#97
“Wait a moment. Can Your Highness endure this while fully conscious? What if the shock and pain from cutting or pulling causes harm to the baby?”
Pol exclaimed worriedly.
The doctor chewed his lip for a moment before speaking.
“While it’s not impossible for severe shock or pain to cause a miscarriage… at this stage, the baby is quite developed, so in the unlikely event of complications, it would more likely result in premature labor rather than miscarriage.”
The doctor trailed off. Then, glancing at the arrow lodged in Enrique’s shoulder, he added hesitantly:
“However, leaving it as is… At this point, taking the risk seems to be the only option.”
At the doctor’s ambiguous words, Duke Duvain hesitated to cut the arrowhead.
“Your Highness. What should we do?”
Duke Duvain asked. His eyes were filled with urgency and dejection.
Enrique was not only the Crown Prince of Shamier but also carried the future heir. His existence held tremendous value for Shamier. Enrique looked down at his belly while breathing heavily in pain. Even he couldn’t be sure if the child would endure this.
“…Proceed,” Enrique finally decided. Then, addressing the hesitant people with a firm voice, he said:
“We can’t leave it like this. I was born with a strong body, so I’ll be able to protect the child safely.”
As Enrique continued speaking, cold sweat dripped from his chin. Duke Duvain met Enrique’s gaze and nodded as if having made a decision. He then moved closer and positioned the dagger behind Enrique’s shoulder.
“Bite on this. You might damage your teeth otherwise,” the doctor said, offering a wooden stick wrapped in cloth. Enrique willingly opened his mouth and bit down on it. It wouldn’t do to let out screams.
“Endure it, Your Highness,” Duke Duvain said in a heavy voice as he swiftly brought down the dagger. The skilled knight’s hand smoothly cut off the arrowhead. Though only a slight vibration was felt, it was enough to make Enrique writhe in agony. Knights held down his struggling body. Their faces were contorted with helplessness and dejection, unable to do anything more.
“Pulling it out is the most critical part. We can’t afford even the slightest shake. If by chance the sharp end scratches or tears a blood vessel while pulling it out, there’s nothing I can do,” the doctor earnestly cautioned Duke Duvain. The Duke’s expression hardened like stone under the weight of this grave responsibility.
“Pull it out now,” Enrique ordered, briefly spitting out the stick. Pol put the stick back in his mouth. Enrique bit down firmly on the stick and nodded to Duke Duvain. The Duke finally steeled himself and carefully grasped the end of the arrow.
Speed and angle were crucial. Duke Duvain took a deep breath, carefully gauging the angle to pull. Enrique gripped the bed sheets, bracing for the intense pain to come.
“I’m pulling now,” Duke Duvain warned briefly. Then, firmly holding Enrique’s shoulder with one hand, he pulled out the arrow in one swift motion!
“…!!”
Tremendous pain shot through Enrique’s entire body. His vision alternated between pitch black and blinding white.
“Nngh… nngh…”
Beast-like groans continuously escaped through his clenched teeth, nearly breaking the stick. His whole body convulsed in pain.
“It’s almost done. Please endure a little longer!” the doctor’s voice was faintly heard. Involuntary tears streamed down Enrique’s face. He desperately tried to calm himself by taking deep, large breaths.
How much time passed like this? The flickering black and white in his vision slowly began to clear.
As he turned his eyes, he could see the doctor wrapping a bandage around his shoulder. It seemed the disinfection and application of medicine had already been completed.
There wasn’t the massive bleeding they had feared. Fortunately, it appeared no major blood vessels had been damaged. Enrique felt deeply relieved. He then urgently reached down to feel his lower abdomen.
“The belly, please check the belly. Is the child alright?”
The pain still coursing through his entire body made it impossible to tell if his abdomen hurt or not. The doctor, having quickly finished bandaging, lifted Enrique’s clothes and carefully palpated his belly. He also checked if there was any bleeding between his legs.
“It’s fine. It seems to be fine. The baby is safe,” the doctor repeatedly assured in a voice full of relief. Only then did Enrique let out a sigh of relief.
“Your Highness…!” Pol, who had been pushed back, squeezed through and grabbed Enrique’s hand, bursting into tears. His sobbing was so intense it seemed he might pass out.
“It’s alright. It’s all over now,” Enrique gently comforted him, placing a hand on Pol’s head. Normally, he might have scolded him for being noisy, but not this time.
As soon as the treatment was over, the attendants moved busily. They completely changed the blood-soaked bedding and meticulously wiped down Enrique’s body, drenched in cold sweat, with cloths soaked in hot water. As the doctor emphasized minimizing movement, they couldn’t do much about his hair. He would have to endure the musty smell for a few days.
“Your Highness,” Duke Duvain approached the bedside and called out.
The pain had subsided somewhat, and Enrique was drifting in and out of consciousness. He forced his eyes open and looked at the Duke.
“The Ruben side wishes to see you. It seems they’ve come to offer an explanation.”
Though maintaining a composed tone, Duke Duvain’s eyes were filled with resentment and bitterness towards Ruben. Enrique wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep, but this was a crucial matter. If mishandled, it could potentially cause irreparable damage to the alliance forces stationed at Francia Castle.
“Tell them to come in,” Enrique said weakly from his lying position. Duke Duvain’s lips moved as if to say something, but he simply nodded.
The bedroom door opened, and the now-familiar Ruben commanders entered one by one. Perhaps considering what Enrique had just been through, they had removed all their armor and weapons.
“Your Highness,” the representative commander bowed his head in greeting. His eyes fixed on the bandage wrapped around Enrique’s shoulder.
“We wanted to rush here immediately, but we didn’t want to interfere with your treatment, so we waited. We apologize for the delay.”
It seemed the Ruben side had agreed to show an attitude of taking responsibility for this incident. They were definitely adopting a submissive posture.
“Have you confirmed the identity of the assassin? Is he indeed from the Ruben army?”
“Yes, Your Highness. He was a sub-commander who had been sent back to our country for disobeying military orders during the previous castle siege.”
“Since he attempted to assassinate me, it would be proper for Shamier to handle this… But considering Ruben’s face, we’ve only detained him for now.”
“We are deeply sorry.”
“We’ll leave his punishment to Anture later.”
“Yes, we will comply with that order.”
“And while news of the assassination attempt has already leaked out, please make sure the Ruben side also keeps quiet about my injury. Especially now, on the eve of the Baron capital siege, we mustn’t let this news reach Anture’s ears and distract him.”
“We are grateful for Your Highness’s generous words. We will follow your instructions.”
Since it was undeniable that the would-be assassin was one of Ruben’s commanders, they came prostrating themselves instead of offering explanations. This was fortunate. If they had tried to deny it outright, it would have caused considerable conflict.
“But… is the baby safe?” the Ruben commander asked cautiously. His eyes reflected genuine concern.
“Thank heavens, the baby is fine,” Enrique smiled, lowering his hand to caress his belly. At this assurance, the dark clouds hanging over the faces of the Ruben officials dissipated.
“I need to rest now. I won’t be able to attend meetings for a while, so please proceed with Duke Duvain as my representative.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The Ruben officials all bowed politely and withdrew from the bedroom. Only then did Enrique furrow his brow, dropping his composed expression, and breathe heavily in pain. Just that brief interaction with people seemed to have drained all his remaining energy.
“Your Highness, please sleep now. You’re exhausted,” Pol said, wiping the cold sweat from Enrique’s face with a wet towel. Enrique nodded weakly and closed his eyes. It was a night when he missed Anture terribly.
