Chapter 13 Part 5

But I realized I didn’t need to wonder at all when my vision began to tilt immediately after drinking.

“Lady Rose Knight has collapsed!”

“Lady…! Someone, fetch a physician…”

“My goodness, what’s happening…”

The host of the party suddenly collapsed. Just moments before, she had been drinking and chatting as if nothing was amiss. Daisy Queenie, despite seeing the scenario unfold as she had intended, couldn’t regain her composure, her face remaining pale. She instinctively sensed that many things were different from her expectations.

‘Why did the effect of the poison take so long?’

Furthermore, wasn’t there a situation where she had refused to share a drink that was said to contain poison? And now, in such a moment, Rose Knight had collapsed?

“The physician has arrived!”

“Excuse me for a moment, please clear the way.”

The family doctor of the Knight family arrived promptly, with both the inner and outer circles of the Knight family in tow. What if it becomes known that Rose Knight was poisoned in such a moment?

“Ah, something’s not right…”

“Why did our Rose suddenly collapse? Speak up!”

The surrounding noise was deafening. Daisy Queenie wanted to flee the scene but felt as if her feet were glued to the floor, unable to take even a single step.

“Excuse me, but it seems the lady has been poisoned…”

“What, what did you say? Poisoned… Rose?!”

The uproar began right there, with the duke starting to rage and the servants scrambling to restrain him, while suspicious glances began to pour towards Daisy Queenie.

“Come to think of it… Miss Queenie did not accept the glass?”

“Such a stickler for etiquette, and yet something was off today…”

“So Miss Queenie might have…?”

What began as mere whispers among the aristocrats, many of whom had witnessed the altercation between Daisy Queenie and Rose Knight, quickly turned into a growing suspicion towards Daisy. Whether spoken aloud or kept within, the seed of doubt had been planted in everyone’s minds.

“A noble harming another noble.”

“To think such a plot could unfold at a party, of all places. I never would have thought…”

“The social circles will be buzzing for some time.”

Their whispers cut through Daisy like blades, clear and audible, as they had no intention of keeping their voices down. Until moments ago, it had merely been a juicy piece of gossip, but now it was a case of a noble harming another—a serious crime in Rohan. Even a lady of her high birth could not escape being treated as a criminal.

Surrounded by murmurs, Daisy, deprived even of a chance to defend herself, stared blankly at the floor. She realized that no matter what she said, it would fall on deaf ears.

“Lady Daisy Queenie, you must come with me.”

As the Duke of Knight finally regained his composure and approached Daisy to speak, all the nobles present turned their attention to them. His face trembled with uncontainable disdain and anger.

***

“So, what ended up happening?”

“She didn’t say a word at the party, but at the trial, she persistently claimed it wasn’t her. I saw her acting at the party; she’s quite the performer. If it weren’t for the ‘Seduction Perfume’ and poison we found after searching Queenie’s estate, we might have been deceived again.”

“I figured as much, that’s why I set multiple traps. Thankfully, everything worked out as planned.”

I leaned back on the bed with a sigh of relief, only to see Garnet puffing her cheeks, clearly upset.

“Why?”

“You’re saying it turned out well! You fell because of the sleeping drug and even got a bruise.”

The bruise was conspicuously visible on my pale skin. I tried to hide it, but Garnet discovered it before even a day had passed. And it didn’t end there; she made such a fuss that my father working in his office and my mother in the training yard had to come running.

“I think it’s fine… It was my mistake not realizing the effect would be so immediate.”

Besides, it helped bring Daisy Queenie to justice, so I consider it a small price to pay. If we hadn’t been thorough, the Duke of Queenie would have used their influence to extract Daisy, and then it wouldn’t have wrapped up this neatly.”

This time, it was an attempted murder case among nobles, so the royal court intervened directly, allowing no influence from the duke’s family. It couldn’t have been resolved more cleanly and satisfyingly.

“Moreover, Her Majesty the Empress’s consideration meant I didn’t even have to attend the court…”

From our first meeting, Her Majesty the Empress had shown me favor, and this time too, she generously made arrangements for me. Officially, it was because the ‘poisoned’ me should not have to drag an ailing body to court, so she sent royal investigators in advance to collect the necessary information for the trial.

Additionally, fearing that the duke’s family might harbor resentment and pose a threat to me, Her Majesty temporarily dispatched a few knights directly under her command to the Duke of Night’s residence. These were individuals I had gotten to know through rotations at the orphanage, and from them, I received ample concern and consolation.

