[The Orion Ducal Estate Outside the Infirmary]
The hallway outside the Eastern infirmary was suffocatingly tense.
I was pacing furiously back and forth. My chaotic Three Aditya mana leaked out in violent red sparks, hissing and singing the expensive carpet.
Crown Princess Seraphina leaned against the stone wall, her arms crossed so tightly her knuckles were stark white, while the ambient temperature in the hallway steadily dropped to absolute freezing.
The heavy oak doors finally creaked open.
The Chief Eastern Doctor stepped out, wiping a sheen of cold sweat from his forehead.
Before he could even speak, Duchess Serene Orion marched right up to him, grabbing the collar of his pristine medical robes.
"What is her condition?! Was it Eastern food? Did my chefs accidentally use an herb that rejects Southern mana?! Answer me right now!"
The Doctor held his hands up defensively.
"Duchess, please! You do not need to worry!"
My head snapped toward him. The volatile red mana instantly flared.
"What do you mean, don't worry'?! She coughed up a massive pool of blood and collapsed! How can I not worry?!"
"Because, Your Highness, both the mother and the children are safe," the Doctor explained quickly, taking a cautious step back from my aura.
Duchess Serene frowned, slowly letting go of his collar.
"Then why was she bleeding?"
"It was a violent magical purge," the Doctor explained, pulling out his glowing green diagnostic chart.
"Princess Lyra was subjected to the Crimson Siren potion. We thought it was fully absorbed, but a tiny, toxic residue remained hidden deep within her mana pathways. Just a few moments ago, the Triple Attribute mana of the unborn twins suddenly flared up. The babies' incredibly powerful mana completely rejected the remaining poison, violently forcing it out of her body through her blood."
The Doctor let out a heavy, shuddering breath.
"Her mana core became completely unstable for exactly one second during the purge. If that instability had lasted even a fraction of a second longer, it would have been catastrophic. But miraculously, the core restabilized immediately. The poison is gone forever."
I slumped against the wall, sliding down to the floor as a mountainous wave of relief washed over me. I buried my face in my hands.
*She's safe.* "We need to keep her under strict observation for at least one full day to ensure her core doesn't fluctuate again," the Doctor added, handing a parchment to the Duchess. "She can only consume specific mana-soothing broths to rebuild her magical strength. You may all go in and see her now."
[Inside the Infirmary The Walls Come Down]
Seventeen year old Lyra was lying in the pristine medical bed. She looked impossibly pale and fragile, her breathing shallow.
The moment I rushed to her bedside and took her trembling hand, her deep blue eyes slowly fluttered open.
Panic instantly flooded her gaze.
"The... the babies..." she choked out, her voice raspy and broken, her free hand desperately reaching for her stomach. "Did I lose them? Did I…"
"They are safe," I whispered fiercely, pressing her cold hand against my forehead.
"They are perfectly fine, Lyra. The poison is gone. You're safe."
Lyra let out a shattered breath, but the terror didn't leave her eyes. She looked at me, then at Seraphina and Elian, who had quietly stepped into the room.
"I am so sorry," Lyra whispered, tears rapidly pooling in her eyes.
"I ruined dinner. I made all of you worry. I... I thought I was going to be a burden. I thought if I was sick, you would throw me away"
"Stop."
Seraphina's voice wasn't cold. It wasn't the voice of the terrifying Crown Princess of Ice.
Seraphina walked to the edge of the bed and sat down.
The untouchable Princess gently reached out, brushing a damp strand of silver hair away from Lyra's feverish forehead.
"You terrified me," Seraphina said softly, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"When you collapsed... I thought we had lost you. Do not ever apologize for surviving, Lyra. And do not ever think you are a burden. You are my sister. Do you understand me? You are our family."
Lyra's breath hitched.
A lifetime of Southern abuse had taught her that weakness meant punishment. But here, surrounded by the most terrifying royals on the continent, all she found was absolute, unconditional grace.
"I told Cinder to burn the sickness away," a tiny voice sniffled.
Eight year old Prince Elian peeked over the edge of the mattress.
His eyes were red and puffy from crying. He gently placed the little red bird on Lyra's pillow, right next to her cheek, letting the Phoenix's warm, soothing magic wash over her.
"You can't leave, Sister-in-law. You promised you would teach me how to bake sweets."
Lyra looked at the little prince, then up at Seraphina, and finally back to me.
