Episode 53

The assassins ultimately couldn’t withstand Desar and Peter.

Some tried to flee, but the two men chased them down and knocked them out.

Two assassins were dead, one was severely injured, and only one was in a condition to speak.

Peter pressed down on the wound of the one who could speak.

“Aaaargh!”

Peter asked the writhing assassin,

“Who sent you?”

Even in extreme pain, the assassin kept his mouth shut.

“It’s okay, Peter. I have a pretty good idea of who it is.”

I knew the assassin wouldn’t speak no matter what.

“They probably have a forbidden word curse on them.”

The assassin’s eyes widened at my words.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened.

Dr. Cesar had tried to reveal the name of the person who poisoned him but died due to the forbidden word curse.

“A forbidden word curse…?”

Peter seemed confused, but Desar understood immediately.

“That’s troublesome. If the only witness has such a curse, it’s useless.”

Indeed. Even if we kept one alive, the curse rendered them useless.

They couldn’t speak the name, write it, or even point it out.

Every action was controlled by the curse.

But it didn’t matter to me.

“Actually, we don’t need a witness. I plan to get the answers directly from the person responsible.”

“Directly from the person…?”

I nodded, recalling a moment from earlier.

[I think Lord Douglas over there also wants some wine.]

When the waiter turned his head for a moment, I sprinkled a white powder into the glass on the tray.

It was none other than a truth serum I had obtained from a physician.

A truth serum that makes the drinker only speak the truth.

When I had gone to the physician for something to relieve my sore arm, I had also requested another item.

[I’d like another prescription.]

[Another prescription…?]

[A truth serum. Herbert, I heard you can make it.]

[……!]

The truth serum, traded at astronomical prices, was officially distributed only by the Mage Tower.

Its price was so high that ordinary people couldn’t use it, so some private physicians made it illegally for profit.

The best-known of these private truth serums was made by Herbert.

[I’ll keep it a secret. And I’ll pay you well.]

[……Alright. Come see me again tomorrow morning.]

He had hesitated for a moment but agreed, and the next day, he handed me the truth serum.

The caveat was that its duration wasn’t long.

And it was most effective when the subject was sufficiently confused and panicked.

When the waiter offered me wine earlier, I secretly added the truth serum to the glass.

Originally, I planned to use it on Orzen and Beth at the banquet to publicly question them about the Dregerus poisoning attempt.

But now, the Dregerus poisoning attempt was the least of my worries.

Looking down at the fallen assassins, I felt a surge of hatred for those people.

I had prepared countermeasures, knowing I could be threatened at any time.

I had given Desar a tracking magic tool to always know my location.

Thanks to that, he was able to find me as soon as I disappeared.

‘But I didn’t expect them to hire dark mages!’

I shook my head in disbelief.

One thing was certain: Orzen and Beth had drunk the wine laced with the truth serum, and it should be taking effect by now.

I had to use this opportunity.

‘They said the serum works best when the subject is startled and confused.’

I needed to deliver a strong shock to both of them.

Looking down at my own body, I said,

“It seems I look too unscathed right now, don’t I?”

* * *

Thus, now was the moment.

Since the instant I appeared drenched in blood, Orzen and Beth had lost their composure.

Lady Beth, her face pale, tried desperately to cover her mouth.

“Why did you do this?”

“You… you have to die! So that my husband can become the young duke, and—mmph….”

She had already let the truth slip.

“What have you done to us?” Orzen demanded.

I replied nonchalantly, “You both just had a bit of truth serum.”

“……!”

“The truth serum… the one sold by the Mage Tower at an exorbitant price, used for interrogating criminals?”

“If that’s true, then everything they’ve said so far is undoubtedly true.”

“It seems it’s worth the high price.”

Although I hadn’t actually purchased it from the Mage Tower, I didn’t bother to correct them. Herbert’s truth serum was just as effective.

As people discussed the truth serum, they gathered around the man with blue hair.

“Master Risburn, is it true that consuming truth serum makes you speak only the truth?”

