The Cursed Demon Prince-Chapter 239: Decline

In the following days, Lilith felt her body grow weaker with each passing moment. Her skin became pale and fragile, her eyes sunken into their sockets, strands of her hair falling away far too easily. She had lost a frightening amount of weight in such a short time, food could no longer settle in her stomach before it was brought back up.

The gloomy weather and heavy gray clouds only worsened her condition. Lilith avoided looking at herself in the mirror as the sight of her reflection terrified her. Yet despite how frail and broken she appeared, the love and devotion in Hades’ eyes never wavered. If anything, it deepened. He was always there when she fell asleep and when she woke, tending to her every need with quiet devotion.

It made her feel blessed to have a man like him and it broke her heart knowing she would not live long enough to fully enjoy the beautiful love they shared. Still, Lilith was grateful for the moments they had, cherishing each one and holding them close to her heart.

She laid in bed, her fingers brushing lightly over the ring on her finger. It was ethereal, breathtakingly beautiful. A shaky breath slipped past her lips as tears gathered in her eyes, threatening to fall, but she forced them back. She refused to cry anymore. She would not mourn her fate again.

Summoning what little strength she had left, Lilith pushed the blanket aside and slowly rose from the bed, gripping the bedpost for balance. After steadying her breathing, she made her way out of the room and toward Hades’ study, where he had gone earlier to tend to his affairs.

Standing before the door, she paused, calming her labored breaths before reaching for the handle and pushing it open.

She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "It’s past noon, and you haven’t had breakfast."

Hades looked up at the sound of her voice, his brows shooting up in alarm as he rose from his chair and hurried around the table to her side.

"Dear gods, Lilith, why are you here?" he said urgently. "You should have sent for me if you wanted to see me." He slipped an arm around her shoulders.

She laughed softly. "I didn’t want to disturb you." Her gaze drifted to the stack of papers on his desk. "It seems you have quite a lot of work."

"I’m nearly finished, just a few documents left." He guided her gently toward the couch. "Are you alright? Are you in pain anywhere?" Concern threaded through his voice.

Lilith smiled and lifted her hand to cup his cheek. "I grew tired of lying in bed. And no, nothing hurts."

"Alright, my love," the prince said, managing a small smile. "How did you sleep? Did you rest well?"

"Yes," she replied softly. "It was rather relaxing... comforting."

Sleep had been difficult for her lately, her nights plagued with terrible dreams that left her trembling and soaked in sweat. The lack of rest had only hastened her decline. But last night had been different.

And for that, she silently thanked the gods.

Lilith was tempted to believe she was getting better, but that would have been foolish. This was no ordinary illness, it was one destined to carry her to her grave.

"That’s lovely. Would you like to have something to eat?" Hades asked.

"No, I’m not hungry. Besides, I had two biscuits an hour ago," she replied. "What about you? Aren’t you hungry?"

"Not really," he said. "I just want to finish these documents and have them delivered to the different towns."

"Alright. You should return to your work. I’ll keep myself busy with reading."

His eyes narrowed at her. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I’ll be fine," she assured him.

Hades nodded before returning to his chair.

An hour passed with the prince fully immersed in his work and Lilith lost in the novel in her hands. She had nearly reached the halfway point.

She hadn’t noticed Hades standing beside her, peering down at the page.

"...and her fingers grazed his veined arms, her lips brushing his neck as she whispered her growing affection for..."

Startled, Lilith nearly jumped out of the chair, causing Hades to chuckle at her reaction.

"Dear heavens! You frightened me," she said, pressing a hand to her chest. "I didn’t even notice you coming."

Hades crossed his arms. "Hmm. Now I’m curious to know what had you so captivated. Shall I take a look?"

He reached for the book, but Lilith quickly pulled it back.

"I’m still reading it and it’s not a book for a man. I’m afraid you wouldn’t enjoy it," she explained.

"I doubt there’s such a thing as a book unfit for a man," he replied calmly. "And whether I enjoy it or not is for me to decide, dearest Lilith." He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her cheeks flushed. "Well... regardless, I must finish it first."

"Take your time," he said. "There’s no rush."

A moment of silence passed.

"Are you finished with the papers?" she asked.

"Yes. Viktor will have them delivered later this evening or by tomorrow morning," Hades replied.

Lilith swallowed at the mention of Viktor.

He had been avoiding her, and the last time she saw him, he seemed different, hollow, weighed down by a sadness impossible to ignore. He was struggling far more than she had anticipated. She had told Hades of her desire to visit him, but he advised her to give Viktor time and space.

I don’t have much time left, she thought, though she didn’t voice it.

Hades had spoken of the future more than once, and she couldn’t tell whether he was still in denial or truly believed a miracle would come that she would be saved. As for Viktor, she had given him enough space. Tomorrow, she would visit him and try to mend what had broken between them.

But first, she needed to write a letter to her mother, to her family in Eryndor for her final wishes.