So damn beautiful

Sylvia raked her brain trying to think of a solution to her current predicament.

She could recognize the signs of poisoning but what more can she possibly do about this?

The devil had warned her repeatedly about stepping outside of this castle but now she had absolutely no other choice.

She needed to go out and get some help. Her time was running out.

As Sylvia scrambled to get up, and hurriedly lifted the edges of her dress, preparing to run, she noticed a small piece of crumpled paper on the floor.

She hadn't noticed it earlier, probably because she had inadvertently sat on it.

But now that she had seen it, she picked it up with her slender hands in order to take a quick look.

"Rosemary"

"Ginseng"

"Ruby leaves"

"Beetroot stalk"

"Aren't these all herbs?" Sylvia pondered out loud.

Now that she was standing, she also saw a bunch of green leaves sprawled on the kitchen counter messily.

Mud and dirt were everywhere and it was hard to miss.

She probably didn't notice it earlier as she was too panicked from seeing Mikel lying on the floor unconscious.

Sylvia absentmindedly walked closer to the green leaves and she also noticed that there was a mortar and pestle on the kitchen countertop.

More importantly, the mortar had a semi-ground herbal mixture within it.

Sylvia patiently observed everything.

She then used her finger to scoop up a small portion of the ground paste and smelled it.

Ginseng's strong pungent aroma instantly assaulted her nose and interlaced with it was also rosemary's unique scent.

Looking at all these things, she couldn't help but think of the obvious.

This man was clearly in the middle of preparing an antidote of sorts for himself when he had collapsed on the ground.

"Should I apply it on him?" Sylvia pondered.

Though she had made some guesses, she was still not too sure that this was the correct antidote for the poison.

She could very well be wrong.

But then again, going out of the castle was easier said than done.

The building was surrounded by acres and acres of forest and lavish gardens.

Without a carriage or a horse, it might take her a few hours just to step out of the castle's main doors.

Would this man really be able to hold on until then? She didn't know.

Sylvia contemplated the decision for a couple of minutes before hesitantly deciding to apply the herbal paste first.

After that, she could still rush outside and get some help. A few minutes delay wouldn't make much of a difference then.

She grabbed the pestle and hurriedly mashed the herbs in the mortar some more before kneeling next to the devil again.

Gulping nervously, the woman then used her soft hands to remove the bandages on the wound.

Her actions stirred Mikel awake and the man slightly winced in pain.

This was enough to scare Sylvia and she almost dropped the bowl on her hands.

But seeing that the man's eyes were still closed, she sighed in relief.

She patted her chest and calmed herself down.

Damn it. Get it together. Sylvia reprimanded herself and removed the rest of the bandage.

Fresh blood leaked out of the ghastly wound and it looked extremely infected.

The skin around the injury had also darkened.

Sylvia hurriedly scooped up some paste and used her hands to apply medicine gently.

She carefully rubbed the antidote all over the infected area and then poured the remaining juices on top of the man as well.

The previously defined chiseled artwork was now a big mess with green goo all over.

"Huuu… Ok. This is all I can do." Sylvia sighed and wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Since the devil had slightly regained his consciousness earlier, she thought that it was best if she stayed around for a few more minutes.

Perhaps if he awakened from his stupor, then she could ask the man himself for further orders.

Time quickly ticked away and a few more minutes flew by.

With each passing second, Sylvia started to slowly doubt her actions.

She was regretting not running out to the castle's main gates in order to get help.

She could have already covered good distance if she had started a while back.

As Sylvia restlessly fretted, the man beside her unexpectedly stirred again.

"Mmmm…" He moaned in pain and his enchanting long lashes fluttered uncomfortably.

This time Sylvia wasn't caught off guard. She intently looked at the man, even moving a bit closer.

"Mmm…" Mikel groaned again.

"Your highness. Your highness." Sylvia anxiously called out.

The man remained silent.

However, Sylvia could see that his breathing was a lot more stable now.

The man's chest rose and fell rhythmically and his face looked relaxed.

She heaved a sigh of relief and continued to observe him.

A few more minutes passed and Sylvia nodded off slightly, supporting her face on her palm, when suddenly a hoarse voice sounded near her and jolted her awake.

"Why do you look so damn beautiful?"