The palace was turned upside down.
Countess Rubina shouted angrily.
“What kind of poison is it? If we catch that horrible person who tried to poison Her Majesty the Queen, we can execute him! Why should we rip open Rocco’s stomach?”
Ariadne answered calmly, unwavering.
“Your Excellency Countess Rubina, we must identify the exact type of poison so that when someone appears in possession of a specific poison, we can point that person out as the mastermind.”
“What?”
Countess Rubina looked greatly shaken.
“There must be some people who have access to this palace who have plant poisons or mineral poisons in their homes.”
People began to murmur.
“Are there really that many people who have poisons in their homes?”
“Well, well...”
“Why don’t we just catch them all and take them away? Who would keep something like that in their house?”
The few who had the poison trailed off, their words trailing off, while those who had nothing to fear chattered smugly. Ariadne glanced at the ladies and added,
“Most poisons are also medicines. You all probably have thyme or sagebrush in your home. They are herbs for stomachaches. However, even common stomachache herbs can kill a person if mixed with hawthorn berries and brewed in an overdose!”
Hawthorn berries were a headache remedy. Among the proud ladies, those who had those herbs at home immediately fell silent. They could go home only if it was proven that the poison was not made from common ingredients like thyme!
Ariadne looked meaningfully at Countess Rubina.
“Shouldn’t you, Madam, prove that the poison is not arsenic?”
“...What? Why me?”
Countess Rubina asked, her trembling lips tightening. Ariadne looked straight at her and said,
“Because you have a lot of Salvarsan, a type of arsenic!”
Countess Rubina took a step back, holding her breath.
‘That girl! How did she know that?’
“No one can leave!”
The palace guards barged into the banquet hall and blocked the exit. The ladies trapped inside were unable to hide their tension, muttering.
Three palace officials rushed to Queen Marguerite’s urgent call, and after examining the water spilled on the floor with their respective reagents, they began examining the now-cold corpse of the dog.
“Rocco! Don’t touch our Rocco!”
As the ladies stood around watching, the palace doctor spread the dog’s feces-stained buttocks with a medical speculum* and examined it, causing Countess Rubina to scream hysterically.
Queen Marguerite glared at Countess Rubina with a cold gaze at her disturbance. Ariadne, who noticed the Queen’s expression, took a step forward.
“Countess Rubina, I hope you don’t act rashly.”
Countess Rubina’s face turned red with rage at being reprimanded by a young girl. She was twice as angry because she had a good opinion of the child.
“You! Don’t you know who you are acting in the best interest of?”
Ariadne had no title while Rubina was a Countess, so it was true in a narrow sense. However, Queen Marguerite immediately frowned at Countess Rubina’s rebuke.
“That applies to you as well.”
Countess Rubina glared at Queen Marguerite with an enraged face. However, even if she had ten mouths, she had nothing to say.
Ariadne warned Countess Rubina.
“Countess Rubina, we are currently in the midst of an incident that could be an attempted murder of a royal family member. No one in this room has yet been cleared of suspicion. If anyone is identified as the culprit, they will not be safe.”
After hearing Ariadne’s words, Countess Rubina had no choice but to harden her expression and shut her mouth. She had become aware of her own situation.
“Who would do such a terrible thing...!”
“But why has Countess Rubina suddenly become so quiet?”
“You’ve realized it yourself, who would benefit the most if Her Majesty Queen Marguerite passed away now?”
“Oh my...!”
“No way!”
Amid the chaos and confusion in the hall, the court physicians gathered in the center for a meeting and soon announced the results.
“Your Majesty the Queen, I report to you. If I may speak from the water flowing on the floor... When we arrived, there was already a small amount left, so we failed to detect any significant toxins.”
Ariadne bit her lip. Oh, if only they had detected arsenic there!
However, the court physician had not finished speaking yet.
“... However, judging from the condition of the deceased dog, the possibility of natural death seems extremely low. If we examine the body, we may be able to identify the type of poison.”
“Is it really poison?”
Someone asked. The chief court physician answered.
“It was too sudden to be a natural death or an illness. In fact, the most common poison used in such cases is arsenic...”
Arsenic!
