“Brother!”

Evelia hurriedly got off the carriage as soon as it arrived at the marquis’s estate. Then, she quickly walked towards Jade, who was waiting for her.

“Have you arrived, Your Highness.”

Jade greeted her with a stiff and formal expression. To Evelia, everything about him felt cumbersome. She was keenly aware of Jade’s rigid demeanor.

“How is Father?”

She asked with an anxious voice. Only then did Jade let out a deep sigh.

“He just fell asleep again.”

“How unwell is he?”

“He seems to have been losing strength day by day, and a few days ago, he started suffering from a fever. We were worried because the fever didn’t subside, but as soon as Your Highness is here, it seems the fever is starting to break.”

Jade’s explanation was filled with sorrow. Even with just that, it was evident how difficult Edwick’s condition had been for the past few days.

Evelia took a deep breath. Tears welled up involuntarily. The already heavy heart became even more burdensome.

Thinking of her father, who once shared affectionate moments with Caliph, enduring such a difficult time lying down, felt like dozens of blades piercing her lungs with each breath.

She quickened her pace. Finally entering Edwick’s bedroom, the moment she laid eyes on him, she had to suppress a sob with both hands covering her mouth.

“Ha…”

The unreleased moan escaped like a sigh. Edwick lying on the bed looked noticeably frail. It was beyond belief that this was the father she remembered.

Evelia forced her still feet to move. Then, shamelessly, she tightly held Edwick’s hand. Even though Jade had mentioned that the fever was starting to break, Edwick’s fingertips still felt hot to the touch.

Her lips trembled. Seeing her father lying so lifelessly was a first. It was something that made it impossible to hold back tears.

The tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes fell onto her cheeks. Sensing this, Jade’s sigh sounded heavily above her head.

“I hesitated a lot about contacting you, but I felt Your Highness should know. Father kept asking for you in his sleep.”

“… You did well. It would have been even more difficult for me if I had known later.”

Evelia replied, struggling to hold back a sob. Despite Jade still looking uneasy, she was genuinely grateful to him for reaching out.

Her father’s suffering was all because of her actions. If she had known the fact that he was unwell, the weight of the guilt she felt now would have paled in comparison to the emotions she might have experienced at that time.
Evelia tried to control her breath and suppress her tears. Even though he was asleep, if her father knew she was crying, he might feel uneasy even in his dreams.

She tightly pressed her lower lip to prevent sobs from escaping and sat still for a while, ensuring that her suppressed emotions wouldn’t burst forth. In the midst of the increasingly heavy silence, a familiar voice seeped into Evelia’s ears.

“Hey, Evelia. How long do you intend to stay like this?”

It was Felix’s voice. Evelia, more alarmed by the thought that Jade might have heard Felix than the fact that she had forgotten Felix, turned her head.

Jade was still standing behind her, but his expression remained unchanged. It was a face that couldn’t possibly indicate he had heard Felix’s voice.

That surprised Evelia once again. Then, Felix continued speaking, seeming to cajole Evelia.

“You and Caliph are the only ones who can hear my voice. You don’t have to worry about others hearing. Ha, I was planning to wait until you brought me out, but it seems like you’ve forgotten about me. Don’t you think it’s time to bring me out? That way, your father might have a chance to inspect me.”

Felix spoke at length without waiting for a response. He seemed quite frustrated. It was understandable. Despite Evelia being cautious, the inside of the small pocket inside her dress where she hid Felix was undoubtedly uncomfortable.

After a moment of contemplation, Evelia cautiously looked up at Jade. Sensing her gaze, Jade turned to her with a puzzled expression.

“Brother, I want to be alone with Father for a moment. Can you please give us some space?”

Jade couldn’t readily answer. Like Evelia, he was concerned about her father. However, unlike me, Evelia would have to return to the palace shortly. After a brief hesitation, he nodded.

“Understood. If your father’s condition worsens, don’t hesitate to call for me.”

“Yes, I will.”

Evelia replied with a kind tone, expressing her gratitude as much as possible. Only then did Jade turn away and start moving away.

She kept her eyes on him until Jade was completely out of the bedroom. Confirming that the door was securely closed, she finally took out the pocket hidden in her dress.

As soon as she opened the previously closed entrance, the hamster inside, as if waiting, popped out. Then, as if the hamster had been holding its breath, it took a deep breath, almost as if it were about to die.

“Ha, I thought I was going to die from suffocation.”

In a tone that seemed to blame her, Evelia lowered her eyebrows.