“Everyone, step back!”
Everyone turned in my direction, eyes wide open with confusion.
Hemion’s body, now completely unconscious, slumped even further.
Perhaps they could sense that Hemion was in a bad state just by looking at her, as onlookers started murmuring and tried to get closer to see.
There was no time to explain and persuade them one by one. I pointed to a nearby guard and ordered.
“Guards, clear the people now!”
The guards panicked, but pushed back the crowd.
The first thing I did was pull out my poison neutralizer.
It wasn’t an antidote to this particular poison, but it was enough to neutralize most of it.
I needed to use it to buy time until I could make the antidote.
As the clear liquid was poured onto Hemion’s wound, the veins that seemed to explode calmed down a bit.
But if left untreated, it would soon return.
Moreover, the veins that were still erupting all over her body remained unchanged.
I next picked up a thick needle.
It was a hollow, tubular needle.
Immediately, Hemion began to have seizures as I clumsily injected a neutralizer to counteract the reaction.
“I can’t stick it like this…….”
I held the needle in one hand and tried to hold her down with the other, but it wasn’t working.
Zenid tried to calm Hemion down by the side, but it was not enough.
At that moment I looked up to ask someone for help.
“What’s the matter?”
Julion had approached without me noticing.
“She was poisoned, and if we don’t do something about it now, it’s going to spread.”
Julion looked at the Hemion who had collapsed and me with the needle with a puzzled expression.
“I will call a physician. What can you do…”
“We don’t have time to wait for a physician. I can do it.”
I said urgently, interrupting Julion.
“So help me.”
I sent a desperate gaze, asking him to hold Hemion.
Julion pondered for a moment with a serious face, then sat down in front of me and extended his hand.
“Are you sure?”
Julion’s hand gently pressed against Hemion’s shoulder.
I answered without hesitation.
“Of course. I’ve done it hundreds of times.”
With Hemion’s movements restrained by Julion, I inserted the needle into the area where the poison was concentrated.
First, just below the collarbone.
Dead blood oozed from the sunken needle.
The pure white dress was stained with dark red blood, but I was not in a situation to care about that.
“Zenid, neutralizer.”
Zenid, standing by, placed a clear vial of potion in my hand.
I poured the neutralizer into the needle.
Next, below the belly button.
Above both hips, to the side of the knee.
After pouring neutralizer into all the important points, the veins that were rising above Hemion’s skin began to gradually subside.
“Whoo….”
That bought us some time.
Now I had to make a proper antidote.
I quickly picked up a pen and scribbled the names of herbs on a piece of paper.
I handed the list to Zenid. She quickly memorized it and slipped away through the crowd.
Looking at Hemion, who was hanging limply, Julion asked.
“Is it over?”
“We’ve put out the immediate fire, but without the antidote, it’ll come back soon enough.”
“I’ve heard that the antidote to toxic poisoning is not readily available.”
Worry crossed Julion’s face.
His golden eyes held Hemion’s.
A gaze of sympathy. Briefly looking into his sorrowful golden eyes, I smiled and reassured him.
“It’s all right. I can make it.”
Julion’s eyes widened a little, and he pursed his lips as if he had a lot to say, but then he said what was most important right now.
“Okay. I’ll hear about that later, but first, what are we going to do about our wedding?”
Julion’s gaze drifted to my dress, which was stained red.
Well, it’s probably impossible to march and hold a ceremony like this, right?
The sun had already risen to the middle of the sky.
I smiled awkwardly and said,
“Wouldn’t it be quite romantic to have a wedding while watching the sunset?”
I hurriedly concocted an antidote from the medicinal ingredients Zenid had brought with her, and by the time a new outfit was prepared, the sun would be setting. Julion, who understood me at once, nodded as if he could not help it.
“Very well. I’ll take care of the rest.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
While the new dress was being prepared, I stayed at the crown prince’s palace and made the antidote.
Fortunately, Hemion was slowly regaining her complexion as the antidote was administered.
She would need a little more time to wake up, of course, but at least she seemed to be over the dangerous hump.
“Miss, I have a new dress for you, though it’s a bit of a disappointment…….”
The dress Zenid brought was more modest than the one I originally wore.
“That’s all right. How about His Highness?”
“He’s dealing with nobles.”
In the central garden of the Imperial Palace, many nobles had gathered to watch the ceremony.
The ceremony had been pushed back by half a day, and some of the snootier nobles were openly displeased.
Fortunately, Julion seemed to be handling them well.
I changed quickly with the help of Zenid.
I was almost finished when there was a knock on the door.
“It’s me.”
It was Julion’s voice.
Zenid opened the door, and Julion entered cautiously, inspecting Hemion and my appearance.
“Are you ready? I don’t think we can stall any longer.”
“Yes, almost. What did the nobles say?”
“As expected, they’re busy talking about this interesting situation that will go down in history.”
Julion continued, holding out his hand to me.
“I, too, have a mountain of questions I wish to ask you, but……. For now, let’s get to the ceremony, Rohiriel.”
As I took his hand, I glanced back at Hemion.
If you leave it as it is and get attacked again, all our efforts so far will be wasted.
Sensing my concern, Julion smirked.
