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~Chapter 22~
“Miss Shariette, do you really like it that much? Nixia, find out where these tea leaves came from and make an exclusive contract.”
“That’s a good idea, Mother. How about just buying the tea house outright?”
“As expected of my daughter, you’re so smart!”
…Wasn’t that basically like buying an entire mountain just to pick a few herbs?
Listening to the beautiful mother and daughter happily talking nonsense, Shariette turned the clock forward in her head.
Thirty seconds from now.
Milla Louise had worked in the Duke of Rubellot’s mansion for six years.
Out of all those days, none had been as frightening as today.
She was so tense her whole body had gone cold and was trembling, and her stiff hands could hardly bend.
Her heart pounded so hard she felt like she might throw up.
Trying to steady her uneven, shaking breaths, Milla knocked on the dispensary door.
“Sir Eden, i-it’s me. I-I did exactly as you told me, so please… I really did just what you said.”
Light brown hair like hazelnuts. Deep green eyes. A spotless white doctor’s coat bearing the Rubellot crest.
A man with such a neat appearance that you wouldn’t think he was capable of threatening someone’s life looked at her as if she were a beaker in his laboratory.
“Don’t worry. Once everything is successfully finished, I’ll keep my promise too.”
“…! Th-that’s not what you said before, you clearly said if I just did—”
“Then shall we go together right now and confess? Who do you think they’ll believe?”
Milla knew the answer. It would certainly not be her.
Eden stepped closer, grabbed her hair, and whispered,
“Someone like you, easily bought, easily replaced—people like you mean nothing to them. If your conscience is more important than your life, then go ahead and confess.”
“Hh… hic…”
Milla’s eyes filled with pitch-black despair. She looked down at her hands, trembling and wet with tears.
These were the hands that had just poisoned her mistress’s tea.
At least the death penalty.
Maybe she’d be torn limb from limb. Then what about her family? Her younger siblings?
They only have me. If I die, what will happen to them?
But if she didn’t follow this man’s orders, she’d die anyway. Either way, she had no choice.
It was unfair. It wasn’t like she wanted to do it—she was only being threatened by this man!
But… they won’t believe me.
Even if they did, she would still be an accomplice.
In that moment, a thought of hope flashed in her mind.
“I’ll carry it myself.”
“I have something to discuss with Lady Marian and Lady Nixia alone.”
If she stayed quiet, and the doctor’s plan succeeded, then…
The last one to touch the tea would be her. Not me.
Eden, who could easily guess the calculations running through her head, smirked.
Pathetic.
“Did she check it thoroughly?”
“Yes, I saw it.”
“What did she use to check it?”
“…A silver spoon.”
Eden laughed low.
What was the point of being good at herbs and medicine if your head was empty?
Only a few cheap, common poisons react to silverware. She doesn’t even know that, which is why she’s falling for this.
He had intentionally planted the idea in Shariette’s mind earlier—that Rubellot was vulnerable to poison.
Since she often had tea with the duchess and lady, all he needed to do was figure out when.
He was certain she’d insist on checking the tea herself, acting like the great pharmacist she was, and that action would become proof she had been the last to touch it.
The poison that didn’t react to silverware would take down the duchess, the lady, or both.
Then all he’d have to do was point out that she’d always been suspicious, that ingredients had gone missing from the dispensary, and that she’d been the last to touch the tea—problem solved.
If Shariette collapsed too, he could just claim it was a staged act.
Who would believe a woman of unknown origin who hadn’t even been here a month?
Unless the young duke were here—but he’s not.
He had spread distrust of the pharmacist throughout the mansion precisely for this day.
And now I even have a solid witness.
The maid named Milla was trusted by the duchess. The other maids were just as loyal.
That’s why Eden hadn’t even tried to win her over with kind words.
He’d taken her life hostage and threatened her.
No matter how loyal someone might be, they’d never choose another over their own life.
That maid is the same. She poisoned her mistress’s tea and blamed someone else.
Did she really want to live so badly? The thought made him scoff.
Eden took out his pocket watch to check the time.
“It’s time for the finale.”
He purposely ran toward the lady’s room—something completely unlike his usual self.
The sight of the normally calm and collected doctor rushing with an urgent face made everyone turn their heads.
Just as he expected, shocked onlookers began murmuring, and some even followed him.
Good. The more witnesses, the better.
“Madam! My lady! Stop! Don’t drink it!”
Bang!
“That woman poisoned—!”
He shouted urgently as he threw the door open.
“…?”
But inside, it was so peaceful it was almost leisurely.
Not a single trace of a poisoning attempt.
In fact, as if they’d just heard something amusing, Nixia and Marian were laughing brightly.
The two, sitting at the table, stopped laughing to look at him in puzzlement.
Marian frowned first and scolded him.
“Mr. Evans, what rudeness is this? This isn’t like you.”
“Indeed. Since when was it acceptable to open my room without permission? Who said you could barge in here anytime you like?”
Nixia’s cold gaze swept up and down his figure.
“And poison? That woman? Is that what you’ve been calling the young duke’s physician all this time?”
…What? Why is everyone perfectly fine?
Startled, Eden pointed at the teapot on the table, about to speak—
“Ah…!”
Shariette let out a short exclamation, her mouth hanging open as she clutched her throat with one hand.
Her face was expressionless, but all color drained away.
The moment Marian, Nixia, and even Eden felt an indescribable chill looking at her—
Gulp—
Red liquid welled up at her lips.
“Ueek—!”
Shariette vomited up a gush of dark red blood, as if it were tearing its way out from her stomach.
“…!”
“Kyaa! Shariette!”
“Urgh—kehuk… khuk…”
Gulp, gulp—without a moment to breathe, the dark blood poured out, soaking her pale face, chest, dress, and the carpet.
It was so much blood, one wondered if a human body could even hold that much.
Gasps and screams of horror spread through the people who had followed Eden.
“Kyaaa! Poisoning!”
“A doctor! Get a doctor—!”
Dozens of eyes turned to one person. The doctor was already here.
But his face was white as a sheet, frozen stiff.
It was nothing like the calm, collected Eden Evans who could stay cool before even more gruesome scenes.
How much did she drink?
The screams and shouts around him made his ears ring.
In front of this unbelievable sight, only one thought crossed his mind—
For her to be like that, she’d have to have drunk the whole pot… No, that’s impossible…
He knew better than anyone what was in that teapot.
Just a few drops would cause searing, knife-like agony down the throat and stomach—it was a poison used for interrogations and torture.
Is that thing even human?
