"Your Highness."
Irina carefully grabbed my arm. Only then did I raise my head as if I had just come to my senses.
Before I knew it, the charity auction was coming to an end. I was so distracted by the complicated things in my head... I didn’t even realize that time had passed so quickly.
I obsessively thought about the next event: toasts, celebrations, and then the ball.
Originally, it was the Emperor's job, but now that he was away, the duty fell to me.
Perhaps because my face seemed too stiff, Irina bent down as if to straighten her skirt and whispered in my ear.
“Your Highness, are you okay? If you are not feeling well, would you rather skip the toast?”
“Just take a sip. It’ll be fine.”
“But your complexion is very pale.”
Was it because my mind was complicated? An ominous feeling that something would go terribly wrong at any moment weighed on the back of my neck, and for some reason, I continued to feel anxious.
But it was neither the time nor the place to show it. I barely managed to smile.
“I’m just a little tired. I’ll be fine after a little rest.”
“...Are you sure?”
"Then."
The brief conversation was interrupted by thunderous applause. Count Osbord, who was presiding over the auction, bowed and announced the end of the event.
While the faint sounds of an orchestra tuning could be heard, servants ran busily from table to table, passing around golden champagne.
A glass of champagne was brought to me on a silver platter. I grabbed my glass and stood up from my chair, and all the nobles followed suit.
The side of the stage where I was standing was bright, and the side where they were standing was dark. I couldn't see any of the faces buried in the darkness. Oddly enough, that helped me regain my composure.
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth with a determined face.
“I think everyone here will agree that today’s event is not simply a celebration of stopping the invasion from the North.”
I mimicked Isabella's noble gaze and looked over the heads of the nobles.
“While the Empire has claimed itself as the protector of the continent, the greedy barbarians have been coveting our lands and properties without any sense of duty. It is time to send the Empire’s bravest knights to unleash merciless condemnation and continue the legacy of the first Ridrian the Great.”
I paused for a moment to catch my breath. The jewels reflected in the chandelier's light were too dazzling.
I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth decisively as if I had never hesitated even once.
“For the great victory of the Empire.”
For the great victory of the Empire. All the nobles raised their glasses and shouted after my chant.
A strange chill ran down the back of my neck. Since it was customary for the first toast to be given by the speaker, everyone was looking up at me.
I brought the champagne glass to my lips and took a few elegant sips. The first whiff was ominously spicy.
As soon as I swallowed it forcefully, my eyes met with Duke Kairak's, who had been watching me closely.
Was it just a coincidence? Was it just a recurring sense of déjà vu that those eyes had a particularly cruel smile?
“Huh...”
It was too hot to be considered the characteristic spicy aftertaste of alcohol. It was horrible, like a thorny bug going down my esophagus.
I couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out in a cough. I desperately grabbed onto Thalia's arm as she came closer.
"Your Highness?"
Ah, I knew that feeling. My throat was starting to burn, just like when I ate Romelia before.
My head and eyes were getting blurry. No. At least not now... This is a place to raise war funds. At least, in front of everyone...
But I just can't come to my senses...
“Your Highness, the Princess!”
The first commotion began with the screams of Thalia.
It was only in an instant that Princess Anastasia's once upright body collapsed. Red blood dripped from her emaciated lips. Screams and fear spread like a plague.
As soon as Sir Enoch, the captain of the knights, lifted the limp Princess into his arms, the knights rushed in and immediately shut down the banquet hall.
Not only in the first banquet hall, but also in the second banquet hall, all the guests, servants, laborers, and even the coachmen driving the carriages were unable to move even a single step from their respective places.
None of these could have been the Emperor's orders, as they were immediate measures taken before the Princess was even laid to bed in her palace.
It was an excessive abuse of authority by the captain of the knight guard, but not even a high noble dared to object.
In fact, everyone had witnessed at least once how much the Emperor cherished the Princess he had regained.
The Princess did not open her eyes for more than three days. The search and inquiry continued without much success.
Every single servant, every single grain of sand, every single record of his entrance into the palace was submitted, and even standing too close to the Princess was enough to raise suspicion.
But despite all this commotion, no trace of poison was found anywhere in the palace, not even in the champagne glass from which the Princess had drunk.
After five days, Duke Ashkabad, who had come running from the north after hearing the bad news, arrived at the palace.
