The sensation of death.
Irene felt it creeping through her body. The constriction of blood flow and oxygen, the sense of suffocation pressing down her chest, and for a fleeting moment, she felt as though her soul had slipped free.
No.
Not just felt like.
She was near death.
"Huukh!"
A jolt snapped her awake, as if she had been pulled from the edge of a bottomless abyss.
"...."
Her blurred vision slowly sharpened, revealing the sight of several maids surrounding her with shock evident in their frozen expressions.
Astrid, who had been tending to her the entire time, looked pale. Beside her stood Olivia, whose expression wracked with worry.
The familiar surroundings clicked in Irene's mind.
"...."
She was lying in her childhood bedroom within the Imperial Palace.
"Sister!" Astrid exclaimed, rushing closer.
"Lady Irene! Are you feeling better?!" Olivia asked, her tone laced with worry.
