Silence filled the room. No sound could be heard except the young lady's frightened cry. She clung onto the man who woke her from her deep sleep as though he was her only lifeline.

"No, no, no! Please! Please! No more!" Ingrid pleaded again and again as though she was still trapped in her nightmare.

"Ssh, it's okay, I'm here now. No one can hurt you now," the man whispered in a voice so gentle while caressing the young woman's back. If his subordinates were there, their mouths would have hung open in surprise. After all, gentleness is not a word that can be used to describe their master.

A deep furrow creased Prince Aleric's brow. Ingrid should have awoken by now. Yet no matter what Prince Aleric did, Ingrid's eyes remained firmly closed. Her face would sometimes relax when she heard the prince's voice, but it only lasted a few moments before fear and agitation returned, as if something were hurting her in her dreams.

All the while, the Grand Duke and his people watched the scene with complicated expressions. Grand Duke Rasmus even forgot to snatch his daughter away from the man. Elias, with blood trickling down the side of his face, stared, jaw dropped. Grandpa Roan and Alana stared with wide, unblinking eyes. They all froze as if time had stopped for everyone but Prince Aleric and Ingrid, who was whimpering in her sleep.

At that moment, however, another man appeared the same way Prince Aleric did.

Unfortunately, unlike the first man, the second man was not as quick when avoiding Elias's long knife.

Vernon froze on the spot as the sharp-edged knife made a shallow wound on the flesh of his neck.

"Woah, I came in peace! I'm with that guy over there." Vernon pointed at Prince Aleric with his eyes. He carefully pushed the knife away with his finger, but Elias wasn't about to let him go. Elias kept the knife pointed at Vernon's neck all the while giving him a warning glare.

Helpless, Vernon looked towards Aleric for help. But Prince Aleric was more focused on comforting the distressed damsel in his arms and did not notice his poor strategist's silent plea.

"Although I wish to stay and monitor the young lady's progress, it is time for me to leave. Today is the semiannual meeting of our druid. As one of the elders, it is a must for me to attend," said Lady Joan, breaking the uneasy atmosphere in the room.

"Of course, Lady Joan. Forgive me for taking too much of your time," Grand Duke Rasmus said humbly, a hint of weariness in his tone. "I shall have two of my guards escort you back to the Hayat."

However, before Lady Joan could take a single step, Prince Aleric stopped her. "Wait." His once gentle gaze turned sharp as he looked at the old woman.

"Shouldn't you first check the young lady's condition, old hag?"

Lady Joan remained calm despite the prince's blatant disrespect. She smiled and answered meaningfully, "Though I would like to, I do not think the young lady would be willing to be touched by anyone apart from her family at the moment," then she turned towards the grand duke and added, "I shall visit another day when the young lady has regained her calm. There is still a long way before the young lady can regain all of her memories."

Grand Duke Rasmus' face darkened. Though he highly respects Lady Joan, hearing what she said made him lose some of his fondness towards the old druid. How could she think of making his daughter go through that same torture after what happened?!?

Sensing the grand duke's increasingly foul mood, Lady Joan patted him on the arm as she couldn't reach his shoulders. "I know that you hate to see your daughter suffer. But now that we have weakened the seal, I no longer have the power to stop her memories from flooding out. Certain triggers can cause people to regain memories they've lost. If we stop now, we won't be able to predict how or when she'll have another attack. Inducing her to remember is still our safest option."

Grand Duke Rasmus' face sank in devastation.

"What have I done?" He covered his face in horror. If he knew Ingrid would suffer like this, he would have stopped her even if she ended up hating him.

The grand duke's eyes wandered towards his daughter still clinging like a child at the prince of Aradhya. If it were a different circumstance, the prince would have long lost some limbs for daring to touch his daughter. But at that moment the grand duke could only look at his daughter with misty eyes, pained and helpless.

Meanwhile, upon hearing what Lady Joan said, Prince Aleric's thoughts diverged in a different direction. Finally, he looked at Vernon, who was still standing stiff with a knife on his neck.

"Vernon, remind me of the druid clan's ability."

The druid clan has several different abilities, but Vernon understood which one Prince Aleric specifically wanted to know and answered, "Certain elders in the druid clan are capable of manipulating the mind by means of letting people lose or regain their memories. This is also how the druid clan passes on the knowledge of the past to their successors."

"Are they capable of looking into people's memories?"

"I believe they aren't. They find anomalies in the mind via elemental resonance. Plant magic being the druid clan's main element makes them highly sensitive to sensing negative energies."

"Then how is the old hag so sure that my wi~ehem" Prince Aleric coughed, realizing he almost slipped. "The young lady Lennox is currently afraid of being touched?"

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Grand Duke Rasmus' brow raised.

Though Prince Aleric was looking at Vernon, his question was actually directed at Lady Joan. Nevertheless, the old druid maintained a composed expression despite the prince's accusatory tone.

"This old hag merely deduced the young lady's present state of mind based on what I witnessed, your highness," Lady Joan answered in a steady and dry voice.

The frown of Grand Duke Rasmus, who was silently observing from the side, deepened. Lady Joan's response was believable. Furthermore, she was the savior of both his daughter and wife. She is among those whom he trusts. So why is a seed of doubt sprouting from his heart?

"I hate to interrupt, but this is a rather uncomfortable position."

Grand Duke Rasmus glanced at Vernon, still held hostage by the sharp edge of Elias's knife. A complex expression crossed the Grand Duke's face. To think that Vernon could easily trespass in Ingrid's palace without alarming their several guards or triggering the magic that surrounds it. Not just him but that barbaric man as well.