The palace guards barged into the banquet hall and blocked the exit. The ladies trapped inside were unable to hide their tension, muttering.
Three palace officials rushed to Queen Marguerite’s urgent call, and after examining the water spilled on the floor with their respective reagents, they began examining the now-cold corpse of the dog.
“Rocco! Don’t touch our Rocco!”
As the ladies stood around watching, the palace doctor spread the dog’s feces-stained buttocks with a medical speculum* and examined it, causing Countess Rubina to scream hysterically.
Queen Marguerite glared at Countess Rubina with a cold gaze at her disturbance. Ariadne, who noticed the Queen’s expression, took a step forward.
“Countess Rubina, I hope you don’t act rashly.”
Countess Rubina’s face turned red with rage at being reprimanded by a young girl. She was twice as angry because she had a good opinion of the child.
“You! Don’t you know who you are acting in the best interest of?”
Ariadne had no title while Rubina was a Countess, so it was true in a narrow sense. However, Queen Marguerite immediately frowned at Countess Rubina’s rebuke.
“That applies to you as well.”
Countess Rubina glared at Queen Marguerite with an enraged face. However, even if she had ten mouths, she had nothing to say.
Ariadne warned Countess Rubina.
“Countess Rubina, we are currently in the midst of an incident that could be an attempted murder of a royal family member. No one in this room has yet been cleared of suspicion. If anyone is identified as the culprit, they will not be safe.”
After hearing Ariadne’s words, Countess Rubina had no choice but to harden her expression and shut her mouth. She had become aware of her own situation.
“Who would do such a terrible thing...!”
“But why has Countess Rubina suddenly become so quiet?”
“You’ve realized it yourself, who would benefit the most if Her Majesty Queen Marguerite passed away now?”
“Oh my...!”
“No way!”
Amid the chaos and confusion in the hall, the court physicians gathered in the center for a meeting and soon announced the results.
“Your Majesty the Queen, I report to you. If I may speak from the water flowing on the floor... When we arrived, there was already a small amount left, so we failed to detect any significant toxins.”
Ariadne bit her lip. Oh, if only they had detected arsenic there!
However, the court physician had not finished speaking yet.
“... However, judging from the condition of the deceased dog, the possibility of natural death seems extremely low. If we examine the body, we may be able to identify the type of poison.”
“Is it really poison?”
Someone asked. The chief court physician answered.
“It was too sudden to be a natural death or an illness. In fact, the most common poison used in such cases is arsenic...”
Arsenic!
The noble ladies in the room all swallowed their shock. It was a poison notorious for assassination. Countess Rubina also covered her face with both hands.
Could this really be the murder of a royal family?
While no one dared open their mouths, the court physician finished reporting.
“Arsenic is a poison whose greatest characteristic is that it cannot be detected after death. That is why it is a poison favored by assassins. If a person had eaten it, they would have probably developed diarrhea and nausea starting this evening and would have died after suffering for about two weeks, indistinguishable from an illness. However...”
He glanced at the dog’s body.
“It was not a human, but a small dog, so it consumed a lethal dose rather than the usual amount used for assassination. In such cases, if you cut open the stomach after death, there are often cases of bleeding in the stomach. If you cut open this dog’s stomach and check the inside of the stomach...”
The chief court physician’s report was cut off by a shrill scream.
Could this really be the murder of a royal family?
While no one dared open their mouths, the court physician finished reporting.
“Arsenic is a poison whose greatest characteristic is that it cannot be detected after death. That is why it is a poison favored by assassins. If a person had eaten it, they would have probably developed diarrhea and nausea starting this evening and would have died after suffering for about two weeks, indistinguishable from an illness. However...”
He glanced at the dog’s body.
“It was not a human, but a small dog, so it consumed a lethal dose rather than the usual amount used for assassination. In such cases, if you cut open the stomach after death, there are often cases of bleeding in the stomach. If you cut open this dog’s stomach and check the inside of the stomach...”
The chief court physician’s report was cut off by a shrill scream.
“No!”
It was Countess Rubina. She ran as fast as she could and snatched Rocco’s body from the arms of the assistant court physician.
“Our Rocco... Poor Rocco...”
