Chapter 51
“If you dislike the Second Prince’s Consort that much, why not just get rid of her? I heard she even harmed herself recently.”
“The rumor sure spread fast.”
Franz replied dryly to Crayton.
Alessia had wounds on her wrists. It had only been shortly after he’d driven her out of his bedroom.
The first time he saw those wounds, his heart sank.
“It seems to be a side effect of the mana neutralization,”
Harun had explained.
Franz recalled his advisor’s words.
His hand tightened around his teacup as he brought it to his lips with a grim face.
He had just ordered Alessia to be locked up in a separate palace, using his scolding as an excuse. It was to protect her from Crayton’s clutches.
Because he never knew what fears Crayton might plant in her again through Glena.
When he visited the First Prince’s Palace to check, as expected, Crayton acted like he knew everything.
Franz couldn’t afford to lower his guard.
He set the teacup down with a bitter expression.
It was all his fault—for being lacking, for being weak. All he ever did was hurt Alessia.
Even the injuries were proof of that.
Every time he saw her, he failed to control the surge of mana inside him. That must be what caused the side effects.
Franz had asked Harun to prepare a cure. But it was uncertain when it would be ready—Harun had said he’d never seen a case like this before.
“Your Highness, this is caused by you suppressing your emotions and mana too much. I’ve never seen anyone forcefully suppress a soul bond to this extent.”
Harun blamed Franz’s stubbornness. He even said that if Franz was going to be that foolish, he should’ve just cut off Crayton’s head.
“If I could, I would’ve done it long ago,”
Franz thought as he shot a cold glare at Crayton.
Lately, Crayton looked like he was in a very good mood. The more Franz suffered, the more it seemed Crayton soared to paradise.
“Might as well just become the Crown Prince already.”
Franz truly hoped Crayton would ascend to the top and become Crown Prince.
Then Franz would gladly leave the capital. Crayton would no longer consider him a threat.
Right now, no matter how much Franz claimed he had no interest in the throne, it wasn’t enough.
The Empress had declared that she wouldn’t allow such nonsense. The crown prince selection had to be handled fairly.
“I can’t depose her. I won’t go down in history as the emperor who authorized the Empire’s first divorce.”
“Then are you going to keep neutralizing mana with that woman?”
Franz clenched his jaw so hard his chin jutted out. At some point, everyone in the palace had started referring to Alessia as that woman.
As if the title Consort was too good for her.
Franz forced a calm expression and let out a long sigh. He couldn’t lose his temper here—especially not in front of Crayton.
“There’s no other option.”
“No other option, huh? Do you remember Nyris Roshanach?”
“Who?”
“The girl you met at the spring hunt in Narot. The legitimate daughter of Count Danil Roshanach.”
Franz’s brow twitched slightly. Now that he thought about it, there was a girl like that.
She was one of the many clingy noble ladies who had pestered him, but particularly annoying.
“Why bring her up now?”
“She also has fire mana. She’s coming to my birthday ball soon. Maybe you should talk to her then.”
Crayton winked as he spoke. Franz swallowed down the disgust rising in his throat at his brother’s fake cheerful tone.
It was obvious why Crayton was pushing Nyris Roshanach toward him.
He wanted to bind Franz to someone related to the Empress—her niece—and completely pull him under his control.
But Franz had no choice but to go along with it, despite knowing all that.
“Just how far are you planning to push me?”
Franz drank his tea bitterly.
It wasn’t enough to distance himself from Alessia. Now he had to pretend to neutralize mana with another woman?
His hell seemed never-ending.
* * *
Nyris Roshanach, surprisingly, wasn’t a bad match. She didn’t demand affection from Franz, which was a plus.
Her mana-neutralizing skills were decent, though not as effective as Alessia’s.
With Alessia, once a month was enough. But with Nyris, it had to be done weekly. Which meant he had to meet her every week.
It was a hassle. But if neutralizing mana with Nyris meant he wouldn’t hurt Alessia, Franz could tolerate it.
Nyris had one big advantage.
Ever since he kept her close, Crayton and his allies had completely forgotten about Alessia.
As long as he was with Nyris, Alessia was safe.
In that sense, Crayton had actually provided a decent decoy. Franz was moderately satisfied with her usefulness.
It wasn’t bad.
“She gagged like I was filth! Right in front of me!”
Except for her inexplicable hostility toward Alessia.
“She fell down the stairs?”
Franz grabbed Nyris’s shoulders. He gripped so hard it felt like he might crush them, and she grimaced in pain.