I squeezed her hand, offering a smile that carried all the weight of my soul.
"Even if the sky falls," I told her quietly.
"You are never leaving my side."
The heavy, iron walls Lyra had built around her shattered heart finally broke.
She didn't cry silent, pretty tears. She broke down into heavy, ugly, exhausted sobs of pure relief, clinging to my hand as Seraphina gently rubbed her back.
For the first time in seventeen years, Lyra realized she didn't have to fight to be loved.
[The Secret Revealed]
After a long, quiet few minutes, Lyra's tears finally slowed. A soft, genuine smile broke through her exhaustion.
Seeing that the storm had passed, Duchess Serene cleared her throat, purposefully shifting the mood to bring the warmth back into the room.
"Well," Serene announced, putting her hands on her hips and glaring directly at me.
"Now that we know our sweet angel is safe, I must say... this is entirely the fault of my stupid, reckless nephew! If he wasn't such a shameless pervert, you wouldn't be dealing with the strain of a pregnancy at seventeen!"
My jaw dropped in sheer disbelief. The emotional whiplash nearly snapped my neck.
"Why is it always my fault?!"
Arthur, who had been quietly standing in the corner, suddenly smirked.
"Mother is right, you know. He's always been a pervert! Even when we were kids visiting the Capital, Zion tried to peek into the girls' bathroom!"
The entire room went dead silent.
Seraphina slowly turned her head toward me.
Her Budla Aditya ice magic flared so violently that the windows of the infirmary completely frosted over in jagged spikes.
"Is that so?" Seraphina asked, her voice dropping into a terrifying, demonic octave.
"So that is why you were so eager to come to the East? Do you have an affair hidden here? I thought you were a good, cold hearted prince. If I find out you have an affair behind Lyra's back, I will make you pay with your life!"
"THAT IS WRONG!" I yelled, my face turning as red as my chaotic mana.
"I don't have an affair! I went to the wrong bathroom by accident when I was five! And don't you dare act all high and mighty, Arthur! Look at yourself!"
I pointed an accusing finger directly at my eighteen year old cousin. "He has a secret girlfriend!"
"HE WHAT?!" Duchess Serene roared, whipping her head toward her son.
Arthur's smug, arrogant face shattered. He groaned, slapping a hand over his face.
"What a mess... Why did you have to tell them, Little Zuzu?!"
I cringed at the ridiculous, embarrassing childhood nickname, but I had already dropped the bomb. I wasn't going down alone.
"Arthur Orion," the Duchess commanded, stepping toward him with matriarchal authority.
"Who is this girl? Tell me right now."
Arthur sighed in utter defeat. "Yes, fine. I have a girlfriend. Her name is Kaelia."
Seraphina raised a pristine eyebrow, the lethal ice magic slightly fading. "A noble from the East?"
"No," Arthur replied, a genuine, fond smile creeping onto his face.
"She's from the commerce sector. A commoner merchant's daughter. She has a kind heart... but she doesn't take disrespect from anyone. If some arrogant noble tries to provoke her, she bites right back."
Arthur puffed his chest out proudly.
"And she is strong. She has a Mid to High Tier Weapon Attribute. Honestly, she is just as powerful and scary as Cousin Seraphina when she gets angry."
Duchess Serene's eyes widened in sheer delight.
"A strong, fierce girl who can put you in your place?! This is fantastic! Arthur, she is in your class at the Academy, isn't she?
"
"Y..Yeah," Arthur stammered, shrinking under his mother's intense gaze.
"Invite her tomorrow evening," the Duchess ordered, her eyes sparkling with ruthless excitement.
"I am hosting a private tea party for her, and you are coming with her. I must meet my future daughter in law!"
Arthur groaned in absolute misery as the powerful women in the room seized control of his love life.
Even Lyra let out a soft, melodic laugh from the bed, her eyes shining with amusement.
Duchess Serene then turned to the Doctor, her tone shifting back to business.
"Since the Academy term starts tomorrow, can Princess Lyra attend her first day?"
The Doctor shook his head firmly. "No, Your Grace. From tomorrow morning until tomorrow night, she must remain entirely under our observation. She cannot leave this bed."
Lyra looked a little disappointed, but I walked over and gently squeezed her hand.
"It's just one day, Lyra," I smiled. "Rest. We'll handle the Academy."