CPSMBD Chapter 20

​Chapter 20

Consumed Fairy’s Tears

I hastily shut the door to the Crown Prince's office and stepped inside, my actions guided purely by instinct.

The realization had hit me like a thunderbolt – the Crown Prince had consumed the Fairy's Tears, and I was the first woman he'd laid eyes on afterward. The implications made my head spin.

"You! What do you think you're doing?" Aila's shrill voice cut through the air like a knife. But I had no time to deal with her – my concerns lay elsewhere.

"Your Highness, Prince Friedrich! Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?" My voice trembled with barely contained panic.

The Crown Prince, who had been pressing his hand against his forehead as if dizzy, lifted his head at the sound of my voice. The cloudy haze that had filled his eyes moments ago had cleared, replaced by his usual sharp, crystalline gaze.

'Wait... is he actually fine?'

For a moment, I dared to hope that perhaps the "Fairy's Tears" – this supposedly legendary love potion – was nothing more than an elaborate hoax spread by overzealous romantics. Maybe it had no real effect at all.

I watched the Crown Prince carefully, clinging to that faint hope.

He shook his head briefly, as if trying to clear it, then spoke.

"...Violetta."

'No, no, NO! This isn't right at all!'

The Crown Prince was definitely not in his right mind. Since my appointment to the palace, he had never once addressed me without my title of Chief Aide. And never – not once – had he spoken my name in such a melting, tender tone.

The unprecedented sweetness in his voice sent shivers down my arms.

'This is it. I'm finished.'

The path ahead of me suddenly seemed impossibly complicated. I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the office floor and sob uncontrollably.

I turned my glare toward Aila.

'She's the one who's ruined His Highness! This absolute demon!'

The Crown Prince hadn't been wrong – while not all women in the world were evil incarnate, the one standing before me now was undoubtedly touched by darkness.

"I feel... strange," the Crown Prince mumbled, his expression still somewhat dazed.

I grabbed Aila's hand, examining the ring she wore. She tried to wrench her hand away, letting out another piercing screech.

"You- you! How dare you!"

"Stay still."

My suspicions were confirmed. The pink jewel that had been gleaming earlier was gone, leaving behind only the empty setting and mount.

Aila had definitely given the Fairy's Tears to the Crown Prince.

She finally managed to yank her hand free, clutching it protectively with her other hand.

"You... how did you...?"

Her body trembled like an aspen leaf – clearly, she hadn't expected her plan to be discovered.

Just then, a knock came at the office door.

"Your Highness, is everything alright?"

It seemed Aila's scream had carried outside.

Not yet – this couldn't get out yet.

Anything concerning the Crown Prince's personal affairs was classified at the highest level. This kind of information couldn't be allowed to leak.

Moreover, if word got out that the Crown Prince had been forced to consume a love potion, it would be disastrous. The security of the Grateful Imperial Family was already in a precarious state.

If rumors of this incident spread, it could seriously damage the imperial family's reputation.

'This can't become public knowledge. Not yet.'

I caught the Crown Prince's eye and shook my head slightly.

Whether he understood my meaning or not, he addressed the knight outside:

"Everything is fine. You may withdraw."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The corridor fell silent.

Aila turned to me. "How did you know?"

"I'd heard about the theft of the Fairy's Tears. And I'd seen what it looked like with my own eyes."

"I heard the Crown Prince's Chief Aide had no interest in palace gossip. Seems you're not as deaf as they say."

Though her words dripped with sarcasm, I couldn't deny them. The truth was, I did enjoy gossip – I just hadn't had the energy to keep up with it while struggling with my workload.

But that wasn't important right now.

"Why did you give His Highness the Fairy's Tears? Were you that desperate to marry him?"

"Yes."

"But why? You don't even love him."

Aila's smiling face froze.

"I do love him."

"No, you don't. You feel nothing for him. I've seen countless women who wanted to meet His Highness these past few days. Do you know what expression they all wore?"

I paused briefly before continuing.

"They all looked excited. They were nervous, wanting to make a good impression. Even if it wasn't love, they at least felt attraction. But you... you're different. You show no emotion at all. No excitement, not even love nor hate."

"So? What's your point?"

"What's your motive? Why did you really give His Highness the Fairy's Tears?"

"What else could it be? If not love, what other reason would I want that position? Power, of course."

After a moment of silence, Aila asked me, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Empire's second-in-command has fallen for you. The Empress recently declared she would approve any marriage for His Highness, regardless of the candidate's background. You now have the chance to marry the Crown Prince. Will you take it?"

Marriage to Prince Friedrich!

What nonsense.

Six years ago, after being thoroughly rejected by the Crown Prince at my appointment ceremony, I hadn't dared to dream of any connection with him, not even in my wildest fantasies.

"No thanks. I have no desire to marry His Highness."

"Why not? He's in love with you now – it would be easy."

"Because his love isn't real."

Aila let out a derisive snort. "How privileged you must be to say such things."

Something about the expression of this woman – who had gone so far as to drug the Crown Prince – seemed strangely bitter.

Was Aila truly just hungry for power, desperate to sit on the throne as Imperial Consort?

From what I'd observed of her, she seemed far removed from any desire for power or ostentation.

I'd occasionally seen her working in the Imperial Library. Her fingertips had moved with such care and affection when handling books, as if afraid they might break.

Moreover, Aila always dressed simply and neatly, tending to plants without concern for getting her clothes dirty.

'No. Aila isn't someone who craves power.'

She was far from greedy. I decided to trust my instincts one more time.

"Who's behind this? Who's pulling your strings?"

"What?"

Aila stared at me with blank eyes, startled by the sudden question.

"You didn't do this alone."

As Aila opened her mouth to speak, she suddenly clutched at her throat as if choking.

"Ugh!"

Then she glared at me with reddened eyes. "Does it matter? I'm a criminal. Shouldn't you just throw me in prison?"

"That's exactly what I plan to do."

I couldn't let someone who had done such a thing to the Crown Prince roam free.

'I can uncover who's behind this slowly, after she's locked up.'

I called out loudly to the guards waiting outside.

"Knights!"

The door burst open as the guards stationed outside entered.

"Yes, what is it?"

"This woman has caused a disturbance and threatened His Highness. Please take her to the palace prison immediately."

The guards, noting the Crown Prince sitting on the sofa with his hand pressed to his forehead in confusion, seized Aila's arms and began to drag her away.

But as she passed me, Aila dug in her heels and refused to move.

"What are you doing? Move!"

Despite the guards pulling at her arms, Aila remained still.

She just struggled against being dragged away, her lips moving as if she had something to tell me.

"Wait a moment, please."

At my words, the knights released Aila's arms and stepped back.

Aila moved closer to me and whispered in a barely audible voice:

"If you want to return His Highness to normal, come find me. I know something about the antidote."

With those words, Aila was led away by the guards and disappeared from the office.