To His Hell and Back-Chapter 152: Noticeable Change

Faced with such an odd request, Wilhelm tilted his head, eyes narrowing in honest confusion. Social cues had always been a cursed labyrinth for him, he couldn’t tell jest from sarcasm, nor when a question was rhetorical or deadly serious. And so, after mulling over Cassius’s words like one dissecting a riddle, he replied with all the seriousness that a person could ever muster.

"I believe memory erasure is possible, Your Highness. But to selectively delete a specific thread is like trimming only one thread from an embroidery without unraveling the rest? Unless it’s akin to your own power... it would be impossible."

Cassius pulled one corner of his lips upward in a crooked, letting out an amused grin along with a low chuckle rising from his throat. He quite enjoy the naivety that Wilhelm always shows as it also highlighted the fact that he was far too foolish to start stabbing him in the back like others previously in his position had done.

He brushed aside the question and turned to stood from the chair, "How much do you know about humans, Wilhelm?"

The sudden movement startled Wilhelm, who immediately flinched as if expecting to be stabbed by the ribs. His voice squeaked out in panic, "U- Uh— Just a little!"

Cassius’s smile widened, though it was anything but kind. "If you say a little, it means quite a lot."

He knew Wilhelm better than anyone. Especially how easily naive, cowardly, and spooked this vampire doctor was. He was always seen less as he didn’t like killing but saving which to vampires were considered too soft and kind, a flaw of their kinds.

But Wilhelm was not stupid. Far from it. He was a talent everyone had overlooked due to his slightly odd nature. In simple terms, Wilhelm was a genius in his own fractured way. If he claimed to know a little, then for any other vampire, it would be encyclopedic. Cassius gestured smoothly toward the sealed door.

"There’s a human in that room. She has been asleep for four days. No food, no water. And yet her condition refuses to change. I need you to check on her."

Wilhelm’s crimson eyes lit up behind his spectacles with an intrigue he barely managed to suppress. "A human? But why would there be a human in your bed, Your Highness?"

Cassius’s gaze snapped to him, and his voice dropped into an icy temperature, "Fewer questions. More work."

And as if responding to a spell, Wilhelm’s mouth shut tight with an almost audible click, his lips sealed by fear, as the first day he was brought to Cassius he had seen what happened to people Cassius had considered a "doctor" yet instead failed in their work. He stared at Cassius with wide eyes, nodding furiously, already fumbling with his tools.

Wilhelm muttered as he walked toward the room, "Why does he look concerned?" Though always terrible at reading social cues, even the blind could see that Cassius was worried about Arabella though it seems the only person unaware of this is the crown prince himself who has never seen his face as often as others do.

But not wanting to die due to his lack of work, Wilhelm moved in speed of light toward Arabella. He noted her temperature, her pulse, and the situation that had led her to her current situation. After a brief check the vampire doctor understood that Arabella hadn’t lost her consciousness due to some attack or physical illness. It was something caused by a strange power and with that he lacked the knowledge to traverse to it.

But he answered Cassius’s worry though a little, "I do think that her condition is improving. Although she does look worse to you, I can feel that her pulse is trying to strengthen. It shouldn’t be long for her to wake up."

Wilhelm finally answered Cassius’s worry, though only in part, his voice laced with cautious optimism. "I do believe her condition is improving. She may look worse to your eyes, but I can feel her pulse it’s trying to strengthen. If nothing interrupts the process, it shouldn’t be long before she wakes."

Cassius’s gaze didn’t waver. "How long?"

"Eight hours? Tomorrow, at the latest. If there’s no change by then, I’ll begin administering a potion to help her rise from the stupor." Wilhelm’s brow furrowed with rare seriousness. "Ah, also she can’t eat while unconscious, obviously. But we can help her drink. A few drops at a time, slowly. Perhaps a full gulp every two hours. Once she’s awake, start with something gentle on the stomach. Chicken soup or porridge but nothing heavy."

Cassius leaned back slightly, exhaling a breath that seemed to carry the weight of four sleepless days. He tapped the doorframe rhythmically, then asked, his voice quieter, "And if she doesn’t wake?"

Wilhelm’s jaw tightened, but his tone remained focused. "Then I’ll perform alchemical analysis. Compare her blood against a human sample. If I can trace what was injected into her body, I should be able to formulate something, if not the exact antidote, then at least a potion that can restore her to her previous state."

"In other words," Cassius murmured, "you’re going to make her an antidote."

"Yes!" Wilhelm said, brightening slightly.

Without another word, Cassius reached into his coat and tossed a small glass vial toward him. Wilhelm caught it on instinct, his fingers closing around the cool surface with practiced grace. His eyes lit up with fascination as he examined the shimmering liquid inside.

"This should help," Cassius said. "It’s what remains of the original antidote. Not much, but enough for you to work with."

Wilhelm grinned, a spark of his usual excitement glinting in his eyes. "This will do nicely. I’ll begin right away, Your Highness! Ah— and if what you said is true..." He paused, voice turning more thoughtful, "If the girl did kill someone while under the influence of that substance... then it’s possible she wasn’t in control. When she wakes up, she might not even remember it clearly. Interrogating her right away could do more harm than good." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"I know," Cassius replied callously. "I’m not going to demand answers the moment she opens her eyes."

He wasn’t going to simply demand for answer. Not with her. Not his birdie. Others, perhaps. But not Arabella. He knew it would only scare his poor birdie and though there were too many questions need answers, he would find the answer with her without pushing her to. His current priority was for her to be awake and so he walked toward the bed, sitting down while Wilhelm stared at him for a while, studying that this must have been the first time the Crown Prince had ever looked so concern. He was someone who would walk toward him, unfazed even when his heart had been ripped out by an enemy and Wilhelm still remember the shocking sight like yesterday.

As that was the first time Wilhelm had ever learned about Cassius’s true power, a power he had stolen from demon. Though stolen wasn’t truly the best way to explain it as Cassius, had to defeat the demon in question when he was still nine years old all alone.

Wilhelm decided to close the door and left them together but he could still see from the gaps of the closed door how Cassius had pulled Arabella’s hands and placed it near his lips.

It was such a sweet sight, something that Wilhelm could never expect from his crown prince and he doubted that there would be anyone alive who would ever receive the treatment that Arabella currently feels...