Duke Ashkabad, who had stormed into the Princess’s palace early in the morning, seemed half-mad. He was covered in dirt all over his body, as if he had run straight from the far north without stopping.
His pale face, bloodshot eyes, and disheveled clothes made him look anything but normal.
The only sign of composure he showed was that he did not dare to set foot on the inner chambers of the Princess's palace.
He stood blankly in the middle of the reception room, like a man barely able to endure something, waiting for the palace doctor to come out after examining the Princess.
As soon as the palace doctor opened the curtains and came out, the Duke's cold voice fell.
“Explain.”
Instead of answering, the palace maid looked at the young Duke's trembling hands with complicated eyes. As if even that brief silence was irritating, Laskan urged him once more.
“I heard that no poison was found in the champagne glass. So why is the Princess still lying there?”
“...It is true that the poison was not found anywhere in the palace.”
“If you allow it.”
“However, it was found on Her Highness the Princess’s body.”
“...What the hell is that nonsense?”
Laskan gritted his teeth and spat out the words as if he were chewing them. The palace doctor bowed his head a little deeper as if he were sorry.
“Explain it properly.”
“I didn’t believe it easily either... but even after testing several times, the results were the same.”
“...”
“There was no poison in any of the food Her Highness consumed that night.”
Laskan let out a cold laugh. How could that be possible? There wasn't any damn poison in the palace, and yet poison was found inside the Princess's body.
The Duke looked down at his opponent without hiding his violent gaze at all.
However, the palace received the Duke's gaze without showing any sign of wavering.
The implication was clear. It wasn't a lie from the beginning.
“Is that possible?”
“It’s not common, but...”
For the first time, a look of confusion spread across his face.
“There are some drugs or food ingredients that are fine when taken alone, but when two or three of them are mixed together, they turn into extremely toxic substances.”
The Duke's face, which had been bewildered, instantly turned pale. His pale face, which had been unable to rest properly, lost even more vitality.
While he was wiping his dry face with trembling hands, the palace doctor took out a glass bottle containing a milky liquid from his bosom.
“This is a solution that turns red when mixed with black thistle juice.”
He dropped two drops of liquid into the champagne glass that was on the table.
Only then did Laskan realize that the damned glass was the one that had been in the Princess’s hand that night. The liquid turned an ominous shade of red as soon as it touched the champagne glass.
The silence was like death. Finally, the palace maid continued speaking in a stiff voice.
“As you can see, instead of poison, black thistle juice was detected in the champagne glass. And black thistle is the main ingredient in Kiship poison.”
“...”
“If you drink the kiship poison, your body’s reactions will become very slow, as if you were sleeping. Your breathing will become weak, and your hands and feet will become cold because your blood will not circulate. Soon, you will become like a corpse, barely able to breathe.”
“...”
“It matches Her Highness’s current symptoms exactly.”
Laskan opened the curtains, as if he could no longer bear it, despite the maids' protests.
Even though it was only dimly lit by one or two candles, the Princess's appearance was shocking at first glance. Her entire body was so pale that she looked like a dead corpse.
The only sign of breathing was the occasional parting of her lips as she groaned.
Laskan barely managed to exhale. His mind was stiff, as if he had become an idiot.
Truly, poison was detected in the Princess's body... When he heard the palace doctor babble about her mouth being pierced, it didn't even feel real, but when he saw that pale face, it hit him like a tidal wave.
He rarely stuttered.
“How on earth... how can she regain consciousness...”
“It will be difficult to regain consciousness for a while. The antidote to Kiship poison is extremely weak.”
“...”
“Kiship poison is made from the Sorem pollen family, Tilea leaves, and black thorn thistle juice. Depending on which one is used, when, and how the dosage is adjusted, the effects vary greatly. If the three are kept separately, the poison is not detected, so it is even easier to bring them into the palace.”
“...”
“Fortunately, given Her Highness’s condition, the one who used the poison was extremely careful. They only used a very small amount of Sorem pollen.”
It was miserable to have to consider such a thing fortunate. But if it had stopped there, it would have been truly fortunate.
The royal doctor, who usually answered questions honestly even when they weren't asked, opened his mouth hesitantly for a rare moment.
“It was clearly planned out carefully. For Sorem pollen to act as a poison, it had to be taken in steady doses.”
"...”
“Her Highness has been slowly exposed to the poison for a very long time.”
“...”
“Perhaps ever since she first entered the palace.”
