By Zephyria 
Cecile bent over to ease the pain in his waist and barely managed to rise by leaning on the table. However, he collapsed after just a few steps.
“Ugh, ah, ugh….”
Cecile pressed his forehead against the floor and trembled. The pain was so intense that he couldn’t even let out a proper groan. The thought that he might die here made him grit his teeth and crawl across the floor.
He finally managed to pull out a bottle of medicine from a nearby drawer. The pills he had received when he collapsed before spilled out onto the floor. He hastily picked them up and shoved them into his mouth, chewing and swallowing desperately without even tasting them.
White saliva mixed with the crushed powder dripped down. In a short time, his whole body was drenched in cold sweat. After finally swallowing all the medicine, Cecile lay face down on the floor.
‘I’ll never get used to this until I die.’
The sudden thought made a hollow laugh escape him, even amidst the pain. He must have been going crazy.
Clutching his chest, he gasped for breath and lost consciousness at some point. Although his limp state was quite pitiful, it was perhaps for the best. At least he could escape the pain.
When he suddenly regained consciousness, the surroundings were bright. Cecile gathered his strength and managed to lift his heavy body.
Having lain on the hard floor for several hours, his joints ached all over. The only relief was that the pain in his chest had miraculously disappeared.
It was a relief that, despite the excruciating pain, he had no lingering effects. Cecile let out a weary sigh and slowly raised his upper body.
He reeked of sour sweat all over. Moreover, his shirt was wrinkled and unsightly. The extent of the previous night’s agony was evident without needing to say a word.
“Ah, I want to wash.”
Cecile grimaced at the unbearable discomfort. His limbs felt heavy, but he forced himself to rise and pulled the Seolleong rope beside the bed.
Ding, the bell rang, but the outside was quiet. The attendants, who usually responded quickly, did not react at all today.
“What’s going on?”
Feeling uneasy, Cecile walked toward the door. Before he could reach it, the heavy double doors shook with loud bangs.
Who could be so bold as to knock so threateningly? Cecile hesitated for a moment before pulling the handle. Standing outside the suddenly opened door was none other than Sir Claude Van Dell.
“What’s this? Rude from the morning.”
Claude looked quite angry. His gaze, scanning Cecile, was almost a glare.
“I asked what was going on, didn’t I? There must be a reason you’re banging on my chamber door like that.”
“I have one question to ask. What were you doing last night?”
The abrupt question without any explanation was absurd. However, Claude’s eyes and voice were sharper than usual, making it impossible for Cecile to just laugh it off.
“I was sleeping soundly. I just woke up.”
“…….”
“What’s going on that you’re acting like this? I can’t stand it.”
Cecile brushed aside his messy bangs. Claude’s frustrating demeanor irritated him, especially since he was already feeling unwell.
“I need you to come with me for a moment.”
“Where to?”
“The prince is looking for you.”
Cecile closed his mouth. A sense of foreboding washed over him, sensing that something was amiss.
“Alright, I’ll get ready, so wait. I can’t see where all my attendants have gone….”
“All the attendants from Peridot Palace are in the underground prison.”
“…What?”
“That’s why I’m looking for you. Hurry and prepare.”
There was no time to waste. Cecile followed Claude without even changing his clothes.
It was a brighter morning than usual. However, the refreshing weather was overshadowed by the heavy silence in the reception room of Saint Palace. There, Cecile found Alexis and Yuria sitting with serious expressions.
Cecile was quite taken aback to see Yuria with white bandages wrapped around her shoulder. Before he could ask if she was alright, Alexis spoke first.
“Yuria was attacked last night.”
Cecile’s head went blank at the shocking news that followed.
“How could such a thing happen? The knights were supposed to be on guard in turns.”
“They said they came on your orders. Claiming to be attendants from Peridot Palace.”
Alexis threw a dark green robe onto the table as evidence. Cecile looked down at the robe. The embroidery on the hood and collar, along with the red brooch, clearly belonged to the attendants of Peridot Palace.
Cecile steadied his trembling breath.
