"Oh, that's nothing. As I said, everything is fine."
"We are very fortunate that Her Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince are still in this world. I would like to hear the details of this story, but alas ... I have a job that cannot be delayed."
"Right. Nice to see you, Duke."
"Me too. I will soon pay a visit to the Empress's palace."
"I'll be waiting."
Jeremy disappeared and I turned to Jed.
"If you have any questions, you should have called me to a meeting."
"Today I wanted to visit you quietly. Are you very busy?"
"No. Let's get through."
Jed smiled and let me into the office.
When I sat down on the sofa, they brought us a tray of tea. Jed spoke up, taking a sip of the aromatic fruit tea.
"But what business do you have in the order? Isn't the palace now seething with madness?"
"It's okay, because the prince is still alive. And I came here today because I want to know what is in the hearts of the nobility."
"If so, please, next time just call me to the palace. Don't you need to stay close to the prince?"
This is what I originally intended to do.
However, things turned out differently because of Raymond.
"I would have been more uncomfortable at the palace. The prince is all right now."
"Yes?"
Jed doubted my words.
"It wasn't that bad. So what do they say about us in the circles of the nobles?"
"The poisoning of the crown prince raised a fuss, but the main topic was the fate of the first ... No, Edmund."
"I thought so."
"I must say, people are delighted with Your Majesty's decision to spare Edmund."
"Glad to hear it."
"With the fall of the Sios family and the change of power in the Drua house, there was no stone unturned from the power of the former prince."
"Then now is the perfect time to build the Academy."
"Few people seem to want to oppose that right now."
"Is the construction site ready?"
"Yeah. It remains only to secure imperial permission, then construction begins immediately."
It would be easier to promote the academy right now.
He struck up a long conversation with Jed about the Academy.
From teachers to admission requirements and tuition fees.
As we spoke, time flew by.
When a red shadow fell on the window, I looked up to check the time.
"Dinner already. I have to go."
"I spend."
Then I stopped and asked.
"Jed, is there any news of His Majesty?"
After all, the Order of the Phoenix started with collecting useful information.
Naturally, there was a spy even at the palace.
"If it is about the family of the monarch ... As I said, they only repeat about Carlisle and Edmund..."
"No, no. Any other news about the emperor?"
"I haven't heard anything like it... Is there something wrong?"
Jed asked me as if he had heard this for the first time.
I even thought about asking Jed to find out what was going on. But no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem that he will burn out spying on the whole emperor.
Whatever happens ... I need to know about it.
"No. It's just that he's gotten a little weird in recent days. You don't have to see me off. I will go."
"Yes, your majesty."
As soon as I left the order and returned to the palace, I stopped one of the maids and asked a question.
"Where is His Majesty?
"Two hours ago he said he was very busy and returned to the Sunshine Palace."
"And not a word about a joint dinner?"
Carlisle's condition improved and he could now eat light snacks.
Seeing this, Raymond would have jumped at another chance to have dinner with the three.
However, the maid's response was very different than expected.
"No. Not a word."
While I was unbuttoning my cloak, my hand stopped.
What the hell is this?
A strange sensation never left me.
The maid left, but I turned to the window.
Raymond's Palace was nearby.
"Helen.
"Yes."
"Get me the latest gossip from the emperor's maids." I care what happens to him."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
****
Midnight.
A painful groan came from the bedroom of the Palace of the Sun.
"Um-um."
He woke up with a burning pain in his intestines and hastily rang the bell.
"Have you called, Your Majesty ?!"
"Bring me that medicine..."
The servant hastily left the bedroom.
Shortly thereafter, the butler entered, arm in arm with the palace physician.
Taking the medicine, the emperor exhaled sharply and fell onto the bed.
His clothes were drenched in cold sweat.
Raymond got up and said to the now terrified butler:
"I need to change."
"Y-yes, sire."
As if he didn't want to see anything, the butler dropped his gaze and left.
After changing into his new pajamas, Raymond sat down on the bed.
The pain subsided with the medicine, but the body still did not gain strength.
"It seems that the medicine is not so powerful anymore."
Now he could not stand even half a day.
This meant that the poison spread faster throughout the body.
If so ... He may not live even a month.
"Did the answer come from where you heard about herbs?"
The imperial healer was now fixated on poison day and night, and as a result, its composition was found out. However, having discovered the composition of the poison, the doctors were faced with a hopeless fact.
The detoxifying decoction is mainly composed of hagyodita, a sacred flower that only blooms once every ten years.
Agiodita, growing in a small country located to the south of the continent, was unattainable even for the power of the emperor.
Flowers bloom once every ten years, their number is small, and the temperature drop is destructive.
In addition, they bloomed for no more than three days.
"This is ... They say that recently blossoming flowers died, and nothing remained in their capital temple. I still want to know if the flowers have survived in other temples."
Raymond waved his hand at this.
Agiodita was a flower like the treasure of the Holy Land.
Such a flower could not be grown in some provincial temple.
If he is not in the capital's temple, then he is not present anywhere.
But the doctor simply could not tell that there was no hope left.
"Okay, you can go."
The doctor got up and left the bedchamber with drooping face.
Raymond sighed wearily.
His body was getting heavier, and so was his heart.
Seeing the inner conflict of the emperor, the butler opened his mouth carefully.
"I should tell Her Majesty..."
"The Empress must not find out. And first of all, what can I gain from this only because the Empress finds out?"
Raymond's strong remarks kept the butler's mouth shut.
"If it suddenly happens that the empress has found out, immediately report to me."
"Yes, sire."
"I want to rest, disappear."
The butler got up and left the bedroom.
Raymond glanced at the bored ceiling of his bedroom and turned to the window.
Outside the window stood the palace of his empress.
"From what..."
The words died away.
Why do I miss her so much.
I miss her even more knowing that my time is running out.
I want to be with Ellie a little longer.
Here she is in front of me, reach out to her and that's it. But no.
She's back, but I have to leave.
Is this punishment for me?
Maybe that was the punishment for the pain she had suffered.
Now is he finished with Lisa's poison?
Raymond laughed at himself.
The healers cannot cope with the antidote.
It was time to prepare for the final.
Carlisle is still a prince, but too young.
Of course, Ellie will raise Carlisle well, but after his death, the imperial power will inevitably be shaken.
It will be a stretch, even if after his death, Ellie agrees to become regent.
I have to do something.
With the fall of the Sios family and the death of Lisa, it won't be difficult to keep the nobles on a short leash. And Duke Croft will do everything according to his mind.
For a long time he could not take his eyes off the palace outside the window and thought over his near future.
Two days later.
"I asked the maids from the Palace of the Sun ... But, it seems, nothing like that happened."
"Helen..."
"The butler claimed that the emperor was in good health."
"Was His Majesty looking for someone specific or was there something like that?"
"His Excellency Duke Croft comes to report to him every now and then, but this is not strange."
Outwardly, nothing was different from other times.
But I couldn't get rid of my doubts.
It can be seen that something is happening.
At this time, there was a knock at the door.
"What else is there?"
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived."
"The Emperor?"
For two days he ignored me.
But here's a surprise visit?
I thought you would run from me for a while.
Raymond entered the room. I got up from my seat, tormented by suspicion.
YOU ARE READING
I Won't Accept Your Regrets
Romance"I can't promise you love, but I'll have no other woman but you." I thought it would be okay. Even if he didn't love me, I thought my love would make our marriage happy. But that naive wish was soon shattered. Because Lizzena, Raymond's first love...