In the central continent, there was a belief that a corpse that did not die whole could not join the cycle of reincarnation.
Tears poured down from Countess Rubina’s eyes like a waterfall. The arrogant and overbearing Countess Rubina was rarely seen in front of anyone except Leo III.
Queen Marguerite looked at Countess Rubina, who was sobbing, with an expression as cold as ice. Lady Carla was shocked by the serious incident of the Queen's assassination, and her face became pale and trembled more than usual.
Finally, Ariadne, who could no longer stand it any longer, stopped Rubina.
“Countess! I fully understand your sadness, but you must not interfere with the palace doctors’ inspection at this time.”
Countess Rubina’s followers were also unable to defend her and were only keeping a close eye on the situation.
It was Countess Rubina. She ran as fast as she could and snatched Rocco’s body from the arms of the assistant court physician.
“Our Rocco... Poor Rocco...”
In the central continent, there was a belief that a corpse that did not die whole could not join the cycle of reincarnation.
Tears poured down from Countess Rubina’s eyes like a waterfall. The arrogant and overbearing Countess Rubina was rarely seen in front of anyone except Leo III.
Queen Marguerite looked at Countess Rubina, who was sobbing, with an expression as cold as ice. Lady Carla was shocked by the serious incident of the Queen's assassination, and her face became pale and trembled more than usual.
Finally, Ariadne, who could no longer stand it any longer, stopped Rubina.
“Countess! I fully understand your sadness, but you must not interfere with the palace doctors’ inspection at this time.”
Countess Rubina’s followers were also unable to defend her and were only keeping a close eye on the situation.
“Please step aside. We cannot ignore any attempt to assassinate a royal family member and must clearly reveal all details!”
“That is true.”
“There is no denying it.”
“Is Countess Rubina... really acting like this because of a dog?”
Suspicion was growing.
At that moment, the voice of the palace servant echoed through the chaotic banquet hall.
“Bring His Majesty the King!”
The firmly closed main door of the banquet hall opened with a bang and Leo III, accompanied by the captain of the guard, entered the hall with rough steps.
At his appearance, everyone in the banquet hall, including Queen Marguerite, knelt down at once.
“I see the sun of San Carlo!”
Leo III replied in a very irritated tone.
“That is true.”
“There is no denying it.”
“Is Countess Rubina... really acting like this because of a dog?”
Suspicion was growing.
At that moment, the voice of the palace servant echoed through the chaotic banquet hall.
“Bring His Majesty the King!”
The firmly closed main door of the banquet hall opened with a bang and Leo III, accompanied by the captain of the guard, entered the hall with rough steps.
At his appearance, everyone in the banquet hall, including Queen Marguerite, knelt down at once.
“I see the sun of San Carlo!”
Leo III replied in a very irritated tone.
“Everyone, stand up.”
He looked around at the crowd and asked,
“What’s going on?”
Just as Queen Marguerite was about to step forward to answer, Countess Rubina, who was holding a dead dog, threw herself in front of Leo III while crying.
“Your Majesty!”
Leo III flinched, afraid that the dog’s feces would get on him, and Countess Rubina, who had rushed at the man who was avoiding her body with all her might, threw herself into the air and wept bitterly.
“Rocco... Our Rocco..."
Leo III, embarrassed at having avoided Countess Rubina so blatantly in front of everyone, coughed harshly.
“What’s going on with Rocco, Rubina?”
Countess Rubina cried miserably at Leo III, who was pretending to bow down carefully.
“Our Rocco is dead, and the palace doctor is going to cut off Rocco’s limbs!”
“Not cutting off his limbs, but cutting open his stomach to check his stomach..."
“Shhh!”
The chief palace doctor stopped the assistant palace doctor as he tried to correct Countess Rubina. The chief palace doctor, who had been in the palace for a long time, knew very well that it would not look good if he intervened and said the right thing now.
He looked around at the crowd and asked,
“What’s going on?”
Just as Queen Marguerite was about to step forward to answer, Countess Rubina, who was holding a dead dog, threw herself in front of Leo III while crying.
“Your Majesty!”