Irina carefully grabbed my arm. Only then did I raise my head as if I had just come to my senses.
Before I knew it, the charity auction was coming to an end. I was so distracted by the complicated things in my head... I didn’t even realize that time had passed so quickly.
I obsessively thought about the next event: toasts, celebrations, and then the ball.
Originally, it was the Emperor's job, but now that he was away, the duty fell to me.
Perhaps because my face seemed too stiff, Irina bent down as if to straighten her skirt and whispered in my ear.
“Your Highness, are you okay? If you are not feeling well, would you rather skip the toast?”
“Just take a sip. It’ll be fine.”
“But your complexion is very pale.”
Was it because my mind was complicated? An ominous feeling that something would go terribly wrong at any moment weighed on the back of my neck, and for some reason, I continued to feel anxious.
But it was neither the time nor the place to show it. I barely managed to smile.
“I’m just a little tired. I’ll be fine after a little rest.”
“...Are you sure?”
"Then."
The brief conversation was interrupted by thunderous applause. Count Osbord, who was presiding over the auction, bowed and announced the end of the event.
While the faint sounds of an orchestra tuning could be heard, servants ran busily from table to table, passing around golden champagne.
A glass of champagne was brought to me on a silver platter. I grabbed my glass and stood up from my chair, and all the nobles followed suit.
The side of the stage where I was standing was bright, and the side where they were standing was dark. I couldn't see any of the faces buried in the darkness. Oddly enough, that helped me regain my composure.
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth with a determined face.
“I think everyone here will agree that today’s event is not simply a celebration of stopping the invasion from the North.”
I mimicked Isabella's noble gaze and looked over the heads of the nobles.
“While the Empire has claimed itself as the protector of the continent, the greedy barbarians have been coveting our lands and properties without any sense of duty. It is time to send the Empire’s bravest knights to unleash merciless condemnation and continue the legacy of the first Ridrian the Great.”
I paused for a moment to catch my breath. The jewels reflected in the chandelier's light were too dazzling.
I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth decisively as if I had never hesitated even once.
“For the great victory of the Empire.”
For the great victory of the Empire. All the nobles raised their glasses and shouted after my chant.
A strange chill ran down the back of my neck. Since it was customary for the first toast to be given by the speaker, everyone was looking up at me.
I brought the champagne glass to my lips and took a few elegant sips. The first whiff was ominously spicy.
As soon as I swallowed it forcefully, my eyes met with Duke Kairak's, who had been watching me closely.
Was it just a coincidence? Was it just a recurring sense of déjà vu that those eyes had a particularly cruel smile?
“Huh...”
It was too hot to be considered the characteristic spicy aftertaste of alcohol. It was horrible, like a thorny bug going down my esophagus.
I couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out in a cough. I desperately grabbed onto Thalia's arm as she came closer.
"Your Highness?"
Ah, I knew that feeling. My throat was starting to burn, just like when I ate Romelia before.
My head and eyes were getting blurry. No. At least not now... This is a place to raise war funds. At least, in front of everyone...
But I just can't come to my senses...
***
“Your Highness, the Princess!”
The first commotion began with the screams of Thalia.
It was only in an instant that Princess Anastasia's once upright body collapsed. Red blood dripped from her emaciated lips. Screams and fear spread like a plague.
As soon as Sir Enoch, the captain of the knights, lifted the limp Princess into his arms, the knights rushed in and immediately shut down the banquet hall.
Not only in the first banquet hall, but also in the second banquet hall, all the guests, servants, laborers, and even the coachmen driving the carriages were unable to move even a single step from their respective places.
None of these could have been the Emperor's orders, as they were immediate measures taken before the Princess was even laid to bed in her palace.
It was an excessive abuse of authority by the captain of the knight guard, but not even a high noble dared to object.
In fact, everyone had witnessed at least once how much the Emperor cherished the Princess he had regained.
The Princess did not open her eyes for more than three days. The search and inquiry continued without much success.
Every single servant, every single grain of sand, every single record of his entrance into the palace was submitted, and even standing too close to the Princess was enough to raise suspicion.
But despite all this commotion, no trace of poison was found anywhere in the palace, not even in the champagne glass from which the Princess had drunk.
After five days, Duke Ashkabad, who had come running from the north after hearing the bad news, arrived at the palace.
