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"He… he looks old?" Adeline stuttered and thought to herself, "What does he mean by Edwin looks old? How can he be old in just two weeks?"

Alan tried to give her a clearer picture by explaining, "I mean he doesn't look as youthful as he used to look just a few weeks ago. He has lost significant weight and his muscles are loosening. And he does not have the stamina at all. He keeps on sleeping most of the time."

"And the healers still said that nothing is wrong with him?" Adeline looked really confused at that claim.

Alan puckered his lips and nodded his head.

"That's weird." But Adeline suddenly remembered someone else who was in the similar condition which Alan was describing.

She thought to herself, "Didn't my mother also go through similar symptoms? The healers couldn't find anything wrong with her but she got weaker and weaker and then she… So, does that mean someone is poisoning Edwin? Could it be Lillian herself? Who else would know about that poison?"

But then she scratched off that possibility because Edwin was very dear to Lillian.. She would never kill her own son. "Then is someone else poisoning him? If so, who?"

Seeing Adeline lost in her thoughts, Alan asked curiously, "Do you know what could have caused such sickness? You seem to be recalling something."

Adeline was not planning to say anything to Alan but she could not hide it when he asked that question specifically. So she replied, "What if someone is secretly poisoning him? Couldn't it be the work of some poison that cannot be detected easily?"

Now Alan was more than sure that Adeline had nothing to do with Edwin's sickness. "Even I suspected that at first. So I personally oversaw his maids and servants for a few days, tracking their every move. And I even planted a spy in his quarter but I didn't find anything suspicious."

Adeline suddenly remembered that Agnes was a witch and got lost in the thought again, "She also cared about the villagers so could she have cast some spell on Edwin? No, she cannot be that kind of a person though. Her enmity is with Lillian, not Edwin. And she is a good witch, she cannot just go and curse someone because they charged higher taxes. They will only act when there is forbidden witchcraft involved."

"That's sad." Adeline pursed her lips and sighed.

"Yes, it is sad. He was waiting so eagerly for the test. The test is only two weeks away and he is in that condition. I cannot even imagine what he must be going through right now." Though Alan did not think that Edwin would make a good King, he did not want to see him losing even before giving the test either.

Adeline pitied Edwin and she genuinely wished for his recovery, "I hope that he will recover by then. We all know that he was really interested to be the next ruler of the Kingdom. He will get broken if he cannot even give the test."

Even though one of her biggest opponents was sick, she didn't feel happy. She was rather sad because it wouldn't be a fair fight if he was at his weakest when he gave the test. And whoever would get selected as the next ruler would always feel that maybe, they were the second-best choice but they were selected just because Edwin was unfit during the test.

Also, Adeline was aware that he was favored by the councilmen. Edwin was the first Prince and was born from a Queen and not a concubine. And if they were to find out that he was sick during the exam, the councilmen could try to bring troubles for the selected ruler later on. Though the judgment of the deity would be binding, they could still try to persuade the King to conduct the exam again.

Alan also let out a sigh and agreed to Adeline, "Yes, I also hope that he somehow gets well soon enough. I am worried that he might create chaos once he gets better. He might try to obstruct the one who gets named the future ruler."

"I cannot believe that I am saying this to you but… most of the Generals support him. And it cannot be denied that he might even try to use his influence over them to lead a rebellion. He might even try to overthrow the future ruler after the coronation. Who knows, he might even try to overthrow father himself."

Alan was more worried about the consequences that his brother would bring if he wouldn't be able to give the very test that he had waited for his whole life.

Adeline knew that the councilmen favored Prince Edwin. But she had no idea that even the Generals were his supporters. That would make things very difficult for the next ruler. Soldiers were the backbone of the ruler and if that backbone was not there to support the ruler then they could fall easily.

Adeline was screaming with frustration in her mind, "I hate all this favoritism. Why did our father have to give birth to so many children? If there were fewer children then the people wouldn't have been divided between the Princes and Princesses like this. Everything would have been less complicated."

"What are you thinking?" Alan couldn't help but notice that Adeline would be lost in her thoughts every now and then.

Adeline replied truthfully but she said it as though she was being sarcastic, "I'm just thinking that our father gave birth to too many potential heirs. Everything would have been simpler if there were just two or three children."

Alan suddenly burst into laughter and seeing him laugh hysterically, Adeline also began to laugh.

"Only you can say such a scandalous thing against the King," Alan was amused by how fearlessly she could raise her voice against the King's action.

A soft knock on the door interrupted their laughter.

"Come in," Adeline replied while still chuckling.

Osanna came inside with the tray of tea. She poured the tea for both of the brother and sister and left the room.

Alan picked up the cup and blew on it. Then he asked a question while taking a sip of the tea, "So, how is your preparation going for the test?"

"It is going pretty well. And what about yours?" Adeline didn't want to go into details about her training.

Alan half-shrugged his shoulder and said, "Same as usual, I train early in the morning and sometimes in the evening as well. I am scared though. The closer the test is approaching, the nervous I get, I don't know why."