Prince Edward was growing frustrated after hours of searching. The deputy captain had returned to report that no maid was recorded missing. In fact, it was the captain’s carelessness, he had not properly recorded everyone who had stayed at the temporary camp and thus could not verify if a female maid was missing.
"Keep searching. Do not leave any clue unchecked," he instructed.
The soldiers continued their search. There were no footprints or anything else they could use as a lead. But the prince was anxious, how could they return without any news?
After a while, they noticed some footprints. They were still clear, meaning the person must have entered the bush that day. Moreover, given the depth of the prints, it seemed the person was either carrying something or was weighed down.
Even though the soldiers knew it might simply be a hunter or a herb-gatherer, they had to treat it as a lead.
"Go report to the prince. We will follow the trail," one man said. The one instructed bowed and left.
He walked over to the prince. "Your Highness," he bowed, but before he could say anything, they heard the sound of a horse approaching at high speed.
Prince Edward and his men turned to look at the rider hurrying over.
"Your Highness," the man dismounted as soon as he reached them.
"What is the matter?" the prince asked.
"The princess has been found," the man said.
Everyone was stunned. Even Edward had not expected such news. "Found? Where?" he asked urgently.
"When our group entered the village, at the edge of it, a young man claimed to have found an unconscious woman in the forest the previous night. He brought her to his house and called a doctor to treat her. The princess is currently still unconscious," the man explained. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel_fіre.net
Prince Edward frowned. He did not know what to make of the situation. The man’s story was very clear. Earlier, the box had been found in the bush, and he had suspected Anastasia might be among those at the temporary camp. He had simply wanted to leave no possibility unexplored.
"Everyone, gather! We will immediately head to Lowe and investigate the man," the prince ordered.
All the men quickly mounted their horses and rode toward Lowe.
When they arrived at the young man’s house, a soldier was waiting outside.
"How is it?" the prince asked.
"We have investigated. The man is indeed a small merchant. He often goes hunting when he has nothing else to do. We can only confirm the situation when the princess wakes up," the soldier reported.
Prince Edward nodded. He could not wait to see Anastasia and find out when she would regain consciousness.
Inside the room, the young man remained with the physician. The soldiers had not allowed him to leave. Even if there seemed to be nothing suspicious, they could not take chances.
The young man raised his head when he heard footsteps. He wondered if his guess was true , that the woman his master had saved was the missing princess.
Though he had already considered the possibility, he was still shocked when he saw the crown prince.
"Your Highness," the soldiers inside bowed as the prince entered. The young man and the physician quickly followed suit.
"When will she wake up?" Prince Edward asked, his gaze fixed on Anastasia. The soldiers assumed the prince’s anxiety was because of the princess.
The physician got up to check on Anastasia. He was extremely nervous. First the soldiers, and now the prince — even though he had never met the crown prince before, he could guess his identity. After all, everyone in Lowe knew the crown prince had led the royal army to fight against Gube.
Moreover, in Nixel only a prince would be saluted "as your highness,"
The physician carefully examined Anastasia. Her fever had subsided. After the care she had received, she should awaken at any moment.
"Replying to Your Highness, I have done my best. The lady should have woken up by now," the physician said, lowering his head in fear.
Prince Edward frowned. "What is wrong with her?" he asked.
"Your Highness, I believe she caught a cold, which led to the fever. Also, she was bitten by a snake. When I arrived, I tried to treat the venom but failed. I believe either the snake was non-venomous, or my abilities were insufficient," the old physician explained, trembling slightly. He dared not act overconfident , not in front of the prince, and not knowing exactly who the woman was.
The prince’s frown deepened. He knew that if Anastasia had found an opportunity to escape from her captors, it would not have been easy.
"Did you find anything on her?" Prince Edward asked the young man.
"Your Highness, when I found her, she was barely conscious. It seemed she was holding on but refused to give in. She told me she had been bitten by a snake. I thought the situation was critical, so I did not look around and only helped her," the young man replied. His master had not mentioned anything about the woman, and in any case, he was unsure if there was supposed to be something identifying her as the princess.
Prince Edward frowned again, remembering his mother’s suspicion that a noble might be collaborating with the people of Gube. He could not help but wonder if the box and Anastasia’s situation were meant to distract him.
If the contents of the box had fallen into the wrong hands, it could lead to internal strife. The more he thought about it, the more urgently he wished for Anastasia to wake up.
"Send for the royal physician at the military camp," the prince suddenly instructed Walter, who was standing beside him. Thinking that a royal physician would be more helpful.
"Your Highness, since the princess is not seriously injured, why not transfer her to the military camp? It would save time," Walter suggested. It would take hours for the royal physicians to arrive , the earliest they could reach was the next morning. Seeing how anxious the prince was, Walter knew he could not wait that long.
"Can she travel?" the prince asked the physician.
"Yes, Your Highness, but she should be transported by carriage. She cannot be exposed to much wind," the physician answered with a bow.