Chapter 92

The painful name of the disease was momentarily concealed by a lie.

A faint breath continued, calm and undisturbed.

A rose so deeply asleep she was unaware of her surroundings.

Allowing the girl to rest, we gathered in the adjacent room, quietly sharing tea.

Across from me on the plush sofa sat a girl with platinum-blonde hair.

Charlotte was silent.

She seemed lost in thought.

The hot teacup was held lightly between her fingers, slowly cooling as it remained untouched.@@@@

Behind her transparent gaze, I could sense a turmoil of emotions.

‘She’s still in this state.’

I managed a bittersweet smile.

Hope had come to her suddenly.

The girl seemed to have something she wanted to say but hesitated, unable to voice it.

In her fleeting glances, emotions wavered visibly.

‘So, she’s in shock after all.’

I gently set down my teacup.

Since the silence might stretch through the night, I decided to break it first.

In a calm and natural tone, I asked:

“How do you feel?”

A casual question, yet clear in meaning—it was about the rose.

It must have been a long time since Elise looked so at ease.

As I waited, a soft voice finally responded.

Her deep blue eyes were heavy with contemplation.

“...Can you really cure her?”

The question was barely spoken, more a wish than an inquiry.

I didn’t nod right away.

I only smiled faintly, almost teasingly.

“Could it... be difficult?”

Charlotte’s anxiety grew.

This was a matter of her beloved sister’s life, so even the slightest expression caught her attention.

The tremor in her gaze left her usual composure behind.

Charlotte was on edge, torn between hope and despair.

Two powerful emotions were swirling within her.

She hoped she had found a way to save her sister, yet was haunted by the fear that even this might fail.

The constantly shifting emotions were enough to shake the girl.

“It won’t be difficult.”

I thought to myself that now was the time.

The sturdy walls around her heart had cracked, and, even if briefly, a gap had opened—a perfect opportunity to slip through.

I casually rose and added, “I did tell you before. It’s entirely possible.”

I aimed to strike during this moment of confusion.

Human nature seeks hope instinctively in moments of helplessness, even from the unlikeliest source.

She was no different, no matter how unique her character might be.

I intended to be a support she could lean on, but also a deepening mire, prepared to pull the princesses in.

To do that, I had to instill belief.

“You must trust me.”

To make her feel I was someone worth relying on.

“Your Highness.”

“...”

Her clear eyes gazed blankly at me.

I slowly walked to the sofa opposite where the princess sat.

Moving behind her, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder.

Leaning close to her ear, I murmured.

“The treatment won’t be easy.”

“...”

“But if you follow my instructions, there’s no reason it can’t be done.”

“What should I do?”

“It’s simple. Just follow my directions to the letter during the treatment.”

“Will that save Elise?”

“I swear on my honor. If I lie, feel free to bury my head in the ground.”

“...I’ll trust you. I’ll do whatever you say.”

Nodding as if in a trance, the girl’s blue eyes gleamed, even as she was stepping into the mire.

She clenched her fists tightly, as if ready to leap at me.

Her gaze remained laced with venom.

“You... stay quiet. I could kill you right now.”

“I see you still hold a grudge.”

“Shut up.”

“As I mentioned, it was merely part of the treatment. Besides, it was Princess Charlotte who entrusted me with the task.”

“Such audacity, to touch a royal and act as if it’s nothing.”

“I was merely fulfilling my duty as a subject.”

“You would have been executed if not for the First Princess.”

Elise gritted her teeth, seething, but unable to retaliate.

She could barely leave the bed.

“Haa...”

Just that small burst of anger left the frail princess gasping.

It seemed the spasms were returning.

I spoke up softly.

“It appears you need treatment again today.”

“Get out.”

“By the First Princess’s command.”

“I don’t need it... Get out. I never even asked for a personal doctor.”

“Aren’t you in pain?”

“I’ve lived like this my whole life.”

She stubbornly refused treatment.

Was she not afraid of the spasms?

Though she would be writhing on the floor, coughing blood, she resisted with fierce determination.

She only fumbled with the bedside table.

The drawer creaked open roughly.

After rummaging around, she finally grabbed something.

It was a small pocketknife.

She unwrapped the bandages on her wrist, then brought the sharp blade to her skin.

I watched in shock, realizing too late.

“No.”

I grabbed her slender wrist.

Beneath the bandages lay countless scars—clearly self-inflicted.

She tightened her grip, trying to hide it.

“Let go.”

It was a form of crude self-treatment.

Creating a wound far from the core, bleeding to rebalance her mana.

This provided temporary relief but did nothing to solve the issue and was self-destructive, making it a last-resort method.

On closer inspection, she had bandages wrapped around both arms and even her neck.

Could it be...

“Your condition is more serious than I thought.”

I had noticed her touching her bandages repeatedly, thinking she felt discomfort.

Perhaps it was withdrawal symptoms.

Once this habit sets in, it’s hard to break.

The scars suggested it had been at least three years.

There had been hints in the original story, but I hadn’t realized it was this severe.

“And you intend to refuse treatment in this condition?”

“...”

“That won’t do.”

I had planned to treat her gently today, given my harshness yesterday.

But seeing her like this, I couldn’t afford to back down.

With a sharp snap of my fingers, shadows shot out, binding her body to the bed.

It recreated the scene from yesterday.

“W-Wait...?!”

Falling back onto the blanket, her red hair spilled out.

Gathering a faint deception on my fingertips, I lifted the hem of her thin

nightgown.

I gently brushed my hand over her stomach.

“Today will be rougher than yesterday. Please endure it.”

I spoke to the resisting rose.