Abella did not wake up. Enoch had to deeply realize his powerlessness. It was an experience that made his hair stand up.

Abella was pale enough that they would not be surprised if she ran out of breath at any moment, and her fever did not go down either.

April even said that Enoch was going to collapse first.

April used healing magic on Abella, but Abella did not get any better. April shook her head.

“She is not sick. Magic won’t work unless she’s sick.”

“Then?”

“There’s nothing I can do, Enoch.”

April smiled awkwardly. Enosh flopped down on the chair. The fingers that he ran across his face were trembling. April sighed.

“She will be fine.”

That was the only consolation that April could offer. Enoch’s helplessness was also transferred to April. The color does not return to Abella’s blue lips.

“..and then, what can be done about it?”

It was none other than Louisa who broke the situation. Louisa took off the robe she was wearing and draped it over her arm.

Louisa brought the answer to Enoch and April, who were guarding Abella’s room.

Behind Louisa, a man with dark hair and red eyes and an old man with a bent waist entered.

“Your Majesty..?”

Enoch pouted his lips. There was only one person in this country who had dark hair and bright red eyes. It was only Cade.

Enoch and April quickly followed suit.

Cade strode in and sat down by Abella’s bed. His face was cool as he watched her carefully. Cade brushed Abella’s hair. Her hair, damp from sweat, was tangled between his fingers.

“Abella....”

Cade’s voice was also low. It had been days since he dropped Abella off the carriage, and she had been like this the whole time.

Cade bent his waist towards Abella. He was on the verge of burning with the heat he felt from Abella.

“You have to get up, Abella.”

Cade whispered softly.

Cade raised his head and beckoned to the old man.

“Take care of Abella.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The old man who came with Cade was the royal palace’s doctor. The best doctor in the country who treated only the emperor and his immediate family. Sir Berald approached Abella’s side. Cade stepped aside to the side so that Berald could see her at ease.

Enoch watched the process with a puzzled look. Louisa pulled Enoch away. She seemed to want them to go outside.

Enoch’s eyes darkened. There was nothing he could do. Abella was dying, and Enoch did nothing while waiting for Abella to come back to life.

Because Enoch was a stranger, he had no choice but to do so. Because he was neither a prince nor anything here. However, Cade took care of the situation in one fell swoop. Amerigo’s doctor couldn’t heal Abella, so he brought in the royal doctor.

It must have been possible because Cade was the emperor.

Enoch couldn’t just watch the door close in front of his eyes.

“Louisa.”

“Yes.”

“How did this happen?”

Enoch’s voice hardened. Luisa’s eyes looking back at Enoch were filled with criticism.

“Then, like Prince Enoch and April, should I have stood there and done nothing?”

“Louisa.”

Despite the warning tone, Louisa didn’t even budge.

“What do you mean by saying my name like that? I just wrote a letter to the royal family. And the Emperor responded to the name Abella.”

“Aa....”

What Louisa said was so true, he couldn’t argue with anything. April stood next to Louisa and said.

“That’s right. Louisa is right.”

“The Emperor’s reaction was really quick. Enoch. Why didn’t you think of the Emperor? There must have been someone to turn to for help. Why didn’t you contact him earlier?”

Enoch grew pale. He was tired of looking at the door with lifeless eyes.

He actually struggled as he thought of Cade. Seeing Abella, who was not conscious, he even thought about asking someone for help. And as a matter of course, Cade came to mind. However, he did not contact him.

Although he knew it, he ignored his own thoughts. If Cade really saved Abella..

It was a useless sense of inferiority. Still, he was biased towards such feelings and pretended not to know about the idea. He was disillusioned with himself.

“Because I’m stupid..”

Enoch blamed himself.

Those eyes, which were always shining brightly, dimmed as if they were dead. He almost killed Abella. Because of his inferiority complex.

Enoch sat down on a chair in the hallway. His eyes were hot.

“I....”

Enoch realized; love without concessions or consideration is not love.

*

Abella wouldn’t wake up.

Arsene tilted the glass. He had been consuming alcohol for three days but was not drunk at all. The eyes when Abella looked at Arsene could not be forgotten. Her face was terrified, as if she had seen a monster.

“Too weak.”

Arsene muttered slowly. People would try their best to protect Abella, but breaking their efforts was as easy as folding a finger.

Abella pretended to be strong, but was weak enough to be broken down with only a finger. It must have been that she had chosen to commit suicide because she was feeling so upset.

Enoch wet his lips with alcohol.

Arsene, reclining in his chair, rubbed his chin with his finger. Abella would wake up. In that case, Arsene would just have to think about how to hunt Abella. Arsene would lock her in and breathe her in until his thirst was quenched.

To make people stop staring at her charming purple eyes, and only call Arsene with her cute lips. Just thinking about it made him feel full.

Arsene’s laughter crawled across the ground.

Ah.

Arsene wanted to see her eyes wet with tears. It was exhilarating. His fingertips were tingling.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

As Arsene’s imagination was branching out, someone knocked on the door.

“Arsene.”

“Mother.”

“..Were you still doing this?”

Grand Madam Sirius sighed.

“If you’re that worried, do you want me to find out? I know someone in the royal palace. No matter how much they take care of Abella, the royal doctor will come back in the evening. It’s a meticulous process, but there should be a corner to wiggle.”

“Mother. I’m not worried about Abella right now. I will destroy Abella with my own hands..”

“Shh!”

Grand Madam Sirius shot sharply and clenched her teeth.

“Speak like a normal person. Think and speak like the others.”

She had noticed that Arsene had regained his memory.His eyes were different. However, Grand Madam Sirius still couldn’t give up her greed. The greed that Arsene could perhaps live like a normal person. Expectations that Arsene won’t hurt anyone. Those things were mixed together.

“What would a normal person say? That they were worried? Want her to get well soon?” Arsene said slowly. As he continued, Grand Madam Sirius grew pale and tired. “Does it make any difference if I lie like that? Oh, do you feel at ease?”

“Arsene! Fine. I’d rather you lie! Try pretending to live like other people!”

Grand Madam Sirius exclaimed hysterically. From the moment she heard the news that Abella had collapsed, she had a gut feeling about this moment. Arsene’s nature would not change, and one day there would be an accident.

What was she supposed to do?

He exhibited abnormal behavior when mentally assessed as a young child. The psychologists and doctors she called at that time shook their heads.

They said there was no cure for antisocial personality disorder, that all he needed to do was learn to empathize and monitor the feelings of others, but Arsene’s case was a little more special.

The child was obsessive.

Once something caught his eye, he had to have it; otherwise, he destroyed it. He didn’t like it when his own things were put in the hands of others.

Grand Madam Sirius took Arsene’s hand. She took the glass of wine from his hand, put it down, and burst into tears.

“Normal people pray for Abella’s recovery at times like these.”

“I am not, Mother. I hope Abella will be ruined.” Arsene whispered sweetly.

He carefully removed the hair of Grand Madam Sirius who looked up in vain. He even wiped her face wet with tears. The touch was so kind, but there was no emotion in Arsene’s eyes. Grand Madam Sirius’s lips trembled.

“....Normal people..”

“I am not a normal person. I am different from them. I am....” Arsene stretched his words.

“I am....”

His face was cold. It was so cold that she couldn’t even guess what he was thinking. Arsene murmured slowly.

“I could be the devil, as someone says. Actually, it was me who was cursed. Not Abella.”

Arsene smiled.

“It was good that Abella was cursed. At first, I was interested because she was the devil. But now I know she’s not like that. Now .. I just want to have her.”

A thin stream of water ran down Grand Madam Sirius’ cheek.

There seemed to be no way to save Arsene.