Chapter 287

Translator: yun

“W-Which prince may you be referring to?”

“The Crown Prince who cares a lot about me.”

After asking his question shyly, the well-disciplined prison manager quickly shook his head.

“N-no, he hasn’t! His Highness, the Crown Price has not come to visit as of late but r-recently, Sir Deros has been coming instead. T-the Chief of Rome.”

My eyes narrowed at the sound of Deros’ name. But then, I glanced towards the uninterested Rebecca.

“What. My brother had called me here but you’re saying he’s not here. I got up at dawn for this.”

Pouting my lips, I scanned the outside of the building. There was only one exit. Would that make it difficult to escape here?

I took my time as I turned my head. I managed to look around the building once.

“Since I came all the way here, I’m just going to take a look around.”

“I-I shall guide your way inside!”

Folding my arms, I observed him coyly.

“There is no need. I’ll take care of myself.”

“But…”

I looked down at the man arrogantly.

“You’re not even my brother but you’re trying to control me?”

He shook his head vigorously. At the same time, Rebecca approached me before whispering.

“The 7th prince is on the lowest floor.”

“That’s where the worst criminals are kept…”

Soricks muttered. With a hardened expression.

“Rebecca, return first and do what I told you to do.”

“… Yes, mistress. Please be careful.”

Just in case, I had sent Rebecca away first before entering the dungeon. I had to reduce the number of people Soricks and Penne had to protect to just one.

‘There’s only one exit out of here.’

The surveillance here was tight but fortunately, no one dared to stop the princess. As if news of my presence had already spread. They all gave a deep bow upon my arrival. Especially since it was known that I was being protected by the Crown Prince, they all glanced at me nervously.

“The lower we go, the laxer the surveillance will be.”

Soricks whispered after approaching me.

“They regularly torture prisoners here. That’s probably why there’s less men here. Since they don’t think anyone will try to escape.”

Sorick’s voice remained serious. As if to further prove his words true, the lower we went, the fishier the air smelled. I could even hear faint groans and screams. Probably because of the coup, the cells looked full.

Finally, we arrived at the lowest floor.

The cells on the lowest floor, which was said to contain the most vile of felons, were all empty. It wasn’t hard to find Dane. Only one cell was occupied.

“Is that the place?’

It smelled distinctly worse than its surroundings.

The two guards watching over the cell lowered their heads. They were both coffee-skinned men.

‘… Their skin colour looks similar to that of Dane’s, perhaps they are Dane’s people.’

As soon as I got closer, I became certain that they were of the Wheel of Rome. They smelled a lot like flowers as though they were wearing perfume. Like the scent I smelled around Hernan and the time I met Deros in the Founding Festival, it was sickening to smell. There was no way I wouldn’t recognise it.

“I came to visit my brother.”

For a moment, one of the guards furrowed his eyebrows. A single guard could not possibly stop an Imperial member.

“… There he is.”

I frowned at the interior of the cell.

“Are you kidding me? It’s too dark in there to see anything.”

After I commented proudly, the flustered guard hurriedly opened the door for me. In the meantime, I noticed one of the guards sneak away.

I quickly glanced at Meta.

“Ah. Oh dear, oh dear.”

Whistling, Meta walked up to one of the guards. Then, he whispered to him loudly enough for us to hear.

“Let me ask you something. Is there anywhere here I can relieve myself?”

“Meta! How dare you behave this way in the princess’ presence!”

Soricks quickly staccatoed.

“Ah, it’s alright. Soricks. It’s only natural for him to ask. Still, Meta?”

When I glanced to my side, I noticed that the other guard had long disappeared.

“You were being a little thoughtless. I don’t appreciate rude people.”

“Hahaha. I’ll be more careful.”

Meta raised his hands before leaving his position. Perhaps he decided to go chase after the missing guard first.

When I entered the cell, a disgusting stench attacked my nostrils. I stumbled momentarily in shock.

‘What is this smell…’

It was then followed by an acrid, burnt smell as well as a strong scent of flowers that numbed my mind.

