Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 77: Royal Cape for His Highness?

Chapter 77: Royal Cape for His Highness?

"Aren’t you coming?" Damian asked, glancing back at her.

Eve blinked, looking up to see that he had stopped several steps ahead, his silver eyes searching hers. "To where?"

Damian’s lips twitched with a hint of dry amusement. "To see what this is all about."

Evelina hesitated. "I thought—your father—"

"Forget what he said," Damian cut her off. "I won’t sit around waiting for this to spread while everyone points fingers. If there’s a chance we can figure out what’s happening, I’m taking it. And I’d prefer to have you with me."

His words stirred something in Evelina—surprise and warmth simultaneously. He trusted her, even when no one else did.

Despite her earlier doubts, she couldn’t resist the pull to follow him, to uncover the truth about what was happening, and to protect those who might be caught in the crossfire.

"Alright," her voice sounded steadier than she expected. "Let’s go."

Damian and Evelina fell into step, moving through the winding hallways toward the palace entrance. Without breaking stride, he reached out through his mind link to Jasper.

"Jasper, meet me at the palace entrance. We’re going to investigate this outbreak."

Jasper’s voice came back almost instantly. "An outbreak? Did I hear you say an outbreak, Your Highness?"

Damian ignored the slight edge in his tone. "I wonder how you manage to know everything in the palace but omit the important ones sometimes."

"What can I say, Your Highness? You have more sources. You’re the Crown Prince, after all," Jasper replied.

"I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that," Damian retorted, "and meet me at the palace gates."

"Understood. I’ll be there faster than you can say ’scandal.’"

Damian didn’t bother responding further, cutting the connection as he and Evelina reached the large double doors leading outside.

The guards posted outside bowed quickly as they passed, but neither slowed their pace.

It wasn’t long before Jasper appeared, striding towards them with purpose. His usually tousled hair was windswept, his green eyes flashing with intrigue. "You really know how to spice up a boring afternoon, Your Highness. What’s going on?"

Damian quickly briefed him on the situation, his expression growing grim. "That’s all we know," he finished. "We don’t know how deadly this is, and it’s spreading quickly. We must get ahead of this before it’s out of control."

Jasper nodded, his expression turning serious.

"If we’re going out there," Evelina spoke up, "we need to be careful. Jasper, where can I get some thick cloth or tarps? Something water-resistant?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "What, planning to make a tent, milady? Or perhaps a royal cape for His Highness?"

"I’m serious, Jasper," Evelina said. "If this is some kind of toxin or contagion, we need to protect ourselves. We’ll need coverings—something we can dispose of or clean afterwards."

Damian’s brow furrowed. "You’re saying we should wear protective layers?"

"Yes," Evelina confirmed. "If we walk into that infirmary without precautions, we’re risking exposure. Do you want to carry whatever this is back to the palace?"

Relia’s voice stirred in her mind, smug. "Finally, you’re speaking some sense. Though I must say, this ’layering up’ idea sounds like the beginning of a comedy routine. Is it a thing from where you came from?"

"Got any idea, smart wolf?" Evelina countered, but Relia gave no response.

Jasper nodded slowly. "Alright, alright. I know where to find what you’re looking for. Leave it to me."

It wasn’t long before Jasper returned with a bundle of thick, rough sheets and water-resistant materials scavenged from the palace storage.

Together, they fashioned crude coverings—makeshift cloaks and gloves to protect themselves. Evelina adjusted her hood carefully, ensuring her face was shielded.

"Well," Jasper said, eyeing their unusual attire with amusement, "if nothing else, we’re bound to make quite the impression."

As the trio stepped out into the main street, townspeople paused to stare, whispering to each other as they passed. Their odd, layered outfits drew confused and even alarmed glances.

"Is it me," Jasper murmured, "or are we one bad step away from being mistaken for a traveling circus?"

Evelina smirked faintly but didn’t reply, focusing on the path ahead.

"If the town guards suspect see this as a threat," Relia quipped, "we’d all be arrested."

Ignoring the commentary, Damian led the way through the eerily quiet streets.

************

When they reached the healer’s quarters, the sight that met them was worse than Evelina had expected.

The healer’s quarters were overflowing.

Dozens of people were sprawled out on the ground outside, covered in makeshift blankets. Some were writhing in pain, their faces pale and sweat-soaked, while others lay frighteningly still.

The pungent smell of medicinal herbs combined with the unpleasant odour of sickness in the air.

"Don’t touch anything," Evelina reminded them firmly as they approached the chaos. "And don’t remove the coverings unless absolutely necessary."

Damian gave her a sidelong glance, his brows slightly furrowed, but he didn’t say anything. Jasper raised an eyebrow and said, "Touch anything? Trust me, I’m not here to make new friends," he added, though his usual humour seemed a bit off.

"Let’s find the healer," Damian said. His silver eyes hardened as he began weaving through the crowd, carefully avoiding contact as much as possible.

The trio weaved through the growing crowd, carefully avoiding direct contact with the patients.

Eve’s scientific instincts were kicking in, and her mind raced with possibilities. Contaminants, vectors, transmission—she had to stay sharp. "We need to figure out where this started," she said. "What’s the common factor? Food, water, or something airborne?"

Jasper glanced at her, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "And if it’s not that simple?"

"Then we improvise," Evelina said, her voice firm despite the knot of worry in her chest.

They reached the healer’s quarters entrance, where a frazzled apprentice was attempting to organise the chaos.

"Where’s the healer?" Damian demanded.

The apprentice looked up, startled, and gestured toward the back room. "He’s...he’s with the worst cases, Your Highness," she stammered. "He’s been working nonstop since this morning."

Damian nodded and pushed forward, leading Evelina and Jasper into the dimly lit room.

The scene inside was no better than the one outside. Patients lined the walls, their moans of pain echoing softly.

The healer, an older man with deep lines etched into his face, was bent over a patient, his hands moving deftly as he applied a salve to the man’s chest.

"Healer," Damian said, his voice cutting through the din. The older man straightened, his tired eyes meeting Damian’s with a flicker of relief.

"Your Highness," the healer said, bowing his head briefly. "I didn’t expect you to come."

"I need to know everything," Damian said without preamble. "How did this start? What are we dealing with?"