Forsythia couldn't help but admire Harper's skills in handling her patient. She thought if she were to do it, at least half of the wine in the cup would spill and waste. But Harper was so skilled that not even a single drop was spilled outside.
"Your Highness, how is Prince Francis now?"
"Not good." Harper began to withdraw the needles one by one. Even after removing the last needle, there was no sign of Francis waking up. At the same time, Owen came back.
"Your Highness, how is my master?"
"His condition is getting stable now. His life is not in danger, at least for the time being," Harper said slowly. "Who has been in charge of his diet recently?"
"It's me. According to your instructions, His Highness' diet is carefully managed. I check and ensure that there isn't any problem with the food before His Highness consumes it," Owen answered, ill at ease. "Your Highness, is His Highness…"
"Since when did he feel uncomfortable?"
"From yesterday, after he left the Imperial Palace."
"Did he eat or drink anything from the Imperial Palace?" Harper asked in confusion. There were spies in Francis' mansion, but Owen performed thorough checks before Francis would consume any food from there. So, the chances of him getting poisoned in his own mansion were unpropitious. The doubts were obviously on his visit to the Imperial Palace.
"I don't know, Your Highness. His Highness was called to the Imperial Study by His Majesty. He stayed there for more than an hour. But, I am not sure if His Highness ate or drank anything while he was in the Imperial Study, as I was waiting outside the whole time," Owen answered in an aggrieved tone.
Harper realized that Francis must have been poisoned in the Imperial Study. She couldn't understand why the emperor was still worried about Francis, despite the latter risking his own life to save the emperor. Furthermore, the emperor even increased the dosage of poison this time, as if he had lost his patience. Previously, he poisoned Francis at a slow rate, killing him bit by bit, but now, he wanted to finish his son as soon as possible.
"We'll know about that when Francis wakes up." Harper stood up and then sat down in front of Francis' desk. "Rub the ink stick for me. I'll write a prescription for a decoction. You have someone decoct the medicine and feed it to Francis."
"Yes, Your Highness," Owen said, rubbing the ink stick hastily for Harper. Looking at the ink, Harper could not help but praise Owen, "You're really doing a good job with the ink stick."
Hearing that, Owen blushed slightly and said, "I have always been on Prince Francis' side every day. Since he enjoys writing very much, I rub ink sticks frequently. Skill comes from practice."
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