The man’s name was Risburn, the 52nd Tower Master.

‘And also Desar’s father…’

Risburn nodded and said, “Since it’s manufactured by the Mage Tower, it’s potent enough to see through hypnosis. I heard that the Drenihan family bought truth serum recently, but I didn’t expect this….”

In fact, the truth serum we bought back then was used up when questioning Hilda…. Well, it was better to let them misunderstand.

‘They said it could see through hypnosis, yet it didn’t work on Hilda. They must be connected to dark magic.’

I decided not to mention dark magic for now.

Orzen was foolish enough to underestimate its danger, but the consequences were severe.

Orzen and Beth would not escape execution.

Their children, Calik and Jerria, would also be executed under the law of collective punishment.

That could be considered their karma, but….

‘This will bring great harm to the Drenihan family.’

The head of the family, as the leader of Drenihan, would not avoid punishment either.

The entire Drenihan family would come under strict imperial control.

The use of dark magic was such a serious crime.

‘Even if I don’t mention it, we need to uncover everything.’

I didn’t believe this was just Orzen and Beth acting on their own.

“So, who introduced the assassins to you? Upon questioning the assassins, it seems there’s someone else deeply involved….”

Orzen and Beth tried to clamp their mouths shut and even held their breath.

Arzen stepped forward and restrained their arms.

“Argh…!”

“Marquis Crea and Lady Iris…!”

Hearing the names I expected, I looked around.

The crowd’s gaze fell on the Crea couple, who looked utterly stunned.

Marquis Crea quickly responded with anger.

“That’s nonsense! This is a ploy to disgrace me! Everyone is being fooled by this wretched woman!”

“Did you really introduce the assassins to kill me?” I asked.

“That’s preposterous!”

Marquis Crea shouted, while Lady Iris appeared flustered beside him.

“Ah, ah….”

“Lady Iris seems to have something to say.”

“……Yes. My husband introduced them.”

“……!”

I had also laced Lady Iris’s drink with the truth serum.

She had framed everything on Jerria during the hunting festival to cut off her tail.

‘I wanted to verify that truth….’

I hadn’t confirmed if she drank it, but she certainly had.

The effects of the truth serum were beginning to wane.

For the final blow, I spoke again.

“Not only did you try to kill me with Dregerus poison, but you also sent assassins to kill me.”

Orzen, Beth, and the Crea couple were now visibly terrified.

“Is it true that you were all involved?”

“……Yes.”

Orzen hiccupped as he answered.

Beth and Lady Iris didn’t respond, indicating the serum’s effect had worn off.

But everything was already clear.

Through the crowd, Prince Theodore walked in.

“Attempting an assassination within the imperial palace. How bold.”

He smiled at the culprits, who were now tightly shutting their mouths to avoid further slips.

“We will conduct a thorough investigation in the dungeon.”

It was expected that the imperial family would intervene and take the culprits into custody.

This was a matter within the Terium Imperial Palace, after all.

Even a minor conflict within the palace was not tolerated.

In the past, someone had attempted an assassination at an imperial banquet and had been imprisoned in the underground dungeon for over 60 years.

‘They’ll still try to hide the involvement of dark magic.’

Confessing would mean a guaranteed death sentence.

Anyway, my interrogation had already provided enough evidence.

There was no escaping imprisonment.

The four of them were led out of the banquet hall by the imperial guards.

* * *

After the stormy events passed, the banquet hall became even more lively.

Some people gossiped that Orzen should have been content with the title of Viscount Douglas and called him a fool.

I, too, should have gone with the guards as both a victim and a witness, but seeing my condition, Prince Theodore decided otherwise.

“Your treatment takes priority. I’ll summon the royal healer.”

“I appreciate the offer, but my close friend here is the royal healer.”

I said, leading Arzen.

“Your Highness, I will take full responsibility for her treatment.”

“In that case….”

Theodore nodded.

He gently wiped a bloodstain from my cheek with his forefinger and smiled.

“Next time, try to make it look a bit more convincing.”