The Third Prince's Vengeance
The woman who had resolved to tear her apart alive was one of Sylvien’s people?
Even so, it didn’t matter. She would kill that bitch no matter what it took.
Grind. Just thinking about what had happened to her today made her teeth clench on their own.
Today was the day Casil had been waiting for with bated breath.
The final day of his exile.
The knights assigned to watch and escort him had let their guard down because of it. With the help of servants he had bribed, he barely managed to slip out of their sight.
There was a woman he had been eyeing for some time.
A girl who worked at the VIP lounge of the apothecary dimension he had visited before. She was quite pretty, with a delicate face.
Since it was his last day in Venecia, he had planned to take her. He put on the staff uniform the bribed servant had brought him and sneaked into the VIP lounge.
But that was where he found the woman with black hair.
She was so stunningly beautiful that he doubted his own eyes for a moment. Far more captivating than the apothecary employee he had originally marked, so he changed his target on the spot.
And then that woman slapped him across the face and knocked him unconscious!
He could have charged her with assaulting a member of the imperial family, but he couldn’t possibly speak of this incident aloud.
How could he admit that he had been slapped by a woman and passed out?
Besides, he couldn’t just strike one of Sylvien Valentino’s people without warning. Especially not now, when his exile was nearly over.
Damn it, what kind of suffering is this? A drinking ban and exile? I’ve been rotting away in this place for a whole year!
During that time, he had gotten drunk and raped several noble daughters and wives.
But did they really think he had done so without any precautions?
Every noblewoman he had violated came from weak, insignificant families.
This is all because those noble bastards looked down on me and filed petitions. If the victims had been the First or Second Prince’s women, they wouldn’t have dared make a sound!
Countless nobles had signed a petition demanding punishment for the Third Prince’s heinous crimes. That was why even his father, who loved him so terribly, had no choice but to sentence him to exile.
But if I cause any more trouble here, my exile could be extended.
Even so, he could not let this slide. His cheek still burned from the full-force slap that bitch had delivered.
Right. As long as I don’t get caught, it’s fine.
Casil immediately returned to his room and summoned a knight.
“What do you think will happen if you tell my father about today’s events?”
The knight’s face darkened.
Casil would certainly be scolded. He had broken the drinking ban, snuck out disguised as a commoner, and gone into town.
But that would be the end of it.
“As you know, His Majesty loves me more than anyone.”
The Emperor cherished his youngest son above all his children. That was why he had stubbornly protected him despite the countless atrocities he had committed.
“I’ll just get a scolding and be done with it. But what about you? What do you think will happen to you, Sir Knight?”
“……”
“Not only did you lose track of me, you even allowed a prince to be assaulted.”
When the knight had finally tracked Casil down, the prince was already unconscious from being beaten by someone.
Another incident caused by Prince Casil.
To cover it up, the knight had thrown away his honor and everything else, sneaking in and out through the window like a thief.
“Ah, it still hurts. Can you see my split lip?”
Casil smiled brightly as he issued his threat.
“Your Highness… please show mercy…”
When the knight begged, the prince laughed. Of course he would forgive him. But only on one condition.
“Bring me the female physician that Sylvien Valentino brought with him. Do it discreetly, without the Duke of Valentino catching wind of it.”
“Pardon?”
“Whether you conspire with your subordinate knights to kidnap her or whatever else, just bring her to me.”
“K-kidnapping, Your Highness? You are currently in exile!”
“Exactly. And guarding me during my exile is your duty. While you failed to protect me, that woman insulted me.”
“Then why not issue an imperial order and punish her openly?”
“And reveal that you failed to protect me?”
The knight finally fell silent. Seeing the man’s trapped expression, Casil let out a sly chuckle.
“That’s why I’m handling this discreetly myself. I won’t get scolded by my father, and you’ll keep your knighthood. Isn’t that perfect?”
Then his face suddenly hardened as he shouted.
“So bring that bitch to me right now!”
“……”
“Go see Physician Isaac. That bastard will cooperate.”
After sending the knight away, Casil fell into thought.
