Two-Faced Princess - Chapter 288

“I… I just needed it.”

“What kind of drug is it?”

“…It’s one that slightly clouds the memory.”

Paris’s face turned icy. As Amoretta took a step back, Paris moved closer, gripping her shoulder.

“What are you trying to forget?”

“It’s just… I’ve been having trouble sleeping. It’s almost like a sleeping pill.”

“You’re trembling.”

Paris leaned in closer to Amoretta.

“Is it because you starved a maid a few days ago? Can’t even punish a fool who spills tea on my bed?”

“No… It wasn’t that.”

“Then, was it for driving away the impudent servant two days ago? You took his side then too.”

Paris’s eyes glinted dangerously. They appeared a mix of ruby and pumpkin, shining with a faint blood-red hue.

“It wasn’t that, Your Highness.”

“So, it was because of the boy who was whipped yesterday.”

“Your Highness…”

Amoretta’s voice trembled. Paris smirked, nodding.

“Every time someone disrespects me, you always take their side.”

“…There was no need to beat a twelve-year-old boy to a pulp. He might not even walk again.”

Amoretta responded hesitantly. Paris’s cold gaze slid from her downcast eyes to her legs.

“…You seemed concerned. Afraid he might end up like you?”

“Your Highness!”

Amoretta looked at Paris with a hurt expression.

Ever since she entered the palace, Paris had become increasingly cruel. No, Amoretta had realized it now. The Paris she loved had always been this way. It was just that she hadn’t been with him all the time to witness it.

She could no longer rely entirely on Paris. However, not loving him was even harder. Since realizing his true nature, a smile had ceased to grace Amoretta’s beautiful face, which irritated Paris.

But Paris knew he had to hide his feelings at times. Even if she had become useless in business matters, Amoretta was still an important person to him.

“Sigh… I’m sorry, Amoretta.”

Paris sighed, addressing her in a gentler tone. But internally, his irritation persisted. It was becoming harder to be kind to Amoretta. She had become overly gentle, and would cry annoyingly whenever he treated his subordinates harshly.

“I’ll make sure such things don’t happen again.”

He embraced Amoretta, making the false promise. Of course, it was a lie, but she wouldn’t know.

“Ever since my father announced the succession plan, many have targeted me. Hence, I’ve been on edge. As I’ve told you before, my position is vulnerable.”

He pushed Amoretta’s soft, black hair behind her ear as he spoke. She remained with downcast eyes, still trembling.

“That’s why I asked for it. About the drug that can grant me eternal power.”

He lifted her chin to meet her eyes.

“If you don’t help, I’ll always live in danger. And the people around me will suffer. You are my hope.”

“Your Highness…”

Amoretta looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. Her deep gaze, laden with moisture, was enchantingly captivating, still filled with affection for him.

“It… it might be possible.”

Amoretta replied in a barely audible voice. A noticeable smile spread across Paris’s face.

“Really?”

As Paris asked again, she nodded slightly. He embraced her tightly once more.

“Amoretta, my love, you do love me.”

He pleaded. He knew very well what Amoretta’s weakness was.

“…I love you.”

Amoretta replied. Though she seemed reluctant, her response was sincere.

“You’d do anything for me, wouldn’t you?”

Slowly, Amoretta nodded. A tear she’d held back rolled down her cheek.

“Smile for me, Amoretta. And promise me you’ll never betray me, no matter what.”

She forced a smile, a gesture that looked even more beautiful in its pained sincerity. Amoretta’s lips moved, and the answer Paris wanted came out.

“As long as Amoretta exists, I won’t betray His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Returning to his room, Paris couldn’t hide his grin.

“Perhaps it might be possible…”

Amoretta wouldn’t speak without a basis. She must be close to completing the drug that changes one’s eye color forever. This was monumental. It aligned with the advice the emperor had once given. If Paris wanted to keep his allies, looking the part to earn their respect was essential.

He remembered his days on the battlefield. When the drugs sent by Amoretta via the courier weren’t timely, he would lie awake, anxiously fearing the effects would wear off.

Moreover, preserving the golden eyes without Amoretta had another implication, a crucial issue for him now.

“What I desire is Amoretta.”

The words of Duke Fortrus crossed his mind again. This time, Paris didn’t push the thought away but instead pondered it repeatedly. He remembered the duke’s desperate gaze, as if his soul was captured by the sight of Amoretta.

“Bring me paper and a pen.”

He instructed the maid. A few seconds later, with a black fountain pen in hand, he penned down a brief letter.

[Show your sincerity if you want Amoretta.]

“Deliver this to Duke Fortrus.”

He folded the letter, handed it to the maid, and leaned back in his chair, imagining the funds and power he would acquire. Amoretta loved Paris. This was an immutable fact.

‘She’d do anything for me.’

She would understand Paris. And if needed, she’d return to him anytime. Who else has Amoretta given her heart to? He was her only love, her salvation.

However, Paris was oblivious to one detail. As he closed his eyes with a satisfied smile, a tiny monkey with wings, the same color as the ceiling, flew right above him.

The creature gave Paris a quick glance and then vanished out the window in a blink.

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