[Roserikta] "......Nothing else, Your Highness." He leaned his head against the back of the sofa, his brow furrowed. His eyelids hung heavy with exhaustion. [Kalart] "That is an order. Think of something else." [Roserikta] "Allowing me to use the sapphire is more than enough." [Kalart] "I know you want for nothing; that is precisely why I want you to think. Take your time. To put it plainly, I have no desire to leave yet." [Roserikta] "But......" [Kalart] "I wish to stay by y

[Elona] "I know of one. A sapphire of that magnitude resides right here, in the Crown Prince’s Palace." She met Elona behind the staircase leading to the basement of the dining hall. Tucked away beside the dining room fireplace, a small, hidden door opened into a passage used exclusively by the maids—a perfect sanctuary for a clandestine meeting. [Roserikta] "It is here in the palace?" Fortunately, Elona possessed a vast knowledge of gemstones; her relatives served as the roy

[Lafitte] "It seems your grip on your duties has loosened." Countess Aldwin, the Head Maid, glared at him instantly. [Aldwin] "Is that directed at me, Baron?" [Lafitte] "I merely state the undeniable." Baron Lafitte, the Chamberlain, took a sip of his tea with practiced elegance. The brew tasted exceptionally bitter today—resembling dishwater more than Darjeeling. Given his recent friction with the Head Maid, he suspected she might have actually used a floor mop to brew it. [

[Roserikta] "Your Highness......?" The Crown Prince's bedchamber defied every expectation. She had imagined a sprawling, opulent hall swarming with court physicians and head maids. Instead, she found a void. The room lacked gilded ornaments and exquisite furniture. No breathtaking ceiling frescoes or portraits of the late Empress adorned the walls. Only a fireplace and a bed occupied the space. Heavy curtains smothered the massive windows, plunging the room into gloom. In thi

The sensation was unmistakable. A resolute, impenetrable wall stood between them, leaving no room for negotiation. [Kalart] "That felt worse than a simple rejection." He closed his eyes as the water lapped against his skin. Anger simmered within Eaton. His fury stemmed from a different source—undiluted loyalty. [Eaton] "Who would dare reject you? Punish her, Your Highness." [Kalart] "What......?" Kalart opened his eyes and stared at Eaton. His gaze, sharpened by the frigid wa

His kisses grew more intense by the second. Panic flared within her. She knew she should stop him, yet the words remained trapped in her throat. [Kalart] "I am afraid. I fear that one day, I will lose control and do exactly that." [Roserikta] "......" He pulled his lips away. Instead of releasing her, he tugged at her wrist, pulling her closer. Her frozen body dragged toward him without resistance. The distance between them, already dangerously narrow, vanished entirely. If s

A completely different landscape unfolded behind her. As if appearing out of nowhere, a lush forest materialized in the middle of the open fields. It was less a typical forest and more a sprawling colony of Lumarr trees. The Lumarr tree was a species familiar even to witches. Unlike other trees, its trunk was bone-white down to the very roots—a mark left behind by the spirits that once dwelled within them. Consequently, the Lumarr trees emitted a uniquely pure energy and harm

Her heart hammered against her ribs with terrifying force. Her breath grew shallow for reasons she couldn't name. Her mind was a chaotic blur; she couldn't even begin to decipher what he meant by feeling "filthy." A part of her wanted to vanish. Another part, however, wanted to take his hand and soothe him until that foul mood dissipated. Her lips stung as if they were on fire. Why? Why did they hurt? She hadn't even realized she was injured until he touched her. Why now? [Ro

[Arad] "It seems remarkably effective. It felt cool the instant I applied it, and the pain is already fading. It has a scent, but it isn't that unpleasant herbal smell. I think it’s quite, sniff, quite nice, actually." If he had a sin, it was his inability to read the Prince’s current state of mind. [Arad] "Yes. As she applied the ointment, she said the scent makes one's heart feel warm, and it feels that way. But Your Highness......" Fortunately, he eventually noticed Kalart

After finishing her preparations, Roserikta immediately threw herself into the task of making the burn ointment. Since she had all the necessary ingredients, only the process of simmering and mixing remained. There was just one problem: she couldn't hang a pot over the fireplace here as she would back at her pharmacy. It would look far too suspicious. Left with no choice, she used Axaca powder to bypass the long simmering process. Clobellina, watching from the side, clicked h

Kalart did not stop at bringing her back to her room; he insisted on laying her down upon the bed himself. As he tucked the pillow beneath her head and smoothed her stray hairs, she found it increasingly difficult to breathe. The proximity was stifling. [Roserikta] "Your Highness... my foot is only slightly injured. I can still use my hands." [Kalart] "I know." Whenever he acted with such quiet resolve, she found herself powerless to stop him. [Roserikta] "You should get some

[Roserikta] "This is bad." She clicked her tongue in frustration. [Roserikta] "The blanket tore." While checking the pouch hanging from a branch, a sharp twig had pierced the fabric. She felt a snag, and before she could react, the blanket gave way with a sharp rip. [Roserikta] "What now? The walk back will be a struggle." The blanket, which had been functioning as an invisibility cloak, reverted to a mundane piece of fabric. She sighed, visualizing the long trek back to her

Elona soon returned with the ingredients she had requested. [Roserikta] "The Hebori herb and Nepenthes leaves are fine. The problem is the Cantharis." Cantharis referred to a powder made from dried beetles of the same name. While it was a common ingredient in a witch’s pharmacy, it was not something easily found in the Crown Prince's palace. [Roserikta] "What should I do?" She fell into thought. Gathering Cantharis wasn't particularly difficult. They had a habit of swarming u

[Arad] "Pardon? What was I... well, the ladder broke, so..." For some reason, his tongue felt tied. He couldn't tell if the Prince’s piercing blue eyes were merely a gaze or a sharpened blade. Seeing him struggle to answer, Roserikta—who felt a growing sense of guilt—stepped in. [Roserikta] "No one could have caught me in time. No one knew the ladder was broken. It’s not the knight’s fault, Your Highness." She tried to stand, using the chair to support her injured leg. [Roser

It was just as she had feared. Aldwin was in the kitchen at that exact moment. When she saw Roserikta arrive, accompanied by a Senior Knight of the Royal Guard under the guise of protection, she clutched the back of her neck, speechless. [Aldwin] "What on earth is His Highness thinking... Ugh." She couldn't understand what was so special about them. Lately, rumors were flourishing in the Trifolium Palace. They whispered that the Prince had fallen for some cat, only to discove