A cold dread settled in the Grand Duke's stomach. The Dahlia Palace was specifically designed to protect Ingrid. Anyone daring to enter would face numerous traps, powerful magicians, and elite guards. Not to mention the barrier surrounding the entire palace and another layer shielding Ingrid's bedchamber. Yet these two intruders, waltzing into Ingrid's room as if taking a casual stroll in the park, brought the Grand Duke a painful realization: the palace, which he had believed to be his daughter's safe haven, was anything but.

If these two could easily enter this place, what about those from the magical kingdom of Serus? Grand Rasmus's face darkened.

"Elias!" The grand duke gestured for Elias to stand down. Reluctantly, Elias glared at Vernon before expertly hiding the long knife inside his coat.

Vernon rubbed the tiny wound on his neck and frowned when he saw the tiny speck of blood on his thumb.

"Iris!" called the Grand Duke.

A few seconds later, Iris's tall and bulky figure appeared. She made a slight bow towards Prince Aleric before looking at the grand duke for instruction.

Grandpa Roan, unaware of events outside the Dahlia Palace, raised his brow. Meanwhile, a glint of uneasiness flashed in Lady Joan's eyes before returning to its usual calm. However, it did not go unnoticed by the two monstrous beings in the room.

"Lady Joan, since I personally fetched you from the Hayat, it is only right that I escort you back. However, at the moment I am preoccupied with my daughter's situation, so I hope that my lady can wait for a while. I will personally explain to the elders of the druid tribe why you cannot attend today's meeting. Iris, take our guest to the parlor and make sure to treat her well."

Lady Joan felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. But before she could protest, Iris was already at her side, leading her away—the latter's hard-line, mechanical demeanor leaving the old woman no choice.

They followed the slow movements of the old woman, each with a differing thought.

Elias for instance, was replaying everything that happened since yesterday in his mind in hopes of understanding what made Lady Joan a subject of Grand Duke Rasmus's suspicion. He does not believe that it was Prince Aleric's words that planted doubt in the grand duke's mind. It is more likely that Grand Duke Rasmus already had certain doubts, which were only fueled by the prince.

As soon as Iris closed the door, the room fell into silence. Only Ingrid's sniffles could be heard as she clung to Prince Aleric's clothes, tears wetting her long curly lashes.

On the other hand, a cloud of gloom hovered over Grand Duke Rasmus. It was Lady Joan who helped his wife Aria when she suffered a bout of lunacy after birthing Ingrid. Thanks to her druidic powers, Grand Duchess Aria found some respite amid her illness. That is how Lady Joan gained his trust and became one of those he held high. Though Ingrid does not remember, it was also Lady Joan who helped her out of her hysteria six years ago.

Base on those merits alone, Grand Duke Rasmus shouldn't be doubting Lady Joan. So what is this palpable sense of unease he is feeling?

It was Prince Aleric who first broke the silence.

"Grand duke, I heard that old hag had you procure certain herbs?"

Grand Duke Rasmus' brow raised. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room tensed.

"Indeed, Lady Joan did," Grand Duke Rasmus drawled, his every word as though carrying sharp knives that made the hearers skins crawl.

"Vernon, I remembered you saying that those herbs, if brewed in the right sequence, can cause a calming effect to the drinker."

"Indeed your highness," Vernon answered with an unusual politeness never seen by Prince Aleric when it was only the two of them.

"Then what if it is brewed in a different sequence?"

Vernon swallowed. He flicked his eyes at Grand Duke Rasmus, whose piercing glare is stabbing his back, causing him to break into cold sweats.

'This damned chimpanzee!!!' he cursed in his mind. 'How can he casually reveal to the grand duke that they have been monitoring the movements of the Lennox household? Is he trying to spoil everything?!?'

Vernon was truly panicking in his mind. But on the outside he still looked like a calm and composed gentleman.

Vernon sighed helplessly. There is really no use in trying to guess the thoughts of this bastard friend of his.

"When brewed in a different sequence, it turns into a drug called Paradise," Vernon revealed.

Seeing the confusion on the faces of everyone in the room, Vernon was compelled to explain. "It is a drug banned three hundred years ago due to its inhumane effect. It can cause a person to relive their greatest fears in vivid nightmares. It is believed that the nightmares are so real that the subject mistakes them for reality. Thus, it was used to torture spies and prisoners. However, a continental ban agreed upon by over two hundred rulers was placed centuries ago, as its incredibly common ingredients posed an extreme risk of abuse."

"And how do you know of this if it was long banned?" asked Elias, his eyes filled with suspicion.

Vernon fixed his glasses with a smug grin. "Just because it was banned doesn't mean it's completely lost. You'd be surprised to know how many of the seemingly lost articles of the past still exist today."

A knock on the door disturbed their conversation.

"Your highness, a man named Raven is causing a ruckus outside the gate," said the man behind the door, referring to Grand Duke Rasmus. "He said he was sent by Prince Aleric of Aradhya."

Grand Duke Rasmus looked at Prince Aleric with a complicated gaze. But the prince was focused on Ingrid, gently shifting her position into a more comfortable one. His every movement was careful as though he was handling a newborn child.

That irked the grand duke. His hands were itching to snatch his precious daughter away from the barbaric prince's arms. But he controlled himself, albeit with great difficulty, afraid that it would worsen his daughter's condition.

"If your highness the grand duke may, Raven is an alchemist and historian. He is better versed than I am when it comes to the property and effects of this concoction," said Vernon, bowing.

"Hold on, are you accusing Lady Joan of harming our young lady?" Alana interjected, her face filled with incredulity.

Vernon tilted his head, the question, 'You're only realizing that now?' clearly visible on his face.

"Send him over," Grand Duke Rasmus commanded in a deep voice. Although he felt guilty for doubting Lady Joan, he still wanted a thorough investigation. He would apologize to Lady Joan later if she was proven innocent.