Ch. 2081..2090
Chapter 2081 Going Over To You
"Yes!" William sighed in sadness and said, “Maybe it was destined by God that I would never be able to stand up for the rest of my life.”
“No. I'll definitely think of something,” Francesca quickly answered. “Start a video call with me now. I want to have a look at your legs.”
William started a video call with her. Prior to that, he had a sensation in his legs, and he could feel pain. Besides that, he would have a reaction when someone was to tap his knee. However, it had returned to the state before the treatment.
He couldn't feel a thing in his legs, and it was as if he was wearing prosthetic ones.
Francesca was worried. If this goes on, all the efforts before this would be in vain.
“Take your medicine, Your Highness.” Suddenly, Robin walked in to give William a glass of water and a capsule.
When William was about to eat the capsule, Francesca yelled, “Wait!”
William froze and turned toward her. “What is it?"
"Are you taking painkillers?” Francesca stared at the capsule William was holding in his hand. “Are you feeling pain in other parts of your body, or are you just taking it for your legs?”
"I-I'm taking it for a headache.” William's eyes lit up.
“Take some medicine for the headache, then. Why are you taking painkillers?” Francesca was becoming more alarmed. “Are you feeling pain in other parts of your body? Is your lumbar spine hurting?”
William kept mum, but Robin couldn't hold himself back anymore. He dropped to his knees and said, “Your Highness, even if you're going to punish me, I need to say this.”
He then turned toward the screen and uttered, “Ms. Felch, His Highness has been feeling pain in his waist for days now. We dont know what's going on. Basically, his condition has returned to its original state. Actually, it's even worse than that now!”
“How dare you, Robin!” William fumed. “Stop talking nonsense!”
"Your Highness—"
“Shut up!” William stopped Robin from saying anything further. Left without a choice, Robin lowered his head and retreated to the side.
“Francesca, don't worry about me, okay? I'm fine.” William flashed a gentle smile at Francesca. "When are you coming back?” Francesca knew William didn’t want her to worry about him, which was why he hid his worsening condition. I have the responsibility to fix his condition.
“I'm stuck in Danontand, and I don't think I'll be able to go back anytime soon.” William's expression turned solemn, and he added, “It was my parents’ death anniversaries two days ago. I came back to pay my respects, but my cousins had already laid their traps for me.”
“This is outrageous!” Francesca was infuriated. “You're not even going to snatch the throne from them! Why don't they just let you be?”
“I have no idea.” William smiled wryly. “Perhaps they'll only be happy once I'm dead.”
"William, get a grip on yourself!” Francesca froze for a while and uttered hurriedly, “I'll go to Danontand to give you treatment.”
"Are you serious? You would come here?” William was over the moon. However, he got worried again, and he said, “No. I don't want to drag you into anything.”
“That might not be a problem,” Robin chimed in. “Isn't the king looking for a doctor for you, Your Highness? Ms. Felch should just pretend to be your doctor. That way, those people aren't going to harm her. After all, Ms. Felch had been hiding her identity when she was treating you before this. Those people won't know who she is.”
“That might work.” William was hesitating. “However, wouldn't Mr. Lindberg be upset?”
“It's not going to be a problem. He's not that petty,” Francesca immediately answered. “I still remember that you have a treatment room in your house, and it has all the medical tools I need. I'll give you a list of medicines I need, okay? Help me get them. I'm going over to you tomorrow.” “Thank you, Francesca!”
“I'm going to cure you. I promise you!"
Chapter 2082 Report
After booking her flight to Danontand that night, Francesca waited for Danrique to call her. At that time, it was late at night in S Nation, and it was evening time where Danrique was.
Logically speaking, he was supposed to call her after dealing with Hazel. However, he didn't do that. Francesca was sad and slightly angry.
Initially, Francesca planned to tell Danrique about her trip to Danontand on the phone because she didn’t want him to get angry without knowing why she had to go there. Since he's not calling me to explain his relationship with Hazel, I'm not going to tell him about the trip. After all, it's also his responsibility to keep this relationship going!
The next morning during breakfast, Francesca told Anthony about her trip to Danontand. She also reminded Anthony to take his medication on time and visit the orphanage.
Anthony frowned and asked, “Why are you going to Danontand at this time? Are you going to look for Prince William?"
“His sickness is acting up again, and his condition is worse than before. Since he’s stuck there, I'm going to him,” Francesca explained.
“Is there such a coincidence?” Anthony was unconvinced. “Is he just looking for an excuse to get you to go over to him?”