Leo III flinched, afraid that the dog’s feces would get on him, and Countess Rubina, who had rushed at the man who was avoiding her body with all her might, threw herself into the air and wept bitterly.
“Rocco... Our Rocco..."
Leo III, embarrassed at having avoided Countess Rubina so blatantly in front of everyone, coughed harshly.
“What’s going on with Rocco, Rubina?”
Countess Rubina cried miserably at Leo III, who was pretending to bow down carefully.
“Our Rocco is dead, and the palace doctor is going to cut off Rocco’s limbs!”
“Not cutting off his limbs, but cutting open his stomach to check his stomach..."
“Shhh!”
The chief palace doctor stopped the assistant palace doctor as he tried to correct Countess Rubina. The chief palace doctor, who had been in the palace for a long time, knew very well that it would not look good if he intervened and said the right thing now.
Countess Rubina took advantage of this momentum and desperately begged Leo III.
“Please don’t let them take Rocco, yes? I’ll bury him properly!”
Queen Marguerite just looked at the situation with a frown. She had greatly offended Leo III just a few days ago. She couldn’t imagine what her husband would think if she were to punish Countess Rubina in front of everyone.
But she couldn’t just let that dog go. Queen Marguerite’s hands began to tremble. At that moment, a small hand quietly slipped into her sweaty palm.
‘?!’
Queen Marguerite, startled by the sudden physical contact, turned around. Ariadne was standing there. Tall for a girl, but with a slender figure like a child, and with an air of calm and confidence that made it hard to believe she was her age. She could have scolded her for being rude. But her warmth was very comforting. Queen Marguerite quietly looked at Ariadne. Ariadne looked up at the Queen and smiled.
She whispered with her lips.
“Everything will be okay, Your Majesty.”
Queen Marguerite smiled slightly as her heart felt warm. It was amazing that a little girl was trying to comfort her.
However, the person who spoke to her had no intention of stopping at ‘comfort.’ What she wanted to offer her Queen was ‘solving the case.’
“Your Majesty, the wise King who is like the sun of the Etruscan kingdom, may I dare say something?”
Ariadne’s pleasant low voice echoed through the banquet hall. The noble ladies, including Queen Marguerite, were startled and looked at the black-haired girl.
Leo III, who was at the end of the conversation, looked at Ariadne with a frown.
“You are...”
The secretary whispered next to him.
“She is the second daughter of Cardinal de Mare. Why, when she was the apostle of Asseretto...”
“I know.”
Leo III cut off Sir Delpianosa. What he was curious about was why Cardinal de Mare’s second daughter was here today and why she was coming out at this time.
Leo III’s narrowed eyes scanned Ariadne like a snake, and a cold sweat ran down Ariadne’s back. The King was not feeling well. Those were his eyes contemplating how to punish her.
But fortunately, Countess Marquez stepped forward.
“Your Majesty Leo III. The Young Lady the one who stopped Her Majesty Queen Marguerite from picking up the water glass.”
Leo III softened a little at the mention of the person who had done the deed. He considered himself a wise ruler who treated his subjects with respect.
Leo III asked Ariadne,
“What do you have to say, Lady de Mare?”
Even the bold Ariadne felt a chill down her spine, as she was already on the tiger’s back. She could not get off now. She had to get a good result.
She cleared her throat and spoke.
“An assassination attempt has occurred in the palace of the heavenly Etruscan kingdom. A poisoned drink was served, aimed precisely at Her Majesty the Queen. This time it was Her Majesty the Queen, but since such an attempt could even be imagined within the palace, no one will be safe from now on!”
Leo III sighed. It was true. Just imagining the situation where the drink was poisoned brought on insomnia.
“We must clearly identify the mastermind and wipe out that group of traitors so that no one dares even dream of such a heinous act! The first step we must take to do so is to find out exactly what kind of poison was in this drink!”
“Please don’t let them take Rocco, yes? I’ll bury him properly!”
Queen Marguerite just looked at the situation with a frown. She had greatly offended Leo III just a few days ago. She couldn’t imagine what her husband would think if she were to punish Countess Rubina in front of everyone.
But she couldn’t just let that dog go. Queen Marguerite’s hands began to tremble. At that moment, a small hand quietly slipped into her sweaty palm.