“Ah, it feels so good. It seems like everything’s been resolved; I feel incredibly refreshed.”

It was like a thorn in my side had been removed. Since she was the biggest obstacle in my future and the deepest scar from my past, it seemed only natural.

“I hope you take this opportunity to rest thoroughly and take care of yourself. Considering what you’ve gone through because of this party, you might need to lie down for about a month.”

“And what if mushrooms start growing on me?”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to ask the gardener if they have scissors for cultivating mushrooms. They probably do, so don’t worry.”

Garnet’s response, so earnest it seemed she might really do it, made me burst out laughing involuntarily. I definitely had to make sure she didn’t actually head to the garden.

***

“Mistress!”

“Ah, you startled me…”

While I was sitting on the terrace, enjoying a leisurely tea time and soaking in the ambiance of a country lady, Garnet’s voice burst through the door, startling me so much that I spilled some of my tea. I lifted my eyes to Garnet, not sure whether to admire her vocal power that could be felt even from beyond the door, or to scold myself for jumping at such a minor scare.

“Come in. What’s the matter, Garnet?”

“Well, it’s just that… Prince Halo Cart has come to visit the estate…”

“…Why would he come here?”

The sudden appearance of Halo Cart’s name, long forgotten, made the spilled tea on my skirt double in volume.

“Ah, no. It’s not my place to know why he came. Why are you telling me this?”

“He wishes to see you, miss.”

“Me?” Why would Halo Cart want to see me? I racked my brain but couldn’t think of a plausible reason. What could it be? Surely he isn’t here to propose again, especially not after Daisy Queenie’s disappearance. If that’s his intention, I’ll have him thrown out of the estate, without even a horse or carriage.

“He would like to request your permission to visit…”

“Ha, he visits first and then asks for permission?”

The proper way would be to get permission before arriving, by arranging a visit in advance. Naturally, if Halo Cart had tried that, I would have declined without a second thought. Perhaps he knew this and decided to just show up?

“Sigh… Just because he acts presumptuously doesn’t mean we have to. Dress me in something simple, Garnet. No need for anything grand.”

“Understood, miss. I’ll keep it light!”

Garnet, usually firm about dress code, seemed to make an exception for Halo Cart. After all, there was nothing to gain by looking good for him. I sighed tiredly and rose from my seat, lamenting the lost rest day.

“You’ve been waiting for a while.”

“No, it’s my fault for not contacting you in advance and rushing over.”

Knowing this and still choosing to come unannounced irritated me, but I managed to hide my annoyance. As Garnet set down my cup and prepared a new tea service, neither of us spoke, allowing an uncomfortable silence to settle. I felt Garnet’s glances, checking for my reaction.

“Please leave.”

After dismissing the servant and Garnet who had been attending to us, only Halo and I remained. I had sent everyone away because I couldn’t imagine our conversation going anywhere positive. I planned to kick him out even before he could finish his tea.

“I trust you understand that we are not on terms to be sharing tea like this.”

“…”

“So, please be direct. State your business and then leave.”

In a society rife with classism, it was indeed improper for me, a mere lady of the Marquisate, to be so blunt with Halo Cart. I anticipated that if word of our conversation today leaked, my reputation could be severely damaged by tomorrow.

However, it was just the two of us here, and only we knew of my rudeness. If he were to complain about my manners in polite society, I could argue that he was being overly critical of someone ill, as I could claim my illness made certain formalities less significant to me. These thoughts stemmed mainly from my irritation and disdain for Halo Cart.

“…I heard you were poisoned. That prevented you from attending the trial, I understand.”

“The first day was quite bad, but I am feeling better now. It wasn’t enough to cause lasting harm.”

“That’s good to hear. I hope you continue to recover swiftly.”

Halo Cart’s expression was surprisingly nonchalant, making it hard to guess his intentions for this visit. Were we close enough that he would rush to my side if he heard I was poisoned? Had he been in my situation, I might have felt pity, but I certainly wouldn’t have barged into his residence like this.

Yet here he was. What did that mean? As I pondered, he lifted his teacup. It seemed he took a casual sip, but the fact that I hadn’t managed to send him away before he even had a chance to drink irked me. I was eager to get to the point, but the one who probably had the most to say was maintaining an aggravating silence.

“So, can I finally hear why you’ve come this time?”

“I came under orders to inform you of the trial’s outcome.”

Orders? How many could command the heir of the Carte family? As I looked puzzled, he quickly added,

“It was by the command of the Empress.”

“…?”

The Empress, she pushed Halo Carte, of all people, my former fiancé, to come see me?