Ingrid woke up, disoriented. Her eyes were glued to the familiar ceiling filled with beautiful tiny mana lights that twinkled like stars. The crease on her forehead deepened, wondering where she had seen it before. It took a few minutes for the fog in her brain to clear up and realize that was actually the very ceiling of her own chamber.

Slowly, Ingrid got up but frowned at the sudden aching in her limbs. It felt like she was overrun by a horse carriage and then thrown from the top of a waterfall. She sat up on the bed and began massaging her shoulders.

While massaging her right shoulder, her head turned towards the left, and her heart almost jumped out of her chest. On the chair beside her bed was Grand Duke Rasmus sitting with his neck bended over. His giant frame made the chair he was sitting at look incredibly tiny. Judging from his even breathing, it seems that the grand duke had fallen asleep.

Ingrid carefully peeled the blanket covering her body and leaned towards her father, seeing if he was truly asleep. She bent to the side like a naughty little child trying to peek at her father's sleeping form without waking him.

However, when Ingrid saw the grand duke's gaunt face, the playful smile on her lips vanished. She wondered if her father's face had always been that thin. He looked like he'd aged a decade overnight. Unconsciously, her finger moved to touch the grand duke's cheeks. But that casual movement was enough to awaken the grand duke.

Ingrid was momentarily shocked to see Grand Duke Rasmus' reddened eyes. The Grand Duke, on the other hand, was assaulted by a flood of emotions at the sight of his daughter. A torrent of words battled for expression. But in the end, only a single word managed to escape his lips: "Sunshine."

But that single word held so many emotions that hearing it felt so heavy it made Ingrid's heart ache.

Grand Duke Rasmus's eyes watered as he looked at Ingrid. Carefully, he reached for Ingrid's delicate hand, afraid he might break them if he was careless. As soon as the grand duke touched them, huge droplets of tears began falling from his eyes. He couldn't believe that she was finally there with him—awake and rather lively.

Yesterday, when Grand Duke Rasmus saw Ingrid lying like a corpse, he was suddenly reminded of the day he found his wife's lifeless body. Fear grappled him. He thought he was going to lose her too.

Ingrid's heart tightened at the sight of her father crying. She instantly wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug. Hot and wet tears dampened her nightgown as the grand duke sobbed on her shoulder.

Most people don't know this, but despite his intimidating frame, Grand Duke Rasmus is actually the biggest crybaby. Ingrid rubbed her father's back comfortingly. It seems that the only thing she had done these past few weeks was make her father worry.

Ingrid's eyes dimmed as memories she once lost flashed in her mind. But for some reason, she felt calm while watching them play in her head like a horrible cinematic. She did not feel any distress or fear at all.

A few hours later...

Ingrid, dressed in a simple morning gown, sat at the breakfast table in the Dahlia Palace. Beside her, the Grand Duke piled food onto her plate until it formed a small mountain. She watched the heap helplessly, knowing she'd never finish it. What truly baffled her, however, was the sight of Prince Aleric across the table, along with two familiar faces—casually eating like it was their own home.

Ingrid had a hazy memory of waking up yesterday. But she couldn't recall most of what happened. She did, however, remember one particular person—a gaunt man with heavy bags under his eyes, speaking words that both terrified and intrigued her. That same man is in front of her, devouring his food with gusto, beside another familiar-looking individual. If Ingrid wasn't mistaken, this second man was the same one who had materialized seemingly from thin air in the back forest during the hunting festival.

Ingrid's mind wandered as she tried to make sense of the current situation. Before seeing him here, she thought that Raven was just another person in her hallucination. But if he isn't, and if he is one of Prince Aleric's people, then...

Ingrid dropped her fork, causing a crisp sound as it hit the corner of the plate. Several eyes turned in her direction. She awkwardly smiled and shoved whatever was on her spoon to her mouth.

There was nothing on the spoon but air, however. Ingrid's ears turned red in even more shame.

All throughout the meal, Ingrid did not dare look up.

Once breakfast was over, Ingrid made some random excuse to escape back to her room, her mind muddled with questions. However, the grand duke stopped her, his face showing no room for discussion. She had no choice but to follow behind her father as he led her and the rest of the gentlemen with them in the parlor.

Ingrid sat beside Grand Duke Rasmus, wondering what was going on. She still hasn't figured out why Prince Aleric and these men are here. Did her father summon them? But why? Could they have come to visit?

Wait, what if Prince Aleric snuck into her room again and got caught???

Ingrid's head snapped towards Prince Aleric. The latter, sensing the young lady's gaze, met her eyes and lifted his brow playfully, his mouth slightly raised.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Ingrid's heart sank. Worried, she looked at the grand duke. Is her father about to interrogate them? Cold sweats trickled down her back.

Before Ingrid's thoughts could wander farther in the void of anxiety, Raven stepped forward, holding a bowl of greenish liquid. She caught a whiff of its minty scent, reminiscent of something she drank of similar taste. But the memory was hazy, and her attempt to remember it was like scratching an itch she couldn't scratch.

Raven did not readily give the bowl of concoction to Ingrid but instead placed it on the small circular table beside her. Ingrid watched his every movement. For some reason, she felt an unusual sense of kinship towards this unknown guy. She had a lot of questions for him—like how he knew those things he mentioned before.

"My lady, we still haven't introduced ourselves," said Vernon with a slight bow, cutting Ingrid's train of thought.

