Wrong Marriage and Sweet Love

If Clint died, she would be the only one in East Palace tonight. She wouldn’t be able to escape the accusation of killing the Crown Prince, which would also lead to an international dispute. Moreover, the negotiations had already been settled, and Clint couldn’t die.

Fresh blood continuously flowed into the golden cauldron.

Joyce suspected that Clint had cut his artery. She wiped faster and faster, afraid to miss any spot, fearing that the curse couldn’t be completely broken.

The more blood flowed, the more Joyce felt her legs weaken. She had never done such a thing before, nor had she witnessed someone cutting their wrist in front of her. The visual conflict made her feel a little dizzy. Even if she wanted to stand up now, she couldn’t.

She wiped her whole body, including her face, as quickly as possible. She couldn’t imagine how bloody she looked now. She never expected that she would have to use such a bloody and cruel method to break the curse.

Clint seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. His eyes were tightly closed, his handsome face devoid of color, his thin lips turning blue and then purple.

Finally, Joyce finished wiping herself off. She picked up a piece of clothing and covered her chest.

At that moment, Clint couldn’t hold on any longer and fell to the side with a loud thud. The golden cauldron fell with him, making a loud rumble. The remaining blood inside flowed out and spread in all directions like terrifying twisted branches.

Joyce hurriedly put on the clothes and rushed to Clint’s side. She quickly took out a thin ribbon from his body and tightly wrapped it around his wrist, compressing it to stop the bleeding. At the same time, she shouted loudly, “Someone help! Quick!”

Tadasuke heard the sound and came in.

He saw Joyce covered in blood, the Crown Prince lying on the ground, and traces of wiped blood all over the floor. Tadasuke almost fainted on the spot.

Incoherently, he asked, “Wha-what happened?”

“Call a doctor! Is there a doctor? Can’t you see that the Crown Prince’s wrist is bleeding? Hurry!” Joyce almost yelled.

“Yes.” Tadasuke stumbled out, tripping and falling twice, even scattering his hair. He was terrified.

Fortunately, the doctor arrived within two minutes.

Clint had made arrangements in advance.

One of the doctors skillfully administered anesthesia to Clint and sutured his wound. The bleeding stopped quickly.

However, Clint was already weak, completely unconscious.

Joyce stood aside, unable to hide her anxiety. She had tried to speed up earlier because she heard that when blood loss occurred and the brain lacked sufficient nutrition, it couldn’t maintain its function for long. When unconsciousness occurred, vital organs would also shut down.

Clint was already physically weak, plus he had lost blood from being shot last night and now cut his wrist to bleed even more.

If he died, how could she escape? Her whole body was stained with his fresh blood; she couldn’t explain herself.

Joyce didn’t dare to think further.

She didn’t know that breaking the curse would cost him so much of his life.

Anxiously standing there, she watched the doctors busy themselves.

Another doctor started giving Clint a blood transfusion while administering albumin and oxygen. They did everything they could to save him.

As time passed by second by second, everyone present felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.

If something happened to the Crown Prince, everyone would be implicated.

Joyce’s body was covered in the smell of blood; it dried up and tightened her skin until she couldn’t feel it anymore.

After a long time-so long that it felt like time had frozen-the doctors’ foreheads were covered in sweat from fear of making mistakes.

After what seemed like an eternity for Joyce, who felt her legs had gone numb and her consciousness had been detached from her body, Clint finally took a breath. He lay on the ground with his eyes slowly opening.

Seeing Clint regain consciousness, Joyce let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness he didn’t die.

She immediately approached him and asked, “How are you?”

She wanted to ask if the curse had been broken but felt it wasn’t appropriate at this moment since he had just returned from facing death itself.

Clint weakly shook his head.

He looked at Tadasuke with a faint voice as light as a thread. “Take her to change into a yukata.”Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Tadasuke immediately complied. “Yes, Your Highness. Miss Knowles, please follow me.”

Joyce followed Tadasuke out; she glanced back at Clint once. She saw a doctor feeding him water and seemingly giving him an injection. She didn’t look again because at this moment she really needed to bathe and change clothes; otherwise, appearing in front of Luther covered in blood would frighten everyone.

Tadasuke led Joyce to Imperial Villa.

It was where Joyce had bathed last time.

An open-air hot spring with stone pools emitting steaming heat; hot water continuously poured out from stone lion mouths into them.

Joyce took off her clothes stained with fresh blood and threw them aside before stepping into the bath.

The warm water gradually washed away all her exhaustion.

She took a deep breath as her body relaxed slightly. She thoroughly cleaned herself using scented soap several times to remove the smell of blood from her body.

After washing up, two maids approached carrying long trays with intricately patterned light gold kimonos and delicate belts adorned with patterns Joyce couldn’t understand.

“Miss Knowles, I’m sorry but there are no other clothes available.”

At this moment Joyce couldn’t care about that much anymore; she changed into the kimono and blow-dried her hair. It was her first time wearing this kind of clothing; she wasn’t very skilled at it but with help from the maids they managed to dress her in the elaborate kimono.

After finishing up, the maids tied up Joyce’s hair.

Joyce walked out of Imperial Villa.

Tadasuke said to Joyce,”The Crown Prince has something to say to you.”

Joyce nodded; she also wanted to ask him if it was considered broken or not. Curses were indescribable and unprovable; whether they were broken or not could only be believed or not believed without any way to verify.

She returned to Clint’s chamber.

Joyce saw that all the candles on the floor had been removed and all traces of blood cleaned up.

Clint had changed into a black-gold robe and was sitting on the ground. His face was almost devoid of color; one could vaguely see sweat on his forehead.

Dawn was approaching outside.

Joyce walked up and asked,”Has the curse been broken?”

Clint lifted his eyes slightly and nodded lightly.

His movements were extremely light as if they were nonexistent.

“Can I leave now?” Joyce observed his expression as she asked. When under the curse’s influence earlier, she didn’t feel anything; now that it was supposedly broken, she still didn’t feel anything.

The whole experience felt like a dream that hadn’t really happened-a particularly surreal feeling.

“Mm.” Clint nodded.

Joyce felt that Clint spoke fewer words than usual tonight; he was almost silent.

But she didn’t have anything else to say or bid farewell about what she wanted to say before-she had already made herself clear on top of the cliff.

Dawn had arrived; it would be a brand new day.

Tonight they would leave Rohomes-leave this place full of controversy behind them. The conflicts here no longer concerned them. At this moment, Joyce’s heart was focused on Luther waiting outside East Palace.

“I’m leaving,” Joyce turned around.

Clint suddenly spoke behind her-his voice light as a feather carried by the cold morning wind.

“Joyce… let’s never see each other again.”

Joyce paused for a moment but didn’t turn back.

She replied softly,”Okay.”

Then she quickly walked away, faster and faster, her heart racing towards its destination.

The sky grew brighter-first with a pale glow appearing in the east-and gradually dawn broke through from afar; pale golden light spread across the earth like an unfolding painting suspended in mid-air.

Clint watched Joyce’s departing figure until it disappeared into the morning glow, the glow that enveloped East Palace’s entrance.

He closed his eyes with only one scene left in his mind; the last scene where she wore a pale golden kimono reserved exclusively for princesses during morning ceremonies, a scene where she shone brightly with clear brows and bright eyes; rosy cheeks akin to morning glow upon snow. It was so beautiful.

He thought.

This scene will never be forgotten in this lifetime.