Chapter 22

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 19

Chapter Title: The Golden Lion's Treasure and the Polluted Water (3)

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Floyd sensed Roxiana's gaze and turned his head. Upon seeing her expression, he let out a smirk. He casually swept back his disheveled bangs and spoke.

"I have no idea what I could possibly say to a princess who wants to die. It shouldn't matter to you one way or the other."

"I think you're doing well."

"Pardon?"

"I think you're doing very well, Your Highness."

Floyd froze mid-motion as he was brushing back his hair, staring intently at Roxiana. She now averted her eyes from him, gazing straight ahead as she spoke calmly.

"There's no single right path for a ruler. As long as the people can rest easy and place their trust in you, that makes you the ruler. The fact that they're preparing for the festival even as the river becomes polluted and people start dying means they believe you'll somehow resolve it."

"......"

"The fact that all the people can unite in faith toward Your Highness amid such threats means you're doing an excellent job. So there's no reason for you to go mad, or lose your mind."

Her voice flowed out flat and even, settling into Floyd's chest like a song. His eyes stung at the sight of her platinum hair swaying lightly in the breeze.

Unthinkingly, Floyd reached out toward her locks. His fingertips caught the soft strands. He wrapped one around his finger and tugged gently, drawing her head closer.

Her face drew near—her eyes widening in surprise, those emerald pupils within, and her slightly ragged breath. Perhaps she'd eaten grapes before he arrived, for her breath carried their faint scent.

As her breath touched him, Floyd felt a jolt like electricity racing up his spine. At the same time, he wondered why he'd done such a thing, then opened his mouth.

"I never expected to hear such words from you, Princess."

Roxiana's wide eyes, startled open, slowly lowered. She cast her gaze downward and whispered.

"This slave has spoken out of turn."

"There you go again with that. What do I have to do to stop that word 'slave' from coming out of your mouth?"

"You don't need to do anything, Your Highness. I'm facing reality squarely."

"Is accepting that you're a slave and wanting to die quickly without even returning to the gods' embrace what you call facing reality?"

Her lowered eyelids lifted again.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Every time she spoke of death, she looked straight at Floyd. He wished she would look at him just as directly when she desired something other than death.

"Jewelry!"

A sharp voice sliced through the air. Floyd and Roxiana, who had forgotten where they were, snapped back to reality.

Roxiana turned her head, and her eyes caught sight of a small figure collapsed by the pond. The moment she spotted the tiny body sprawled on the ground, she sprang to her feet and ran.

'No!'

Memories of her young nephews, whose bodies she hadn't even been able to see, flashed through her mind.

My young, beloved nephews who left without ever truly enjoying this life.

Just before Roxiana's hand could reach Jewelry, Floyd shouted.

"Stop!"

The instant Roxiana startled and turned to him, he was already at her side, grabbing her arm and yanking her back roughly.

"Don't touch with bare hands."

Floyd spoke in a heavy voice as he looked down at Jewelry and Dennis. Dennis was already clutching his young sister tightly.

Jewelry's dress skirt was soaked through from the water, and Dennis's clothes were getting wet where he held her.

"Let go, Den."

"J-Jewelry...... I...... I pushed her...... It was just playing......"

"I get it, so let go."

Floyd shrugged off his jacket. His bronze upper body gleamed in the sunlight. He gripped Dennis's shoulders—who refused to release her—and shoved him aside, then wrapped his jacket around Jewelry.

The large jacket enveloped her small body completely and then some.

"C-Call...... Call Daddy......"

"Stay here, Dennis."

Floyd, holding Jewelry, glanced at Dennis's wet pants and shirt and spoke. When he called out loudly for help, nearby servants came running.

While Floyd issued orders to them, Roxiana stood frozen, staring at Jewelry.

Jewelry looked as if she were dead. Just moments ago, she'd been laughing brightly while playing with her brother, but now her face was utterly drained of color, making Roxiana question if that joy had been an illusion.

Roxiana's gaze, fixed on Jewelry without even breathing, shifted to the child's ankle. Beneath the wrapped jacket, a glimpse of red rash marred the skin.

It looked so painful that her chest ached. She wanted to do something—anything—for the child who had smiled so brightly and given her a bouquet. But her outstretched hand was caught by Floyd.

