“I offer my congratulations, Your Highness. The Emperor’s recovery is truly a significant turn for the Empire.”
The Duke’s lips curled upward, forming a subtle smile. However, I knew well that it was not a smile of genuine joy.
“Yes, it is indeed a joyful day.”
“How can such a wonderful thing happen?”
“Who would have thought Your Highness’s medical skills were so outstanding…”
As the Duke finished his remarks, the previously bewildered nobles eagerly began to shower me with praise.
Facing a completely opposite reaction from moments ago, both I and Julion, who stood nearby, exchanged perplexed expressions.
But the nobles couldn’t stop talking.
Lucky, fortunate, Your Highness’s medical skills are excellent, astonishing, a turning point, a blessing…
Overflowing with their praise, I couldn’t help but chuckle, finding their sudden change of attitude amusing.
If they were going to flip their stance so dramatically, I wondered why they vehemently opposed it in the first place.
Without directly responding, I scanned the gathered nobles. Even nobles, who don’t normally attend banquets, were here.
‘Now is the time to bring up the topic.’
It’s rare for so many nobles to gather in one place like today.
There will likely be many of the Duke’s people, but there will also be many who have maintained neutrality.
Hence, now was the opportune moment to reveal the truth about the Emperor’s illness.
I took a deep breath and clenched my fists tightly before speaking.
“Duke, did you know that His Majesty the Emperor was not ill?”
As if a prearranged signal had been given, the previously chattering nobles fell silent, their mouths closing simultaneously.
The Duke raised an eyebrow, responding calmly,
“If it wasn’t an illness…. then why couldn’t His Majesty rise from his sickbed?”
His inquisitive gaze held a subtle challenge.
Unflinching, I met his eyes and replied,
“It’s poison. Once it seeps into the body, it continuously generates a lethal poison without physical form. I call it Mordheim.”
The atmosphere in the hall sank as if cold water had been poured over it.
The nobles opened their mouths, but no words escaped their lips.
‘Because it’s a story of the emperor almost being poisoned, it’s quite serious.’
Once the topic of the emperor’s poisoning is brought up in such a public place, it’s hard to bury it.
That’s why I’ve been waiting for this day even more.
The day I treat the Emperor in front of all the nobles is the time I can bring the Mordheim poison to the surface.
After hearing my answer, the Duke remained still for a moment, then drew his eyebrows together and said in a grave voice.
“In that case, shouldn’t we investigate? Who on earth would dare to threaten His Majesty the Emperor?”
The duke knew better than to speak of the emperor’s well-being.
When I mentioned that my mother’s death seemed related to poison, he had the same expression and said the same thing.
[If that’s the case, I’ll have to investigate. Who the hell dared to touch Cassian.]
Disgusting and shameless.
The Duke, who spoke those words, faintly smiled. At that time, I didn’t understand why he smiled. He seemed pleased with the notion of conducting an investigation.
‘I didn’t realize he would eagerly latch onto those words.’
Later, the Duke used the investigation as a pretext to exhume my mother’s grave and open her coffin.
He was relentless, disregarding my pleas not to desecrate my mother’s body since I already had ample medical samples.
But the Duke was unrelenting.
[Do not obstruct the investigation, Rohiriel. Isn’t this what you requested for your mother?]
Thus, even after her death, my mother suffered a cruel fate at the hands of the Duke.
Because of my words.
‘It’s a threat. a threat that he won’t leave the Emperor alone like this.’
The Duke deliberately repeated the same words as back then.
Seeing that I understood the implications, he lifted the corner of his mouth with a cryptic remark.
“I am so pleased and proud that Your Highness is a Cassian and that you have discovered what no one else has…….”
The Duke’s silver eyes turned cold in an instant, silently locking onto me.
His gaze felt like a sharply honed blade, and I involuntarily stiffened with a sensation as if my throat would be pierced.
If Julion hadn’t blocked my path, I might have taken a step back unconsciously.
