“Gasp!”

As the searing pain resembling flames engulfed my heart, Floria grinned, holding her head down.

“Sister, won’t you die like this? Your heart, what if it burns completely?”

Without a second thought to her words, I turned towards the fireplace.

Unable to muster the strength to stand, I began crawling on the floor to search the fireplace. Despite the remaining embers burning my fingertips and ashes clogging my nostrils, I desperately searched for the jewel.

Finally, among the flickering embers, I found a gem haphazardly discarded. I quickly grabbed it.

“Haa, haa.”

Collapsing in a desperate state after emerging from the fireplace, Floria commented, “You found it faster than I thought.”

Floria pulled the jewel from my hand. Despite my attempts to resist, I couldn’t summon enough strength.

“Oh no, your entire body has turned into ashes.”

Floria brushed off the ashes as if it were a pity.

“That’s why you look like a lady made of ashes.”

Examining the jewel in her hand under the sunlight, Floria sighed disappointedly, biting her lower lip. It was then, unintentionally, that I glared at Floria.

“Envoy, His Royal Highness the First Prince has consumed it.”

Floria turned abruptly at the words of the water envoy. Floria, with a wrinkled forehead, gestured to Shanna.

“Could you wait a moment?”

Answering in a pure voice like a little bird, Floria urged Shanna with her eyes. As Shanna held my hand and infused magic, the pain disappeared as if nothing had happened.

“Why aren’t you opening it right away?”

Came the low voice of Cahilin from outside. The grinding voice seemed to be holding something back.

“There might not be enough time to clean the attire.”

“There’s nothing we can do.”

Floria, who smiled brightly, helped me up.

“Sister, do you know what to do?”

Floria shook the jewel menacingly. I nodded frantically before she finished speaking. I was anxious to throw the jewel back into the fireplace right away, not wanting to endure that dreadful pain again.

Cahilin’s dry voice was heard from outside the door.

“Come in.”

The door swung open immediately. Cahilin, taking large strides, entered and glanced at me with a twisted brow.

“The shining sword of Hilk, His Royal Highness Cahilin greets you.”

Floria nonchalantly raised her greeting, as if nothing had happened. Ignoring her, Cahilin approached me directly.

“Are you okay?”

Cahilin grabbed my shoulders and patted me here and there.

“Your Highness Cahilin, even if it’s a prince, entering so recklessly goes against etiquette.”
Shanna approached, bowing her head, and spoke. Cahilin, with an increasingly intense expression, glared down at Shanna. The veins on his sharp jaw were visibly tense.

“In that case, you shouldn’t have summoned my maid and put her in such a state. What kind of manners is this?”

Cahilin shifted his gaze to Floria.

“Making my people look like this, isn’t it a disrespectful attitude toward me? I thought the relationship between sisters was special, but apparently not.”

Cahilin spoke as if chewing each word and even Floria flinched at his fierce momentum.

“If she didn’t come to fetch you, I might have been able to see you in good condition.”

“Your Highness.”

Meeting Floria’s sharp gaze, I quickly grabbed Cahilin’s arm. Continuing to provoke him here would only jeopardize my heart.

“I merely picked up something that fell into the fireplace. Despite Lady Vee’s advice, I took the initiative to do so.”

“You…”

Cahilin seemed to forcibly suppress his boiling anger. After taking a deep breath and exhaling a long sigh, Cahilin draped his robe over my shoulders.

“We have an urgent place to go. I visited without inserting an appointment, so please understand.”

Cahilin didn’t seem interested in hearing any response and left the room while still embracing my shoulders. I looked back at Floria before the door closed, then glanced up at Cahilin.

“How did we end up here?”

“Don’t say anything. Nothing good comes out of my mouth now.”

Cahilin walked as if he only saw what was in front of him, his face oddly relieved. I felt the gaze of maids looking at us with astonished faces. Suddenly, the realization of being alive struck me, and from head to toe, my strength drained away.

“Where is he?”

Though it was a question without a subject, the competent officer, Machi, immediately led him to where the chambermaid was.

The chambermaid was in the underground prison of the 1st Prince’s Palace, not the star room where Reneolla was confined.

In an absolutely lightless and perfect darkness, not a single ray of light entered the cell, and the chambermaid had fainted for half a day.

Cahilin became even more furious at the sight. If she couldn’t endure even half a day, then she was locked up for several days. Thinking of her peacefully lying in bed, his face became contorted.

Reneolla groaned even in her sleep. Cahilin, noticing the hardened skin and sunken cheeks that had become harsher over the past few days, was filled with anger.