“Exactly! Why are you going to Danontand all of a sudden? Does Mr. Lindberg know about it?” Kerrie asked anxiously.
“I haven't told him yet.” Francesca drank her milk and said, “Regardless, I think he’s going to know about it soon.”
Francesca spoke about it during breakfast so that Kerrie would hear about it.
She knew Kerrie had been reporting her activities to Sean.
“I dislike Danrique, but I dislike Prince William even more.” Anthony frowned. “I keep feeling like he’s trouble.”
"He's so pretentious,” Kerrie blurted.
“Enough!” Francesca was fuming when she scolded, “Don't talk about my friend like that!”
“I'm sorry, Ms. Felch,” Kerrie quickly apologized.
The Lindberg family's rules were very strict, and she had always been careful with her words and behavior. Nevertheless, she had been with Francesca for too long, so she gradually forgot how to behave herself.
Anthony merely looked at Francesca sheepishly and kept mum.
“I'll pack up and go to the airport.” Francesca put the utensils aside and reminded, “Kerrie, look after Anthony while I'm away.”
"What? Are you not bringing me along, Ms. Felch?” Kerrie was getting anxious. “Mr. Lindberg said I should always protect you.”
“I have work to do there, and you'll be a disturbance.” Francesca was getting impatient. “Stay here and look after Anthony. That's what you need to help me with.”
"But—"
“No buts! Just do as I say!”
“All right.” Kerrie didn't dare to utter another word.
Francesca then went upstairs to pack. After helping Anthony back to his room to rest, Kerrie went back to her room to call Sean.
The phone rang for a long time, but no one picked up. It's three something in the morning in Xendale. Is Sean sleeping?
Half an hour later, Sean still hadn't replied, so Kerrie was overwhelmed with anxiety.
By then, Francesca was done packing, and she had gone downstairs to bid Anthony goodbye. After that, she was going to drive to the airport.
Anthony was worried about her, so he reminded her, “Take care of yourself, okay? Call me if you need anything.”
"Okay." Francesca merely waved without turning back. With that, she got into her car and sped off. When Kerrie rushed out of her room, Francesca had already left. Anxious, she quickly called Sean again.
This time around, he picked up. Kerrie told Sean that Francesca was going to Danontand, and she asked, “Ms. Felch had already gone to the airport. What should I do?”
“You're not going to catch up to her if you go after her now. Even if you could, there's no point if Ms. Felch isn't bringing you to Danontand.”
"W-What should I do, then?”
“I'll report this to Mr. Lindberg. He'll decide what to do,” Sean answered.
Chapter 2083 Rat
Sean arrived outside Danrique’s room and was about to knock on the door. Right then, he remembered how busy Danrique had been as he was dealing with work. He hadn't slept in three days, and he had finally fallen asleep tonight. I shouldn't wake him up, right?
With that in mind, he retracted his hand. Since he can't change a thing about it anymore, I should just wait for him to wake up and report the situation to him.
Just like that, he waited for four hours. When Danrique woke up in the morning, he went downstairs for breakfast.
With a teacup in his hand, he froze momentarily when Sean told him about the situation. With a frown, he asked, “When did this happen?”
“Four hours ago,” Sean answered sheepishly. “I thought you'd been busy these few days and could finally sleep. Hence, I didn’t want to wake you up. After all, there was nothing you could do at that point.”
"Who gave you the right to make such decisions on your own?” Danrique slammed the teacup on the table and fumed, “You're getting bolder, aren't you?"
“Calm down, Mr. Lindberg.” Sean lowered his head and fell silent.
Danrique whipped out his phone and called Francesca.
However, he couldn't get through to her. She's still on the plane, isn't she? Fine! When I asked her to come to Erihal, she told me she was busy and that she needed to take care of someone and the orphanage. However, she could just pack up and leave for another man. It seems like I don’t mean anything to her at all.
The more Danrique thought about it, the more his anger brewed. He then swept all the things on the table to the ground angrily.
The bodyguards and the maids were frightened, and they all retreated to the side to avoid getting into trouble.
After a long while, Danrique regained his composure and ordered calmly, “Go and find out what's going on with William.”
“Got it.” Sean knew what Danrique wanted to find out, so he quickly relayed the message to Gordon.
Danrique then calmly left the dining room and instructed flatly, “Get the car ready. I'm going to the office.”
"Yes, Mr. Lindberg.”
