Chapter 02…
The Supreme Treasure Becomes a Mirage.
On the day Felicia turned sixteen, a grand engagement ceremony was held at the royal castle to celebrate her betrothal to Crown Prince Alexis.
With shining sapphire-blue eyes, refined and elegant features, and lustrous blond hair, Alexis—five years her senior at twenty-one—was the very image of nobility. Having been raised from childhood as the first prince and later the crown prince, he had undergone strict education befitting his station. Renowned for both his intelligence and boundless compassion, Alexis was adored by the citizens and admired as the object of every noble lady’s dreams.
When Alexis and Felicia, having completed the engagement rites in the cathedral, entered the grand hall for the reception, the room erupted in cheers that enveloped them both.
“Your Highness Crown Prince Alexis, Lady Felicia—congratulations on your engagement!”
“What a beautiful pair! They look as though they’ve descended straight from the heavens!”
“Ah, at last His Highness is engaged… but Lady Felicia truly suits him perfectly.”
“Lady Felicia looks like a goddess…”
As the radiant couple stood together, drawing the crowd’s blessings and envy, Alexis gazed lovingly at Felicia beside him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he gently pulled her close.
“Felicia, everyone is blessing us.”
“Kyaa—how wonderful!”
The cheers grew even louder.
“Lord Alec…”
Felicia looked up at her kind fiancé and smiled softly.
(I must support Lord Alec and dedicate myself to the good of the nation… I cannot betray everyone’s expectations.)
Bathed in the countless blessings of those around her, Felicia quietly renewed her resolve.
“May happiness bless Crown Prince Alexis and Lady Felicia!”
As congratulatory words echoed through the hall, she lifted her glass of champagne to her lips—
—and in the very next moment, Felicia collapsed to the floor.
Her face turned pale as death, her breath faint and shallow. Realizing the gravity of the situation at once, Alexis cried out:
“Felicia! Felicia!! —Someone, call a physician immediately!!”
As his desperate voice faded into the distance, Felicia sank into deep darkness.
The champagne had been laced with a fast-acting, deadly poison, leaving her teetering on the edge of life and death.
In the Kingdom of Rubellite, the legal drinking age was eighteen. Since Felicia was only sixteen, a special non-alcoholic champagne had been prepared just for her. The fact that the poison had been placed specifically in her drink—meant the act was clearly intended for her alone.
At one point, her heart and breath had stopped entirely, and everyone had steeled themselves for her death. Yet by some miracle, Felicia was revived.
Even after her pulse and breathing returned, her condition remained critical. The poison used was unlike any ever seen before in Rubellite, making treatment extremely difficult.
After a month of desperate care, Felicia finally regained consciousness.
She remembered nothing of the agony she had suffered—only the vague feeling that, as she drifted toward the underworld, someone had grasped her hand tightly and guided her back toward the light.
“I will never let you die.”
That voice had echoed endlessly in her mind. As Felicia opened her eyes, she faintly recalled the warmth of that hand.
