After their joyful reunion, the Crown Prince immediately summoned a physician to examine Joel’s condition.
While the doctor performed the check-up, the Prince remained restlessly at Joel’s side.
When the physician finally diagnosed both Joel and the baby as healthy, the Prince collapsed onto the seat beside him.
For over a month, the Crown Prince had neither slept nor eaten properly while tracking Joel.
With the tension finally breaking, exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave.
He could barely keep himself upright, forcing Joel to call for Sir Abe, the Knight Commander, to help move the Prince to the bed.
“Honestly, what were you doing, neglecting your health to this extent?”
Seeing Joel’s distressed face, the Prince opened his arms as if inviting him in.
Joel crawled into his embrace without protest, immediately enveloped by the intoxicating scent of bergamot that seemed to bind his entire body.
“Compared to Lord Bennett, I’m actually in decent shape. He worried immensely over your disappearance—especially since the mercenary he hired to aid your escape betrayed you and fled. I’m concerned you might be shocked when you see his face back home.”
The Prince spoke while softly stroking Joel’s back. Joel’s eyes went wide.
He thought no one would ever know what happened in that deserted forest; how did the Prince know?
“How did you know the mercenary betrayed me?”
“Because we caught the fellow. Lord Bennett wanted to deal with him personally, so I’ve left the execution to him. Furthermore, the commoner couple who dared to try and sell you as a harlot will be dealt with severely according to imperial law.”
If the Crown Prince knew, then surely his father’s ears had also been filled with the details of his perilous adventure.
Joel turned pale with worry for his elderly father.
“Y-Your Highness. Please rest here and come to the capital slowly. I need to go to my father’s estate right away.”
As Joel squirmed to leave the embrace out of concern for his father, the Prince tightened his arms, refusing to let him go.
He soothed Joel’s back.
“I’ve already sent a carrier pigeon, so news of your safety will reach him soon. There is no need for such worry.”
“But…”
“Lord Bennett is doing well in the capital, supported by Robert and your butler. You should focus more on your own health.”
The Prince lowered his hand to gently caress Joel’s lower abdomen.
“You’re far too thin,” he murmured, his voice thick with genuine heartache.
Unable to push away a man who felt this way, Joel had no choice but to stay nestled in his arms.
Still, if Robert and Wickham the butler were looking after his father, he could breathe a little easier.
Besides, traveling to the capital by carriage while pregnant would take a long time anyway.
Joel decided to trust the Prince’s word and focused on getting the man some sleep.
As Joel hugged him back and patted his shoulder, the breath tickling his neck soon slowed.
Joel ran his fingers through the hair on the back of the Prince’s head.
Enjoying the rare moment of peace, a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he called out to the Prince, who was just drifting off.
“Oh, Your Highness. There’s something I need to tell you regarding Baron Aster’s family.”
“Mm…”
Despite the deep shadows under his eyes, the Prince managed to open them and look at Joel.
His green eyes were bloodshot, but they held no trace of annoyance. Joel spoke quickly.
“I’m sorry, I felt like I’d forget if I didn’t say it now… and I’ve been doing some investigating here.”
Over the past three days, Joel hadn’t just been idling at the castle.
He hadn’t overlooked the fact that the subjects of the Baron’s territory were all skin and bones; he had spent time reviewing the ledgers from the last ten years to see how the Baron managed the land.
As Joel suspected, the administration was a disaster.
Since the death of the Baroness, the situation had plummeted.
While the Baroness seemed to have been a sensible woman who set reasonable taxes, the Baron had no interest in the welfare of the people and simply raised taxes every year.
His rule was so tyrannical that, in the previous year, the subjects had to pay 90% of their harvest as tax.
Upon hearing Joel’s report, the Crown Prince immediately summoned Abe and ordered the Baron’s family to be executed according to the law, and for grain to be brought in from neighboring lands to feed the starving people.
Joel stopped Abe as he was about to leave.
“Wait, Your Highness. Execution is a bit much…”
The Prince shook his head firmly, saying that while he understood the compassion, he could not leave a man alive who had tried to violate the future Crown Princess.
However, he relented when Joel explained with a troubled expression, “That may be so, but I already promised the Baron I would spare his life…”
“If you made such a promise, I cannot let your prestige be damaged by breaking it. How would you like this concluded?”
“Since the Baroness managed the land without issue during her lifetime, perhaps we could honor that effort by simply stripping the Baron of his title and wealth and exiling him?”
Joel’s solution was quite rational.
The Prince agreed readily and buried his face back into Joel’s chest.
Joel turned to Abe, who was still waiting for orders. “You heard that? Go and handle it.”
“Yes. And, Master Joel…”
Abe spoke hesitantly.
Ever since arriving at the castle, he had been looking for a chance to apologize for his rude behavior at Lord Bennett’s mansion.
But Joel, having no interest in Abe and wanting to spend private time with the Prince, just waved him off with a “Later,” leaving Abe to withdraw with a crestfallen face.
The bedroom door closed, and Joel hugged the Prince with a light heart.
The Prince was already deep in sleep.
Seeing him pass out the moment the business was finished, he must have been truly exhausted.
Joel looked at the sleeping face with affectionate eyes and released his pheromones to help him rest more comfortably.
As he was savoring the quiet time, a thought of Becky, whom he had sent to another territory, flashed through his mind.
“Oh, right.”
She was a smart girl, but he couldn’t be at peace having sent a young girl into the woods alone.
Joel carefully tried to sit up to call for her.
Instantly, the arms around his waist tightened.
The sleeping Prince snapped his eyes open and looked at Joel.
Judging by the vacant look in his eyes, the Prince wasn’t fully conscious.
Joel patted him, saying, “I’ll be right back. Let go,” but the Prince refused to budge.
Ultimately, Joel had to call for Becky while still trapped in his embrace.
A moment later, Becky pushed the door open cautiously.
It was embarrassing to be seen like this by someone who was like a younger sister to him, but there was no other way.
Joel greeted her with an awkward smile.
“Becky, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine. What about you, Master? Are you okay? Did the Baron do anything to you?”
“I’m fine too. I’m glad you aren’t hurt. Have you eaten? Did you see Rob?”
At Joel’s kind questions, Becky’s eyes welled up.
It was the first time in her life she had ever felt protected like this.
One could have blamed her siblings for the failed escape, but Joel’s attitude remained consistently warm.
Becky wiped her tears with her apron and whispered, “You’ve saved us twice already, I don’t know how to express my gratitude…”
In truth, she hadn’t believed Joel when he said he would resolve the situation.
Nobles usually didn’t view commoners like her as human; she expected him to either not care if Rob died or give up after one or two half-hearted attempts.
But Joel had actively worked to save her brother, even at the cost of giving up his own flight, and he had truly saved him.
Reunited safely with her brother thanks to the Crown Prince, Becky was deeply grateful to her master.
“There’s no need to be so thankful. I only did what a master should do. I have a duty to protect you.”
Joel spoke tenderly and wiped the tears from Becky’s cheek.
Because he was so focused on her, he failed to notice the Crown Prince behind him, whose green eyes were suddenly flashing with jealousy.