“Duke, your gaze is rather fierce. If you want to convey joy, it’s better to smile.”
Upon Julion’s retort, the Duke, with an even deeper smile, closed his eyes slowly.
His previously narrowed eyes softened, forming a gentle crescent as he smiled.
“I will be careful, Your Highness.”
Julion redirected his gaze from the Duke, as if he hadn’t expected an answer, then loudly commanded the attendants, silently waiting around the hall.
“The imperial audience is canceled. We will soon convene a noble meeting regarding what the Crown Princess just mentioned. Guide everyone to the meeting venue.”
Though he didn’t explicitly instruct the nobles to leave, it was an indirect way of dismissing them.
Eventually, the nobles left their questions behind and followed the servants.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
The cancellation of the audience was not officially announced through the official channels.
Most nobles were likely already on their way to the palace for the imperial audience.
In fact, a steady stream of nobles were entering the palace, and they repeatedly asked in disbelief after being told of the situation by those who had arrived earlier.
“Do you really mean that the Emperor has been revived?”
“It was even said that Her Highness revived him. It seems that she knows more than just a little about medicine.”
“Then what will happen to the imperial audience?”
“Has His Majesty the Emperor made a full recovery?”
In the midst of everyone asking similar questions, only Duke Cassian remained silent.
He was silently recalling the one who had bravely confronted him.
Shahadna’s daughter, Rohiriel.
The obstructer who had tried her utmost, with a face resembling my mother’s, to save the Emperor.
“Interesting.”
The duke murmured softly and licked his lower lip.
He hadn’t expected Rohiriel to actually bring the Emperor back to life.
The Emperor should have died today.
He could go to the Everlet Mountains another time, but the problem was what the emperor knew.
He knew things that shouldn’t be revealed yet, and so he took action.
‘A change of plan is inevitable.’
The Duke leaned back in his chair in the meeting room.
The loud voices of the nobles echoed through the room.
Amidst the noise, the Duke slowly closed his eyelids. He was so close to fulfilling his long-held desire, only to be stopped.
But the Duke was actually enjoying the ordeal. The more difficult it was, the more satisfaction and fulfillment it would bring.
He looked forward to the day when he would have it all. But first, he must punish the child for not listening.
His silver eyes glistened with the thought.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Julion left for a meeting of the nobles, and the sleeping Emperor was taken to Tishrit Palace.
The Empress had strongly expressed her desire to take care of him until he was fully recovered.
Besides, the Sun Palace hadn’t been inhabited for a long time, and it would take some time to maintain it.
I was about to enter the Tishrit Palace to check on the Emperor’s condition.
“Your Highness, an urgent report!”
Zenid, who was at the Garnet Palace, rushed over to me. The moment I saw the purple handkerchief in her hand, I knew.
‘Liliana has made her move!’
The news of the Emperor’s death spread across the Empire.
There was no way Liliana wouldn’t take advantage of this special situation.
So I had prepared something in advance, and now the response had come.
As Zenid approached, she said what I expected her to say.
“Your first guess was right, Your Highness.”
I had made several conjectures in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. Among them, the most likely one was the first, and Zenid mentioned it.
“Do you have paper and a pen?”
“Yes.”
I took the paper and pen from Zenid and started scribbling away.
It was a little jagged, but that seemed to be a good thing, as it gave me a sense of urgency.
When I was satisfied with the few sentences I had completed, I enclosed it and gave it to Zenid.
“Westward. It needs to be sent as soon as possible.”
“Okay. I, uh, by the way…”
Zenid, who would normally have disappeared immediately, asked hesitantly, as if she still had something to say.
“If I send it directly like this, won’t they become suspicious?”
Standing so close, she must have inadvertently seen the contents of my letter.
I replied with a small smile.
“That’s okay; I wrote it so they’d be suspicious.”
However, instead of resolving her doubts, Jenid’s face became even more puzzled.
Thank you!❤️🔥