[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 48

"I get it. You just didn’t think to ask. It’s understandable—my little rabbit is faint-hearted, after all." 

When Edwin turned back to me, he tried to stifle a laugh, occasionally biting his lip as he patted my back. 

‘Even if he says that, he wouldn’t have guaranteed my survival without me awakening my jewelcrafting powers.’ 

I had fallen from the sky, but that only proved half of the prophecy.  

I comforted myself with this thought, and the feeling of emptiness faded.  

No matter what, now that I had secured my survival, I felt a sense of calm. With that calmness came a few lingering questions. 

"Is there no way to break the curse?" 

If the curse could be resolved, it would give us an advantage in the conflict with the imperial family. 

"There isn’t. From what I’ve heard, our ancestors researched it for centuries without success." 

Edwin shook his head, but then he seemed to remember something. "Oh, right. My father did say something strange before he died…" 

"What did he say?" 

"He told me to hold on a little longer and that he would make sure I wouldn't suffer anymore." 

Had he found something even more effective than the opal? What could it have been? 

***

“The Crown Prince had tea with the Lady of Shabini,” the aide reported. Duke Peyton, who had been diligently working with perfect posture, set his pen down. 

“So, he’s weighing his options?” 

“It seems that way,” the aide, Ferron, answered with a slight smile. 

“The Shabini Duke must be feeling quite pleased with himself.” 

Duke Peyton spoke with an indifferent expression. 

“Indeed. He hasn’t exactly hidden his ambitions for the position of Crown Princess.” 

“Ugh, this is going to be exhausting.” 

The Duke frowned, his already cold demeanour growing even icier. 

“Especially with that prophecy about finding the owner of the jewel…” 

Watching the Duke's reaction, Ferron carefully mentioned the Crown Prince’s prophecy. 

“I’m not sending Evelyn to the imperial family. She will inherit the family.” 

“But what about how the Emperor and Crown Prince see it…?” 

Ferron wore a troubled expression, and the Duke sighed quietly. Despite having already announced Evelyn as the family’s heir, the Crown Prince continued to compare her to Lady Shabini. Given that the prophecy mentioned jewels, it was inevitable, but it was putting Peyton’s side in a difficult position. 

It wasn’t just about the tug-of-war between the Crown Prince and Duke Shabini. They couldn’t afford to give the impression that they opposed the imperial family by refusing the Crown Prince’s invitation. 

If, by some chance, the Crown Prince chose Evelyn, it would be disastrous. The family would lose a capable heir, and Evelyn’s dream of becoming the head of the family would be shattered. 

‘How can I extricate us from this selection process without offending the Crown Prince?’ 

The Duke’s eyes darkened with thought. 

Knock, knock. 

“Master, there’s trouble,” the butler’s urgent voice came from beyond the door. At the Duke’s nod, Ferron quickly opened the door to the study. 

“What is it?” 

“The young lady has a high fever and cannot regain consciousness.” 

Before the butler had finished speaking, the Duke was already out of his chair and heading for the door, with Ferron and the butler following closely behind. 

“What happened?” The Duke asked as he entered Evelyn’s bedroom, addressing her maid. 

“Well, when she overslept more than usual, I went in to wake her, and her body was burning up,” the maid answered, her voice trembling. 

The Duke sat on the edge of Evelyn’s bed and placed his hand on her forehead. As the maid said, Evelyn's body was burning up. 

"Fetch the physician, now!" The Duke barked the order, and the butler rushed out immediately. While waiting for the physician, the Duke remained by Evelyn's side, not moving an inch. 

"I've brought the physician," the butler announced, breathless from hurrying. The Duke stepped aside to allow the doctor to approach. After thoroughly examining Evelyn, the physician's face darkened. 

"What illness is it?" the Duke demanded. 

"It appears to be a fever," the physician replied. 

"A fever? Evelyn has never caught a cold, not even in the dead of winter. And now you're saying it's a fever?" 

"At the moment, I can't pinpoint the exact cause of the illness. I'll need to conduct further investigations." 

The Duke's expression hardened at the physician's response. 

"You can treat it, right?" 

"Please don't worry. A fever is a common illness." 

"I'm trusting you with this," the Duke said. The physician, bowing his head, swiftly exited the room. The Duke sat down beside Evelyn again, holding her feverish hand tightly. 

"Olson, find out why Evelyn came down with this fever." 

"Understood," the butler responded and hurried out of the room, taking the maid Zelene with him. 

The Duke was tormented by the thought of his usually healthy daughter suddenly falling ill with a fever. As he wrestled with his concern, something occurred to him. 

"Ferron," he called quietly, and his aide stepped closer. 

"Do you remember Evelyn's prophecy?" 

"Of course, how could I forget?" 

"Could this be related to that prophecy?" The Duke's face showed a hint of unease as he spoke. 

*"If the true master of Metel's origin is not found, everything will be lost."*   That was the prophecy Evelyn had received. It was an unusually heavy and ominous prophecy compared to the usual ones, which often concerned future spouses or professions.