Chapter 31: You Must Survive!

As Lucian approached the bed, Elena looked peaceful. He couldn't stop his hand from touching her forehead.

It was hot.

Lucian was surprised, but then overwhelmed by the girl's pale, bruised face. Her beauty hadn't faded at all, it was even more magnetic to stare at her.

Then the man asked Riven to lift Elena up. "Be careful!" he said, seeing that the guard slipped a careful hand under Elena's body before lifting her up.

"Do you think she'll live?" asked Lucian.

Riven looked down at the girl in his arms. He nodded. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. She will survive. She just needs more herbs and everything will be fine."

Lucian felt silly for worrying so much. He followed Riven to his room.

"Put her there!" Lucian ordered, pointing to his bed.

Riven hesitated, looking at Lucian again. He was about to put Elena on the sofa. His gaze asked 'Are you sure?'

But Lucian said nothing more, making Riven even speechless. He carefully placed Elena's body on Lucian's bed. Then he called some servants to clean the room.

Lucian ordered the few guards he had asked to come. "Find a bed and put it there!"

He made sure the bed was comfortable. Riven watched without commenting on how Lucian showed his concern.

Lucian stood on the bed, his heart swirling with emotions. He felt an intense mix of protectiveness and anxiety, his mind racing with thoughts of her condition. As he watched her breathe softly, a sense of responsibility and hope washed over him. He was determined to do whatever it took to see her well again.

None of the servants who cleaned the room dared speak. But they all looked at each other in disbelief Elena lay helplessly on the king's bed.

They were even more incredulous when Lucian deliberately brought a spare bed for the girl. So, the man allowed a woman to spend the night and even use his bed to sleep in?

This was a rare phenomenon! The guards couldn't believe it. They were sure Elena would be kicked out when she woke up. Lucian's attitude towards her was strange.

The whole palace talked about how Lucian had changed his attitude toward a slave.

Lucian even called his doctor to treat the girl. "They are looking for the herbs you need. Before that, take care of her. Why doesn't she want to wake up?" asked him to the old doctor.

"She'll be fine, Your Majesty. The wound is deep, but I've cleaned it. I've also been given temporary medicine for the wound," said the doctor, standing up. "I will come again as soon as the herbs are available."

Lucian nodded, letting the doctor go. He didn't want to leave his room. He brought his work, the reports he had to read, into the room.

Riven brought them out from the study room next door. He didn't understand why Lucian was like this. Not wanting to leave Elena at all.

Lucian was now sitting on the sofa with a stack of important documents. However, his eyes were not fully focused on the papers. Occasionally, his gaze shifted to the frail body lying next to his bed.

His mind wandered. The horrible memories came up. It made him sluggish again. He stared at Elena's bed. Then toward the wall that separated his room from the library.

His chest rumbled violently. It hurt like hell. He closed his eyes, trying to forget it.

His beloved younger sister-the youngest daughter of the kingdom and the only light he had at the time-was cruelly slaughtered by Elena's father. She was newly married, pregnant, and happy. But that happiness was short-lived. Lucian still remembers how his sister screamed as her body was stabbed, as her stomach was mercilessly sliced open.

Lucian breathed in, choking as his memory refused to fade. "Arghh!!!" He groaned holding his aching chest.

Riven pulled Lucian's hand, calming him down. "What were you thinking?" he asked softly and embraced him.

The memories were so vivid in his head. Blood, screams, and the smell of death filled the room. He was a prince who could do nothing to prevent it. He even was captured and became a slave.

"It's ok, it's all in the past," Riven said softly, feeling Lucian's cold hands.

Lucian clenched his fists. He was helpless. Looking at Elena really tickled his heart. There was something he wanted to protect. However, every time Wilhelm's cruelty flashed into his memory, he couldn't help but hate the girl.

"Why didn't I just let her die back then?" Lucian whispered softly, his eyes still fixed on Elena. "Why is she still alive... and why did I let you breathe today?"

Riven just listened to the questions in silence. He knew Lucian was fighting inside.

Lucian grasped Riven's hand which embraced him. "I'm fine, thank you."

He looked down again, gripping the pen tightly, as if he could quell the conflict in his chest. He wanted to hate Elena with all his souls. He wanted to believe she was nothing more than an enemy. But when he saw her scarred body, heard her moaning, and saw the tears of Hera who loved her so much, his heart was stirred.

Is this just a pity?

Or even worse ... was it love?

Lucian snorted, cursing his own thoughts. "What was I thinking?"

The night was late. Hera and Michelle looked after Elena. The doctor had already made a potion of the herbs they had brought. They were just waiting for it to work.

They glanced at each other several times, seeing Lucian busy on the sofa but occasionally paying attention to them. Hera wondered if Lucian was planning something bad by making Elena a special bed. She was afraid he would kill the girl.

Michelle knew Hera's worries and repeatedly assured her that it wouldn't happen.

Meanwhile, Misaya continued to move endlessly inside her room, which was now her prison. Her loyal servant could only look down in silence, trying to calm the woman down.

"That slave! How could His Majesty be blinded by her? She's an enemy and how can we show mercy?" She still didn't accept it. She should have killed Elena then and there. Now she regretted it. She clenched her hands tightly. What should she do?!