‘?!’
Queen Marguerite, startled by the sudden physical contact, turned around. Ariadne was standing there. Tall for a girl, but with a slender figure like a child, and with an air of calm and confidence that made it hard to believe she was her age. She could have scolded her for being rude. But her warmth was very comforting. Queen Marguerite quietly looked at Ariadne. Ariadne looked up at the Queen and smiled.
She whispered with her lips.
“Everything will be okay, Your Majesty.”
Queen Marguerite smiled slightly as her heart felt warm. It was amazing that a little girl was trying to comfort her.
However, the person who spoke to her had no intention of stopping at ‘comfort.’ What she wanted to offer her Queen was ‘solving the case.’
“Your Majesty, the wise King who is like the sun of the Etruscan kingdom, may I dare say something?”
Ariadne’s pleasant low voice echoed through the banquet hall. The noble ladies, including Queen Marguerite, were startled and looked at the black-haired girl.
Leo III, who was at the end of the conversation, looked at Ariadne with a frown.
“You are...”
The secretary whispered next to him.
“She is the second daughter of Cardinal de Mare. Why, when she was the apostle of Asseretto...”
“I know.”
Leo III cut off Sir Delpianosa. What he was curious about was why Cardinal de Mare’s second daughter was here today and why she was coming out at this time.
Leo III’s narrowed eyes scanned Ariadne like a snake, and a cold sweat ran down Ariadne’s back. The King was not feeling well. Those were his eyes contemplating how to punish her.
But fortunately, Countess Marquez stepped forward.
“Your Majesty Leo III. The Young Lady the one who stopped Her Majesty Queen Marguerite from picking up the water glass.”
Leo III softened a little at the mention of the person who had done the deed. He considered himself a wise ruler who treated his subjects with respect.
Leo III asked Ariadne,
“What do you have to say, Lady de Mare?”
Even the bold Ariadne felt a chill down her spine, as she was already on the tiger’s back. She could not get off now. She had to get a good result.
She cleared her throat and spoke.
“An assassination attempt has occurred in the palace of the heavenly Etruscan kingdom. A poisoned drink was served, aimed precisely at Her Majesty the Queen. This time it was Her Majesty the Queen, but since such an attempt could even be imagined within the palace, no one will be safe from now on!”
Leo III sighed. It was true. Just imagining the situation where the drink was poisoned brought on insomnia.
“We must clearly identify the mastermind and wipe out that group of traitors so that no one dares even dream of such a heinous act! The first step we must take to do so is to find out exactly what kind of poison was in this drink!”
Countess Rubina shouted angrily.
“What kind of poison is it? If we catch that horrible person who tried to poison Her Majesty the Queen, we can execute him! Why should we rip open Rocco’s stomach?”
Ariadne answered calmly, unwavering.
“Your Excellency Countess Rubina, we must identify the exact type of poison so that when someone appears in possession of a specific poison, we can point that person out as the mastermind.”
“What?”
Countess Rubina looked greatly shaken.
“There must be some people who have access to this palace who have plant poisons or mineral poisons in their homes.”
People began to murmur.
“Are there really that many people who have poisons in their homes?”
“Well, well...”
“Why don’t we just catch them all and take them away? Who would keep something like that in their house?”
The few who had the poison trailed off, their words trailing off, while those who had nothing to fear chattered smugly. Ariadne glanced at the ladies and added,
“Most poisons are also medicines. You all probably have thyme or sagebrush in your home. They are herbs for stomachaches. However, even common stomachache herbs can kill a person if mixed with hawthorn berries and brewed in an overdose!”
Hawthorn berries were a headache remedy. Among the proud ladies, those who had those herbs at home immediately fell silent. They could go home only if it was proven that the poison was not made from common ingredients like thyme!
Ariadne looked meaningfully at Countess Rubina.
“Shouldn’t you, Madam, prove that the poison is not arsenic?”
“...What? Why me?”
Countess Rubina asked, her trembling lips tightening. Ariadne looked straight at her and said,
“Because you have a lot of Salvarsan, a type of arsenic!”
Countess Rubina took a step back, holding her breath.
‘That girl! How did she know that?’
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment