Chapter 25

“I don’t want you to leave my side. It’s not to mock or tease you, nor to make you suffer.”  

Eric’s tone grew more desperate. Drinking the Elixir of Truth had been both the best and worst decision he could have made.  

“I’m curious about you. Yes, I want to get to know you a little better. So, about you…”  

It was the best choice to convey his sincerity to someone so filled with distrust, but it was also the worst choice, as he had forcibly and unilaterally taken the elixir from her for his purpose.  

Whether Euphrasia would come to understand him or despise him even more was uncertain.  

“I want to define the confusing emotions I’m feeling right now. That’s all.”  

The only thing Eric could do was to put all his effort into proving that his words were genuine.  

Euphrasia had been frowning ambiguously, her expression unreadable, ever since the moment Eric had swallowed the elixir in one gulp.  

As soon as Eric finished speaking, the tip of his right second finger turned pink.  

The elixir confirmed that every word he had spoken was the truth.  

“See? My words are undoubtedly true…”  

Resolutely extending his right finger forward, Eric tried to smile brightly.  

But, strangely, his facial muscles refused to cooperate.  

No matter how much he tried to lift the corners of his lips, not just his facial muscles but none of his muscles obeyed his will.  

“Duke?”  

“Ugh!”  

His face stiffened, and gradually, his entire body became rigid.  

Sensing that something was seriously wrong, Euphrasia hurried to his side.  

Louis burst into tears, overwhelmed by the sudden shift in the drawing room’s atmosphere.  

A faint breeze began to swirl within the enclosed drawing room.  

However, Euphrasia didn’t notice the wind brushing against her hair. She was too preoccupied to even comfort the crying Louis in her arms.  

Bang!  

Bang!  

A dull sound echoed repeatedly.  

It was the sound of Eric’s now fully stiffened body collapsing to the floor. A burning pain invaded his entire body, constricting his insides.  

‘Poison? The First Prince of the Kingdom of Kettlin… was it? Why…?’  

During the entire process of putting the Elixir of Truth into his mouth and swallowing it, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual.  

A colorless, odorless poison that could evade the senses of a Sword Master.  

It was astonishing and horrifying, but Eric could no longer make a sound.  

Even the trembling of his pupils came to a complete stop, and Eric lost consciousness.  

At the same time, a similar but distinct dull sound echoed from the tightly shut window of the drawing room.  

“Euphrasia! It’s dangerous…!”  

“Uwaah! Waaaah! Hic!”  

“Euphrasia! Are you alright? Oh, no! Duke Herrington…!”  

“Hiccup! Waaah!”  

A commotion of unfamiliar voices followed.  

Leopold, who had appeared like the wind through the open window, looked at the unfolding situation with a bewildered expression.  

The faint breeze swirling around him brushed against his fingertips.  

‘Wind?’  

Momentarily pausing at the unnatural flow of air, Leopold quickly stepped into the drawing room.  

The child, his face twisted in distress, was crying loudly, and Euphrasia stood there blankly, mechanically patting the child.  

Her gaze was fixed on Eric, who lay collapsed on the floor. Though her eyes were directed at him, her pupils were vacant.  

Even though Leopold had made quite a noisy entrance, she didn’t even turn her head. It was as if she hadn’t realized he was there.  

Euphrasia was trapped in extreme anxiety and fear.  

Seeing Eric collapse after drinking the elixir she had intended to consume brought back the trauma of her past, when she had once been poisoned.  

‘Breathing… I can’t breathe…!’  

She tried taking a deep breath, but it was no use. Her breath grew shorter, and her consciousness began to fade.  

It felt as if the poison that had once taken her life was flowing down her throat again.  

“Euphrasia! Please!”  

Leopold was just as flustered. He had charged in, thinking Euphrasia might be in danger, only to find Duke Herrington collapsed on the floor and her seemingly out of her mind.  

In his desperation, he rummaged through his belongings and pulled out a small glass vial, pouring its transparent contents into Eric’s mouth.  

“Snap out of it! Euphrasia! Duke Herrington isn’t dead! Look closely, he’s still warm! I can save him! Can you hear me? Snap out of it!”  

