The Monster Duke Was Fooled. I’m Terminally Ill

Chapter 59

Cain was not immediately imprisoned due to the ongoing royal event. Royal guards stood densely outside his tent.

It was the early hours of dawn. Even the birds, nodding off, did not chirp. Only the crackling sound of torches could be heard as a girl in a robe and a maid appeared.

The guard recognized the girl immediately. He stood at attention and saluted.

“Greetings, First Princess.”

The girl in the robe was Abigail. As she pulled back her hood, her beautiful silver hair cascaded down. The guard, momentarily mesmerized, quickly straightened up.

With a haughty smile, Abigail said,

“I’ve come to see my brother. Let me in.”

The guard, looking troubled, did not move aside.

“His Highness the Second Prince is here by royal decree. We have orders not to let anyone in.”

“But if not now, when can I see him? It will only be for a moment.“

“But Your Highness…”

It was clear they would not let her in. Abigail smiled faintly and gestured to her maid. The maid handed each guard a small pouch. They discreetly opened the pouches and gasped.

With a confident demeanor, Abigail asked,

“Just for a moment. Understood?”

“Very well, but only for a moment. We are in a difficult situation…“

“Step aside.”

Abigail commanded curtly. The guard, intimidated by her presence, hesitantly moved aside. Without sparing the guard a glance, Abigail entered the tent.

Inside, Cain lay on a sofa with shackles on, an empty bottle rolling on the floor, indicating he had smuggled in alcohol.

Abigail clicked her tongue in disapproval. Though he was her full-blooded brother, she often found him pathetic. There were times she wanted to strangle him. But she had kept him alive because he had his uses.

Approaching the drunken Cain, she spoke,

“Brother.”

Cain, hearing Abigail’s voice, snapped his eyes open. He glared at her, growling like an angry beast.

“You said this time you could get rid of that bastard Aslan!“

“Father is very sensitive about rare magical stones. If this had worked, the Crown Prince’s position would have been in jeopardy.“

“Look at me! Do I look like it worked?”

Abigail frowned at the sight of her lazy brother reeking of alcohol, showing no remorse or reflection.

“I told you clearly. You needed to get wounded by the beast’s claws yourself! That way, even if things went wrong, you could have garnered Father’s mercy…”

Slap!

Before she could finish, Cain, who had been lying down, sprang up and slapped Abigail hard across the face.

She staggered, the maid rushing to catch her, preventing her from falling.

Even as he saw his sister’s state, Cain only cared about his anger.

“You heartless wretch! What if I lost the use of my arm to the beast’s poison? Do you not appreciate what I’ve done for you? Without me, what would you be? You’d just be some girl fawned over by Father and married off to whoever!”

Abigail held her cheek, saying nothing. Her eyes were bloodshot, but not a single tear fell.

Cain, finding her reaction annoying, shook his head in disgust. He lay back down on the sofa, speaking in an almost gentle voice.

“Get me out of this. Understood? I have to become Emperor to marry you off properly. Do you think Father won’t arrange a political marriage for you just because he likes you now? He can sell you off to a neighboring country anytime!”

Cain angrily shook the empty bottle.

“If you want to marry that monster, do as I say. Find a way to kill that witch too.”

Abigail, without a word, left the tent. She had confirmed what she needed to; there was no point in staying.

Cain wouldn’t betray Abigail, no matter the pressure. He knew she was his only hope for getting out.

Back at her tent, a maid approached the exhausted Abigail, who was applying a cold compress to her cheek. Seeing the maid’s dark expression, Abigail felt a sense of foreboding.

“What is it?”

The maid, biting her lip, whispered into Abigail’s ear. Abigail’s face turned pale. She grabbed the maid’s arm tightly.

“What did you say? How could it be missing?”

Something that should never have disappeared was now missing. Abigail was engulfed in an unsettling feeling that something was seriously wrong.

***

The hunting tournament resumed. It would have been halted if it had been under Prince Cain’s jurisdiction, but since it was under Prince Aslan’s, the Emperor readily allowed it to continue. It seemed like a decision to honor the Crown Prince, who had suffered from slander.

However, due to my injury, I couldn’t participate, and Julian seemed determined to stay by my side. I could do nothing but sit in bed and watch Julian read a book next to me.

“Julian.”

I called out of sheer boredom, but Julian didn’t look up.

“Julian? Your Grace? Honey? Darling?”

Trying all sorts of titles to catch his attention and even leaning into his line of sight, he didn’t so much as glance at me. It was as if he was lost inside the book. I placed my palm on his book and softly called out again.

“Sweetheart?”

Finally, Julian shifted his gaze to look at me.

“Shall we talk for a bit?”

I asked, clasping my hands together earnestly. Julian refused flatly.

“No.“

“Why not? You could hear my apology, listen to my explanations…“

“I’m afraid of what nonsense you might use to sway me again. I won’t listen.”

With that, I was at a loss for words. My plan to earnestly persuade him seemed to have failed.

Seeing me continue to tilt my head, Julian reached out and pushed me down onto the bed. He used only one hand, yet I couldn’t resist despite my full-body effort.

“Just sleep. That’s all a patient should be doing.”

Having no other option, I lay on my side and watched Julian. It was initially dull, but soon, I found it quite satisfying. Julian was a sight too delightful to merely observe.

His red eyes were often likened to blood, but to me, they resembled fine red wine. When illuminated, they sparkled like rubies. Now, in the dim candlelight, they were closer to the former.

His stubbornly closed lips were of perfect thickness, with a red hue that suited his pale complexion. His black hair, whether slicked back or down, permitted no other color, resembling a deeper shade than the night sky.

Currently, his bangs were comfortably down, and to me, that looked quite…

“…cute.”

I murmured, and Julian’s gaze shifted to me. He frowned deeply as if hearing utter nonsense, which embarrassed me. But since he was finally looking at me, I seized the moment to say what I had longed to say.

“Julian, I’m sorry…“

“For what?“

Isn’t this what wives typically say to their husbands?

“For everything.”

Saying that I felt like the worst person in the world. I slowly moved under the covers and gently held Julian’s hand. Thankfully, he didn’t pull away.

“I’m sorry for overexerting myself. I thought I’d only get slightly hurt. I knew you’d worry. But I was careless and got hurt more than I planned. This time, it was hazardous. I admit that. I was short-sighted.”

Perhaps my earnest apology had an effect. Julian’s frown seemed to ease slightly. He sighed deeply and held my hand tightly.

“I knew you were planning something for this hunting tournament. I saw that letter.”

He must be referring to the letter from Marquis Amber. Julian closed his book and placed it on the bedside table. Then, he leaned toward me, looking intently.

“That’s why I insisted on joining the tournament. I wanted to be there to help you if anything happened.“

“I know…“

“When you left me behind, I should have chased after you immediately. Knowing you, you wouldn’t stay put. I arrived too late, and you were already seriously injured.”

Julian chuckled bitterly. Despite that, his hand gently stroked my hair. I watched my blonde locks entwine with his large hand.

“I have to ask. Do I still mean anything to you?”

Hearing that, I felt a sudden anger. I pushed his arm away and sat up.

“What are you talking about? Who could compare to you?”

But Julian didn’t take my words at face value.

“Then why didn’t you consult me about this?“

“Because… I thought you wouldn’t allow it…“

“When you read Marquis Amber’s letter, I finally thought you trusted me. But you handled this alone. Am I just someone who gives you titles?”

I quickly shook my head.

“No!”

Maybe that was how it started, but not anymore. However, Julian didn’t seem to believe me. He spoke while looking down.

“Laila, I want to be someone valuable to you.”