“I’m glad you felt that way.”
“I could also feel that the city was very safe. There was little sewage, the streets were clean, there was no need to worry about pickpockets, and there were almost no homeless people. It was probably the most livable city I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s something I’ve been working on as a policy for years, and I’m glad to hear you say so, Prince Luheit.”
After ascending to the throne, Dorothea constantly worked to stabilize security all the time.
The nobles argued that Dorothea should suppress the homeless, pickpockets, and thieves by violence, but Dorothea thought differently.
Because Ubera was a country with basic stability, she believed that long-term, fundamental change was needed.
So she created a social security system, built educational facilities, revised laws, and created jobs for the poor.
It took a long time to convince those who opposed it, but now, after several years, the fruits of her efforts are slowly beginning to show.
It was fortunate that there were some visible results.
A smile appeared on Dorothea’s lips, and Prince Luheit also smiled.
“By the way, I happened to meet Duke Bronte yesterday.”
Then Luheit brought up Ethan’s name.
“Really?”
“It seems that the Duke of Bronte does not like me.”
“Duke Bronte?”
Dorothea tilted her head, holding her coffee cup.
The Ethan she knew would not be the kind of person who would treat Luheit badly.
He was a clever man who knew how to use Luheit politically.
But why are such words coming out of Luheit’s mouth?
“What happened?”
“I happened to meet Prince Hezen and we were together, but he came and separated me from Prince Hezen.”
“Well, the Duke of Bronte is a bit delicate and sensitive when it comes to children. I guess it’s because he cherishes Hezen.”
Dorothea smiled awkwardly.
She didn’t think Ethan was wrong, though. Perhaps he was just sensitive about Hezen because Luheit did something wrong.
‘Sorry, Luheit, but an arm bends inwards.’
TL: ‘An arm bends inwards’ is a Korean proverb that means that no matter who the person is, they will always favor the people closest to them.
“He asked me to figure out the subject, haha, I was a little scared.”
“No way… The Duke of Bronte wouldn’t be that kind of person.”
Dorothea put down her cup of coffee without drinking it.
She couldn’t believe Ethan had been so openly hostile. Sure, before the return, he’d purged those he didn’t like.
But isn’t the current Ethan a completely different person than before his return?
Besides, there was no reason for Ethan to be mean to Luheit. Luheit had not done anything bad, and he was an honored guest of the state.
“I was taken aback, too. I just gave Prince Hezen a Mulkybel instrument as a gift and taught him how to play it.”
“Oh…. if you were offended, I will apologize on his behalf.”
“No. Your Majesty does not need to apologize.”
Luheit took a sip of his coffee. Then he looked at Dorothea and opened his lips.
“Actually, I was waiting for Your Majesty earlier, and the Duke of Bronte passed by here. I greeted him, but he ignored me and left, which was a little embarrassing.”
“You seem to have had unpleasant experiences, but perhaps that’s a misunderstanding. When the Duke of Bronte is lost in thought, he sometimes can’t see his surroundings.”
“Is that so? Well, each person has a sensitive or dull side.…”
At that moment, Luheit stopped talking, frowned, and held on to the table tightly.
“Prince Luheit?”
“hah…Khoff, Khak, Khak!”
Luheit took a few rough breaths and then coughed.
Just as Dorothea was about to find her handkerchief, Luheit clutched his chest and gasped for breath.
“Khoff, Khak,…!”
Blood splattered onto the table as Luheit coughed.
A red mark stood out on the white tablecloth.
Dorothea jumped up in surprise and ran to him.
“Prince Luheit!”
As soon as she reached out, Luheit’s body fell forward.
Dorothea managed to support his body and examine him.
Red blood was flowing from his mouth.
“Clara!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! I will call a doctor!”
Clara, who had been watching them from afar, also ran out with her heart pounding in surprise.
At the same time, Stefan, who had been waiting behind, ran and picked up Luheit.
“Get him to bed first, Stefan.”
It was too far from the palace where the envoys were staying. The closest place to lay him down was Dorothea’s bedroom.
When Stefan looked at Dorothea, she nodded.
