The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 106

Knock, knock.

While Sheffer Verus ground his teeth in rage and plotted his revenge, a knock echoed through the door, followed immediately by someone walking in, without waiting for permission.

“So, this is where you ended up? What a dump. Looks like you’ve completely hit rock bottom.”

The man who entered looked around the run-down room and laughed loudly and deliberately, as if wanting Sheffer to hear every ounce of his amusement.

Sheffer’s face twisted into a scowl at the sight of him.

“How did you find me?”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t. You and I still have unfinished business.”

The man calmly picked up some of the things Sheffer had thrown across the room and sat down across from him, posture polite—as if he were a servant waiting on a guest. But his words were sharp, laced with contempt.

“Do you know how many of my men died because of you? You swore the Duke of Hespelt wouldn’t make it back. Was that a lie?”

“I didn’t lie! The final strike was a success—I saw him fall off the cliff with my own eyes!”

He had. And yet…

Rashid Hespelt had appeared back at the estate. Not just alive—but back in two days, when it should’ve taken four, even in perfect condition.

Everything Sheffer had carefully planned had crumbled in an instant.

“How was I supposed to know he’d kill his own uncle without hesitation?”

“You were the one who told us Rashid had no heart—that he cared for nothing and no one except that woman. Of course he would come for her.”

The man’s voice was starting to shake with anger.

“We made sacrifices, Sheffer. I lost men—good men—because of you.”

He glared at Sheffer with pure hostility. He was the commander of the Eastern Kingdom’s mercenary force—the one responsible for attacking Hespelt’s estate.

Their plan had been simple: kill the woman, destabilize the Duke emotionally, then strike a final blow while he was vulnerable. They had laughed—What man crumbles over a woman? But after she disappeared, Rashid’s erratic behavior had shown them just how possible it really was.

That’s why I agreed to this mess in the first place.

But everything had gone wrong.

The knights at the estate had fought harder than expected. And just as things had started to turn in their favor, Rashid returned—and everything fell apart.

He hadn’t underestimated the Duke’s reputation, but facing him in person had been… terrifying.

“This happened because you didn’t move fast enough!” Sheffer snapped, his voice rising in frustration.

“I even got Count Clu involved and had him sneak into the estate—and you ruined all of it! I’ve lost everything—my estate, my resources, my people!”

“And we lost our prince!”

The mercenary commander slammed his fist on the table, the sound cracking through the room. Sheffer flinched at the sudden outburst.

The man’s voice was raw with rage.

“Your noble blood means nothing to us. Maybe in Latran it does, but not in the East. I never trusted you—not from the start. You’re not one of us, and yet you acted like you could lead us?”

He clenched his fists, visibly shaking.

“Now look where we are. The prince is dead. The war is lost. And if you had just kept your mouth shut, it might not have ended like this. We wouldn’t have lost him!”

He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his fury, then stood from his chair.

Sheffer didn’t move. He couldn’t. The sheer force of the other man’s rage left him paralyzed.

The mercenary narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t ever show your face to us again. If I see you again, I’ll kill you myself.”

He spat at Sheffer in disgust, then turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Silence settled into the room.

Sheffer didn’t move. He sat there, dazed and frozen.

How did it all fall apart like this?
Everything had seemed so perfectly laid out.

Now the Eastern Kingdom had turned on him. Latran was no safer. He had nowhere left.

“Hespelt…”

The name burned on his tongue.

Old hatred surged from deep within, flooding his entire body. His vision blurred red.

“RAAAAH! Rashid Hespelt!”

“I’ll kill you with my own hands! I swear it!”

Sheffer Verus’s scream tore through the night, his voice filled with venomous fury, echoing far and wide.

Meanwhile, Tericia stared with concern at the increasingly gaunt figure of Adler Reissfeld.

He had never been a large man, but now… he looked positively skeletal. Even compared to just a week ago, his face was pale and hollow.

“Lord Adler… are you alright?”

He sighed, deep and weary.

“Do I look alright to you…?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Lady Tericia. This is all the fault of that tyrant you call a Duke.”

“He used to at least be kind of cute back then…”

At Adler Reissfeld’s grumbling, Tericia gave an apologetic smile.

She couldn’t help but feel bad. Adler already carried more than enough responsibilities, and now she had added the massive weight of planning an engagement ceremony on top of that.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

She asked cautiously.

In truth, that was the entire reason she’d come to see him today. The engagement date was approaching, and yet she hadn’t done a thing. It left her uneasy, so she’d come to see if there was anything—anything—she could do to help.

