Chapter 123: Miss Klein, Completely Tormented

“Who?”

Wendy and the other two froze in unison, whipping their heads toward the voice.

There stood Laxana Ke Cain, leaning against the doorframe, about to collapse.

She had grown so thin, her once full figure—much like Astreia’s—now appeared almost frail.

Her face was pale as paper, eyes sunken, lips cracked, resembling a flower drained of all moisture, on the verge of withering.

Only those large violet eyes still burned with a cold, ghostly rage.

“Xiao Shanna!”

The anger on Astreia’s face was instantly replaced by horror and heartache.

She rushed over in a few quick steps, carefully supporting her childhood friend who seemed ready to fall at any moment.

Her voice trembled.

“How…how did you become like this?!”

Laxana leaned weakly into the Princess’s arms, but her gaze cut past her shoulder like a blade, stabbing straight at Wendy.

The Prince’s heart clenched with guilt, and he quickly looked away.

The joy of past days now transformed into a heavy weight of remorse.

His world had been filled with beauty, yet he had utterly forgotten about the “rival young lady” who, through the “Empathic Link”, was forced to endure the entire ordeal.

“What’s wrong with me?”

Laxana caught the lingering aroma of meat in the air and gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

“I’m about to be tormented to death…yet you all are here enjoying a feast?”

The little Queen Yekaterina slowly dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin, eyes fixed on this rival who had competed with her for her sister since childhood.

Her brow furrowed ever so slightly.

Didn’t the Prime Minister’s report say “confined to bed with a severe illness”?

How does she have the strength to walk into the palace herself?

And looking like this—such an eyesore.

“Miss Klein.”

The little Queen’s tone was smooth, betraying neither joy nor anger.

“I’ve heard of your ailment and sent the Court Mages to your residence. Since you have the strength to come here, I trust you are recovering.”

Her words were polite, but the hidden barb was sharp as a needle.

“Recovering?”

Laxana trembled with rage at the words, nearly fainting again.

“I was unconscious for three days and nights, then bedridden for four more. Not one of you came to see me! And now you say I’m recovering?!”

She suddenly pushed Astreia away, summoning all her strength to raise her trembling arm.

She pointed accusingly at the empty soup bowl in the center of the table.

“You didn’t even think to send me a single spoonful of soup!”

Astreia, overcome with guilt, stammered in panic, trying to explain.

“We didn’t know…Allison’s report just said you were ill, we really thought…”

“You thought I was faking it for sympathy?!”

Laxana’s gaze shifted back to Wendy.

“Or was it that you were so lost in the pleasures of the Prince with the Black Heart, you forgot our lifelong friendship?!”

Directly named, Wendy could no longer escape.

He pulled out the nearest chair, his voice gentle and soft, as if afraid to shatter the other’s fragile nerves.

“You must be exhausted from the journey. Please, sit and rest. I just learned a family recipe that’s good for restoring strength. Let me make a special portion for you to help you recover.”

At these words, the expressions of the three women shifted.

Astreia’s eyes overflowed with gratitude, and without hesitation, she pressed Laxana into a chair.

The little Queen glanced at Laxana with a flash of displeasure.

That was food meant for herself and her royal sister.

Why should an outsider receive a fresh serving?

As for Laxana, though anger still boiled within her, the gnawing emptiness in her stomach and the savory aroma burrowing into her very bones made it impossible to utter a single word of refusal.

“Hmph!”

She snorted heavily, a sound that meant reluctant consent.

When a steaming pot of Beef and Potato Stew was placed on the table, Miss Klein’s nose was immediately ensnared.

Etiquette and anger forgotten, she snatched the spoon from Astreia, shoveling generous chunks of beef and potato—soaked in rich gravy—into her mouth with near-desperate abandon.

“Mmmph…”

A moan of satisfaction—so intense it bordered on agony—escaped her throat.

It was utterly different from the earlier reactions of the Astreia sisters.

This was not just a delight for the taste buds; it was as if life itself was being restored.

With just one mouthful, a flush of color spread across Laxana’s pallid face.

She closed her eyes in bliss, feeling a warmth sweep through her frozen limbs, every pore opening in relief.

Delicious…so delicious!

This…this was the taste of life!

Her drained body and parched soul were nourished at last.

She abandoned all pretense of noble restraint, eating with even less decorum than the Astreia sisters had moments before.

Food vanished in a storm of hunger and relief, soup splattering as if she could devour all her suffering along with the meal.

Astreia watched in stunned silence, tears welling in her eyes as sorrow overwhelmed her.

How much pain had her dearest friend, her childhood companion, endured to be reduced to such a state?

Yekaterina merely observed coldly, her eyes flickering with unconcealed disdain at Laxana’s savage table manners.

Only Wendy, outwardly busy serving more stew and encouraging Laxana to eat slowly, was quietly watching everyone in the room.

He noticed that as Laxana devoured the food, Astreia—though her mouth watered—remained calm, free of the strange compulsions from before.

She even pushed her plate toward Laxana on her own.

Wendy was almost certain: this Huaxia dish could quell Astreia’s gluttonous urges, allowing her to retain her reason.

But Laxana’s reaction revealed another problem.

The damage she suffered from his intimacy with Astreia—transmitted through the “Empathic Link”—was far more severe than he’d realized.

It seemed that once this poor young lady recovered, they would need a serious talk.

The First Magic Family of Valoran might have records—or even solutions—regarding this “Curse of Empathy”.

For now, though, the most important thing was for her to regain her strength.

The entire pot of Beef and Potato Stew vanished quickly, every drop of broth mopped up with bread.

Laxana set down her spoon with a sigh of deep contentment, collapsing into the chair.

The haunted look in her eyes finally began to fade.

The exhaustion that had hollowed her out was chased away by the warmth and fullness in her belly.

She raised a hand, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.

The movement was still weak, but the hysteria was gone.

“You.”

Laxana slowly lifted her head, her gaze passing over the worried Astreia and ignoring the disgusted little Queen beside her, locking straight onto Wendy.

“Come with me!”