He would rather be killed than show that side of himself under this woman's control.
Elara smiled. From Oswyn's expression, she could tell he had misunderstood, but that was expected. Given the original Elara's temperament, the most likely demand now would be to see the other person suffer.
"I promised you before that you would stay in the palace for ten years. Now I'm giving you a discount. You only need to stay with me for five years. But during these five years, you must do your best to fulfill any request I make. Don't worry, I won't ask for anything that crosses your bottom line. And during this time, I will not summon you to my bedchamber again."
In the princess's residence, "bedchamber summons" meant being tortured.
That's why everyone feared it the most.
Elara ignored Oswyn's expression and finished speaking.
Oswyn stared at her, his face more guarded than ever. His voice was full of disbelief.
"You won't ask for anything that crosses my bottom line?"
His tone dripped with sarcasm. To him, the original Elara was someone who didn't even know what a bottom line was, someone with none herself.
Elara didn't mind and nodded again.
"You won't summon me to your bedchamber?"
She nodded once more.
Oswyn sneered. "Why should I believe you?"
Elara lifted her gaze to meet his and smiled. "You don't have a choice. You just have to believe me."
Half an hour later, Elara was the first to walk out of Oswyn's hall. Behind her followed Oswyn, his face dark and clearly displeased, and a nervous medicine servant carrying a pouch of herbs.
They walked back to the main sleeping chamber. Elara tilted her chin toward the unconscious Mathias on the bed.
"Wake him up."
Oswyn looked at Mathias lying on the bed, his eyes sweeping over the wounds that covered his body, with a flash of mockery in his eyes.
After nearly beating him to death, now she wanted him saved. This woman must be trying out a new kind of game.
Oswyn lowered his gaze. He remembered the forced agreement Elara had just made with him and held back the sarcasm at his lips.
He walked to the bed, felt Mathias's pulse, and lifted his eyelids. Then he stood up.
"No need to treat him. He'll wake up by night."
Elara looked at him with raised eyebrows: What do you mean?
Oswyn let out a low chuckle. "Did Her Highness forget what she once told Young Master Mathias? That if he died before you were tired of playing with him, you would slaughter his whole family to accompany him in death. Mathias has only held on this long with a broken body because of that threat."
Then, with a tinge of mocking in his tone, "Don't worry, by tonight, when it's time for the bedchamber, even if he has only one breath left, he'll drag himself awake to serve you."
Elara paused. The original really was awful.
She looked at the still unconscious Mathias, who couldn't even swallow medicine.
Mathias had a beautiful face and great talent, but meeting the original Elara turned all his strengths into fatal weaknesses. His fate was truly tragic.
Oswyn waved his hand. The servant behind him quickly brought over several bamboo slips.
He casually wrote down a few prescriptions and placed them on the table.
"I've seen the patient. Can I leave now?"
Elara glanced at the bamboo slips. A servant behind her quickly stepped forward to prepare the medicine.
Everyone could see clearly that Elara wasn't done with Mathias, so the man couldn't be allowed to die now.
Elara stood up, smoothed her already neat robe, and walked past Oswyn toward the door.
"Let's go. Accompany me out of the palace."
Oswyn's expression clearly darkened, but after a moment, he suppressed his emotions and followed.
During his time at the princess's residence, Oswyn's pride as the young master of the Divine Healer Valley had already been worn down. He had learned how to assess the situation.
Right now, the power was with her. He had no reason to clash directly. That would only make things worse for himself.
Besides, there was something different about her today. He wanted to see what she was up to.
Elara brought Oswyn, riding in the princess's carriage wrapped tightly by Uno and Dos and their guards, leaving the residence and heading into the capital.
She mainly wanted to see the current state of the capital and just how far the Plumera Kingdom had crumbled.
If there were refugees in the city, she could have Oswyn investigate the epidemic.
After all, plagues should be contained early. Once they spread, in this ancient era with poor medical care, entire cities could be wiped out.
Even though she was mentally prepared for the worst, Elara didn't expect the situation to be even worse than she imagined.
She knew there were many refugees across the kingdom, but she didn't expect even the capital to be swarmed.
Outside the city walls, endless waves of refugees crowded together, but the guards with whips kept them out, forcing them to kneel and beg for food at the gates.
As the princess's carriage reached the west street, even Elara, with her strong emotional control, was stunned by the sight at the west gate.
When she climbed the gate and saw the pitiful refugees outside, she took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.
For a brief moment, she just wanted to turn back and pack up to flee.
Even the capital was surrounded like this. With thousands of desperate people, wouldn't the so-called imperial city be overthrown by tomorrow?
It was a miracle the Plumera Kingdom hadn't already collapsed.
No wonder she had felt so much pain when she first woke up. It wasn't some serious illness. She had one foot in the afterlife and the other slipping in. She was halfway dead.
System 92 shivered in her consciousness. It wanted to say something to comfort her but stayed silent, sensing her terrifyingly dark mood.
It dared not make a sound.
Elara stared coldly for a long time. When she finally saw soldiers on the edges of the crowd, she relaxed a little.
At least there were still guards keeping order. It wasn't a complete siege. Although there were many refugees, the soldiers were surrounding them and preventing chaos.
But that relief didn't last long before she had to clench her fists again in fury.
Because those brainless city guards were using their power to abuse the refugees.
Even worse, she saw a few guards take out dry, moldy cakes that looked inedible. Then they pointed at the prettiest refugee girls, like an emperor choosing concubines, tossed the cakes down, and dragged the girls into a nearby alley while laughing.
The Plumera Kingdom deserved to fall.
Elara mocked coldly at System 92 in her head.
System 92 stayed silent, silently begging her to do something. Their fates were tied together.
Elara took a deep breath, ready to go down and intervene.
But her eyes swept across the crowd, and she noticed something odd.
Normally, no kingdom would allow so many refugees to gather at the gates. And those people weren't acting like they came willingly. They looked like they were being driven there.
Elara stood on the wall, studying the scene with cold eyes. She noticed the number of soldiers around the refugees wasn't less than the refugees themselves.
She sneered and flicked her sleeves, heading down the wall.
Behind her, Oswyn's face had grown darker and darker since they reached the western gate. Anger and sorrow filled his eyes.
He was the young master of the Divine Healer Valley, located in the Plumera Kingdom, and a citizen of this land.
No one wanted to see their people suffering so miserably.
And the rulers were so cruel and corrupt.
Oswyn, raised with the principle of healing and saving lives, couldn't bear to see such misery.
Seeing those people on the brink of death made him hate the kingdom's rulers even more.
Elara ignored his look and walked toward the alley where the girls had been dragged.
She soon discovered the reason why the guards dared to act so boldly.
In the center of the alley, a luxurious redwood table and a lounge chair had been placed in the middle of the road.
Guards surrounded the area, blocking all commoners and sealing off the path.
On the chair, a fat man covered in jewels lounged comfortably.
Before him, a cup of premium tea steamed.
Several refugee girls were being toyed with by his feet, as he poked and prodded them like inspecting livestock.
Elara's memory flashed.
Gilbert. Grandson of Lord Gregory, the kingdom's top corrupt official, and the man Old Du once mentioned as the most dangerous threat to the kingdom.
Gilbert.
Elara narrowed her eyes. No wonder Lord Gregory nearly controlled the entire court. His grandson dared to snatch refugees in broad daylight at the palace gates.