She Becomes A Passive Villainess-NOT!

Smile at Me, Please

"Did you manage to extract information from him?" Casimir immediately asked as soon as Roman came through the door, even as silently as he could and Casimir wasn't even facing him.

"No, your highness. He remains adamant to keep his silence." Roman sorrowfully and wearily reported to Casimir.

He knew that out of everyone in their entire empire, it was Casimir and the Sylveris family who took a huge blow. They were practically teetering between insanity and murderous rage.

Heise, who was left back home, roared so loudly that it created panic back at the Sylveris fief and fortunately Lyfa was able to cover it up and sent Heise off before soldiers came and inquired about the source of that mighty roar.

No one, not even Casimir, knew where he was right now.

It was as cold as a snowstorm inside the first prince's room where he kept Adira's aching and weakening body. They had already called several doctors and healers in and all of them reached a consensus that his wife had been poisoned.

And yet, not one of them could create an antidote against the poison.

"These imbeciles, good-for-nothing... I should decapitate them if they can't even use their uselessly big heads to save Adira."

Casimir recklessly decided and stood up before Roman hurriedly tried to talk him out of it.

"Yo-Your highness! You mustn't! Wh-Who will make Lady Adira's antidote if you kill them all? Wh-Who will protect her here or accompany her when she opens her eyes and you're gone?

Your highness, you must remain calm! We will do our best to get the man to cough out the antidote in any way we can! Just please stay here and be by Lady Adira's side."

He ranted and spouted anything he could think of to somehow calm Casimir down and save those poor healers' lives. The latter paused and seemed to ponder on his words before taking the frigid hand of his beloved and sitting back down.

He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them as he prayed for the Gods to save Adira's life. He wasn't much of a believer but for once, he might actually try to call them to save his wife.

Roman breathed a sigh of relief before he excused himself and gave his grieving prince a time alone with his beloved woman.

"You shouldn't have done that, you idiotic woman. What am I supposed to do if you leave me?

Stop playing around and get up already. Burn me, nag at me, punch me... Smile at me, please."

Another wave of painful moans and tears came when the poison gradually crawled its way to her core and Casimir was helpless. Unable to do anything to stop his wife's pain.

Her painful cries were ringing very loudly in his ears—piercing, stabbing, ripping his heart apart a million times.

It broke him to see her in this state.

"Adira.. please, wake up. Heise is gone and I don't know where he is. I can't lose both my son and my wife. Don't leave me, I beg you."

A knock interrupted him and it was William this time who came to fetch him. He bent down to his knees, even though Casimir didn't turn to him even so much as acknowledge him, and spoke,

"Your highness, his majesty requests your presence in the throne room."

William was as sullen as everyone else in the empire and his heart broke watching Adira writhe in agony and his prince breaking apart like that.

The woman, who was as bright as the sun, as lovely as the purest of lilies and beloved by everyone, didn't deserve to be in such a state.

It took Casimir a while—till Adira's pain finally subsided—before he made a move or even noticed the man who came for him.

"Call Alex over to accompany her while I'm gone." He ordered and didn't move away from Adira till he was sure Alexander had taken post.

...

Casimir followed William back to the throne hall where the King and the Princess of the Alynthi Kingdom were waiting for him.

Anastasius was heartbroken watching his perfect son come undone with this tragedy that befell his beloved. He always knew that with this heart he found when he met Adira came along a fatal weakness that will tear him apart.

While Thea watched how shaken and gaunt Casimir was, which made him as human as everyone else. That omnipotent, almighty and insouciant man, who seemed as if he got everything figured out and under his control, was nowhere to be seen in his profile.

Any woman who sees this vulnerability in him would want to reach out their hand and take him into their fold.

I've decided.

"I'm sorry for what happened to your fiancee, your highness, Prince Casimir. I shall return to my kingdom ahead of time and let you focus on your fiancee." For a clean farewell with her.

"Thank you, princess." Casimir gave a slight and weak forlorn smile that nobbled the princess' heart unintentionally.

"Oh, umm, yes." She meekly replied and turned to the King, curtseyed low, and walked out by herself after she bid farewell.

Anastasius looked at Casimir and tried to find the appropriate words to gently ask about Adira's condition but he couldn't think of anything.

"How is she?"

"Still suffering." Casimir answered bluntly and honestly. He was not in his right mind to bother acting as the perfect and indifferent prince when his mind and heart was bleeding for his wife.

"We'll get through this my son. Just believe." But even as Anastasius said that, he knew no words could help Casimir right now.

He'd been there. He knows best what Casimir is feeling right now.

"If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave, Father." Casimir bowed slightly and pivoted on his heel.

William, who was waiting for him outside the hall, followed after him when he came out. But he didn't return to his room. Oh no. He marched towards the dungeons.

It seems as if he needs to personally make his move to force the antidote out of the man.

His aide, who had a vague idea as to what his prince was thinking, broke into a vicious grin as he mentally prepared how he was going to rip the man apart or tear a new hole in his body.

He just summoned the great demon lord himself.

Maybe I should go prepare a body bag or something?

Notes:
Omg! I was overwhelmed reading your comments when I woke up! Oh, I'm so sorry for putting your poor hearts into that misery. So here, whether it adds or eases your aching heart, I do not know.

Thank you for the comments and the votes, mi lovelies! Banzaaai! 🎉