“This alone isn’t proof. Someone could have stolen the robe.”
“Then how about this?”
Alexis pulled out another item as if he had been waiting for this moment. Cecile couldn’t believe his eyes. Why was the dagger Alexis had given him here? Blood was visibly smeared on the blade.
“It’s the weapon dropped by the assailant who attacked Yuria. Is there any clearer evidence than this?”
“…….”
“You mentioned before that you were keeping the sword I gave you safe because you didn’t want to use it. You said you hid it in a safe place.”
“…That’s impossible. My attendants… have no reason to harm Yuria.”
“We’ll find out when we investigate. Who knows? It might have been done at someone’s instigation.”
“That can’t be true….”
Cecile muttered in a daze. He was so shocked that his mind refused to think.
He let out a long sigh and held his forehead. He needed to pull himself together. If he broke down here, the situation would spiral out of control.
“I have a few questions for Yuria.”
Alexis gave a nod of permission, and Cecile straightened his posture to look at Yuria.
“First, I’m sorry you got hurt. I know this is frightening and difficult for you, but it’s an important matter, so I must ask. Yuria, did you see the face of the person who attacked you?”
“…They were wearing a hood, and it was dark, so I couldn’t see their face. They swung the knife at me out of nowhere, so I didn’t even hear their voice.”
“What about their height or build?”
“They were small and slender, and their hands were clean without any wounds. As for height… they seemed similar to you, Cecile.”
Cecile bit his lip tightly. It was unfortunate that most of the attendants from Peridot Palace had similar heights and builds. This made it impossible to identify the culprit.
Alexis watched Cecile with his arms crossed. He had already confirmed everything, but Cecile looked so desperate that he couldn’t help but allow it.
“Are you done with your questions?”
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’ll have to interrogate each one. I can’t afford to make the same mistake as last time, so I’ll keep a close watch.”
Alexis was more serious than anyone else. He truly believed that one of Cecile’s attendants had attacked Yuria. Given the circumstances, it was only natural…
Cecile clenched his fists. The attendants of Peridot Palace would never act on someone’s orders or betray him.
“They wouldn’t do that. They are innocent.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“…….”
“Then who do you think did it? Was it you, Cecile? You were planning to harm Yuria with the very dagger I gave you?”
Alexis deliberately chose words that would hurt Cecile. He didn’t truly believe Cecile would do such a thing, but he wanted to make him realize the seriousness of the situation.
The two locked eyes across the table, tension thick in the air. The first to look away was Cecile. He clenched his jaw tightly, then spoke through gritted teeth.
“Peridot Palace requests a formal investigation. If you want to take my attendants for questioning, please proceed with the emperor’s approval.”
“Fine, let’s do that. But know this: the investigation will be thorough. Just because they are your attendants doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on them.”
Alexis left with a cold warning. Once he disappeared outside the reception room, Cecile finally felt a breath of relief. He then covered his face with his hands, trying to sort out the chaos in his mind.
Cecile left Saint Palace and headed straight for the underground prison. Of course, he couldn’t go in alone. Claude followed him like a shadow, and the visit was conducted under strict surveillance.
“Cecile!”
Leo was the first to notice Cecile approaching. As soon as he saw Cecile walking through the dim corridor, he burst into tears and ran to the bars.
The other attendants were the same. They had all been dragged in without knowing the reason, and they were terrified. They pleaded their innocence, but no one was there to listen, leaving them feeling frustrated and scared.
“Is everyone alright? Are you hurt?”
“Cecile, I’m scared.”
“Don’t worry, it’s probably nothing serious.”
Cecile gently patted each attendant who was pressed against the bars.
“We are truly innocent. We haven’t done anything wrong!”
“I know, just wait a little longer. I will definitely get you out.”
He had bought them some time until the emperor’s approval came through. The investigation would likely start soon, and the attendants would undoubtedly suffer both mentally and physically.
He tightly held onto the hands reaching out desperately through the bars. Cecile believed wholeheartedly in their innocence.