The Abandoned Empress Chapter 179

Chapter 179: Chapter 179

“Tia.”

“Please tell , Daddy.”

“… Yes, that’s right.”

“I expected that…” I broke into an empty smile.

Poison, poison? Just as I thought the pro-emperor faction couldn’t touch Jiun because of God’s possible punishnt, I thought that the noble faction couldn’t touch because I could hear God’s prophecy. I felt I let my guard down too early.

“Can the doctor neutralize it?”

“…. ”

“It looks like he can’t.”

“… Currently, I’m trying to catch the mastermind, and the emperor ordered them to find the High Priest and bring him to the palace.”

“Even if you catch the criminal, there is no guarantee that you can get an antidote, so it’s probably the best policy for to stick it out until the High Priest arrives.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

He smiled bitterly. Compared to the past, my physique improved a lot, but I wondered if I could hold out until the High Priest ca.

“Did you discover who was the suspect?”

“The maid who served you at the 1st Knights’ Division.”

“Oh, I see.”

She was the maid I scolded for her sloppy job. When I asked her, she was always late.

I unwittingly let out a sigh. If so, the reason that the crown prince sent a set of silverware teacups was because he wanted to prevent this kind of danger in advance. I should have paid more attention to his motivation, but I didn’t because I was absent-minded. If I had discovered it earlier, I would not have gone through this.

“Did you find out who ordered the maid?”

“…No, because the maid has already been killed.”

“As expected…” I broke into a bitter smile.

What should I do now? If I can’t find the mastermind, I wouldn’t be able to raise my head before the emperor. It is impossible to punish the suspect with circumstantial evidence. I needed decisive evidence, but it was impossible because the maid was already killed.

At that mont, sothing ca to my mind suddenly.

‘Oh yeah, I knew it.’

“Daddy, I’m not so sure… but maybe we could find the mastermind.”

“Really? How?”

“On the second day, there was an attendant who gave a soft drink. He said the crown prince sent it to , but I think we need to double check.”

“Got it. Let check him out imdiately.”

As if the dicine didn’t take effect any more, I was feeling a loss of energy rapidly.

I hurriedly spoke to my father, who was standing up.

“Daddy.”

“Um?”

“I’m sorry I was sick like this…”

“I’m fine. So, just focus on regaining energy and getting better,” he said with a hoarse voice.

I nodded, looking at him leaving the room. After burying my hazy head on the pillow, I fell deeply asleep.

I woke up at the strange feeling over my body.

Soone was touching my face. His warm fingers touched my forehead, then ca down gently and stroked my cheeks.

The mont I tried to open my eyes in surprise, I stiffened at the cool scent from the man who adjusted his posture. ‘Is it the crown prince?’

“It’s the first ti you haven’t avoided my touch.”

My eyelashes trembled at his whispering. Yes, he really did co to . How did he get here?

“I didn’t want to see you sick like this. You are so cruel to . ”

“… ”

“I really didn’t want to see you so pale again. What’s the matter with you? I want to know why you hate , but you know I can’t even ask because you might be freak out again?”

My heart beca heavy when he sighed deeply as he was frustrated. I knew at so point that his attitude toward was prudent and cautious, but I didn’t know it was because he felt that way.

“Forgive this selfish man who couldn’t tell you I would free you, though I knew you ended up being in this situation because of . Currently, I’m looking for the High Priest. So, stay alert and in good heart until then. Please.”

He put his hand on my face cautiously, took off the hair stuck to my face and swept it over the back of my ear. I felt goosebumps and curled towards his soft hands as he touched my cheeks. My heart skipped a beat for fear he might notice I was awake, but fortunately, he got up with a sigh.

The sound of his footsteps faded away, and the door was closed.

I tossed and turned on the bed for so ti because of confusion before taking a catnap.

But I woke up again when sobody shook cautiously.

‘Who is it this ti?’

When I blinked my blurry eyes, soone helped raise my body.

His voice was familiar to .

“Tia.”

“…Oh, Sein!”

“Yes, it’s .”

“Long ti no see.”

“Yeah, it’s been a long ti since I’ve spoken to you.”

When I leaned my upper body on several pillows stacked against the bed, I felt sothing cold touching my lips. He held my hand tightly when I flinched.

“I was told it’s ti you took dicine, so I asked to co here. You have to swallow it even if it tastes bitter. Got it?”

“Sure.” I gently put the cup to my lips and drank the bitter liquid. The poison was taking the turn for the worse, the dosage of the dicine was gradually being increased.

When I shuddered at the bitter taste, Carsein hugged silently. Sothing reddish shimred in my blurred vision.

“Your body is cold.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I see…” I responded slowly. That’s why I missed his warm chest.

When I lifted my sagging arm and wrapped his back, he tried to make feel warm for so ti, then said, “Tia.”

“Huh?”

“You must survive. Please.”

“Yes, I will. ”

“Good.”

He carefully laid on the bed and pulled a thick blanket over , then swept my hair dishevelled on the pillow. Feeling his gentle touch, I was again sucked into the darkness I was accustod to. I was in deep sleep now.

I found myself more and more sleepy everyday. Now, even after taking the dicine, my mind didn’t clear. I felt sobody coming and going in my room, but I could not see anything. It has been a long ti since I could not see, and I could hardly hear at so point. All the senses that existed in were gradually disappearing.

Day after day, I took dicine when sobody woke up, then fell asleep. It was even hard for to realize where I was, who I was talking to, and what I was saying.

I was gradually dying in the middle of ti when I couldn’t even know whether I was alive or not.

Then one day my senses also began to co back gradually. Thanks to this, I could hear sobody calling clearly.

“… my lady.”

I had to recall what it ant.

What does ‘my lady’ an? Obviously, it refers to the noble family’s daughter. Why is he looking for her here? Am I a noble’s daughter?

Who am I? Oh, I am Aristia La Monique. The daughter of the proud Marquis Monique family.

Oh, if so, is he calling now? Who is the man calling repeatedly? Whose voice is it that I seem to have heard from sowhere?

I cautiously opened my eyelids, which I had closed because I couldn’t see anything at so point. Although my eyes were still blurred, my vision was much clearer now. Sothing white ca into my view.

Flash.

White waves ca to , making a rustling sound.

Flash.

A human figure appeared in my vision.

Flash, flash.

Whenever I lifted my eyelids, the cloudy fog surrounding was cleared away.

When the thick and dark fog finally cleared, a man shining white in a clear world ca into my vision.

“Now, you seem to have recovered your consciousness, Lady Monique. I’m sorry for coming late.”

“… Your Eminence.”

His white hair hanging down to the ground, transparent green eyes, and mysterious voice echoing into the air were familiar to .

The one who is loved by Vita, and one of the six High Priests in the whole continent. He was the High Priest that I t before.

“Have you co to your senses, Lady Monique?”

“Ah… ”

While I tried to raise my body in a hurry, I almost fell because my arm that was supporting my body collapsed. Soone ca to support quickly. Sothing like red threads scattering in the air caught my eye.

“You shouldn’t get up yet, Tia.”

“… Sein.”