Mylo quickly got people to send the car over. After that, he pulled Sean to the side and asked, “Sean, what do you think is going on with Mr. Lindberg? Judging by his usual personality, he should be getting on a plane as soon as possible to meet up with Ms. Felch, no? Why is he so calm now?” Sean gave a laconic reply by saying, “Perhaps he’s planning on doing something else.”
"What do you mean?” Mylo didn't understand what he meant.
"Cut the cr*p and get on with your duties,” Sean urged.
“Okay.”
Danrique went straight to the office without doing anything about the matter.
However, he had a stern expression throughout the day, and his cold temperament was giving everyone chills.
A bad feeling rose from within Sloan as he witnessed Danrique’s behavior. He then secretly gave Francesca a phone call.
It took a while for the call to be connected. “Hello!”
“Ms. Felch?” Sloan heard an announcement coming from an airport, so he asked, “Are you... in Danontand already?”
"Even you know about it? The news traveled rather fast, didn't it?” Francesca rolled her eyes. I knew it! Danrique told Kerrie to be by my side so that she could watch me.
“Mr. Lindberg threw a huge tantrum, and he had even scolded Sean.” Sloan covered his mouth and whispered, “Ms. Felch, quickly give Mr. Lindberg a call and give him an explanation, okay?”
"What is there to explain?” Francesca couldn’t be bothered. “It's not like he’s explaining things to me."
“But—"
“Is he doing anything about it?" Francesca asked curiously. After Danrique found out about it, would he fly to Danontand right away, or would he call me and lecture me?
"All that I know is that Mr. Lindberg had thrown a huge tantrum.” Obviously, Sloan wasn't going to tell her that Danrique had ordered someone to investigate William.
“Where is he now? Is he at home or at the office?” Francesca asked.
"He's at the office,” Sloan whispered. “His expression had been grim all day long, and we're all getting anxious.”
"Don’t worry. He's not going to do anything to you guys. All right. I need to get to work now. Thank you for the update, Sloan,” Francesca answered.
q
Chapter 2084 Conflicts In The Palace
After hanging up the phone, Francesca checked her call log and saw a missed call from Danrique. She missed the call because she was still on the plane. He didn't even leave me a text.
Francesca was contemplating whether to call him back. He didn’t explain anything to me about his meeting with Hazel. Why should I explain anything to him?
Upon that thought, Francesca kept her phone and walked out of the airport with her luggage.
"Are you Ms. Felch?” Suddenly, a few suited men stopped Francesca in her tracks and said, “His Majesty sent us. Please come with us.”
Before Francesca arrived, William had already told the king about her. The king then sent her an invitation, so she went to Danontand as a doctor for William.
Hence, it was normal for the king to send men over to fetch her.
However, Francesca sensed something amiss. Before she could ask them anything, those men had surrounded her, and they were rushing for her to get to their car.
Francesca immediately knew something was up. She wouldn't get into their car, and she said, “Prince William said he was going to send people here to fetch me. I'd better give him a call first.” “That's not necessary. Please hop in.” One of the bodyguards was pushing Francesca into the car. Francesca furrowed her brows, and she was about to fight back. Right at that moment, a familiar voice sounded. “Dr. Felch!”
She turned toward the voice and saw Robin. He was accompanied by a few palace guards and an old military officer.
Robin bowed and smiled before saying, “Everyone, this is the doctor His Majesty had invited over for His Highness. I'll bring her to His Highness right away to save you guys the trouble.”
He was extremely humble and courteous to those bodyguards.
Those bodyguards didn’t want to cause a scene in public. However, they had their orders, so they said, “We're just obeying orders from—"
"Orders? Whose orders?” The old military officer stepped forward and asked sternly, “Did His Majesty order you guys to bring this doctor back to the palace? Why didn't I hear anything about it? Should I call to seek a confirmation?”
Those bodyguards’ expressions changed immediately when they saw the military officer. After they bowed, they hastily left with their heads hung low.
Robin heaved a sigh of relief and bowed to the old military officer. “Thank you, Mr. Faulkner!”
"His Majesty is a busy man, so he wouldn't have the time to pay attention to trivial matters like this. Who knew that someone would take advantage of the situation? Fortunately, you found me in the nick of time. Otherwise, Prince William's treatment would've gotten delayed. That would be bad,” Silas Faulkner uttered in a helpless tone.
"You're right. Luckily, you're here.” Robin heaved a sigh.
"His Majesty had been worried about His Highness’ health.” Silas patted his shoulder. “Nonetheless, His Majesty is of age, so there are a lot of things he can't oversee.”
“I understand.”