As if something had been caught on fire by sunlight. As soon as I faced forward, I inhaled sharply.

“Dane!”

I spotted Dane hanging from the wall by his arms. I hurriedly grabbed his arm. Clang. As the heavy chain shook, he groaned softly. He looked unconscious. He was half naked and his body was so covered in wounds that I couldn’t see any part of his skin that had remained untouched. Both shallow and deep wounds littered his body. I was even more appalled upon seeing a wound the size of a palm.

“Soricks.”

I immediately turned around.

“Quickly knock that man out.”

The guard widened his eyes.

“W-what.”

As soon as the words left his lips, he fell to the ground with a thump. Just before the guard could ask what we were talking about.

“Dane. Wake up. Dane! Can you hear me?”

But with his head lowered, he did not budge an inch. But when I grabbed his hand.

“… Ashley?”

His sweat-soaked hair cascaded down. Between the strands of his hair, Dane looked up at me. His eyes had been covered by a piece of cloth.

“Are you really Ashley?”

“Dane!”

I welcomed him. But after a while, I noticed something strange.

“Ashley? Ashley? Is no one there?”

“Dane? Dane, what’s wrong with you? I’m right here!”

“Yet another hallucination…”

A wave crashed into my heart. No, goosebumps dotted my skin. The tide ebbed away in my heart.

“Princess.”

Soricks hurriedly rushed over before slicing one of the chains.

“… The prince seems to have injured his eardrums.”

“His eardrums?”

“Yes. Both of his eardrums.”

Soricks quickly explained.

It was only then did I see blood flowing from his ears down his neck. The blood had already dried and hardened but it was definitely blood.

“Moreover, it looks like he had been tortured a lot…”

It wasn’t just his eardrums. Even from what I could see, there was no place left unscathed. Did it mean his insides were even worse? I gritted my teeth.

“.. Soricks, did you bring what I told you to bring?”

“Yes. Here it is!”

I was handed a small bottle from Soricks. At the same time, I took out another bottle that I had been holding.

I ordered Soricks to break the rest of the chains. Whilst I tilted the contents of the bottle on Dane. The liquid in the bottle soaked his head. I poured the other bottle over his shoulder. The moment the liquid finally soaked Dane whole.

A bright golden colour swirled around Dane’s body and as it circled it fused with another green light. The fusion of lights enveloped Dane for a long time. I wasn’t counting how much time had passed until the light disappeared and a tidier Dane appeared.

I poured the rest of the bottle into Dane’s ear once more before stopping.

“Dane, can you hear me?”

He suddenly raised his head. Dane buried his face onto my shoulders. I could feel a slight tremor from his body.

“What the hell is going on here? Why are you here?”

A little while after, I parted from Dane and finally asked him. Instead of replying, Dane gave a faint smile. It was only then did I realise he was still blindfolded. I lifted my hands and untied the cloth. He kindly allowed me to do so.

The moment I untied the cloth and removed it from him.

“Dane?”

“Yeah, Ashley.”

Dane answered me calmly. So, I thought he was alright.

“Dane.”

“Yes, Ashley.”

But as time went by, my expression darkened.

“Where are you looking? Dummy. I’m right here.”

Dane, who had been looking in the wrong direction, turned his head towards me. Still, his pupils were pointed in a strange direction.

“Dane. how many fingers am I holding up?”

“…..”

“What about this?”

“…..”

Dane smiled nonchalantly albeit slightly awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, Ashley. I can’t see them.”

The moment his eyes were illuminated by the sunlight. The eyes that I loved had lost his red colour and turned white.

“I think he has lost his sight.”

Even when Soricks was speaking, his eyes were out of focus. His eyes had lost their beautiful colour.

“Why. How come?! I used the treatment the cleric gave and the medicine Amor handed me but they’re not healing? How come, Soricks?”

“Uhm… Princess.”

Soricks replied sadly.

“What the prince had been struck with was not violence but a curse.”

He continued to speak seriously.

“I do think this is the work of… His Majesty.”