Ingrid did not manage to look at Vernon carefully during breakfast, but now that she had a better look at him, she realized he was beautiful. Yes, she said beautiful. For the man's graceful features outmatched most women and stood above most men. He had big eyes and curly lashes like that of a doe. His features, from his body to his face, were a perfect mixture of softness and sharpness; it was astounding.

"My name is Vernon Elsher, a close confidant of his highness Prince Aleric," the doe-eyed man introduced himself.

'A close confidant,' Ingrid repeated in her head. But she hardly believed that the sharpness in those eyes hidden beneath a surface of tranquility was but a mere confidant.

"And this man is Raven. He is versed in ancient languages and poisons. He is also the person who contributed most in your recovery"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady."

Ancient languages and poison. Ingrid never thought she'd hear those words in a single sentence.

Hold on, ancient languages? Ingrid's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "You're the hermit crab!" Remembering that Aleric took one of her mother's letters to bait someone into coming here. It must be this guy!

Prince Aleric coughed as he choked on his saliva. Meanwhile, Raven seemed confused by the nickname he'd never heard of. What Raven didn't know was it was a nickname known by most personnel of the prince. Naturally he had never learned of this nickname, for like a hermit, he rarely left his lab and interacted with others.

"Well, uhm, anyway, my lady, will it be alright if I check your pulse?" asked Raven.

To Ingrid's own surprise, she was not repulsed by Raven even when he smelled strongly of medicine. Perhaps it was the color of his lab coat. Unlike the typical white coats that people of medicine usually wear, Raven was wearing black ones. Or perhaps it's because he knew things only people who had been there would know.

Ingrid rolled her sleeve, revealing her snow-white wrist.

"By the way, where's Alana?"

An awkward silence enveloped the room.

"Alana felt guilty about what happened to you and voluntarily went to the hall of punishment to accept ten flogging," answered the grand duke.

Heads snapped towards him. They wondered if it was right to tell the young lady that.

To their surprise, Ingrid nodded understandingly. Her sheltered life hadn't left her ignorant of what went on in their household. As a matter of fact, the grand duke himself instilled in Ingrid that every fault and mistake that leads to harm warrants punishment.

Therefore, although Ingrid does not blame Alana, she knows it is impossible for her to convince the grand duke to spare her. But given that the grand duke only gave Alana the minimum punishment, it also means that he shares Ingrid's sentiment.

Raven pulled a round stool, sat, and placed two fingers on Ingrid's radial pulse. Afterwards, he began to ask a series of questions.

"Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

At first Ingrid thought he was asking about the things in her memory but realized he's asking about the occurrence when she first woke up. She shook her head.

"I remembered you. Those words you said..."

Raven smiled and continued his query. "I'm assuming that the grand duke told you that you consumed a deadly amount of Paradise?"

Ingrid nodded, gloom clouding her eyes. She still couldn't believe that Lady Joan tried to kill her. Though that was the first time they'd met, Lady Joan gave off a warm and calming feeling that instantly made Ingrid feel she was trustworthy. It never occurred to Ingrid that it was her life she was after.

If someone as kind-looking as her could not be trusted, then who could she trust?

"Do you remember the things you saw inside the illusion?"

Raven felt dagger-like eyes glaring at him from every direction. He bitterly smiled. Though they don't want Ingrid to recall those memories, he still needs to ask, or he won't know if the concoction he gave Ingrid is working properly. Besides, avoiding the topic won't help the young lady at all. It will only make her build walls around herself, believing her pain will be a burden to others. If no one guides her through the trauma left by her memory, it will surely swallow her whole.

"I do," Ingrid replied with a distant tone.

Though her voice was calm and soft, it felt like cold, sharp icicles stabbing the grand duke's heart. He had been praying that she doesn't remember them. But life is indeed cruel.

"And how do you feel right now?"

"Oddly, calm... A woman named Rian sliced my face over and over until there was no flesh left uncut. The pain was unbearable. I screamed and begged, but she wouldn't stop. Even now, the scene keeps replaying in my head, but I feel nothing—like I'm watching someone else's life unfold before me..."

Ingrid's gaze fell upon her audience; their strange expressions puzzled her. Looking down, a wave of surprise washed over her as she saw her hands trembling. It wasn't just her hands, her whole body shook. Despite the calm in her heart, her body instinctively reacted with fear as she recounted her horrific memory.

Grand Duke Rasmus left his seat and wrapped his trembling child in his huge arms. He gave Raven a meaningful glare while encasing Ingrid in his comforting warmth.

Far from everyone's notice, another man was actually about to stand to comfort Ingrid. Unfortunately, the grand duke was closer and quicker, so he could only sit back and watch with a hooded gaze.

Raven sighed and grabbed the bowl he set aside earlier. "Drink this, my lady. This concoction is called Dream. It has a calming effect and will help stabilize your emotions. Since the effect of Paradise has been completely rid of your system, I've decided to lower the dosage this time. Depending on how your body adjusts, I shall be giving you a different dosage tomorrow."

With her mind clear, Ingrid hesitated when she looked at the bowl. Though it looked and smelled different than what Lady Joan gave her, it still made her doubt. What if it's a different kind of poison this time?

Even if a part of Ingrid is telling her she can trust this lanky man. But didn't she also blindly trust Lady Joan? And where did that lead her?

Sensing Ingrid's doubt, Raven, without hesitation, drank a mouthful of the concoction. He waited several minutes to show that the concoction had no delayed reaction before handing Ingrid the bowl.

This time, Ingrid graciously accepted the bowl and drank every drop of its content.