After a brief small talk, Silas left with his subordinates. Before he left, he threw a glance at Francesca. “I'm sorry for the trouble you had to go through, Ms. Felch. Let's get into the car.” Robin didn't wish to invite trouble to themselves, so he quickly dragged Francesca into the car.
“It seems like there are still a lot of conflicts in the palace.” Francesca checked the rearview mirror and noticed that they were being tailed.
“Quick! Let's leave!” Robin urged. After that, he uttered helplessly, “These people just won't quit!” “Let me.” Francesca switched seats with the driver and said, “Set the destination.”
"Okay." The driver quickly set the destination on the GPS navigator in the car.
Francesca started the car and floored the accelerator.
The driver lost his balance and almost smashed into the windshield. At the back, Robin fell off his seat, and he was frightened.
Francesca was unfazed. She drove fast through the traffic and arrived at William's castle in no time. q
Chapter 2085 Savior
Robin and the two bodyguards descended the car on wobbly feet, their faces pale.
William was already waiting at the door for Francesca. Initially stunned by the sight, he laughed a second later. “Hah! Did Francesca drive?”
"Somebody was following us. We had to shake them off quickly.” Francesca got out of the car and threw her key at a subordinate. “Ms. Felch’s driving was sublime.”
Robin finally regained his composure and exclaimed to himself. “Haha! You are old, Robin,” William teased with a smile before a bout of coughing overtook him.
“Your Highness!” Robin stepped forward at once to pat his back.
"Why are you so pale, William?” Francesca walked closer to examine William's condition and reached out to feel his forehead. “You have a fever.”
“It's been a week, and this has been going on since the third day after coming back. My body temperature keeps fluctuating but never seems to drop back down.”
“It all depends on you now, Ms. Felch,” Robin said anxiously.
“Hush.” William frowned at Robin before gazing tenderly at Francesca. “It's not as serious as he says, Frannie. It's only a mild fever, and it might be the fluctuating weather to which I have not grown accustomed.”
“Get inside first. Ill examine you.”
Francesca wheeled William indoors while Robin gestured at the servants to bring Francesca’s luggage and backpack in their wake.
Bodyguards and palace folk filled both sides of the castle. All of them bowed at Francesca upon her entry as if she were the castle's savior—the goddess who would decide their fate.
After all, a devastating fate awaited them if William died.
Once in the royal chambers, Francesca washed her hands before thoroughly examining William She drew a conclusion after over an hour. “You have been poisoned again!”
Robin was shocked. “Huh? How could that be? We have been exceedingly careful this time. We have tested all food and drinks before His Highness’ consumption.”
“This speaks volumes of the skill of our enemy in administering the poison.” Francesca took out a vial of medicine from her backpack and handed it to Robin. “Three times a day, before meals. We'll use the first one now.”
"At once.” Robin dashed off to fetch water for William.
William did not feel any different after taking the medicine. “Is it that serious, Frannie?” he asked Francesca.
“The enemy intends to kill you. What do you think?” Francesca retorted. “The one who administered the poison is an expert.”
"What do you mean?” William urged.
"You have exhibited symptoms within several days. It shows that it's not a slow-acting poison. However, it is not killing you outright. The enemy must be controlling the dosage to have you die by poisoning at an opportune moment.”
Francesca studied the markings on the needle and provided an assertive analysis
"How despicable!” Robin was enraged. "Our prince does not fight nor conquer; he wants only to lead a quiet life. Why are we harassed to such a degree?”
“It's no use lamenting now. The first order of business is to track down the origin of this poison as soon as possible.” Francesca gazed over the surroundings before addressing William, “You need to clean your castle up, William.”
"As you say.” William nodded and raised his voice. “Everybody, adhere to Ms. Felch’s arrangements!” "Yes!" chorused Robin and the group of subordinates and servants in unison.
After obtaining William's permission, Francesca ordered decisively, “Man all the entry and exit points, Robin. Nobody shall pass through within the next twelve hours. And nobody is allowed to have contact with the outside world.”
"Yes, Ms. Felch.” Robin conveyed the order.
“Solve the problem at the source,” Francesca added to Robin as she glanced at her watch. “Have everybody gather at the door an hour from now. I will conduct an examination then.”
Chapter 2086 The Interrogation
"Yes, Ms. Felch.” Robin left at once to execute her orders. “Now, I wish to examine the master tap of your water source, the tap in your room, and the storage room.” Francesca picked up her backpack. “I'll come with you.”
William made a gesture, and a servant stepped forth at once to wheel him to accompany Francesca in her investigation. “Are you suspecting somebody of poisoning the water source, Frannie?” William asked.
