The maid was looking at Lucio and desperately calling for Duke Elad.
There was a reason why Lucio looked so much like the duke in his younger days, but it was also because the poison was added to make it hard to tell them apart.
And a moment later, the maid, who had been breathing heavily, groaned and writhed.
As I had heard before, she seemed to be suffering from the terrible pain of her heart and organs burning.
The maid fell to the floor, panting and suffering because her limbs were tied to the chair, but Lucio was not shaken at all by this.
It was all her own doing.
Even this suffering was because she chose this poison herself.
Lucio looked at the maid rolling on the floor with an indifferent gaze, and then thought of Lia who had passed by a moment ago.
‘But I guess he’s gotten used to it now.’
The child who had shown signs of nervousness every time they met was now looking straight up at him.
Even today, his eyes sparkled as if he wanted praise.
And then that little child created an antidote.
If there had been no antidote, he might have had to send his mother away even though he knew she had been poisoned.
‘Then what about my father and my remaining siblings…’
Lucio shook his head. The ending was terrible in any family. But he couldn’t tell Lia that she had worked hard and… thank you.
The timing of their encounter was very bad.
He had barely suppressed his desire to live in preparation for the evil deeds he was about to commit, so if he had let his guard down, he might have scared the child who had barely let his guard down.
‘It’s better to feel a little sad than to feel creeped out.’
However, he was the one who hurriedly left the place as if he was running away, and when he thought of Lia’s gloomy face, Lucio’s mood became extremely low.
“Ahhhhh!”
At that moment, the maid who was struggling with her eyes rolled back screamed.
Because Lucio had taken out a sword from his waistband and stabbed her in the shoulder.
When the maid’s eyes, which were on the verge of fainting, briefly became clear from the pain, Lucio asked.
“Is it true that you put poison on the invitation you gave to your mother? Who else is behind it?”
“Eww!”
“If you don’t want to tell me, then there’s nothing I can do.”
Lucio took the sword out of his shoulder and stabbed her in the thigh this time.
In fact, it wasn’t a question asked to get an answer.
Before the interrogation, he had already searched the maid’s room and found the poison, and had completed the confirmation procedure.
Since she was the chief maid who usually assisted the duchess, it would have been easy for her to poison the object. However, since the poison used would leave no trace if simply washed off with water, it was not known exactly how she had inhaled the poison.
In addition, since the duke and the children were together every day, she must have made meticulous efforts to poison only the duchess.
Then, she discovered something peculiar in the chief maid’s actions.
She personally did everything from delivering the invitation to the duchess to burning the confirmed items in the incinerator.
“I would have wiped off other items, but burning the paper would have been the safest.”
“Ugh…”
At Lucio’s muttering, the chief maid could not take her eyes off him even as she vomited blood in excruciating pain.
“Do… Dominique.”
When she called his name with difficulty, the eyes that were sharpened like the sharpest blade in the world coldly touched her.
He loved him for his noble bearing, his dignified gaze, and his lack of even the slightest flaw.
“My love… If I could die by your hand…”
Lucio’s expressionless face cracked at the strangled voice.
Maybe he could have stabbed him right in the heart.
Lucio swung his sword nervously, shaking his ears as if he had heard some dirty words.
As if he would not kill him easily, the blade slashed his neck.
Bright red blood spurted out here and there on Lucio’s silver hair.
“Torture him, then burn him.”
Taze straightened his back with cool tension and bowed his head to Lucio’s order.
That day, the underground prison of the duke’s mansion echoed with screams like hell all night long.
* * *
A few days later, Duchess Peirunt visited the duke’s mansion.
“Our Lia! As the days go by, I only do pretty things, and I become more greedy. What should I do?”
When Duchess Peirunt heard that I had nursed Duchess Elad, she immediately grabbed my cheeks from both sides and was amazed.
“Sister, you’re sick!”
“Mom, don’t do that!”
At that moment, Diana and Aiden jumped up and stopped Duchess Peirunt.
I didn’t even pull them that hard.
The two children must have seen me as being bullied.
Eventually, Duchess Peirunt burst out laughing and took her hands off my face.
“Madam, come and sit down.”
As soon as tea and refreshments were ready, Duchess Elad showed us to the table.
Duchess Peirunt smiled brightly at her appearance and said.