***
Duke Ashkabad, who had stormed into the Princess’s palace early in the morning, seemed half-mad. He was covered in dirt all over his body, as if he had run straight from the far north without stopping.
His pale face, bloodshot eyes, and disheveled clothes made him look anything but normal.
The only sign of composure he showed was that he did not dare to set foot on the inner chambers of the Princess's palace.
He stood blankly in the middle of the reception room, like a man barely able to endure something, waiting for the palace doctor to come out after examining the Princess.
As soon as the palace doctor opened the curtains and came out, the Duke's cold voice fell.
“Explain.”
Instead of answering, the palace maid looked at the young Duke's trembling hands with complicated eyes. As if even that brief silence was irritating, Laskan urged him once more.
“I heard that no poison was found in the champagne glass. So why is the Princess still lying there?”
“...It is true that the poison was not found anywhere in the palace.”
“If you allow it.”
“However, it was found on Her Highness the Princess’s body.”
“...What the hell is that nonsense?”
Laskan gritted his teeth and spat out the words as if he were chewing them. The palace doctor bowed his head a little deeper as if he were sorry.
“Explain it properly.”
“I didn’t believe it easily either... but even after testing several times, the results were the same.”
“...”
“There was no poison in any of the food Her Highness consumed that night.”
Laskan let out a cold laugh. How could that be possible? There wasn't any damn poison in the palace, and yet poison was found inside the Princess's body.
The Duke looked down at his opponent without hiding his violent gaze at all.
However, the palace received the Duke's gaze without showing any sign of wavering.
The implication was clear. It wasn't a lie from the beginning.
“Is that possible?”
“It’s not common, but...”
For the first time, a look of confusion spread across his face.
“There are some drugs or food ingredients that are fine when taken alone, but when two or three of them are mixed together, they turn into extremely toxic substances.”
The Duke's face, which had been bewildered, instantly turned pale. His pale face, which had been unable to rest properly, lost even more vitality.
While he was wiping his dry face with trembling hands, the palace doctor took out a glass bottle containing a milky liquid from his bosom.
“This is a solution that turns red when mixed with black thistle juice.”
He dropped two drops of liquid into the champagne glass that was on the table.
Only then did Laskan realize that the damned glass was the one that had been in the Princess’s hand that night. The liquid turned an ominous shade of red as soon as it touched the champagne glass.
The silence was like death. Finally, the palace maid continued speaking in a stiff voice.
“As you can see, instead of poison, black thistle juice was detected in the champagne glass. And black thistle is the main ingredient in Kiship poison.”
“...”
“If you drink the kiship poison, your body’s reactions will become very slow, as if you were sleeping. Your breathing will become weak, and your hands and feet will become cold because your blood will not circulate. Soon, you will become like a corpse, barely able to breathe.”
“...”
“It matches Her Highness’s current symptoms exactly.”
Laskan opened the curtains, as if he could no longer bear it, despite the maids' protests.
Even though it was only dimly lit by one or two candles, the Princess's appearance was shocking at first glance. Her entire body was so pale that she looked like a dead corpse.
The only sign of breathing was the occasional parting of her lips as she groaned.
Laskan barely managed to exhale. His mind was stiff, as if he had become an idiot.
Truly, poison was detected in the Princess's body... When he heard the palace doctor babble about her mouth being pierced, it didn't even feel real, but when he saw that pale face, it hit him like a tidal wave.
He rarely stuttered.
“How on earth... how can she regain consciousness...”
“It will be difficult to regain consciousness for a while. The antidote to Kiship poison is extremely weak.”
“...”
“Kiship poison is made from the Sorem pollen family, Tilea leaves, and black thorn thistle juice. Depending on which one is used, when, and how the dosage is adjusted, the effects vary greatly. If the three are kept separately, the poison is not detected, so it is even easier to bring them into the palace.”
“...”
“Fortunately, given Her Highness’s condition, the one who used the poison was extremely careful. They only used a very small amount of Sorem pollen.”
It was miserable to have to consider such a thing fortunate. But if it had stopped there, it would have been truly fortunate.
The royal doctor, who usually answered questions honestly even when they weren't asked, opened his mouth hesitantly for a rare moment.
“It was clearly planned out carefully. For Sorem pollen to act as a poison, it had to be taken in steady doses.”
"...”
“Her Highness has been slowly exposed to the poison for a very long time.”
“...”
“Perhaps ever since she first entered the palace.”
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