“You should have already guessed that you've been poisoned and had quietly conducted an investigation,” Francesca inferred. “You are so clever.” William sighed.
“Through your prior investigation, it's plain that the kitchen and everywhere else contained nothing out of the ordinary. If that's the case, the problem lies in the dark,” Francesca surmised. “Aside from the water source and the storage room, I can't think of anywhere else.”
“We have considered the water source actually,” William said. “Everybody in the castle drink from the same source I do. How would they be fine if the water source is contaminated?”
"How do you know they are fine?" Francesca argued. William was taken aback. The servants began to panic.
“All of your brows are unnaturally dark,” Francesca declared gravely. “That is a symptom of mild poisoning. The poison showed upon your brow because of the nature of your constitution and your consumption of medication. That explains why your reaction is more visible. To be blunt, if I came over in another few months, I'm afraid that not a single living thing would be left in this castle. It will have become a ghost town!”
At those words, everybody turned pale with fright.
“How vicious of them!”
William shook with anger. Usually calm and assertive, he could not control his emotions at that moment.
“Fortunately, it's not too late.”
Francesca then examined the water source and discovered something. The poison was subtle and difficult to trace but would become fatal after a long and gradual accumulation within the body. William's bodily reaction to it appeared quickly, firstly because he was a yearlong invalid of a weak constitution and secondly because he had been consuming Francesca’s medicine.
The reaction arose because the medicine clashed with the poison.
It was also due to the reaction’s speed that precautions could be taken on time.
Otherwise, William would only exhibit symptoms several months later like the others. By then, Francesca would not be able to do anything, no matter how prodigious her medical skills were. Before accompanying Francesca to investigate the storage room, William had somebody turn off the water supply. She looked around closely and found a box of sealed essential oils.
She had somebody open it, then personally examine a sample with a silver needle, only to discover something wrong with the bottle of oil.
“These essential oils are specially for my use,” William explained. “As I suffer from insomnia, I require lavender to induce sleep. I have been ordering them from an old friend, and he probably wouldn't harm me..."
“I don't know who it is that is harming you. The bottom line is that there is something wrong with the essential oils.” She was sure as she went on, “I am only responsible for identifying things laced with poison. As for the person who did it, you need to figure that out yourself.”
“Understood.” William nodded.
At that moment, a servant came to report that the crowd had gathered at the door in wait. Francesca and William headed toward the door. “Have there been any newcomers to the castle of late?”
“No, it's always been the loyal servants left by my parents,” William lamented. “Only some close bodyguards around me were hired two years ago. The rest have been around for a while. I don't think they would harm me.”
“I hope so. But man’s motives remain unfathomable.”
Francesca did not say much else as she followed William to the entrance.
Bodyguards, soldiers, maids, and servants who totaled up to seventy to eighty stood in a neat row at the entrance to await Francesca’s interrogation.
The bodyguards and the soldiers appeared relatively calm as they were used to significant events. On the other hand, the servants and the maids stood shivering in nervousness and fear.
Chapter 2087 It Would Not Kill Them
William and Robin were both curious as to how Francesca might opt to approach that. Though aware of how remarkable her medical expertise was, they were surprised that she also knew how to oversee an interrogation.
Francesca looked those people over before she declared with finality, “You're all in the clear and may leave now.” Everyone was stunned to hear that.
The maids exchanged befuddled looks amongst themselves, and even the bodyguards and soldiers were quite confounded. None of them were unable to comprehend how Francesca managed to arrive at that conclusion. Could it be that the answer was written on all of our faces?
On Robin's face was a look of bafflement as well. “Are you saying that you are letting them go, Ms. Felch?"
"Yeah. You are all dismissed. Go on back to your posts.” Francesca clapped her hands. Looking toward William who nodded in assent, Robin could only follow through accordingly and disperse them.
"What are we to do next?” Robin asked Francesca respectfully.
“That is for the two of you to decide.” Francesca then turned to William. “Now that we have found the proof, would you like to invite Federico over? Shall we let him have a look at the evidence so that we could find the real culprit and set things right for you?”
“It wouldn't help.” William put on a bitter smile. “In spite of having identified the problem, we still haven't found the perpetrator, and even if we did, it'll be pointless if we aren't able to ferret out whoever is behind all of this.”
“Then what do you intend to do about it? Keep allowing yourself to get pushed around?” Francesca asked.
“Il won't. I know what I'm doing. Since they won't let me off even if I stayed away, I might as well take the fight straight to them,” replied William in a low voice, narrowing his eyes.
