The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 113

When Crown Prince Ludwig arrived at the Hespelt estate, the butler was already waiting at the gate, as if he had been informed in advance.

The familiar butler looked like he had aged ten years in just one month.

“Please forgive the discourtesy, Your Highness. The Duke should be here to greet you himself, but the current situation…”

“I’ve heard a bit. Where’s Rashid?”

“That’s… well…”

The butler hesitated, unable to answer immediately. Then, suddenly, a strong metallic stench hit the air.

Blood.

Ludwig instinctively turned sharply in the direction the scent was coming from, his expression hardening.

“…Damn.”

The moment he saw where the smell came from, a grim sound escaped him.

Rashid was walking toward them, alone, his sword still dripping with blood.

I knew he wasn’t doing well, but… this…

Ludwig swallowed hard.

Despite seeing the Crown Prince, Rashid showed no change in expression. Unlike the old Rashid who would bow before unleashing his fury, this Rashid only cast him a brief glance—then walked right past without a word.

“Your bath is ready,” Harris said, as if this were routine.

Rashid paused for a moment, glancing down at his own blood-covered hands.

“If you’re going to see Lady Tericia, you should wash up first. The stench is unbearable.”

Only then did Rashid turn to look at the Crown Prince.

“…Your Highness.”

“So you do recognize me.”

Still, Rashid stood there like a statue. Ludwig clicked his tongue in frustration.

“And all that blood—whose is it?”

“Not mine.”

“Obviously.”

The killing aura Rashid was giving off made that clear. No one soaked in that much blood would be standing so calmly if it were their own.

“Blood of the mercenaries from the Eastern Kingdom. They attacked the estate. I found their base today… and cleaned it out.”

Rashid’s voice was calm, but the chill beneath it made Ludwig frown.

“You went alone?”

“Who else would I take?”

Rashid’s voice was cold, emotionless. Just as he tried to pass, Ludwig grabbed his arm. His uniform, too, was stained with blood.

Now that he thought about it, the past month had brought frequent reports of mercenary camps and bandits being eradicated—many tied to the Hespelt Duke.

Some of those reports even included seemingly unrelated provincial nobles. Ludwig had planned to question Rashid about it later.

But now, standing before him, Ludwig felt a chill crawl up his spine.

“…Don’t tell me you killed all of them.”

Rashid didn’t answer.

Just stood there, motionless, eyes blank.

Thud. Ludwig’s heart dropped.

“What are you doing, Rashid?” His voice grew low.

“Are you just going around killing people now? Innocent people?”

“Innocent?”

Rashid’s lips curled slightly in bitter mockery.

“They were mercenaries who attacked my home. Bandits threatening the borders. How are they innocent?”

“Then what about those nobles? The ones with no clear connection to those mercenaries?”

“…If having a single drop of the Verus family’s blood is a crime, then yes—they were guilty.”

Ludwig’s brow furrowed sharply.

Just then, Ludwig’s aide approached and whispered something quietly in his ear. As the words sank in, Ludwig’s expression darkened, his eyes widening.

When the aide stepped back, Ludwig looked directly at Rashid.

“Sheffer Verus… is being held in your dungeon?”

“…Yes.”

“Did I hear that correctly? You haven’t killed him? You’ve been keeping him alive?”

“……”

“What about those nobles you mentioned? Do they all have blood ties to the Verus family?”

Rashid didn’t answer. But his silence, the way his eyes stayed cold and flat, told Ludwig everything.

“Rashid!”

Ludwig’s voice rang out, louder this time.

“Answer me! Did you kill people who had nothing to do with this?!”

“I didn’t kill anyone innocent. Everyone I’ve dealt with passed information to the enemy for their own gain. They sold out Latran’s secrets. Postwar enforcement is my duty. And as the military’s supreme commander, punishing those who leak state secrets is my right—and my responsibility.”

Ludwig clenched his jaw.

Even now—even unhinged as he was—Rashid Hespelt had done nothing that could legally be used against him.

He hadn’t crossed any official lines. He was terrifyingly meticulous about that.

He’s gone mad. But even madness couldn’t touch his judgment.

It was horrifying.

“…You’re insane.”

Rashid gave a small, dry laugh.

“If Your Highness has no further business, may I go now? I need to see Tericia.”

