The Mad Princess and the Dying Prince novel Chapter 107

"I remember!" Poppy gasped.

"Speak, quickly!" Lady Forrester urged, frantic with tension.

"After my lady bought the straw trinkets, the old woman handed her a small sachet. She claimed her granddaughter made it, and inside was a Talisman of Warding blessed by a priest at the local abbey. Seeing my lady's kind heart, she offered it as a gift, wishing her a safe journey. Unlike the crude straw trinkets, the sachet was beautifully crafted. My lady took a liking to it and kept it on her person ever since."

Poppy looked at Lucia in horror. "My lady tried to offer her silver for it, but the old woman refused. She said her poor granddaughter had been deathly ill, and seeing how vibrant and lively my lady was, she only wished her granddaughter could recover. She asked my lady, 'If my granddaughter could be just like you, would you be willing?'"

Even if they had no experience with the dark arts, seeing Eleonora's horrific deterioration and hearing Lucia's grim questioning was enough. Lord Roderick and Lady Forrester felt a cold dread seize their hearts.

"And my lady said she was willing," Poppy whispered, trembling as she looked at Lucia. "Lady Lucia, was... was she not supposed to say yes?"

Watching her mistress wither away had terrified the young maid for weeks.

"Where is the sachet?" Lucia ignored the question, cutting straight to the immediate threat.

"We took it off her after we returned to the Royal Capital and she collapsed in a fit of sickness. It's right here."

Poppy hurried to a fine cosmetic chest nearby, retrieving a small cloth pouch and handing it to Lucia.

The sachet was crimson, embroidered with a brilliantly colored flower. The stitching was masterfully done; it was no wonder Eleonora had grown fond of it.

"Lady Lucia, is there something wrong with this sachet?"

The pouch was sewn shut. Lucia asked Poppy for a pair of shears and sliced it open without hesitation.

She pulled out a piece of parchment folded into a tight triangle.

Physician Finch stared in absolute shock. "Lady Lucia, so Lady Eleonora isn't suffering from an illness at all?"

"You could call it an illness. More accurately, someone else contracted a horrific, wasting disease. But because their fates were swapped, the affliction meant for that person was transferred entirely to Lady Eleonora. The agony she is suffering belongs to someone else."

Lord Roderick's face flushed with fury. "That old hag has a heart black as pitch!"

What had his sweet, innocent daughter ever done to deserve this?

Lady Forrester broke down into agonizing sobs. "Why? My Eleonora only showed her kindness! Why would that wretched woman repay her with such evil?"

Her poor, sweet girl.

"She was likely waiting there for days, hunting for the perfect vessel for her Life-Swapping Talisman," Lucia explained. "Lady Eleonora comes from noble blood and possesses a radiant, pure spirit. She was the perfect target. But stealing a fate like hers isn't easy. That's why the old woman sold her the straw trinkets first. If I'm not mistaken, those were woven from Graveyard Weeds, soaked in human blood. Keeping them near her for a few days infected Lady Eleonora with a dark aura, weakening her vitality. Once the shadow settled over her, the Life-Swapping Talisman could take root."