“That's the spirit,” Francesca said encouragingly. “Even though we don't want to hurt others, we can't let them walk all over us either. Otherwise, the people around you will wind up suffering as well.”
“You're right about that.” William nodded firmly. “I won't be a sitting duck, but I have to consider this matter at length.”
“Take your time and think it over.” Francesca kept it brief. “I'd advise you to gather the evidence and resolve the issue with the water as soon as possible. And...”
Francesca then looked toward Robin. “We still have eleven hours. You may want to keep an eye on the sluice gate to see if anyone shows up there or makes any attempt to establish contact with outsiders.”
“Understood.”
Only then did Robin come to the realization that what Francesca did previously was merely a strategical retreat to lure the mole into the open.
“I don't think that there is a spy among us,” William said with a frown. “Since the water source could just as likely have been poisoned from the outside, it might not have been done by one of our own.” “I have no doubt that the poisoning has been done by someone from the outside, yes.” Francesca nodded. “But they must have had a collaborator on the inside passing on information to them. How else would they have found out about my arrival in Danontand and showed up at the airport to intercept me?”
“You've got a point there.” William concurred with a nod.
“Could they have gotten the information from within the palace?” Robin suggested. “Then again, the palace was merely aware that we've brought in a doctor. Only our own people knew about the flight information.”
“You guys ought to understand these things better than I do, so why do you still need me to remind you of this?” Francesca sighed and shook her head. “No wonder you're getting picked on to this extent, William.”
"You're right, Francesca. I need to be a lot smarter going forward,” William replied with a smile.
“All right. I'm going back to my room to rest up. Work this out between yourselves and get a new water source as soon as possible. Otherwise, we're going to start having problems addressing our basic needs. I'll still need to shower and eat, you know.”
Francesca yawned and made her way toward the stairs.
“Ms. Felch...” Robin promptly called out.
"Huh?" Francesca stopped and turned around to face him.
“Uh...” Robin had something he wanted to find out but was too apprehensive about asking. Hence, he could only glance meekly at William
"You said that the others were all poisoned, so would you be able to prescribe them some medicine?”
William spoke up on their behalf as he understood what was on Robin's and the other subordinates’ minds.
“That, I am aware of, but I haven't brought enough medicine along. We can discuss this again in a couple of days,” Francesca replied casually. “A mild case of poisoning isn’t going to kill them.”
Chapter 2088 Secret
With that, Francesca went upstairs, leaving Robin and the other subordinates rooted to the spot. If they were already nervous before, hearing what Francesca said only served to compound their unease.
She herself stated that they had all been poisoned, but her reaction puzzled them to no end. It was as though they merely caught something as trivial as fever or a cold.
“I know Francesca. She's got a good heart, so she won't let anything happen to you all,” William said reassuringly.
“Right. Of course.” Robin nodded profusely in agreement. “Don't worry. Ms. Felch isn't going to ignore us since she’s already aware that we've been poisoned.” “Understood...” The subordinates were finally able to relax.
"For the time being, don't let the rest of them know about the poisoning, lest everyone panics,” Robin instructed. “Keep a close eye on the water source and the storage room tonight, and watch out for any suspicious characters.”
“Understood.” Once he had made the necessary arrangements, Robin wheeled William back to the room.
After he closed the door behind him, Robin opened a bottle of mineral water and passed it along to William. Then, he asked in relative unease, “I didn't expect Ms. Felch to be this sharp. Do you think she would be able to expose our secret?”
"What secret? What is there to expose?”
William glared at Robin coldly in a manner that was a stark contrast with his usually gentle demeanor.
“Uh...” Robin hesitated, then hastily bowed his head. “I understand.”
"Someone did try to poison us, and there is genuinely a problem with the water supply. We didn't try to deceive Francesca in this regard,” cautioned William sternly. “It's just that this problem was known to me much earlier.”
"Yes. Of course.” Robin wiped the sweat off his brow as he nodded. “Since we aren't able to deal with the poison, we'd sooner or later need to summon Ms. Felch. It's just that things would be different if she were to uncover the problem herself. But It just occurred to me that Ms. Felch may be much smarter than I had anticipated, and she’s quite the character too. I'm concerned that she'd get upset and quit on us if she were to sense something amiss...”
"Firstly, I believe that Francesca is not only a responsible person but also a compassionate one. She wouldn't leave us in the lurch even if she does get mad at us. Secondly, only you and I are in the know about this, so no one would find out so long as you don't speak of it. Besides, I wasn't seeking to harm anyone. I just found out about the problem with the water source much earlier but chose not to give anything away in order to lure the culprit out, that's all.” William spoke resolutely and unapologetically.
