She, now more appropriately named for the time, Noir would be seeing Hilarie for the first time. After thinking about her age, she realized she looked closer to how she did at the age of fourteen, which would make her four years older than the crown prince.

His older brother figure. 

That seemed like that’s the route she’d have to take in order to get closer to him and hopefully monitor him in the future.

“Little boy, taking care of His Majesty is our task.” ‘Look at that dirty-looking boy’ She’d heard one of the maids muttering under her breath. The girl’s plump, full lips thinned out at a hard line listening to them but let it subside.

The maids were clearly suspicious of her. Who wouldn't be? A child who clearly from unknown origin suddenly shows up after saving the heir of the entire kingdom.

"I am to protect, this matter isn’t much for me. I want to take care of him."It took the maids to be further instructed by Sir Monet that the young ‘boy’ would be taking charge of his bedside manner for them to back off. They still showed hostility towards her, but at least she had the backing of the Duke with her.

She resigned to pinning back her curly hair, tying it all back with a scarlet red ribbon. She had still been wearing the nightgown she slept in. She sat beside the child, wiping down his face as he had fits, thrashing in his slumber. She glances at the small, embroidered teapot on his side, opening it to reveal a cloudy substance.

No one would believe that the 'sickness' he acquired at a young age was from a poison fed to him in his food.

Initially, it had his uncle who found Hilarie in the novel, so she managed to change something already. It took his uncle a while to find out he was being poisoned—kind of irresponsible of him, huh? Anyways when that happened he appointed someone; his loyal adviser—Lemar, however, he had yet to appear in the novel at this point.

She remembered a maid who had originally served for the Empress’ family was behind the poisonings but she noticed herself she hadn’t seen her since she arrived.

Strange.

"Do not worry, I will protect you with my life. Grow to be a wonderful ruler, Your Majesty." She muttered to the boy that laid before her, getting up to fill the water basin to more water.

"Wait," The smallness of the boy's voice surprised her she looked back at him, and his small hand clutching her sleeve. He stared at her, clearly in pain. His pale face had a rosiness to it, and his silver-blonde fell in waves.

Such an angel of a child, in pain.

"Don’t leave." She let out a small laugh.

She did feel sorry for him.

"I promise my life to you, and every life in which we may meet again, I will never leave you. Now, wait for me to fetch more water. I’ll be back very soon."

Having your mother be executed on the grounds of conspiracy and nearly being killed by the same woman, she understood his anger later in life.

'What kind of person was the author would write such a pitiful child as the villain?'

That's why she had to nurture him. Nurture him so he wouldn't become a tyrant later on.

"Sir Monet,” Noir calls, catching him walking down the hallway. He had been slightly more occupied with the whole transition of things, from trying to find the Empress who disappeared to dealing with his own business affairs, she wondered if being up this matter was a good time or not. Not, it’s she has to say something if she is serious about saving this boy.

"I think that His majesty’s illness is caused by I think he was poisoning.”

“How so?”

“He was in perfect health prior to this, correct?” The man looks startled, and for the first time, she caught him off-guard.

Good, be better at noticing things, Duke--in any other case he was very perceptive, but not of the little prince in his care.

“Even his tea seemed to a milky white color, his skin has a sickly hue. That means he's been poisoned while he's been here as well as when he stayed with the Empress. The person who helped her is clearly still lurking in your staff." His greenish-brown eyes widened, his grossly handsome grimaced. That’s right I know you’re a bit busy, but go find out who did it soon!

"You know, when I found him during the fire, he was bound up in a small room with bruises all over his body. It's clear that someone has a history of abusing him and this was her attempt at ending his life." She tried choosing her words correctly. She tried her hardest to refer to the woman in question as something ambiguous rather than as a bitch. The Duke just stood and looked at her in amazement.

"How did you--how does just a child decipher that?" ‘I know the plot you fool!’ She grits her teeth.

Noir let her knowledge slip—poisonings were so common around this time that she found herself reading up on it.

"Too bad there's a thirty-five-year-old woman in this body instead. In any case, don't underestimate children, old man." Noir mutters hoping he hadn't heard her, continuing with,

"Some things are obvious that even a child like I, knows, Sir Monet. His Highness should be isolated, for a faster recovery--in combination with proper meals and adequate rest."