The menu was already in the hands of Harris and the chef, who had firmly told her not to worry about it. Her dress? Mandy was busy handling everything on Rashid’s orders. All Tericia had done was try on a few gowns from the designer who had visited the estate.

Even the jewelry for the wedding had already been ordered by Rashid. He’d insisted she not concern herself with a single detail.

And so, with nothing left to do, she had ended up here—hoping Adler might give her something to contribute.

“There’s plenty that needs doing…”

Adler trailed off and sighed deeply.

“Whatever you do, don’t let Lady Tericia lift a finger for the ceremony. Especially not for the banquet. I’m serious, Adler. Not even a finger.”

That was what Rashid had said—not a request, but a threat in disguise. And far more forceful than usual.

Probably still shaken from everything that’s happened at the past few events… Adler understood that all too well.

Poisonings, ambushes, runaways—each one more chaotic than the last. If something went wrong again this time, more than a few people might just drop dead from the stress.

“Lady Tericia.”

“Yes?”

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, waiting for him to speak. That innocent look made her seem far younger than her years. Adler couldn’t help but laugh.

She really is still just a young lady. No need for me to walk into the lion’s den over this.

He offered a calm, pleasant smile.

“There’s only one thing you need to do: rest. Take care of your skin, try on dresses, and enjoy some leisure. Believe me—doing absolutely nothing is the greatest help you could give everyone in the manor.”

Tericia’s brow furrowed slightly. Her smile turned sheepish.

“You know how the Duke is right now. He’s on edge—checking everything himself, making sure not even a thread is out of place.”

She sighed. She knew. He was worrying far too much—but she also understood why.

“He’s terrified something will go wrong again. Please, just this once, let others handle it. Think of it as giving in to his wishes, just for now.”

“But sitting around like this… it doesn’t feel natural.”

“I know. I know how diligent you are, Lady Tericia. But if something were to happen to you, we’d never be able to stop the Duke.”

His tone, though teasing, carried a serious weight.

“If anything like last time happens again—especially on top of everything else—we might not survive it.”

“He’s just being overprotective.”

“Whether it’s overprotective or not…”

Adler’s face turned uncharacteristically stern.

“I’d like to live a long life. Please don’t ignore this humble request of mine.”

“…Alright.”

She let out a long sigh and nodded. Still, the thought of being the only one with nothing to do made her feel strangely empty.

“Why not go see Lady Josephine and Lady Emily?”

Mandy’s suggestion came after Tericia, who had finally been allowed the “task” of writing the invitations, finished all of them in half a day. With the wax seals applied and everything packed neatly, she had nothing left to do.

Mandy had admired the elegant handwriting on each envelope—so neat and beautiful—but couldn’t help noticing how quiet her lady had become.

She looked composed, as always, but Mandy could tell something was… off.

Honestly, the Duke is being a little too much…

He refused to let Lady Tericia lift a finger. And while it was all out of love and worry, it was obvious that the Lady—who’d always found joy in managing estate matters—was starting to feel… adrift.

Mandy, who knew how quietly energetic and involved her lady could be, was beginning to worry.

Especially after all the emotional turmoil from the incident with Count Clu…

But then again, she’s been through so much. It’s only natural the Duke is being this cautious.

Still, what could she do?

Mandy glanced at Tericia’s silhouette, quietly staring out the window.

She sighed without realizing it.

“How’s the repairs on the west wing coming along?”

Tericia asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Oh! Um—yes. They’ve hired extra workers to speed things up. The steward says it’ll all be finished before the engagement ceremony.”

“That’s good.”

Her gaze remained fixed on the window. Something about the way she stood made Mandy’s chest ache.

“Maybe I’ll take a walk—go see how the work is coming along.”

The idea came to her suddenly, and she turned to Mandy with a small smile.

Clearly, sitting around with nothing to do was driving her a little stir-crazy. But the mention of a walk lit up Mandy’s face.

“We can’t go inside, but we can get close! A short walk sounds perfect. It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

Her tone brightened with excitement. She wasn’t worried—surely the Duke wouldn’t mind his fiancée observing the repairs.

“Mandy, tell the kitchen to prepare something light—snacks or refreshments.”

“Yes, my lady!”

Mandy jumped to her feet, delighted. Her lady’s smile was back—and with it, her own spirits lifted.

“I’ll pass the message to the kitchen and get everything ready. Bring a sun hat too—it’s getting warm out there.”

Tericia chuckled softly, her smile mirroring Mandy’s radiant one.

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