Lifting Eric’s upper body and holding him firmly in place, Leopold shouted at Euphrasia with all his might.  

“Hic!”  

Startled, Louis hiccupped and finally stopped crying. The room fell somewhat quieter, but it was already too late.  

Outside the drawing room, multiple presences could be felt.  

“Duke! What’s going on?”  

“Duke, Madam! It’s Demian! May I come in?”  

The sound of something heavy falling, the cries of someone unknown, and even wailing had leaked out.  

Although the drawing room was well-insulated, it couldn’t completely block all the noise.  

The faint commotion that had escaped was enough to draw the attention of the Herrington household staff, who now knocked on the door.  

‘No, this can’t be!’  

The situation Leopold had hoped to quietly resolve had grown far too big. Despair shadowed his face.  

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he was caught as the perpetrator of Duke Herrington’s attempted murder.  

At that moment.  

“My dear child, my son. I’m sorry. You must have been so scared. I’ve shown you something you shouldn’t have seen.”  

Euphrasia’s gentle voice, soothing the child, tickled Leopold’s ears. Her calm tone didn’t match the urgency of the situation.  

Leopold’s shout had worked. Focus returned to her previously vacant pupils.  

“I can save him!”  

Leopold’s words, which had anchored Euphrasia’s fading consciousness, brought her back to reality.  

She briefly assessed her situation objectively for the first time.  

Her gaze toward Leopold was filled with wariness.  

He must be curious. Suspicious, even. Should I be grateful he hadn’t screamed yet?  

Leopold gave a bitter smile.  

“I’ll explain everything. But for now, there’s something more urgent, isn’t there? We need to save the Duke first.”  

“…You’ll have a lot to explain.”  

“As much as you wish. So, please.”  

In just a glance, Euphrasia could tell what Leopold wanted.  

Seeing Eric unconscious after consuming poison sent by the First Prince of Kettlin, she hesitated to trust Leopold’s words. But then, she noticed Eric’s condition.  

Though still unconscious, Eric’s cheeks showed a faint flush.  

His chest rose and fell weakly, clinging to life.  

Click.  

The doorknob of the drawing room began to turn from the outside.  

Hoping her judgment was correct, Euphrasia made her decision.  

“Do not come in. It’s not a good time.”  

Her firm voice flowed from her lips.  

Immediately, the half-turned doorknob returned to its original position.  

From outside, Demian’s worried voice called out.  

“Pardon? Madam, could you please tell us what’s going on?”  

“That is…”  

Though she had started to speak, Euphrasia, unused to lying, broke into a cold sweat, glancing back at Leopold.  

Leopold, relieved to have passed one hurdle, sighed and gestured awkwardly for her to stall for time.  

“Madam? Did you and the Duke have a disagreement? Please, understand the concern of this old butler! If you’ll excuse me, I’m coming in!”  

Demian’s voice, filled with worry, painted a vivid picture of him clutching the doorknob.  

Behind him, the gathered staff and even the occasional clinking of armor suggested that the household knights had also arrived.  

Indeed, even the faintest sound of commotion from the usually peaceful drawing room would have been enough to alarm everyone.  

Time was running out.  

Sending away those outside was important, but Eric, barely clinging to life, needed immediate attention.  

Lowering her trembling lashes, Euphrasia’s face flushed with shame.  

No matter how she thought about it, there was no other excuse.  

“…The Duke and I were having a, um, physical conversation. It got a bit more intense than expected.”  

“Pardon? Madam?”  

Demian’s voice rose sharply in disbelief.  

Euphrasia, now squeezing her eyes shut, continued.  

“It’s embarrassing. But we’re married, after all. Isn’t it natural for such things to happen? How much of our private matters must I disclose?”  

“Oh, I-I’m sorry! Truly sorry! Everyone, disperse! What are you all doing here? Move along!”  

Gasp!  

A sharp intake of breath was followed by Demian’s voice, urging everyone to leave.  

The sound of many retreating footsteps gradually faded.  

Finally, Euphrasia, her legs giving out, collapsed to the floor.  

From the moment she mentioned ‘physical conversation,’ Leopold had turned his head away entirely. Now, he solemnly offered her comfort.  

“Th-thank you… so much, Euphrasia.”