"Don't touch her, Princess. The water here is contaminated too. There's nothing you can do."

There's nothing you can do.

Those words struck Roxiana's chest like a whip.

It was always like this. There was never anything Roxiana could do.

When her country fell, when her family died, when her knights and maids perished—there was never anything Roxiana could do.

Unable even to do that much, yet still breathing, drawing breath in this wretched existence—what other life could be so pitiful?

The servants returned with a stretcher. As Floyd lifted Jewelry onto it, a scream tore through the air.

"Jewelry!"

Roxiana's frozen eyes turned toward the anguished cry.

A man in knight's attire was running over. Bronze skin, brown hair, a long scar on his right cheek—a rugged-looking man.

He brushed past Roxiana and tried to embrace Jewelry on the stretcher. Floyd grabbed his shoulder roughly and pulled him away.

"Calm down, Hexston!"

"My lord, Jewelry...... Jewelry......!"

Floyd lightly smacked the back of Hexston's head, who was panting and unable to string words together.

"Dennis got wet too. Take care of Dennis."

"Ah......"

Only then did Hexston's eyes turn to his son crying beside him. He hadn't even noticed Dennis clutching at his pant leg and sobbing.

From the moment he heard Jewelry had fallen into the pond and collapsed, his vision had gone black. Now reality seeped back in. With trembling hands, Hexston stripped off Dennis's wet clothes.

"I'm sorry...... I'm so sorry...... I did wrong, Daddy...... Waaah."

He should tell him it was okay, but no words came. His heart felt like it would burst; even breathing was agony. The reality that, as a father, he could do nothing for his child on the stretcher was excruciating.

His eyes stung again with tears, but he held them back for Dennis's sake.

Hexston wiped Dennis down meticulously with a towel brought by a servant and wrapped him in a blanket. He tried to pick up Dennis, but his arms had no strength.

'My daughter......'

She was more precious than gold.

Hexston's rough life had completely changed when he met his wife and had their two children. The moment he first held his newborn—it felt as vivid as yesterday.

The day he vowed to protect them, to let no danger touch them. The days watching them grow, filled with both joy and a touch of sorrow. The time Jewelry first called him "Daddy."

All those moments flashed by in an instant.

"Move aside, Hexston."

Adrian, who had run over with Hexston, stepped forward, tired of watching him flail uselessly.

"N-No......"

Hexston lacked the strength to even lift Dennis yet refused to let go of his son. When Kain grabbed his arm and pulled him up, Adrian sighed and scooped up the sniffling Dennis.

"Don't cry, Dennis. Are you a crybaby?"

"J-Jewelry...... It's because of me......"

"It's not because of you. And so what about Jewelry? She's not dead. She's still alive. Kirshan will treat her. So stop crying. If you keep it up, I'll cry too? Wanna see me cry?"

Dennis let out a strange, muffled wail and buried his face in Adrian's chest. Adrian patted his back and turned away, while Kain and Arsen supported the staggering Hexston as they followed the stretcher carrying Jewelry.

Having handled the situation, Floyd glanced at the still-rigid Roxiana before speaking to Petria.

"The water's contaminated. Escort the Princess inside and make sure she doesn't touch any water."

It wasn't just Jewelry who had been affected.

When Floyd had called the servants, he had ordered them not to let anyone touch the water—but it was a step too late.

Several servants who frequently used water in the Lily Palace showed similar symptoms to Jewelry and collapsed. Kitchen cooks, laundry maids, servants drawing water from the well. Even two knights from the Golden Lion Knight Order guarding the Lily Palace.

Floyd had anticipated something like this and instructed them to use stored water, but the kitchen had opted for "fresh water," and the laundry had skipped the storeroom because it was "too much hassle," using the Lily Palace well water instead. That negligence had caused this disaster.

By the time Roxiana entered the building with Petria, screams and wails were erupting everywhere. Roxiana saw a maid who had been cleaning the windows collapse, surrounded by other servants.

'There's nothing I can do.'

Yet Roxiana did nothing, repeating those thorn-like words inwardly as she walked slowly. Upon reaching her room and the sofa, her strength gave out, and she collapsed onto it.

She knew there was nothing she could do, yet the image of that child smiling brightly as she handed over the bouquet refused to leave her mind.