“That hurts, Your Highness!”
“So? You just left her there? After she fell down the stairs?”
“I said it hurts!”
Nyris snapped as she slapped his hand away.
He stormed past her without a glance. His head throbbed the moment he heard her story.
The neutralization wounds had only just begun to heal.
And now, she had fallen down the steep stairs of the annex?
Could her frail body withstand that kind of shock?
What if she was still lying at the bottom of those stairs?
Franz clenched his teeth. He bitterly regretted leaving only a minimal number of attendants in the annex to avoid Crayton’s scrutiny.
“She’ll be okay. Resa is strong.”
His mouth was dry with anxiety.
Franz had purposely allowed Nyris to act out all this time.
It was to spread rumors that the Second Prince was completely taken with his mistress. But Nyris using those rumors to actually hurt Alessia wasn’t part of the plan.
Just as he grabbed the doorknob, a sharp voice called out behind him.
“If you leave me here, I’ll report to the Empress!”
Franz paused and slowly turned his head.
His golden eyes flared with rage as he glared at Nyris like he’d devour her.
“Say whatever you want. But you’ll pay for endangering the Consort.”
He turned away again, but she shouted even louder.
“You’re just going to abandon me? Then I’ll tell the First Prince everything!”
“…What?”
Franz turned back once more, startled by her solemn tone.
Nyris glared at him as she spoke.
“Won’t the First Prince be very interested to learn the truth? That you only use me to neutralize mana. That I’m not your mistress, not even your lover. That you’re pathetically obsessed with that woman!”
“Shut up.”
Franz’s large hand clamped over her mouth.
In a flash, he crossed the room, eyes blazing. She glared back, prying his hand away.
“You think I won’t? I’ll tell him you sneak off to the annex every night to spy on her, that you have the servants report her every move to you, that you keep her old clothes tucked away in your wardrobe!”
“Silence!”
Franz’s harsh voice struck Nyris. She looked up at him with teary eyes and cried out,
“I love you! That’s why I kept quiet and played along! Don’t I deserve at least a little sincerity in return?”
“I don’t love you. If you dare bring any of this to the First Prince, I will kill you.”
“…Then give me a chamber here in the palace. If you do that, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
Franz looked at her wordlessly.
He wiped the hand that had touched her with a handkerchief and muttered,
“Do as you wish.”
“Don’t go to the annex. That woman’s not dead. If you go now, the First Prince will start getting suspicious.”
Franz ignored her advice and walked away.
Even if she didn’t stop him, he couldn’t go.
With an incident like this, there was no way Crayton wouldn’t be informed.
If Franz rushed to Alessia’s side the moment she got hurt, he knew exactly what would happen.
Because that’s what happened last time—when she had only a scratch on her wrist, and he ran to her.
That was the day poison was first added to her soup.
Fortunately, Harun, who had been ordered by Franz to monitor her meals, had caught it in time.
If not… the thought alone chilled him.
That incident had been dismissed as a maid’s clumsy mistake. But such coincidence couldn’t be relied on twice.
“I know even without you saying it. I’m not going to her. So behave. If you step one foot out of here, I’ll slit your throat.”
After leaving that warning, Franz slammed the door shut behind him.
He had no power to protect the woman he loved. And because of that, he had thrown her into hell.
Was there any love more miserable than this?
He wanted to die.
But he couldn’t.
Because if he died, he wouldn’t be able to love her anymore.
Even if it was hellish, even if it was miserable—Franz wanted to continue loving her.
He knew it was horribly selfish.
But it was the only way he knew how to love.
And yet soon, he would come to realize…
Just how terribly wrong he was.
* * *
“Alessia!”
Franz should never have done it.
“Resa, open your eyes!”
He should never have loved Alessia.
Franz screamed as he held Alessia in his arms, blood spilling from her mouth.
Each time he sobbed and clutched her closer, the sword embedded in her chest shifted deeper.
Tears streamed down his face as he cried her name.
“Resa, please…”
Her eyelids trembled at his pleading.
Then slowly, her lifeless green eyes fluttered open.
“R…un…”
She whispered.
Even as her life slipped away, she was worried for him. Afraid he might be harmed. Afraid he might be attacked.
Franz trembled before her desperation. He stared helplessly at her paling face and sank into despair.
I’m sorry.
For loving you.
For loving you and failing to protect you.
Franz wept with a pain deeper than death.
And then…
From behind him, a shadow approached, cloaked in darkness.
