroking Arens back with his large hand, Cassadin asked her.
Why did you have to protect ?
Because you are precious to , more than anyone else.
Hearing her answer co out without any hesitation, Cassadin let out a soft sigh and trailed off his sentence.
I had been so worried that sothing might have happened to you
Cassadin.
Aren calmly spoke out Cassadins na within his embrace.
Hearing his na, Cassadin peered down at Aren. He saw her sapphire eyes and long eyelashes slowly sink down.
Cassadin continued to gaze at Aren. With her eyes cast to the ground and lips pursed, she seed as if she was hesitating to say sothing.
He waited patiently for Aren to take her ti. When he gently tapped Aren on the forehead to comfort her, Cassadins na slipped from her lips once more.
Cassadin.
Finally, seeming to have made up her mind, Aren raised her head and t Cassadins eyes.
Within his embrace, Aren mumbled quietly with a watery voice.
Would you believe if I said that I died and returned to the past?
Unable to believe what he had just heard, Cassadin asked Aren.
What do you an?
In the past, I was Damians fiance, and you were the Commander in Chief of the Knights because the Crown Prince found you in that arena. There, you and I did not have even a single interaction. The only ti was when we made eye contact during an imperial banquet.
With the sa hand he used to stroke Arens back, Cassadin grasped her frail shoulders. A dark shadow had cast over her eyes, Cassadin could not discern what Aren was thinking.
And for so reason, after dying at Damians hands, I ca back four years into the past.
.
So I purposefully approached you because I already knew who you were going to beco in the future. I was going to take advantage of your desperation, just so that I could live.
After revealing the truth, Aren seed to laugh wordlessly at herself.
That must be why I was punished. Because now, I love you, whom I tried to use, more than myself.
Aren.
I know that you wont believe what Ive said, but I kept feeling as if I was deceiving you, so
With a smile resembling shattered glass, Aren added on.
I just wanted to tell you.
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