Chapter 62

A slightly cruel description follows.

The mastermind behind the attack was soon revealed.

Amelie and her family were taken to the basement of the Crystal Palace for interrogation, but Yulia, Adam's sister, quickly confessed that it was by order of Her Majesty the Empress.

This fact was immediately reported to Prince Alex, but a thorough investigation began to uncover the full extent of the incident.

It was necessary to determine who knew what and how many of the Empress's loyalists had infiltrated the Crystal Palace.

Lady Amelie threatened them, saying, "If you harm us, who acted on the Empress's orders, you will not get away with it," but according to Sais, there were countless ways to make someone talk with minimal physical trauma.

For example, one method was to inflict pain on highly sensitive areas.

Humans have several parts of the body that are more sensitive than others, such as the tongue, lips, and fingertips.

If needles were inserted under the fingernails, it would be almost impossible to endure the torture unless one had received considerable training.

Lady Amelie succumbed to the pain, and the information obtained was promptly delivered to Prince Alex.

To Prince Alex, Her Majesty the Empress was both his greatest support and a formidable adversary.

He had to keep her in good spirits to avoid being crushed, but if he was too submissive, he risked becoming her puppet.

It was fortunate for Prince Alex that this incident allowed him to identify the Empress's spies who had infiltrated the Crystal Palace.

The incident was buried in secrecy.

If the crime were made public, Her Majesty the Empress would be condemned, and Prince Alex, her son, would also be held accountable.

There was no other choice.

Princess Via survived and gradually recovered.

Lady Amelie resigned from her position as head maid due to health issues, and Lady Renal, recommended by Chief Attendant Raphael, took over the role.

Lady Renal was informed of the situation to a certain extent and was careful to ensure that the news of Princess Via's injury did not spread among the maids.

As soon as Princess Via was able to sit up in bed, Sais was allowed to visit.

However, he was not permitted to see the princess in her nightgown; he could only hear her voice through the thick curtains hanging from the canopy.

In a gentle tone, she said, "I caused you worry," and Sais felt a warmth of relief and joy in his chest.

Princess Via continued to recover smoothly, and eventually, regular visits were allowed. However, as time passed, a growing question about Princess Via began to weigh on Sais's mind.

He could not understand why Princess Via had sensed the danger to the young prince and rushed back on the night of the attack.

After passing Adam, Princess Via had muttered about his jacket and medals, and then rushed back with a changed expression.

It was as if she had known in advance that Adam, dressed in that outfit, would cause the incident.

No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, no other conclusion seemed possible.

After much deliberation, Sais decided to ask Princess Via directly.

"Since I was the one who secretly retrieved your shoes that night, would you tell me the truth?"

In fact, Sais had been quite exhausted that day and had forgotten about the shoes.

It was only after lying down that he remembered and had to change back into his clothes to search the garden by moonlight.

He vividly remembered being terrified that someone might see him carrying a woman's shoe at such a late hour and label him a pervert.

On the other hand, Princess Via seemed to remember the shoes for the first time upon hearing Sais's words.

"Nobody saw you? And you didn't tell anyone?"

"It's fine! I kicked the shoes into the garden, so no one saw them. And I secretly returned them to your maid, Amy, so there's no problem."

Princess Via smiled wryly and, after a moment's hesitation, began to explain.

The content she revealed was so unbelievable that Sais initially found it hard to believe—she had foreseen the young prince's murder by Adam in a dream. However, he eventually had to accept it as the truth, as it was the only explanation for her erratic behavior that night.

"I don't expect you to believe me. You can laugh and forget about it.

But this is the truth for me, and I cannot be asked any further."

She gently warned him, "You must never tell anyone about this."

"If this gets out, I might be killed."

At her words, Sais realized that Princess Via had revealed a terrible secret.

Even if such dreams were not something one could control, if this ability were known, there would be no shortage of people who would try to obtain her by any means necessary.

"I won't tell anyone! In fact, you shouldn't have told me!"

She nodded, saying, "Yes, you're right."

"Prince Alex has also told me never to speak of this ability. I think I should have kept it to myself."

Sais, who learned that only the prince and three close aides knew about this power in Ancheize, glanced at a maid quietly standing in the corner of the room.

This maid, named Seira, was not from the Crystal Palace but from the Amethyst Palace, sent by Prince Celtes to take care of Princess Via.

He had heard that she shared the same bloodline as Princess Via from a fallen kingdom and likely knew about Princess Via's power.

Sais felt a secret relief that the secret was known only to a select few, but Princess Via spoke softly.

"I thought it was okay to tell Ebeck.

He has sworn loyalty to the prince. He knows the full extent of the incident and has kept silent for the prince's sake.

That's why I trust him."

Sais took a small breath and looked up at Princess Via.

He had been asked once who had tried to harm Prince Celtes, but he had evaded the question.

It was something he could never say, and he had expected Prince Alex to inform her eventually. However, since Princess Via's condition stabilized, Prince Alex had not been seen.

Sais suspected it was to avoid provoking the Empress's resentment.

Prince Alex's attendant visited Lady Renal secretly every night to check on Princess Via's condition, but the prince himself was unable to move, and the truth of the matter was only revealed to Princess Via during this time.

That it was Prince Alex's mother who had tried to kill the young prince, and that despite nearly losing her life, this incident would be treated as if it never happened.

She could not be unaffected.

Yet, Princess Via smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Doesn't it hurt you?

Of course, this incident should not be made public. But..."

Rumors were beginning to spread that Princess Via had lost the prince's favor because Prince Alex had not visited her.

These rumors had not yet reached her ears, but it was only a matter of time before she heard them.

She had suffered severe injuries and could not seek justice for the injustice, and she would have to endure more in the future.

Seeing her grit her teeth in frustration, Princess Via read Sais's inner turmoil and said in a calm voice,

"Both Celtes and I are alive today because the prince protects us."

Then, as if trying to convince Sais, she added softly,

"Right now, the one who is suffering the most is probably not me."

Princess Via's gaze was directed toward the prince, who was not present.

There was unwavering trust and a strong affection in her eyes.

At that moment, something settled in Sais's heart.

He realized he could not match her.

Princess Via was more concerned about the prince's suffering than her own situation.

Seeing her unwavering love and resilience in the face of adversity, the last remnants of his romantic feelings for her dissolved.

She was someone to be revered.

He felt a deep admiration and respect, not just admiration but loyalty.

It was the moment when Sais's resolve and pride as a guard solidified.