"Yes. You're right about that.” That helped calm Robin down somewhat. “But what's our next step?” "Did Silas see Francesca at the airport today?” William asked.
"He did, and he looked at Ms. Felch quite meaningfully before he left. I'm sure he would look into Ms. Felch’s background when he returned, and ought to have found out that she’s the legendary doctor Francesco by now,” Robin said. He was meticulous.
“Get in touch with Silas and let him know that Francesca has discovered the problem with the water source,” William instructed in a low voice. “Be sure to emphasize the seriousness of the situation and to highlight that all eighty-three people in the castle had been poisoned alongside me. Francesca also said all eighty-over of the people living inside this castle would have perished had she arrived a few months late, and this castle could easily have been turned into a graveyard. We must have His Majesty be the judge of such a horrific act!”
“Understood!”
It was at that moment William's true intentions became evident to Robin.
When William realized that he had been poisoned a few days back, he quickly took Robin with him to investigate the water source. They were able to uncover the underlying issue fairly quickly.
Back then, Robin was enraged and wanted to inform Federico about it right away, but the oddly calm William talked him out of doing so.
Afterward, William even got him to partake in an act to lure Francesca over.
Robin had thought William's intentions were to let Francesca uncover the truth for herself so that she might empathize with him and, perhaps, develop feelings for him as a result.
It was only now that Robin realized that the prince who he served was more judicious and farsighted than he had previously imagined.
Chapter 2089 Revenge
"A single decision separates victory and defeat,” said a solemn William with eyes narrowed. “All these years, we had endured countless acts of cruelty, humiliation, and intrigue from them. This shall decide whether we'll be able to turn our fortunes around for ourselves!”
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I know what to say.” Robin nodded firmly. “I don't think we should try to discuss this over the phone. Instead, I should hurry over to the palace to explain the situation to Silas in person tonight, then request for an audience with His Majesty himself.”
“Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We'll need to approach this with intentionality.” William narrowed his eyes and dissected the situation in detail. “It isn't the first time that the other factions within the family tried to harm me, so do you really think His Majesty is still oblivious to it after so many years?
He definitely knows about it but being advanced in age, going all out to suppress those heartless beasts would likely come to him at a great personal cost, so he may have thought an isolated and useless cripple like me is not worth the effort. Hence, we must find the right opportunity if we were to convince His Majesty to take action against them. This here is exactly what we need.”
He continued, “It is therefore imperative that we bring this matter to light through someone else's hand before attempting to take it up with His Majesty. It has to be done by a figure who is recognized and respected globally. Out of fear that word might spread and damage the royal family’s reputation and without the option of silencing this person, he would be forced to investigate the matter.”
“This is what makes Ms. Felch the perfect candidate.” Robin realized. “Not only is the miracle doctor Francesco highly regarded in the field of medicine internationally, but she’s also Mr. Lindberg's fiancée. Neither His Majesty nor the rest of them would dare lay a finger on her or simply dismiss any of the things she says...”
“Correct.” William's eyes evoked a sliver of contrite. “Francesca would surely end up hating me should she uncover the truth one day, but I have no choice...”
“Don't be so hard on yourself,” Robin said in consolation. “Actually, this matter won't cause Ms. Felch any harm. As the reputation of the royal family is at stake, no one would likely dare to breathe a word of it. Her cover will thus remain intact. On top of it, you'd tried everything you could to convince Silas to accompany me to the airport to receive her for her protection. Now, her safety is further assured since she will be staying close to you all this time. Even if they wanted to seek revenge on her afterward, her relationship with Mr. Lindberg as his fiancée would likely make them think twice.”
“That being said, the fact remains that I have deceived her.” William let out a helpless sigh. “We won't be able to keep this from her for long and with Danrique’s personality, he'd probably find his way here very soon. As such, we must seek to resolve this quickly.”
“Yes.” Robin nodded profusely. “But what concerns me the most is the influence wielded by the other wives. Even if His Majesty were to investigate, would he opt to simply make a show of it before finding a few scapegoats to take the fall?"
“We haven't been preparing for this all these years for nothing,” said William with a frown. “So long as he is willing to look into it, we'd be able to seize the chance to roll out all the evidence we've gathered over the years, and make them public if need be. That way, His Majesty would have no choice but to respond decisively!"
