Chapter 71 – Treacherous Friend

“Diana!”

When Diana heard someone calling her name, she felt that her eyes were slowly returning to consciousness.

“Get a hold of yourself, it’s me, Lucas.”

Lucas took off his robe and covered it around Diana. Her temperature was too cold. It must have been a harsh punishment for Diana, who they knew was sickly since her childhood.

“It’s all right now. Diana, wake up. It’ll warm up soon.”

Unfortunately, however, Diana’s head sank back again. Lucas tried to shake Diana’s shoulders one more time, and the two maids, whom he saw earlier, came with a bucket full of water. Lucas sharply glared at them before they could even bring it up.

“Go.”

In the harsh stare of Lucas, hostility was evident in his eyes.

“I won’t forgive you if you do the same thing again.”

Lucas hugged Diana’s shoulder. Later, the maids who followed him from the Crown Prince’s palace arrived to assist Diana. Lucas had ordered them to serve Diana at the preheated residence of the Crown Prince. Lucas only sighed when he saw his maids taking Diana with them.

“Your Highness, the Empress had asked for you.”

“I know,” said Lucas.

“If you want to, do it. Oh, did she forget that I’m no longer a ten-year-old kid?”

The Empress had not punished Lucas since he was ten years old. The reason being that Lucas was already on the line to become the Crown Prince, and partly because the Empress was reluctant to physically punish her son during his adolescence.

In any case, it was a warning. The poor maids bowed their heads and lamented their plight only inwardly.

“If anyone comes to my palace tonight, I’ll kill him.” Then, Lucas left and headed toward his palace.

***

Lucas arrived at the palace, and soon after, orders were given to the maids to start working. The chief maid sent three reliable and capable maids, and sensibly called the warlord. The maids were also instructed to warm up the bathwater along with the bed.

“I am worried about the young lady as she is naturally weak.”

The maid recited nervously. Then, Trisha appeared. The Crown Prince’s palace has already turned chaotic, so there was no way Trisha wouldn’t find out the reason for the disorder.

“Please let me attend to her.”

“You?”

“Well, I’m a friend of Lady Diana. Ever since I was a kid… so whenever she was sick, I  would sit by and take care of her.”

The maid’s face glowed with hope at her words.

“Yes, that would help. Please take care of the bed first. And oh, I’ll have to boil the soup in the kitchen.”

“Yes, she likes milk.”

The maid seemed to be somewhat attuned to Trisha’s instructions. Trisha quickly redressed the dwelling, carefully adjusting the height of the pillow, and waited for Diana to arrive soon.

“The Lady has come! Hurry, wash her first with warm water.”

“Is the Prince coming?”

“Your Highness is coming soon!”

The Prince’s palace was noisy. Trisha did her job without losing her calm: separate the warm and drinkable water to clean Diana and prepare plenty of towels.

And then she checked if her magic was secured in a tiny, fingernail-sized secret space sewn from the inside of her sleeve.

“This is also an opportunity, Trisha.”

Her red eyes glistened. Everything was different from the past. Trisha now has a weapon against Diana. So, the future will be different.

“Of all things.”

Soon, the unconscious Diana arrived at the Crown Prince’s palace. The maids soaked Diana with warm water, dressed her in indoor clothes, and laid her on the bed where Trisha was waiting. Diana, whose lips were blue, was shivering with chills even in her unconsciousness.

“Stick aside.” Lucas sneaked through the crowd and stood by Diana.

“Her lips are so blue, is she okay?” The Prince asked in immense worry.

“I’ll prescribe some medicine to relieve the fever.”

“Is that all?”

She wasn’t ill yet, but Diana’s body was too weak to bear the queen’s punishment.

Jeon bowed his head and took over the syrup from his assistant and poured it on Diana’s lips in front of Lucas. Trisha looked at it with great pity and wiped the excess syrup off her lips with a wet towel.

“It’s warm in here, and I will let her take medicine for fever and rest.”

“Yes. Now, get away with useless things.”

Several maids withdrew, and only a few maids along with Trisha were left.

“Your Grace, I’ll stand by Lady Diana.”

“Trisha, you?”

“We’re… we’re friends. I used to take care of her like this because she was weak even before.”

Lucas nodded. It was rather fortunate that someone who knew Diana well was around. Even if he tried to bring someone from Duke Carl’s, he still couldn’t make them enter the palace because it was already closed.

“Yes, thank god. Take good care of Diana, and I’ll give you a prize.”

“No, of course, I should help as a friend.”

Trisha, who said so, squeezed the wet towel again and placed it on Diana’s forehead. She could feel the breath of Diana, which gradually stabilized.

Lucas had no idea why the Queen was so angry all of a sudden but was reminded of her mother’s temper. As a Prince himself, he was also well punished by the Empress when he was young.

“What was she thinking…” Lucas could only sigh.