Rebirth: The unfavored Princess is the Tyrant King's favorite-Chapter 160: His life is in danger
Luciana felt as if she had been left all alone in a dark abyss. She could no longer feel the warmth that usually accompanied her in the darkness, and it caused a deep ache to spread through her.
She felt as if she was about to lose something important to her. All this while, she had been hearing Nicholas’ faint voice as he spoke to her, but even when she tried to get to him, her efforts were rendered futile.
She felt as if she was stuck in a maze and couldn’t get out no matter how she tried. But when that chilling coldness returned, leaving her to feel all alone as if she were sinking deeper and deeper into a large vortex, she knew she couldn’t keep acting weak.
So she fought to climb up to the small light showing up ahead, growing fainter and fainter. She fought and pushed forward with all the strength she could muster until the light became closer.
And then, in the next moment, her eyes flew open. She immediately shut it back due to the piercing brightness that assaulted her eyesight.
"My lady, you are awake! Thank the deities, this is good news, my lady," Dora, who had been hovering over the princess because she was whimpering and in her sleep, yelled in a joyous voice, causing James, who had been standing guard at the door and had just been about to go to summon the imperial physician, to pause in his movements.
Luciana groggily squinted her eyes to adjust herself to the brightness before saying in a hoarse voice, 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
"Your voice is so loud it can cause a mountain to collapse."
Dora laughed happily at her princess’ words and said,
"I’ll get you some water to soothe your throat, my lady."
Dora hurriedly poured water into a cup at the side and approached her princess. She helped her to lean onto her body and gently aided her to have a few sips of water.
Luciana felt the water running down her throat, into her stomach, and she became more clear-headed.
She stared at Dora and took a look at her surroundings and found James standing by the door, through the see-through curtains separating the bed from anyone who might enter the inner chambers.
"Where’s Nick?" Luciana asked when she didn’t see the person she usually saw every time she woke up. It was today that she realized waking up to Nicholas’ piercing eyes staring at her with countless emotions churning through them was the best feeling in the world.
She felt as if she’d seen him in ages. She missed him terribly and wanted to feel his warm body as he hugged her.
Dora saw how her princess’ eyes dimmed at the absence of the prince and felt sorry for her lady.
"The prince left the capital this dawn. He is going to take care of the rebel soldiers in the Southern region. Everything happened so fast that he couldn’t even stay longer and wait to see you awake for himself," Dora said.
"He left?" Luciana whispered dejectedly.
She felt as if all her strength had drained at those words. But then she recalled hearing something about the Southern region and panicked.
"Wait... Where did you just say he went to?" Luciana asked, shooting out of bed and nearly scaring Dora in the process.
"Southern region, he left to quell the rebellion," Dora repeated, and Luciana gasped, her gaze darting towards the windows to check the weather. It looked as if the sun was just about to rise.
"When did the prince leave?" Luciana asked, trying to get out of bed.
Dora saw her princess’ struggling and went to aid her.
"My princess, be careful where you are going," Dora asked in puzzlement.
"Don’t let me repeat myself. When did the prince leave?" Luciana asked again.
"I think more than half an hour has passed since he left," Dora said.
James could only see vague shadows of the princess and Dora through the curtain, but he could hear everything they said clearly. He could already tell the princess consort wanted to get out of bed from the ruffling of sheets and Dora’s words.
"Good morning, Princess Consort. Is there something you need? I think it would be wise to stay in bed since you just woke up," James said behind the curtain.
"No, I must see Nick; I must talk to him before he leaves. The emperor and the ministers must have shared a few words with him before bidding him farewell. He must still be within the palace walls, or he might now be departing from the palace gates. I need to get to him," Luciana said.
’His life is in danger!’ she added in her mind.
"Why don’t you tell me what you want to pass to the prince? I will race with my fastest horse and tell him everything you want to say," James said, but Luciana shook her head.
’How was she going to tell James that Nicholas was in danger because something similar happened in her past life? Would James not think she was crazy?’ She thought and stood on her wobbly feet and weakly tried to make her way to the door.
"No, I must tell him myself," she insisted.
"I’ll go and find Nicholas myself; prepare a horse for me," she said in a weak voice that was full of authority.
James saw the stubbornness in the Princess Consort’s gaze and knew she couldn’t be stopped, so he went out to carry the instructions and found one of the best horses in the stable and saddled it with the softest and most comfortable saddle he could find and helped the princess consort onto its back.
Luciana whipped past James and Dora like a gust of wind as she made her way to the main palace gates.
James got onto a second horse and galloped away after her, trying to keep up with her speed.
Luciana reached the palace gates in no time, but the place looked like it was as usual, with guards stationed at the entrance and officers who were checking those who came in and out of the palace kept working leisurely.
Luciana stared in front of her at the long path in front of the palace and saw that no one was on the road, and her heart shook.
’She was late; Nicholas had left!’ She thought and saw James come to stand beside her on another horse, but she kept looking ahead onto the road, contemplating if it would be safe to bolt through those doors and go after her husband.
