* * *
When Yigang saw Ian approaching the unconscious Dowoon, he cast a sharp, irritated glare at the physicians and waved them off impatiently.
At the sudden order to retreat, the royal physicians, who had been busy preparing various medicines, hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.
Leave now?
Just like this? But we haven’t done anything yet…
There was no greater blow to a physician’s pride than being dismissed without accomplishing anything.
But when they caught sight of the dangerous glint in Yigang’s violet eyes, they scrambled out of the room in a panic.
The usual silence returned soon after.
Only then did Yigang move toward Dowoon’s bedside.
As he approached, Ian cautiously began to speak.
“He’s been poisoned by an enhanced version of Aquila. At this rate… it’s critical.”
“There’s no need to state the obvious twice.”
Ian had quickly identified Aquila as the culprit.
Of course, as a member of the royal family, it would have been strange if he hadn’t known.
But diagnosing the problem so swiftly without any prior hints proved he was far more competent than the royal physicians.
Ian placed a hand on Dowoon’s forehead, and a soft green glow flickered, spreading a refreshing scent through the air.
“It’s… not great.”
After withdrawing his hand, Ian wiped the cold sweat from Dowoon’s forehead with a handkerchief.
It was hard to tell whether it was sweat or tears, shed by a body on the brink of death.
“Dowoon has no immunity to poison, but his physical condition is far superior to that of an ordinary person. I’ve used sacred energy to neutralize the venom for now, so his life isn’t in immediate danger.”
It was a temporary reprieve, not a guarantee he wouldn’t die.
Sensing this subtlety, Yigang’s expression remained calm as he asked plainly, “When will he wake up?”
Ian looked at Dowoon in silence before letting out a deep sigh.
His dark, somber eyes blinked slowly as he answered.
“…Not today. Aquila is naturally a deadly poison, but it doesn’t usually have such strong toxicity. Someone must have maliciously enhanced it.”
Yigang hadn’t expected a definitive answer.
Without any visible change in his expression, he fell silent once more.
“There’s still residual poison in Dowoon’s body. Arthe’s herbal tea is said to be effective in detoxification. If the princess assists, there may be some improvement.”
“Anna.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I will go at once.”
As soon as Ian finished speaking, Yigang called for Anna.
Without further instruction, she bowed deeply and left the chamber swiftly.
“Then, I’ll also check my room for any helpful herbs.”
The eastern lands, where Ian had spent his childhood, were known for their advanced herbal medicine compared to the capital.
Ian’s room was stocked with herbs from the east.
Surely there would be something there to help Dowoon’s condition.
Perhaps there was hope for Dowoon’s dire state to improve.
With that thought, Ian, growing more anxious, hurriedly left the chamber without waiting for Yigang’s reply.
“Asel, Nefron.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As Asel responded, Nefron silently appeared and bowed.
“Investigate Piel’s movements.”
“By your command.”
With Asel’s verbal affirmation and Nefron’s silent nod, the two departed swiftly to carry out their orders.
Now that even Nefron had left, there was no one left to guard Yigang.
But no one was concerned about that.
Amusingly, everyone seemed more worried about the crown prince’s cherished companion than the prince himself.
“Philip, the emperor has likely heard of this by now. Ensure there are no issues with Arthe.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I will report this to His Majesty.”
When Philip left the chamber after receiving his orders, the crown prince’s quarters, once bustling with activity, fell silent.
Only Yigang and the unconscious Dowoon remained.
Under normal circumstances, this silence would have been familiar, even comforting.
But today, it felt cold and indifferent.
If Dowoon were awakened using black magic, it would surely raise suspicion.
Especially from Piel, who would be the first to notice.
Since he’s someone who handles dark powers, he’d likely react sensitively to black magic.
Even if he didn’t, his powers would probably sense its presence.
Even if he failed to notice the black magic, questions would arise about how he managed to neutralize Aquila’s poison.
For Yigang, who was known as the powerless crown prince, it was a question he couldn’t easily answer.
As he quietly observed Dowoon, he could sense his breaths growing slower—yet faintly quicker—while becoming increasingly shallow.
In the stillness, Yigang slowly reached out toward Dowoon’s forehead.
With a single spell, he was confident he could draw out the poison eating away at Dowoon from within.
He indeed possessed such power, and therefore, there was no doubt in his mind.
Right now, with just a touch, he could do it.
No one else but him—he could save him.
“I can’t… do it…”
In that moment, Yigang’s faint, distant laughter at his own unparalleled incompetence dissolved into the quiet.
Knock, knock.
At the sound of knocking, Anna, who was waiting outside, opened the door.
Shortly after, Anna approached Yigang, who was sitting beside the bed, carrying something handed to her by the visitor.
“Your Highness, this is a batch of tea leaves sent by the Arthe delegation.”
“They sent some earlier, didn’t they?”
“The messenger mentioned this: ‘It might be helpful, so just brew and feed him everything I sent.’ That’s the princess’s message.”
Since earlier, remedies sent by various people had been flooding in one after another.
A corner of Yigang’s bedroom was now piled high with all sorts of unheard-of miraculous medicines.
From midday, when the tea party had abruptly ended, to late into the night, herbal remedies and supposedly magical foods with extraordinary effects continued to pour in.
Not only from the Arthe delegation but also from nobles who had attended the event and even others who’d heard rumors—all seemingly sent whatever they thought might help.
Amid this, the desperation to curry favor with the crown prince was on full display, without a hint of shame.
Yet, as if it were all irrelevant, Yigang waved dismissively.
“Brew what the princess sent. Throw the rest away.”
“…I’ll just set it aside for now.”
Even if the remedies had been sent by nobles trying to gain favor, throwing them away outright felt too harsh.
After all, the ingredients themselves weren’t to blame.
In the short time they had, they had tried feeding Dowoon everything that seemed even remotely effective.
From potions that emitted strange red smoke and carried peculiar scents when opened, to mandrake roots said to appear in legends, and elixirs found only in the Dragon Forest of the western lands—everything was poured down Dowoon’s throat.
But there was no improvement. If anything, his complexion had worsened.
Even as the flame of his life dwindled, Dowoon somehow still managed to grimace at the bitterness of each concoction as it went down.
And yet, that reaction almost felt like proof that he was still alive.
Thus, Yigang continued to feed him everything, heedless of Dowoon’s discomfort.
“Your Highness, it’s ready. This is a special remedy prepared by the princess herself.”
“…This?”
“Yes. She instructed that he should drink a little at first and then gradually take more with intervals.”
When the princess’s tea leaves were brewed, the resulting potion was an unusual liquid with rainbow-colored bubbles that continuously frothed.
Even after being removed from the heat, it kept bubbling as though it were a witch’s cursed soup brewed deep in an enchanted forest.
Yigang, with a reluctant expression, used a spoon to drip the shimmering potion into Dowoon’s mouth.
Even as the liquid passed down his throat, the bubbling sound persisted.
Hearing the eerie noise, both Yigang and Anna looked at the potion with complicated expressions that seemed to question, ‘Is this really okay?’
“I’m more worried this might kill him instead.”
“Well… the princess claimed it’s a one-of-a-kind remedy, so we should trust her.”
At Yigang’s distrustful remark, Anna hastily defended Delcia.
Surely, she wouldn’t have sent a potion to kill the Wizard already teetering on the brink of death.
There was nothing left to do but hope that the princess’s strange remedy could somehow save Dowoon.
* * *
