IBMOT Chapter 53

Chapter 53

 

“I, too, cannot stand by and tolerate insulting remarks directed at my companion. I fail to see what wrongdoing Miss Erina has committed to deserve such treatment. Your Majesty, could you kindly enlighten me?”

Dylan’s low voice resonated through the hall, freezing the atmosphere once more. Not only had he taken Erina’s side, but he had also openly challenged the emperor.

Darien, caught off guard by Dylan’s sudden intervention, wore a bewildered expression.

“What… What the hell? That’s Dylan Harrison! Was the banquet hosted by the Harrisons today? And what’s his connection to that woman?!”

Avoiding Dylan’s piercing gaze, Darien tightened her hold on the child in her arms.

The emperor cleared his throat and replied,

“It is not that your governess is at fault. However, consort Darien was summoned suddenly and may feel wronged. Is there any way to verify the matter?”

Even though he was well aware that the situation had escalated because of his own outburst, the emperor conveniently sidestepped any responsibility.

Dylan shot him a look of disdain before glancing around the room. Every pair of eyes was on him.

Feeling their stares, Dylan stepped forward again, his lips curling into a smirk.

“Of course. I have a way to determine whose claim is true. Since the origin of the princess’s perfume is clear, we should be able to identify the culprit behind the tampering immediately.”

“T-that can’t be possible…!”

Consort Darien muttered in shock. The problem was that her words were loud enough for everyone to hear.

As her murmured denial echoed through the hall, a collective thought ran through the minds of all present, including the emperor.

‘She did it. She’s guilty.’

But it was too late…what was done could not be undone.

Dylan made a small gesture, and suddenly, a glass vial containing a clear liquid appeared in his hand. He swirled it lightly and narrowed his eyes.

“Conveniently, I happen to have a reagent that can detect the toxic herb Miss Erina mentioned.”

 

***

 

A single drop of Princess Anna’s perfume fell into the reagent-filled vial.

Drip.

As soon as the drop landed, the transparent liquid inside the vial turned pitch black.

Gasps of astonishment rippled through the onlookers.

Dylan gazed at the now-clouded reagent with a regretful expression.

“Oh dear, it appears the perfume does contain toxic substances. It seems consort Darien was mistaken about its ingredients.”

Dylan exaggeratedly shook the vial, making the dark liquid swirl.

Consort Darien’s pupils trembled wildly as she clutched her child tightly and shouted,

“I-I know nothing of this! I would never do such a thing to the princess! Someone must have tampered with the perfume during the appraisal!”

“Hmmm…”

The emperor furrowed his brows deeply.

Consort Darien, sensing her precarious position, looked as though she might drop to her knees in desperation.

After glancing at her pleading face, the emperor raised his voice awkwardly.

“How dare someone attempt to harm both the princess and consort Darien! This cannot go unpunished! Find the one who appraised the perfume and arrest them immediately!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

At some point, consort Darien had managed to shift from being a suspect to a victim. She trembled with emotion, shedding tears as she clung to the emperor’s side.

Holding her son close, she repeatedly muttered how terrified she had been.

However, she never once spared a glance at the true victim of this incident—Princess Anna.

Her self-pitying display left much to be desired.

The emperor looked as though he wanted to rebuke her, but with so many eyes watching, he merely swallowed his words.

Meanwhile, Princess Aina, seemingly accustomed to—or resigned to—her father’s whims, showed no reaction.

Instead, she shifted her seat closer to Erina, as if eager to continue their previous discussion.

“U-um, M-Miss Erina? A-about the antidote… you mentioned earlier…”

“Ah, yes! There is an antidote. The perfume isn’t highly toxic, so once you take the antidote, you should recover immediately. Please don’t worry too much!”

“I-I see… If it’s alright, c-could you tell me… what the antidote is?”

“Of course! It’s a medicinal herb I know very well.”

Without hesitation, Erina decided to find the Jewel Herb for Princess Aina’s antidote.

Although she had reassured the princess that the perfume was not deadly, she was still concerned. Given Anna’s frail health and the unknown duration of her exposure, it was crucial to act quickly.

Fortunately, Erina was confident in her ability to locate the herb, having gathered many medicinal plants back in the duchy.

“Erina! Does that mean we’re going to the garden? Can we go home now?”

“Yes, we need to return home first… So, about that… Poi, I don’t think we can dance today… I’m sorry!”

Remembering how Poi had eagerly anticipated their dance since they started making costumes, Erina felt guilty.

Hearing her apology, Poi’s expression fell.

However, after snuggling against Erina for comfort, he perked up and responded with resilience.

“Since Mama Erina has something more important to do, Poi is okay.”

“Poi…!”

Erina, deeply moved, smothered Poi’s violet hair with kisses. Seeing this, Poi’s disappointed expression vanished, replaced by a bashful smile as his cheeks turned a rosy red.

“P-Poi, thank you. N-next time you visit, I-I’ll give you a present.”

Princess Anna, who had been listening to Erina and Poi’s conversation, expressed her gratitude to Poi.

Being thanked by someone who seemed important to Erina made Poi blush shyly and burrow even deeper into her arms.

“Poi, that’s not fair! You can’t have Erina all to yourself!”

“Hug me too!”

Resen and Lia charged at Erina.

“Ugh!”

Despite the sudden attack, Erina managed to catch and embrace them all tightly.

Dylan clenched his fists to suppress the urge to join in.

‘Annoying little lizard brats… So irritating.’

He grumbled inwardly and turned his gaze away.

“Hmm?”

His eyes landed on consort Darien and the emperor, standing side by side and speaking in hushed, serious tones.

After observing them briefly, Dylan moved away.

Since Erina and the children had decided to leave the banquet, there was no reason for him to stay either.

Though he hadn’t witnessed the grand spectacle of brute force he had hoped for, he had still gained something unexpected, making it easier to walk away without regret.

“Miss Erina, are you heading home now?”

“Oh, Mr. Dylan. Yes, if it’s alright, I’d like to return home and check on the forest in the back garden… Do you need to stay here?”

“No, I was planning to leave as well.”

“But this banquet is hosted by the Harrison family. Is it really okay for you to leave in the middle of it…?”

It was an odd situation where Erina, merely an employee, was worrying about the Harrison family’s reputation, while Dylan, the head of the household, seemed indifferent.

“It’s fine. There are plenty of people from the Harrison family here, and Mitzu will stay behind.”

“Oh… I see. So Mr. Mitzu will handle things.”

“Exactly.”

Without even consulting Mitzu, Dylan made a unilateral decision and guided Erina away.

After hurriedly saying her goodbyes to the princess, Erina followed behind him with the children.

“I’ll bring the herb as soon as tomorrow! Oh, and the name of the herb is Jewel Herb! It’s not too difficult to find, but if you can get some from the palace, you should!”

“Y-yes…! Please come by a-anytime! Little guests, have a safe trip…!”

Princess Anna called out in a faint voice, wistfully watching Erina and the children as they walked away.