Chapter 487 Jealousy
Upon Catherine heard Paxton’s explanation, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Well, this story is unexpectedly intriguing. It’s more captivating than some period dramas penned by those boring playwrights.”
Paxton was surprised that Catherine had the inclination to jest about such matters. Currently confined within the palace, every time they mentioned leaving, the king presented various reasons to convince them to stay.
If sweet words didn’t work, he’d resort to spending exorbitant sums.
In their eyes, Catherine had now become the lifeline for the entire royal family. After learning about the queen’s curse, Catherine’s interest was piqued by another matter.
She raised an eyebrow at Paxton, who instantly felt a chill running down his spine. The voice that spoke again was almost trembling.
“Miss Swann, feel free to ask if you have any concerns!”
As long as he didn’t have to endure that terrifying look, he was ready to do anything for her!
Catherine raised an eyebrow, her tone calm and unhurried. “Don’t be alarmed, it’s nothing serious. Since you seem to excel at gossip, let’s just chat for a bit!”
Paxton felt a rush of despair in his heart. Just chatting for a bit? That attitude alone was enough to suffocate him.
Could she please not chat with him?
Catherine rested her arm on the armrest, absentmindedly tapping it as she asked, “Who is Prince Harry?”
“Pardon me, Miss Swann, but may I ask why you’re inquiring about him?” Paxton looked at Catherine with a touch of suspicion.
Catherine gave him a sidelong glance, nearly causing Paxton to kneel in fear.
He immediately realized his mistake.
He hastily apologized, “Miss Swann, I was wrong.”
After a slight reprimand, Paxton knew better than to cross her again.
He understood that displeasing Mr. Duncun was less dangerous than offending the woman in Mr. Duncun’s heart.
Offending Mr. Duncun might result in punishment, but upsetting Mr. Duncun’s beloved could lead to permanent exile.
Paxton had diligently gathered information, even about peripheral figures within the royal family. One such figure was Prince Harry.
He was the king’s thirteenth son, commonly known as Prince Harry. In a culture that found the number thirteen unlucky, this prince did not enjoy the king’s favor.
Furthermore, Prince Harry’s mother came from a humble background, making him a less influential member of the royal family.
An unfavored prince, compounded by a less influential maternal lineage.
In this powerful royal family, the underprivileged Prince Harry naturally found himself on the fringes. Rumors had it that he had been once exiled for offending Queen Lina.
It wasn’t until the king’s birthday that he had been granted amnesty and allowed to return to Ravenloth. However, even back in Ravenloth, his status remained low, and he was not held in high regard.
“Miss Swann, this is all the information we have at the moment. There’s no data available about what this prince experienced during his exile. If you wish, I can arrange further investigation,” Paxton explained.
Catherine did not respond.
But the silent man beside her suddenly spoke, “Go ahead and investigate this prince.”
Seemingly anticipating Catherine’s next move as if he could read her thoughts, he took care of things for her without her having to say a word.
“Yes.”
After Paxton left, the man took Catherine’s hand and gently kissed it.
“Why the sudden interest in this person?” he inquired.
Catherine raised an eyebrow, her gaze filled with mischief.
“Is it wrong to find him cute?”
The man immediately tightened his strong arm and brought Catherine closer, shortening the distance between them.
He possessed a face as exquisite as a sculpted masterpiece, with well- defined and deep-set features. His eyes, particularly, were captivating weapons, gazing directly into Catherine’s soul.
“Better looking than me?”
Facing the solemn question from the man, Catherine pretended to give it serious consideration for a while. She responded, “Hmm… I suppose he falls a bit short compared to you!”
Hearing her answer, the man finally looked relaxed again.
This girl had learned how to tease him.
As the time was drawing near, Catherine prepared to leave.
“Withal, please inform the attendants and arrange our travel documents,” she instructed. Withal set aside his work and promptly stood up.
“Alright!”
Even before Withal could step out of the doorway, the chief attendant hurriedly entered and found Catherine.
“Doctor, it’s urgent! Please come over right away!”
This level of urgency was unprecedented compared to this morning when Henry fell ill.
Noting the gravity of the chief attendant’s demeanor, Catherine asked, “Is it about the king?”
The chief attendant shook his head and replied, “No, it’s not the king! It’s Prince Levi!”
Upon hearing his words, Catherine knitted her eyebrows.
Prince Levi was the heir to the throne of Ravenloth and the son of Queen Lina.
No wonder the chief attendant was in such a hurry, for he was the heir to the throne and the beloved queen’s son. If anything were to happen, it would be trouble for the entire Ravenloth Palace.
Catherine quickly grasped what was going on.
“Prince Levi wasn’t listed as one of the ailing members, was he?” Catherine questioned. She had received a list of the sick members from the royal family before, and even though she had just glanced at it, she remembered the names of the people listed.
But Prince Levi wasn’t on that list!
The chief attendant nodded, confirming Catherine’s observation. ” You’re right, Miss Swann. Prince Levi, indeed, wasn’t part of the initial group of patients. The royal family takes extreme precautions to protect the crown prince and isolates him from other members. However, accidents do happen. When Bert passed away, the physician suddenly discovered that Prince Levi was also ill!
“And Prince Levi’s condition seems more severe than others. He was diagnosed as soon as he fell ill, and his symptoms are identical to Henry’s,” the chief attendant added.
Catherine furrowed her brows. There was something unusual about Prince Levi’s illness. Although she didn’t believe in the supernatural, she couldn’t help but think of the queen’s curse.
Seeing Catherine lost in thought, the chief attendant couldn’t wait any longer.
He urged, “His Majesty and others are waiting for you, Doctor. Please come with me right now!”
Catherine had initially intended to leave the palace, but it seemed she couldn’t escape this time.
The task was getting more intriguing.
She wondered what astonishing revelation would come when the mystery unraveled.
Catherine followed the chief attendant to the door of Prince Levi’s chamber.
A crowd of priests gathered and prayed together at the door, making it look quite grand.
Catherine glanced at the scene and faintly smiled. Then, she followed the chief attendant into the chamber.
Inside the chamber, a considerable number of people had gathered, and even the king was present, which indicated Prince Levi’s importance.
Beside the elderly king stood a woman who appeared mature in age but impeccably preserved. Her beauty was accentuated by meticulously applied makeup on her exquisite face.
She adorned herself with numerous precious jewels, radiating an air of opulence and exuding a powerful presence.
If Catherine’s guess was correct, this should be the king of Ravenloth’s favorite woman, Queen Lina!
