1 Chapter 1

It was late at night when a messenger pigeon flew right inside her small cabin, its feet carrying a letter with a familiar seal.

'Elos Courtemanche'

He is the son of the Emperor. Quite a ferocious man, the rumors couldn't be more true for the first time, in the case of Sage the young herbalist.

The young woman was titled a wayward amongst her peers, it was due to the reason she'd often go to one place to another, the fact was that his grace was gravely ill and she needed various herbs hoping to know what was wrong with him internally.

"I must go back again," she sighed in defeat, it has been a month yet she couldn't get a single understanding what was wrong with the royalty.

She ruffled her ebony hair, how can she cure someone without knowing the illness in the first place?

'Butler Bertram must be insane! Everyone on that household is deranged!'

She thought to herself, she felt more like a detective than a healer. All she was given by the butler was that despite the Archduke's well physique, he was ill inside.

Sage personally haven't seen anything unusual yet so she could only wonder, she could not also decline them, stated the generous amount of salary she will be given if her normal human hands can mend their beloved archduke.

Although money can cure her own problems, the young herbalist wasn't tempted. It was her curiousity that benefited the most, the idea of discovering a new sickness, surrendering to vulnerability and feeding her mind, nothing could match that feeling.

But as morning came and she got to look at the eldest son of the emperor, her belief was shaken. This time she saw the tall stature of the man bending down near the luxurious curtain drenched in his own coughing.

Archduke Elos Courtemanche, he was nothing but an enigma, his strength unmatched as the true God of War in Banica. Even if Sage was living in the outskirts of the empire knew of this too. Hence, he was a few steps in front of her coughing not with blood but —ink.

"Butl—" she paused midway, there was a reason why only the knights allowed her inside.

Elos opened his eyes when he heard the loud close of the door, as if the man already knew who it was, he stretched his arms wide when he felt her body swiftly supported his.

"I'm now here.. hush now, it's alright." It was like a magic spell that his coughing halted, Sage shakingly embraced the archduke, scared he'll collapse to the cold marble floor.

This was the first time he was this weak, her previous thought about her own desires made her feel guilty.. and selfish.

The archduke could only keep quiet as he watch Sage carefully assisted him back to his bed, she didn't even mind the mess he did or how unsightly his clothes became. In her ash orbs, it was full of worry and softness that once again made his heart tingle.

When the herbalist was about to part he held her hand and voiced out his concern, "Stay," it was more like an order. Sage could only follow and locked their hands while her other palm reached for his forehead.

"Your Grace, if I may ask freely, what happened?" Her lips trembled, only realizing his state. His chamber was clean again aside from the drops of ink-cough on the floor.

Elos as usual only stared at the woman blankly, this was their kind of relationship. Sage would ask and Elos would keep his mouth shut, when the herbalist gives him medicine he'd go berserk.

A reason why Sage often sees him as a baby wanting to be tend softly rather than a ferocious beautiful man. Sometimes she was convinced he was a misunderstood individual.

Sage decided to keep her mouth shut, she had to remind herself her client was of nobility this time, no matter how tenderly their actions were he was still the son of the emperor, therefore she cannot freely comment further more.

Elos let out a frustrated groan when his butler came, "If I can breathe I'm still fucking fine!"

Sage almost let out a chuckle, she stood up and bowed her head slightly. Elos was like this, being mean to everyone, for the last few weeks she had been here the archduke would always either scold or fire household maids, he would always complain how filthy they are.

But the young lady could only shook her head, on the contrary she was the one looking filthy with her simple white victorian dress, the ends having bits of mud, she even forgot to tie her hair.

How dare she!

She only remembered now how she looked, this was a crucial issue for others, she's meeting one of the most important vessels of the empire. Not being well-dressed is an insult, that was the reason why the archduke's maid's kept looking at her with distainful and hatred.

But not even once did the royal client complained, she felt conscious all of the sudden. Will she wait till his grace would point it out or was he testing how far her obliviousness limits?

Elos found his herbalist looking at the white vase with a blank expression, it was his favorite. It reminded him of someone, but it's just there sitting on the opolent table beside his bed, no flowers, no nothing —just like he wanted.

It was simple just like his Sage, no special carving, just a white ceramic urn vase. Sage's earthly scent was already the flower for him.

The vase represented not only how simple and old-fashioned her dress was, but how pure she looked like in his eyes. Her delicate hands sometimes smell like herbs, her hair always messy everytime he called for her.

"Woman," ah yes, no matter how innocently she looked she was indeed a young, intelligent woman.

"Y-Your Grace?" Sage snapped herself out of trance as she heard the monotonic hoarse voice of her patient.