Skip to content 
Chapter 24
Lurick frowned.
“Your eye color changes depending on your mood.”
It seemed he didn’t know himself.
But then he scoffed and continued.
“Are you talking about that rumor that my eyes turn black when I’m angry? Or that I’m possessed by some evil spirit, according to the soldiers’ nonsense?”
I opened my eyes wide.
“The soldiers…… said that?”
“They gossip behind my back. Those fools think I can’t hear them. They’re not even worth dealing with.”
I sighed involuntarily.
Perhaps Lurick had been in danger since the battlefield.
‘𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘢……’
Unaware of my urgent thoughts, Lurick chuckled and let go of my hand.
“Your hands have warmed up, so it seems you’re feeling better. It wouldn’t be proper for a brother to stay too long in his younger sister’s room.”
“Are you leaving?”
He nodded.
“I’ve called for a physician. It takes time for them to arrive since there isn’t one residing in the monastery. I’ll have them report the diagnosis directly to me, so you don’t need to worry.”
A physician!
I had barely managed to control the rampage symptoms, and now this mountain of problems.
I had no choice but to nod.
“See you tomorrow, brother.”
🔹🔹🔹
As soon as Lurick left, Phoebe came into the room with a tearful face.
“His Highness didn’t scold you too much, did he?”
I tightly held Phoebe’s hand, knowing she must have been worried sick.
“I’m sorry. You were surprised too, weren’t you?”
“You actually fainted? You haven’t been feeling well lately……. We need to go back and see the royal physician right away, not some countryside doctor. It’s too dangerous to go to Babenberg like this!”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t realized Phoebe might be counting down the days until my period.
‘𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺…….’
Now that Lurick is firmly under my thumb, it seemed impossible to keep it from Phoebe any longer.
‘𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦.’
If my pregnancy came to light, Phoebe, who was always by my side, wouldn’t be able to escape responsibility.
In the end, the only one who could be with me even if I managed to escape the capital city was Phoebe.
I swallowed hard and looked at her.
“Phoebe, you’re on my side, right? No matter what? Right?”
Phoebe looked at me with reproachful eyes.
“How can you even ask that? I apologize for daring to lay a hand on a maid in front of Her Highness earlier. But if I hadn’t done it, His Highness Lurick would have done it himself.”
Just as I expected.
Phoebe boldly retorted,
“And you think it would have ended with just a slap?”
“……Yeah, I know.”
As soon as I conceded, Phoebe asked with a grumpy face,
“Then tell me now. Why did you lie to me? I’m not so stupid as to think that a maid would foolishly misunderstand Her Highness’s orders.”
That’s true.
Though I knew what was coming, I had to say something else.
“Before I explain, I need to ask you a favor. Call Ren here.”
“At this hour? If His Highness Lurick finds out…….”
“Tell him to come without being seen. Quickly.”
Phoebe looked like she wanted to argue, but perhaps because my voice was so serious, she just nodded.
“You promise to explain everything, right?”
“I promise.”
As soon as Phoebe heard my answer, she left the room.
It only took a short while after she returned for a popping sound to come from the fireplace.
🔹🔹🔹
Some time later, when the doctor arrived, I was standing by the door, ears perked, having switched clothes with Phoebe.
From outside the door, I could hear Ren’s voice.
“I am the Imperial Mage Tower Master. Before you meet Her Highness, you must submit to a search. Hold your arms out.”
“Oh, yes……”
Even though the physician must have already undergone the Royal Guard’s search, he seemed flustered and at a loss for words at the overbearing command of the man who called himself the Mage Tower Master.
‘𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘙𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮.’
Soon, the door opened.
The physician, looking more like a patient himself, bowed his head to me.
“I have come to examine Her Highness, the Princess.”
“Come this way.”