“If she knew what you were doing right now,” Ludwig said quietly, “I’m sure she’d be so shocked she’d wake up immediately.”

Rashid, who had been walking past him, froze in place.

“If that’s what it takes to wake her up,” he replied, his voice cold and detached, “then I’ll do far worse. I’d gladly turn all of Latran into a sea of blood.”

“Rashid!”

“If you have nothing else to say, I ask that you leave. I have no energy left to entertain a royal guest.”

“I do have something to say,” Ludwig snapped back. “But looking at you now, I’m starting to think maybe it’d be better to just let Tericia go.”

Crash!

It happened in an instant.

Rashid’s eyes flashed with fury. He slammed Ludwig against the wall, his sword drawn and pressed to the prince’s neck before the royal guards could react.

“Watch your mouth,” he growled. “I won’t let Tericia die. No matter what.”

“If you want to save her, you need to pull yourself together first!”

“I am together. Perfectly sane.”

“No one would agree with that right now.”

“I’ll handle it. On my own.”

Ludwig narrowed his eyes. His voice was tense but not angry—more… concerned.

“Let Sheffer go,” he said. “Either execute him or turn him over to the courts. If it’s justice you want, I’ll support your right to handle it however you see fit—no trial necessary.”

“……”

“Just don’t keep him alive. If you can’t kill him, I will.”

“Don’t touch him. He’s mine. A quick death would be too easy for that bastard. Because of him, Tericia…”

Rashid’s grip tightened. The blade at Ludwig’s neck grazed skin, nicking his collar.

But Ludwig didn’t flinch.

“…At this rate, you’re going to die first,” he muttered.

“I don’t care. If Tericia doesn’t survive, I don’t want too either.”

His hand fell. The sword clattered to the ground with a sharp metallic ring. Rashid took a step back.

“Go back. I’ll atone for this insult later.”

He turned away, his voice hollow.

But then—

“What if there was a way?”

Ludwig’s voice was calm. Low.

Yet to Rashid, it rang louder than anything else.

Clang.
Rashid’s sword hit the floor.

He turned to face Ludwig, and for the first time since his arrival, Ludwig saw something return to Rashid’s eyes.

Life.

Faint, but unmistakable.

“There’s a way to save her,” Ludwig said. “And someone who can explain it is on their way here.”

A faint smile tugged at the prince’s lips.

The room was quiet. Still.

Rashid stood motionless at the doorway, unmoving for a long while.

When he finally took a step forward, his movements were uneven—lacking his usual control.

He stopped at her bedside and didn’t move again.

Looking down at her, lying so still, he let out a soft breath that sounded almost like a laugh.

If not for her pale complexion, he might’ve convinced himself she was simply sleeping. Just resting peacefully.

“Tericia…”

Her name left his lips like a broken whisper.

His once lifeless eyes now trembled with conflicting emotions.

“The fact that she’s still alive is a miracle in itself. The Panarin has stopped the poison from spreading, but…”

He had used every last vial of Panarin Orzo could make.

Every wound-cleaning solution, every tincture, every treatment included Panarin as a base. Her body had been treated with nothing but the best. Her wounds had stopped bleeding, but the dark line on her chest hadn’t faded. Her skin around the scar was still discolored.

It was like her body was saying: You can’t save her.

And yet—

“There’s a way to save her.”

Just that one sentence. Only those words.

And Rashid’s heart, which he thought had died, started beating again.

“Tericia…”

Could it be true?

Could he really save her?

He sat down beside her on the bed. Gently, he lifted a strand of her golden-brown hair and pressed a soft kiss to it.

“They say there’s a way to save you. So please… please wake up. Call my name. Just once more…”

His voice trembled despite how hard he tried to steady it.

He’d been trying not to get his hopes up. Trying to stay grounded. But those words had shattered all his restraint.

If he could save her… if there was even the slightest chance…

He had prayed. Over and over. Every moment he breathed.

If I can save you, I don’t need anything else. I don’t need my life. You are everything to me.

I’ll do anything. Just let you live.

“So please… wake up. Don’t leave me. Once was enough. I can’t bear to lose you again.”

Tap. Tap.

Footsteps echoed.

A girl in white was running.

It was the sound of Tericia.

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