What kind of punishment should he give that woman? Just imagining it made his whole body tingle with excitement, and he licked his lips.
The woman who had dared to assault him. He had lived his entire life doing whatever he pleased, yet he had never been struck by anyone—not even the Emperor.
Yet that woman had slapped him across the face multiple times!
Recalling that humiliation made rage surge through him once more. He would never let her die easily.
How should I kill her? How…?
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
A good idea had come to him. A very good idea.
It was late at night when Sylvien returned to the mansion.
“Welcome back, Your Grace.”
Extremely exhausted, he wordlessly handed his jacket to the servant.
“Shall I bring you some tea?”
“No need. You may leave.”
Once the servant withdrew, he settled comfortably onto the sofa.
Since he visited Venecia quite often, he had simply purchased this mansion outright. Only after thinking about the many empty rooms in the house did he remember Canna.
Canna, who had insisted on staying at the infirmary. In the past, she would have done anything to stay in the same mansion as him.
She said she had patients to look after.
Did she actually possess some sense of duty as a physician?
Sylvien let out a mocking smile.
He still could not fully believe in her medical skills. After all, he had no idea where or how she had learned them.
Moreover—
For the past seven years, she hid it from me completely.
Had she known how to practice medicine but pretended otherwise?
If she truly hadn’t known, then how had she cured Lucy Addis, treated the First Princess, and left even the Empress dependent on her medicine?
It was suspicious.
According to what he had uncovered, she had explained that “the alchemy she researched happened to be related to medicine.”
But Sylvien did not entirely believe those words.
It seemed as though she was hiding something.
Still, this opportunity should reveal whether her medical skills are genuine or not.
So for now, he would simply observe.
It was extremely rare for Sylvien to think so deeply about Canna.
Canna Valentino. His wife in name only.
Lately, she had changed. She had changed so much that one could believe she was an entirely different person.
When he recalled the black eyes that had provoked him inside the carriage, the corners of his mouth lifted on their own. It had been a deep sneer, yet it also contained a certain degree of interest.
For seven years, she had tried every possible method to capture his attention. He was not foolish enough to suddenly pay her mind now.
In any case, she did not particularly bother him yet.
In fact, she had even brought him something resembling amusement for the first time.
But eventually, she would cross the line. She always had.
It was not something worth worrying about. When that time came, he would simply crush her as he always had. Sylvien knew exactly how to control her.
I suppose I can leave her be a little longer.
Thinking leisurely, Sylvien picked up the report. It contained Canna’s movements from that day.
“……”
He slowly furrowed his brows.
According to the report, Canna had encountered a suspicious man at the apothecary dimension and been harassed.
Harassed?
His blue eyes sank with displeasure. It felt as if he had found a piece jutting out awkwardly from an otherwise perfectly fitted puzzle, and his mood grew foul.
He was the one who had brought Canna here.
Therefore, her safety was his responsibility.
So what about now?
Since there were no Valentino knights here, he had requested that the Lord of Venecia dispatch some of his own.
By now, they should be by Canna’s side. He should be able to rest easy.
Or so he thought.
Could he really rest easy?
Sylvien pondered for a moment before rising from his seat. He needed to confirm that everything was proceeding properly.
It wasn’t for Canna’s sake. It was simply his nature to ensure that every matter was handled perfectly.
Sylvien immediately mounted his horse and headed for the infirmary.
“……”
When he arrived, the door—which should have been firmly locked—hung slightly ajar.
He drew his sword at once and strode inside. A short while later, after reaching Canna’s room, a low sigh escaped Sylvien.
The escort knights were collapsed on the floor.
They were the ones sent by the Lord of Venecia.
Sylvien stepped over them with his long legs and grasped the doorknob to Canna’s room. It turned smoothly, meaning the lock had not been engaged.
Like a rude stranger, he threw the door open without knocking. As expected.
“I see.”
There was no one inside Canna’s room. Only traces of a struggle remained on the bed.
If the culprit was skilled enough to silently subdue knights from the lord’s castle, the answer was obvious.
The imperial knights were here in Venecia.
Casil Isaberg.
The knights of the exiled prince.