HTNSA 35

Chapter 35

“Do you think I’d believe what you say?”

“When did the pain start?”

“What?”

“Before you doubt me, think carefully about when your illness began.”

Peony glared at Eila with fierce eyes.

But Eila already knew.

Peony’s pupils were trembling uncontrollably.

‘She must have a nagging suspicion in her heart.’

Peony would surely take the antidote to confirm the truth.

If that happened, she would have no choice but to believe Eila’s words.

Peony stared at Eila for a long time, her expression grim.

But in the end, she turned away without any rebuttal, clutching the medicine bottle.

Once Peony had completely disappeared, Felix asked anxiously.

“What if Her Highness doesn’t recover even after taking the medicine?”

Eila gave a bitter smile at his question.

That might actually be a better outcome for Peony.

As Peony had said, Ronah was a maid who had served her since childhood.

‘But what she had been feeding her under the pretense of medicine was actually poison.’

Peony realized the truth only when death was at her doorstep.

Only then did she understand that the medicine she had trusted all along was actually poison.

The betrayal she must have felt upon realizing that the one who poisoned her was the maid she trusted the most… it was indescribable.

In the original story, Peony had died in utter despair.

‘That maid was probably planted by someone who wanted to keep Peony in check.’

Eila shook her head firmly.

“That won’t happen.”

At her answer, Felix looked sorrowfully in the direction where Peony had disappeared.

Back in her room, Peony shook her head in confusion.

‘It’s nonsense.’

She didn’t really believe Eila’s words.

No—she didn’t want to believe them.

‘Even if I take it, what difference could it make?’

But the lingering doubts tormented her throughout the night, even as she tossed and turned and drifted into shallow sleep.

The next morning, Ronah, who had brought breakfast, looked at her with a puzzled face.

“Did something happen last night, Your Highness?”

“Why?”

“You just look unwell today. I should’ve insisted on taking you to the royal physician again.”

“I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

“That still means Your Highness isn’t feeling well.”

A look of concern crossed Ronah’s face.

She gently wiped the cold sweat off Peony’s forehead with a damp cloth, then held out a bottle of medicine.

“This is today’s dose. Please make sure to take it after your meal.”

Without a word, Peony accepted the medicine from Ronah.

That evening…

After collecting her thoughts, Peony placed both the antidote from Eila and the medicine from Ronah side by side on her desk.

Normally, she would have had to report every little thing she consumed to Ronah.

And she definitely should’ve reported that she had secretly left the dormitory to meet Eila.

But Eila’s words kept floating around in her head, stopping her every time.

“Think carefully about when the pain started.”

Ronah had been assigned as her maid because of Peony’s frail health in the first place.

But her condition had worsened ever since Ronah came.

The seizures and pain that came intermittently had only started after Ronah’s arrival.

Peony stared fixedly at the antidote Eila had given her.

The liquid in the crystal bottle glowed with a beautiful blue hue.

After a long time spent biting her lips in contemplation, she finally made a decision.

‘I already confirmed it’s not poison.’

To prove her sincerity, Eila had even taken a sip of the antidote in front of her.

So even if she drank it, it wouldn’t harm her.

‘It’s not that big of a deal.’

Yet still, the hesitation lingered… What if the medicine she had been taking all this time really was poison?

What if Ronah had truly betrayed her?

Or worse, what if even her father—the one who had assigned Ronah—wanted her dead?

The kind face of the Emperor, always worried for her health, floated in her mind.

Suddenly, Peony’s eyes reddened, tears welling up.

But…

‘I have to find out the truth.’

If the antidote didn’t work, it would prove Ronah’s innocence.

To trust her completely, Peony had to take the antidote.

She grasped the vial tightly in her hand—then drank it without hesitation.

She waited for a long time in that state, but nothing particularly happened.

‘Maybe the effects don’t show up right away? It sounded like a miracle cure when Eila mentioned it…’

With that thought, she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes.

Perhaps the day had been too long—fatigue washed over her like a wave.

But she knew all too well.

Even on the most tiring days, she couldn’t sleep comfortably.

More often than not, she’d toss and turn all night in pain, barely dozing off as the sun rose.

And when she woke up, she’d be tormented by unbearable agony again.

‘The nights are too long.’

For someone who couldn’t sleep, nighttime was a dreadful thing.

Peony hated the darkness that returned every night.

But just this once, exhaustion gently embraced her without her realizing it.

For the first time in a long while, Peony slipped into a deep, dreamless, painless sleep.

She didn’t even realize how deeply she had fallen asleep.

After being acknowledged as the Duke of Azenta’s disciple, Felix’s life changed completely.

Now, he came and went from the Duke’s townhouse in the capital and was even granted special permission to leave the academy freely.

The headmaster had looked at him disapprovingly, openly expressing his dissatisfaction—but ultimately said nothing.

“If… you want to go out, then I suppose you must. Ahem.”

Thanks to that, unlike other dormitory students, Felix could now leave the academy whenever he pleased.

But that was just a small part of the changes he experienced.

The most noticeable difference was in the way people looked at him.

When he defeated Kadin in their duel, people had been surprised—but not as impressed or favorable as they were now.

Now, just walking down the hallway attracted countless eyes.

“Isn’t that the guy who became the Duke’s disciple?”

“He even beat Kadin recently. He must really be talented.”

During classes, some students subtly mimicked his posture, or watched his movements under the guise of practice.

Felix pretended not to notice, but inside, he felt strange.

‘These were the same people who used to ignore me.’

The ones who once looked down on him like he was nothing were now watching him like he was some fascinating phenomenon.

Some even showed open jealousy.

Even the girls who once treated him coldly now approached him freely and struck up conversations.

“Your swordplay demonstration today was amazing. How do you move like that?”

“Now that you’re the Duke’s disciple, does that mean you’re getting sponsored by his family?”

Felix couldn’t help but chuckle at those kinds of questions.

Back when he had nothing, they hadn’t even spared him a glance.

Now they acted as if they had always been friendly.

‘Now they act like it’s nothing to approach me.’

But he didn’t let his discomfort show.

He just let their words pass by.