“I see.” Robin gasped. “So, you've already had this all planned out all along. Why didn’t you tell me about them sooner? I was worried.”
“Francesca is too clever and would become suspicious if you were to give off any telltale signs. That was why I kept this even from you,” William explained. “But things are different now. Everyone knows about the poisoning incident, so it would be justifiable even if you were to bring it to His Majesty's attention this late at night.”
“Then why did you insist that it was useless to report this to His Majesty when Ms. Felch suggested it just now?” Robin remained somewhat confused.
“In Francesca’s opinion, I had always been a good-natured and meek fellow. If I were to order you to report the incident, when the other families are ruined in the future, she'd think that I'm vicious Hence, I needed her to encourage me to go ahead with it. That way, she wouldn't blame me for whatever comes next,” William explained impassively.
Chapter 2090 Tables Have Turned
"I see.” Realization dawned on Robin. “You sure are meticulous, but I believe Ms. Felch is a reasonable person. She will not blame you for what you've done. Those people were plotting to harm you. Anyone with a right mind would retaliate.”
“You might be right, but people will always sympathize with the weak, especially doctors.” William was certain about what he had just said. “Francesca might be on my side now, but when she hears the piteous wails of those families in the future, she might waver..."
A bitter smile formed on William's lips as he spoke. “Just like my beloved grandpa. Does he really not know how my parents died?”
He knows. Nevertheless, when the other families begged and pleaded for mercy, his heart softened, and he decided not to punish them as they were his flesh and blood. After all, those who died can never be revived, but those who are alive have to continue living. As ironic as it is, it's part of human nature.
William raised his head and looked out the window, staring at the countless stars shining in the vast night sky. Mixed emotions filled his gaze.
Great sorrow was written on his face as he remembered something grievous.
Soon, however, the sorrow was replaced by a chilling sense of hatred.
Twenty years had passed. When he was five, he had been pushed off a horse by his cousin and was trampled on the ground by the horse, which resulted in him being severely injured and crippled. After the incident, he had overheard that it was all a scheme.
The only way to completely destroy the last hope of William's family was to kill off everyone in the household. They had wanted William dead.
Fortunately, he did not lose his life. Instead, he became disabled.
Because of that, they had spared his life.
However, ever since that incident, William knew that the sole reason he was still alive was to take revenge.
William had always kept a low profile, but recently, he had intentionally revealed to the public that the company he had founded had made it to the list of wealthiest companies to make his enemies feel threatened.
Following that, he returned to Danontand to pay respects to his late parents when his treatment came to a temporary halt.
He did that to give his enemies an opportunity to strike.
Nevertheless, William met Federico upon return, his grandfather whom he had not seen in a long time.
Federico was proud to learn that the company William had founded obtained such brilliant achievements and had hinted to everyone in the extended family that they were to live peacefully with one another.
Therefore, they did not dare to harm William flagrantly, but rather in secret.
That gave William the perfect chance to turn things around.
After all, he had Francesca as his trump card in hand.
“Rest assured, Your Highness. I will get the job done.”
Robin had grown up with William's father and had witnessed every tear and every laughter in the household. He was also with William every step of the way when the latter crawled his way to the top.
It was truly a journey filled with blood, sweat, and tears.
From the bottom of his heart, Robin hoped that William could get the revenge he so righteously deserved.
Wheeling his wheelchair to the side of the window, William narrowed his eyes as he stared at the people outside. “Those lot has been staring at us for a while now. If you leave now, you would most likely be murdered before you even made it to the palace.”
“I owe my life to your father, Your Highness. If I have to sacrifice myself for the sake of your revenge, it would not be counted as a loss!”
Robin had decided to risk it all.
“You're not going to die. If you die, who's going to help me?” After a moment of pondering, William took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. “I'll give His Majesty a call right now. He should ask Silas to pick you up.”
"Would His Majesty agree?” Robin was a little concerned.
"Ever since I became disabled when I was five, I have borne the humiliation until now. For twenty years, I have never asked him for anything. I did not even speak a word about those who bullied me. Right now, I'm only requesting that you go meet him in my place. It would only be polite to accept such a request.”
William was full of confidence.
“This is the first favor you've ever asked from His Majesty, and you're using it on me? Don't you think it's a waste, Your Highness?” Robin asked quickly.
“I told you, a single decision separates victory and defeat. Right now, you are the key that will determine the outcome. I need to make sure that you stay safe.”
With that being said, William dialed Federico’s number.
Within seconds, Federico answered the call, sounding pleasantly surprised. “William? You haven't called me in so long.”