“Suddenly me?”

It was suspicious that they wanted to convey something at this crucial moment.

“Tell them it’s not the right time.”

I rejected sharply, but the maid struggled and continued speaking.

“It was an urgent matter. His Grace urgently requested to see you immediately, saying it’s of utmost importance.”

“Tell them we also have an urgent matter. If Princess Juana understands, she will comprehend.”

Listening quietly, Ruth coldly interrupted the maid’s words. Benedict, Ashton, and Michael by his side seemed eager to dismiss the maid as well.

I felt the same way.

If only the maid hadn’t uttered those words so anxiously.

“His Highness Prince Juana seemed strangely out of breath, not like usual.”

“What?”

“He clung to me as if in severe pain. Please bring His Grace. I thought of calling the lord’s personal physician, but strangely, he insisted that we must bring you, not a doctor.”

Sherry, Jacqueline, Cloud, and Jessica looked puzzled at the maid’s words. They couldn’t fathom why someone in pain would refuse a doctor.

“Could it be…”

I recalled the vivid and terrifying dream, freezing in place. Why wasn’t Zero here at a crucial moment like this? I silently prayed.

Please, Zero, come quickly. Even if our daughter didn’t study well, it’s an urgent matter, so please come down and see what’s going on.

“If something happened to Siena, I need to go and handle it.”

“Tyrium, sorry, but just for a moment…”

As I tried to ask for permission and stand up, Tyrium’s dry and rough hand grabbed my arm.

“Don’t go.”

The surprisingly strong grip of the old man’s hand felt unexpectedly firm. His night-colored pupils seemed to pull me in with a stronger force.

“What impoliteness is this!”

Watching from the side, Cloud was surprised, trying to remove Tyrium’s hand from my arm, but I raised my hand to stop him.

“It’s okay, Cloud. I don’t sense any hostility from Tyrium.”

“But…”

“Trust me.”

At my words, reluctantly, Cloud sat back down.

Ignoring the four pairs of eyes that felt sharp behind me, Tyrium continued to warn me, blinking his night-colored eyes.

“Don’t go, stranger. If you go like this, you’ll be in danger.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly as I said. Something very ominous has entered the house. Very… very hungry. It’s quite audacious, even more so than the desert warrior in terms of courage.”

“Are you mocking His Grace right now?”
“No, what disrespectful words are you uttering about His Highness Prince Juana before that? Shaman, it seems like the ‘it’ you’re pointing to refers to His Highness Prince Juana of this country.”

Sherry and Jacqueline spoke with a renewed voice, seemingly misunderstanding it as an insult to both me and Siena at the same time.

Although they had most anticipated the arrival of the shaman, they revealed their dissatisfaction like wild dogs at their friend’s expense.

Tyrium silently conveyed his intended words.

“I didn’t speak falsely. I didn’t intend to insult your friend. I just stated the facts.”

“This doesn’t make sense…”

Excited, Sherry rose, and at that moment, Ashton intervened in the conversation.

“Enough, Duke Daemon’s beloved.”

“…Prince, Your Highness.”

“The only way to resolve this situation seems to be for someone to go up to His Highness Prince Juana’s room and check on him. Don’t you think so?”

Ashton gave me a meaningful look. Wondering what he meant, I squinted my eyes, and he continued with a slightly disappointed expression.

“Instead of the Duke, I’ll go up and check on His Highness Prince Juana’s condition. Even though what the Duke is looking for is the Duke, it should be okay for the only family member, me, to go up.”

When Ashton spoke, the maid hesitated and muttered in a mosquito-like voice.

“His, His Highness Prince Juana is in his night clothes… It might be embarrassing to meet His Highness the Second Prince in that state.”

“In that case, I’ll go with you. If I, a close friend of His Highness Prince Juana, accompany him, it shouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

Jacqueline said. Jessica, who was sticking close to her, seemed somewhat uneasy and restrained her sister in a low voice.

“It might be better not to go. Sister.”

“Why, Jessica? Don’t tell me it’s because of what the shaman said?”

“It’s not that, but… I have a bad feeling.”

“What’s happening in the Duke’s mansion. Your instincts are usually right, but it’s an unnecessary worry.”

As Jacqueline tried to get up, Sherry grabbed her green hem.

“No. Jacqueline. You stay here. I’ll go up and check on His Highness the Second Prince’s room.”

“Sherry, you?”

“Honestly, Jacqueline, you’re smarter than me. You’ve delved into information about magic crazily and know it well. So stay here. I think it’s better if I go. Is that okay, Your Grace?”

I nodded in agreement with Sherry’s request.

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Whether it’s okay or not.”

“Then, Jackie, take care of my part. If you find out anything later, tell it to His Grace and me!”

“Yeah. Got it.”

“Let’s go. Your Highness the Second Prince. Let’s go find out what happened to His Highness Prince Juana.”