HTNSA 37

Chapter 37

What was more terrifying than anything else was not knowing where the blade pointed at her came from.

‘To think Rona stayed by my side all this time just to kill me.’

Rona had always spoken to Peony in the same gentle tone,

“I’m always on your side, Princess. I’ll do everything I can so that you can overcome your illness one day. Because to me… you’re everything.”

Sweet encouragements whispered into her ear again and again.

Whenever she heard those words, Peony would harbor a faint hope that maybe—just maybe—she could one day escape from this horrific pain.

But now, she realized the awful truth: Rona’s words had all been lies.

‘In the end, I never had anyone on my side.’

Being able to sleep soundly without pain was a rare blessing she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

But even as her body rested, Peony’s heart crumbled into darkness.

The fact that she had to remain powerless, without even knowing whose hand held the knife aimed at her throat, chilled her to the bone.

Eventually, unable to suppress her devastated emotions, Peony went to see Eila.

Facing her, she spoke firmly.

“You were right.”

Eila quietly gazed at her.

“After I took the antidote you gave me, I had a deep sleep for the first time in a long while. I wasn’t in pain for days, and I slept well.”

“I see…”

“And once I was sure your antidote worked… I took the medicine Rona gave me again.”

Eila widened her eyes, unable to speak further.

To think she would take the maid’s medicine deliberately to confirm if it was poison…

Truly, she was royalty—her courage was no small thing.

A normal person wouldn’t have taken such a risk, especially knowing it might be poison.

“The very next day, the pain returned—terrible pain. I couldn’t sleep and kept collapsing. It was just like before.”

Peony continued with a bitter expression.

“So now I’m certain. Just like you said, Rona was poisoning me.”

Peony paused, tilting her head slightly as she looked at Eila.

“I’ve known Rona for many years and never suspected a thing. How did you know?”

Eila answered without hesitation.

“I heard about your illness from Duke Blanche. I overheard him discussing your symptoms with others.”

“…”

“The more I thought about it, the more your symptoms matched those caused by a specific poison. That led me to believe someone had been poisoning you over a long period. And…”

“You figured it had to be someone who gave me medicine regularly.”

Peony nodded as she lowered her gaze in understanding.

Watching her, Eila felt a slight pang of guilt.

Of course, everything she’d just said was a lie.

But she couldn’t reveal the true reason she knew—because it involved secrets from the original story.

Eila quickly shifted the topic to something else that might catch Peony’s interest.

“When I heard your symptoms, what came to mind was a poison made from dawn herb. Your symptoms perfectly match those caused by that poison. And it only works when taken daily.”

“…”

“So the maid who gave you medicine every day naturally became the prime suspect. Though, I wasn’t completely sure. It was a gamble on my part too.”

Peony pressed her lips together tightly, then asked cautiously:

“That poison… is it so rare even royal physicians don’t recognize it? How could so many doctors miss the fact that I was being poisoned?”

“Well, it is rare. Only a very few people can make poison from dawn herb. But the royal physicians are top experts, right?”

Peony’s expression hardened.

That could only mean one thing: most of the physicians in the palace had been bought off.

‘Someone with even more power than me manipulated them.’

Peony calmly reevaluated her position.

The emperor favored her, yes, but her position was always precarious.

She wasn’t the empress’s daughter and was seen as both a potential threat and a political obstacle.

‘I knew that, which is why I was willing to give up the crown prince’s position to my brother Darian without hesitation…’

It seemed her judgment had been wrong.

No matter how she felt, her enemies had no intention of leaving her alone.

‘And lately, even Prince Adolf’s faction has become increasingly threatening.’

Though Adolf was much younger than her, his mother—Empress Christina—had powerful backing.

As a result, more voices in the imperial family were supporting her each day.

‘Who could it be, the one targeting me? Brother Darian? Or Adolf…? Maybe both.’

Everyone was vying for the throne. It was impossible to tell who the real enemy was.

‘The one thing I’m sure of is… that my very existence threatens them all.’

Peony let out a bitter smile.

Even those she once trusted as family hoped for her death.

It was frightening and painful—but she couldn’t back down.

‘I won’t go down without a fight.’

Peony turned directly to Eila and asked bluntly.

“You must have had a reason for giving me the antidote. What do you want in return?”

Eila paused, then spoke.

“Be my friend.”

Peony’s expression froze at the unexpected response.

“What?”

“Be my friend.”

“…Friend?”

“Yeah. As you know, the other students at the academy aren’t exactly friendly to me. But if you become my friend, they won’t dare to mess with me. That’s all I want.”

Eila watched Peony’s face, tilting her head curiously.

Peony’s cheeks were unexpectedly turning red.

“A friend, huh…”

“…”

“That can’t be all.”

“Well, I’ll probably need more help in the future.”

Peony quickly straightened her posture and replied.

“Hmm, that’s not a difficult request. You’re right—if I become your friend, the others won’t dare touch you.”

“…”

“Alright. From today on, we’re friends. You saved my life—this much I can do in return.”

“…”

“It’s not like I want to be your friend because I like you or anything. I’m just repaying a favor.”

“Got it.”

“But… it’s not like I dislike being your friend either.”

The tips of Peony’s ears turned red.

Truthfully, she had never had a real friend before.

Her poor health since childhood had always kept her from connecting with others her age.

Trying to hide the smile creeping onto her face, she reached out her hand to Eila.

Eila took her hand without hesitation and asked,

“So, what are you going to do about that maid now?”

“I’ll pretend to keep taking the medicine.”

“You won’t kick her out?”

“No. That way, the ones who sent her will lower their guard.”

Eila clicked her tongue inwardly.

To think she would keep her would-be assassin close just to turn the tables…

 

Despite her timid appearance, Peony had a cold and calculating side worthy of royalty.