Chapter 82 – We need to save the male lead (3)

Translator: SKAIS Editor: Dict Groiler

I’m sure that would be the case when he does arrive. His appearance changes intermittently. We dodged the bullet with the guards, mainly because they don’t go visit his cell. Furthermore, they haven’t noticed any of Ricdorian’s changes at all.

But that didn’t mean we can fool the Archduke, who, from time to time, would come visit Ricdorian.

“That would turn this prison upside down, and neither you nor I would be safe.” proceeded Mr. Jair. I was silent for a moment, before eventually speaking up.

“You’re being so… indifferent to this matter.” I told him suspiciously.

“Well, to be honest, you seem a little bit cool with it yourself.” he shot back after a moment’s silence. I frowned. Personally, I think I was beginning to be a little sloppy.

“No, I don’t think so.”

Truthfully, I don’t know if everything would turn out to be okay with the Archduke’s visit, however, I’m prepared for everything. Furthermore, there was no reason for me to tell Jair that I already knew everything.

“You seem to be a very unusual girl, which was exactly my first impression of you.”

I snorted.

“I hear that a lot. Anyway, what’s our plan?”

I heard a short chuckle coming from the bracelet. But instead of it sounding as if they were joyful, they sounded more like in pain, or at least trying to chase it away with laughter.

“You’re on the verge of getting caught, my dear. And in this situation, there are only two ways to solve this problem.” I nodded as I listened to his solutions.

“First, one of us is to put the prisoner on the wall and erase all traces of magic.”

Me?! I thought in alarm. “Erase it?”

“Or…” He paused, “We must not, at all costs, let the Archduke visit this place from the very beginning.”

If it were up to me, I’d definitely choose the latter. It’s a much better option in my opinion.

“Okay, I think I’m seeing everything now. So, how do we go about them?”

“Well, first things first, it’s highly unlikely we’ll be able to pull off the first option. Once the magic has been activated, it cannot be easily reversed.”

“So we go with the second option.” I tell him in a matter-of-fact voice.

“Yes, we do. We stop him from coming, blocking out the source of our problems.”

“So, how can I help with that?”

“It’s quite simple really.” he starts, “The one thing we’re certain of, is that the Archduke only ever visits his son when he is healthy.”

I nodded, finally seeing what strategy we would be going with. The Archduke would want to wait until his son’s health is good enough, before trying to visit him, and potentially abuse him all over.

He probably wants a clean slate to marr and bruise over again.

But that gave me pause. I might have understood, but that didn’t mean I could put it out in words. If the Archduke visits his son only when he is back in peak health, then that would mean if Ricdorian isn’t…

Archduke Harnim won’t come. And that’s what we’re going to do. That was what Mr. Jair was implying.

Are you trying to force me to hurt him now?

“Are you suggesting I purposely make Ricdorian ill?” I asked, aghast at the prospect of what I would be expected to do.

“Yes, that’s right.”

I had no words, I was completely speechless! I took deep breaths and bit the inside of my lower lip.

Did I think it was an amazing plan? No.

But is it groundbreaking? Of that I have no doubt!

I thought rather sarcastically. Mr. Jair was Ricdorian’s right hand man, and he wanted me to hurt him?!

Deep breaths, Iana. Let’s try to calm down. I haven’t even heard everything I should do yet to make this plan happen.

“You mean, of course, is to make it appear like he is sick?” I asked for clarification, because he might only be talking about not really as in sick sick, but just like sick.

“No.” Mr. Jair corrected. “I meant what I said. Make him sick.”

“The person who will be visiting him is not someone you can just fool with mere parlor tricks.”

Well that’s just great! Note the sarcasm. It was going to take a whole lot of work to do this. But is this really the only method we have? Should Mr. Jair even suggest this? Especially if he cared for Ricdorian, as much as he claimed to?

Even if our relationship isn’t really much like the one portrayed in the original story, we still have the same goal here.

However, for now, all complaints will be saved for later. I should probably hear him out until the end.

“It doesn’t have to be something that would hurt him too much. At the very least he should be seriously ill enough for the guards to confirm and report back to his father that he, indeed, was sick.”

“Are you mad!?” I hissed at him.

“It would be nice if he were to exhibit a severe body condition or vomit blood.”

What? Make Ricdorian vomit blood? I was astonished. I don’t know everything about Jair, but I don’t even feel an ounce of respect and consideration coming from him for Ricdorian’s well-being the more I listen to him.

Nadda. Zilch. Any angle I could think of, I’m not sensing any! It wasn’t even like he was bothered at all because he kept speaking!

“Oh, how about the magic that causes the body aches, like before, the one that you..”

“Mr. Jair.” I cut off his words calmly. “I was trying to ask if you wanted to hurt the prisoner on purpose.”

There was a pause in Jair’s continuous monologue on how to hurt Ricdorian. But I could tell the connection was still there. I could still hear him breathing.

“Miss Iana, it might be impossible to comprehend, but what you don’t understand is that you are being deceived-”

“Mr. Jair.” I interrupted, my voice sounding a little more authoritative. “I wonder, did you know, not too long ago, I’ve seen him collapse and fall on the floor.” I seethed.

I could imagine him swallowing down, finally stopping to suggest ridiculous things. So I pushed on…

I told him how I found him, bloodied, on the floor.

And who did he think broke the rules just to clean him up? Nurse him back to health? Brought him medicine? Fed him?!

Of course it’s me.

“Did you even sneak into the cellar late at night so that the prisoner wouldn’t get sick anymore?” I asked him furiously.

I had taken every risk and measure I could think of, hoping that Ricdorian would be less sick by the time I returned to check up on him! The bloody appearance I found him in was so painful to look at. I thought it would be not bad if I could help even a little to ease his pain.

And now…

“And now you want me to get him sick on purpose? I can’t!” I all but yelled at him. “If anyone else saw that terrible condition he was in, no one else would agree with what you were planning.” I was more determined than ever.

“He’s sick! But you know what? He couldn’t make a sound, not even a groan, because it hurts so much!”

It was like he wasn’t even aware of these things! Because if he did, he wouldn’t even dare suggest such a thing! I’m sounding like a broken record here, but from what source did he even get the idea from? Was Ricdorian just a mere doll to play for him?!

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