“I’m so glad. I was worried, but I’m glad to see you healthy again.”
“Thank you. By the way, Her Majesty the Empress was also very surprised, wasn’t she? Why did he collapse in the palace…”
An embarrassed expression appeared on Duchess Elad’s face as she trailed off.
After coming to her senses, the Duchess was shocked when she heard what Duke Elad had done in the palace.
Even if it was the same for servants from other noble families, inspecting all the palace servants.
Even if he had the Emperor’s trust and favor, she was worried that it might be too much.
“Why worry about that? It was possible because His Majesty the Emperor tolerated it all, and His Majesty the Empress didn’t care at all.”
Duchess Peirunt waved the fan she was holding and said casually.
“In fact, you were even more indignant when you found out the whole story, so don’t worry about that. But since there are still such impure people within the family, I’m sure the Duke is worried.”
“…Yes. But it seems like we’ve almost rooted them out now.”
The Duchess said with an awkward smile.
shook my head slightly inwardly as I watched her, who was not good at lying.
The place where she collapsed was the palace. Since it was a place where many noble ladies gathered, the Duchess’s case was a public topic of conversation.
Thanks to that, it was not long before the nobles knew that the maid was the culprit. However, Duke Elad was worried that a dirty scandal would surround the duke’s family, so they fabricated the incident by saying that the maid’s poisoning attempt was masterminded by a vassal who disliked the duchess.
Since the maid’s family was also very close to the previously expelled Count Valery, the story was easy to tell.
It was a good ending because the family that should have been dealt with a long time ago avoided trouble thanks to the maid.
“But doesn’t it seem like your complexion has improved?”
At that moment, Duchess Peirunt looked closely at Duchess Elad’s face and said.
“Is it really because of that antidote? Everyone is rushing to buy the medicine that saved my wife.”
“That’s true… They say it still needs time to actually sell it.”
The rumor that the Duchess, who had been poisoned to death, had survived by drinking an antidote made of Splesia naturally spread.
As Darrell’s guild leader said, the price of an antidote that could cure any poison skyrocketed as soon as it was known.
Whether it was for political reasons or personal grudges, there was chaos among the nobles who thought their lives were the most precious.
‘The Duke said that the Emperor was interested, too.’
He was very sorry that he didn’t give Viscount Bardo a place in the palace. However, Viscount Bardo, whose name had become famous, looked very embarrassed.
First of all, it was hard to explain to the magicians and council members who had been raising Splesia together what had happened, and more than anything, he felt sorry that he had taken credit for my efforts. However, I was grateful enough for her keeping my secret and not asking any more questions.
In addition, this time, I was pressed for time, so I grew Splashia by injecting mana myself, but I had already figured out the cultivation principle.
Although it would take more time, if I succeeded in cultivating it with a magic stone, I would be able to make an antidote again with the recipe I taught.
‘Come to think of it, it’s a bit annoying that the antidote I made in the beginning failed one after another.’
I didn’t know the exact reason, but I thought maybe I made a mistake because I was impatient.
In any case, my heart swelled with the thought that becoming the richest person in the empire might not be just a dream.
“Sister!”
Aiden, blushing, handed me a cookie.
“Ah… Now that I think about it, Your Majesty. I’m sorry I couldn’t eat the cookie you left behind last time.”
On the day the Duchess collapsed in the palace, cookies made by Aiden himself were waiting for me at the duke’s residence. But since it wasn’t a time to enjoy food leisurely, I just kept it and a lot of time passed.
When I apologized, Aiden smiled bashfully.
“It’s okay. But please eat it this time.”
“Yes!”
How could a good little kid refuse something he made himself, and made it for me?
I quickly answered and took the cookie that Aiden had put in front of my mouth, saying he would eat it…
“Wagjakwagjak.”
I tried to eat it, but failed.
“Diana!”
Aiden jumped up when Diana snatched the cookie from his mouth right in front of him.
“Why are you eating something that I’m giving you!”
“I’m going to feed you!”
“But I made this!”
I was at a loss as Aiden and Diana suddenly started bickering.
“Diana, you’re bad. You’re always with your sister. I… I’m going to Dhambar now.”
Aiden, with tears welling up in his eyes and his lips curled up, made a bombshell statement.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
Next post will be released on August, 17.
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