Stefan picked up the bleeding and unconscious Luheit and ran up to the bedroom.
Dorothea’s heart pounded as she walked to the bedroom.
‘Why would Prince Luheit suddenly…..!’
If anything serious happens to Luheit, it is only natural that she will have a feud with Mulkybel.
“Are you the servant of Prince Luheit?”
Dorothea asked the servant who followed her.
“Yes…!”
“Has Prince Luheit ever shown such symptoms before?”
“No, he was a very healthy person!”
The servant went into great detail about how healthy Luheit was.
Not only did he not have any chronic illnesses, he also did not have any minor ailments.
During the long journey from Mulkybel to Ubera, he showed no sign of fatigue even when the envoys were all tired.
Dorothea shook her head.
If what the servant said was true, there was no reason for Luheit to suddenly vomit blood and collapse like that.
‘If it’s poisoning…’ An ominous feeling crossed her mind.
If it was poisoning, it was no light matter.
* * *
Stefan arrived at Dorothea’s bedroom, laid Luheit on the bed, and drained the blood that had accumulated in his mouth to open his airway so that he could breathe.
Soon the doctor arrived with Clara.
“Your Majesty, what is the matter?”
The doctor, who had rushed in, tried to check Dorothea’s condition as soon as he arrived.
“It’s not me, it’s him.”
When Dorothea pointed to the bed, the doctor belatedly discovered Luheit.
The front of his white shirt was stained with red blood, and there was blood spreading around the corner of his mouth.
The doctor seemed puzzled for a moment, then hurriedly examined his condition.
Dorothea and the others stood back and waited anxiously for his examination.
The doctor and his assistant took some measures and then poured medicine into Luheit’s mouth.
As time passed, Luheit’s face, which had turned pale, gradually regained its color, and his breathing also returned to normal.
“Have you figured out what’s wrong with the prince?”
Dorothea, who was watching the scene, asked with an uneasy heart.
Then the doctor looked at the Mulkybel servant.
Dorothea could tell by the look on the doctor’s face what his answer would be.
“These are symptoms of poisoning.”
The doctor made a careful diagnosis.
Dorothea’s heart sank at the word ‘poison’.
“That poison hurts the human intestines.”
According to the doctor, that poison was so deadly that it could kill a person within hours, depending on the dose.
It means that the stomach will be completely damaged, the bleeding will not stop, and the person will soon vomit blood and die.
Of course, it was something that had no reason to be found in the palace.
Dorothea bit her lip.
“Is the prince in critical condition?”
“No. Fortunately, the amount the prince took was small and we were able to take immediate action to prevent any serious consequences.”
The doctor said that if he just rested for a few days and was careful about what he ate, there wouldn’t be any major side effects.
“hah…”
Those words brought a sense of relief and the strength left my legs.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
Clara put her arm around Dorothea’s shoulders, supporting her.
Dorothea took a deep breath and raised her hand to show that she was okay.
It was not the time to show weakness.
She had to take responsibility as the emperor and as the host who invited Luheit as a guest.
She turned her eyes to Mulkybel’s servant.
“Something like this happens in Ubera, and in the imperial palace.…The royal family will not remain silent after this incident. I promise to expose who is behind this.”
The servant bowed deeply at Dorothea’s words.
“I will also support you with everything necessary for the prince’s treatment, so if you need anything, please let me know right away.”
“I am grateful for Your Majesty the Emperor’s kindness.”
Dorothea was uneasy despite the servant’s answer.
It’s fortunate that the prince is safe, but the fact that something like this happened clearly shows that the royal family has enemies.
‘Who could have attacked the Prince….’
Dorothea had her servants take the coffee table she had just shared with the Prince and investigate it.
Perhaps it was not the prince who was being targeted, but Dorothea herself.
Either way, it’s the same thing: The security of the palace wasn’t strict enough, so the poison was used in the palace.
A situation where she never knows who will become a victim in the future.
‘Besides, Mulkybel would be very unhappy about this…’
Dorothea wasn’t sure how to handle that situation.
“Your majesty!”
A longing voice rang in her ears.
* * *
