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Chapter 5
The news that Shénil had collapsed quickly reached Tervan. He rushed into the room and hurried to the bed, where Shénil lay as if lifeless. A royal physician, summoned by the maid, was examining her.
Seeing Shénil with her eyes closed and her face pale, Tervan was suddenly reminded of that day in the past—
His helpless self, who had failed to protect the young Shénil in time.
“What on earth happened?”
“She… She was in the drawing room, and suddenly she coughed up blood and collapsed.”
The maid managed to steady her panicked voice as she explained the situation to Tervan. But her words didn’t end there.
“Sir El was also present at the time.”
At the mention of El, Tervan finally noticed her standing quietly to the side of the room.
“She was with El?”
“Yes.”
El slightly lowered her head and silently met Tervan’s gaze. But instead of focusing on what the maid said, Tervan turned to the physician.
“How is Shénil’s condition?”
“Thankfully, she’s stable now. As for what caused this…”
The physician hesitated but finally explained under Tervan’s pressure.
“It appears that Lady Shénil ingested poison.”
“Poison? Who could’ve—”
“We’ll need to investigate further, but we suspect it was in the tea she drank before collapsing.”
Tervan’s expression turned grim. The idea that someone had tried to poison Shénil shocked him deeply. And the moment the word poison was spoken, Shénil’s maids all dropped to their knees.
“We knew nothing of this! We prepared the tea together. No one had a chance to tamper with it. Please believe us!”
Terrified they might be blamed, the maids desperately tried to prove their innocence.
“Then who could have done it? If not you who made and served the tea…”
“It wasn’t us, truly. By the time we served the tea, Sir El had already arrived. We left after placing Lady Shénil’s tea. That’s all.”
At their words, El clenched her hidden hands tightly behind her back.
‘So this is what you wanted all along.’
And with that, she finally realized the full meaning behind Shénil’s parting words.
Tervan’s gaze flicked briefly toward El, perhaps thinking the same thing for a moment. But he quickly dismissed it.
He was certain that El couldn’t possibly be involved. At least, until Shénil woke up.
The heavy silence continued—until a faint moan suggested Shénil was regaining consciousness. Tervan quickly rushed to her side.
“Mm…”
“Shénil, are you okay?”
“Tervan? Is it really you?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“I was so scared… I thought something terrible was going to happen again, just like last time…”
Tears welled in Shénil’s eyes, her body still wracked with pain from the lingering poison. Tervan focused entirely on comforting her.
“You don’t have to worry anymore. Nothing bad will happen now. And the person who did this to you—”
“I… I never imagined Sir El could do something like this. It’s even more shocking because you trusted her.”
“What…?”
In that moment, Tervan and El’s eyes met. Startled, El looked away. This was a trap Shénil had crafted perfectly. The blade had already been placed at El’s throat, and she knew any protest would be meaningless now.
Even as El drifted into thought, Shénil continued speaking.
“She said she hated seeing me by your side. That she should be the one closest to you, and I had taken that chance from her. Then… the horrible burning in my throat began.”
The shocking revelation plunged the room into silence. Only the sound of someone gasping for breath and Shénil’s choked voice filled the space.
As soon as the words ended, El shut her eyes tightly—like someone receiving a death sentence. She thought it was all over.
Tervan, who had until then shown no reaction, seemed to gather his thoughts. He stood and approached El.
Feeling his presence, El opened her eyes and looked at him. As she expected, Tervan’s gaze was already wavering.
In that instant, El erased the last bit of hope she’d held. Then, in a calmer tone, Tervan spoke.
“Is what Shénil said… all true?”
He asked as if he couldn’t believe it. But El said nothing.
At her silence, Tervan issued a cold command.
“Guards. Arrest Sir El for attempting to poison Lady Shénil.”
“What? Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”
El quietly allowed herself to be escorted from the room by the knights, and before long, she was locked in a dark prison cell.
She remained still, leaning against the wall, then slowly slumped down and closed her eyes—
As if she were accepting her fate.
The next day, rumors about El swept through the imperial palace. The situation had become too big for Tervan to handle alone.
After all, it wasn’t just anyone—it was a noblewoman of the Empire who had nearly been assassinated. Shénil’s father, Duke Hithben, and his allies rose in fury.
They were outraged that a knight, tasked with protecting the emperor, had done such a thing. They demanded El’s execution.
Under imperial law, attempting to kill a noble was a grave crime.
Enough to warrant immediate death.
Yet despite the nobles’ protests, Tervan chose to investigate the allegations thoroughly. He clung to the hope that it was all a misunderstanding.
But unfortunately, the mounting evidence pointed only to El.
“Your Majesty, we found poison identical to what Lady Shénil drank… in Sir El’s room!”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. The royal physician confirmed it—exact match.”
Faced with undeniable proof, Tervan pressed a hand to his forehead in agony.
“El… did you really do this?”
The more Tervan had trusted El, the deeper the betrayal felt. He even began to wonder if everything he knew about her had been a lie.
Normally, a man like Tervan wouldn’t have hesitated to pass judgment when presented with such clear evidence.
And yet, strangely… he hesitated.
Days passed with El locked in the prison, still refusing to eat. She simply leaned against the wall, eyes closed.
Sometimes, she looked like she had lost her soul. Other times, she seemed like someone quietly waiting for her fate.
Then came the sound of footsteps. Someone was approaching.
The steps stopped before her cell. El opened her eyes, and upon seeing the familiar face, stood up in surprise and walked to the bars.
“Lord Wontil?”
“You look terrible. I suppose it’s been a while.”
“How did you even get here?”
“I have my ways. I’ve treated a good number of knights, you know.”
Despite the situation, El couldn’t help but laugh at Wontil’s nonchalant tone. But Wontil immediately checked her condition.
“Are you alright? Have you had any medicine?”
“I’m not sure anymore. My body, my heart… everything is a mess.”
“You foolish girl. If you’d just told them about your condition, His Majesty would’ve believed you.”
El tried to steer the conversation away.
“What’s happening outside?”
“Not good. All the evidence points to you. The poison was found in your room. And then there’s that bastard, Duke Hithben.”
“I expected as much.”
Even as Wontil told her how dire the situation was, El remained calm. That only made him more frustrated, and he finally raised his voice.
“Why didn’t you fight harder? If you had, His Majesty would’ve believed you!”
“Lord Wontil… do you still believe me, even in a situation like this?”
“Who else would I believe if not someone about to die?”
Despite the overwhelming odds against her, El had no intention of defending herself, which left Wontil deeply frustrated.
“You shouldn’t have fallen for someone you were never meant to.”
That finally got a strong reaction out of El.
“How do you know about that?!”
“You think I wouldn’t notice? I’ve lived a long time.”
“…I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”
Shénil and Wontil—maybe she had never hidden it that well after all.
For the first time, El spoke aloud the feelings she had always kept buried.
“Was I foolish? To fall for someone so far above me?”
Her eyes looked close to tears. Wontil gently grasped her hand with his weathered one—like a grandfather comforting his granddaughter.
But El, having made up her mind, gave him what might be her final request.
“Please… keep everything about me a secret. Pretend you know nothing, Lord Wontil.”
“You’re still the same, even now.”
“I don’t have much time left. Please… don’t let yourself get involved in this. I don’t want to drag you down with me.”
Her eyes were so earnest, Wontil couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He felt like saying no would cause her to break down right then and there.
“You’re really making this hard for an old man.”
When Wontil finally agreed, El handed him a key she’d hidden in her clothes.
“There’s a small envelope in the bottom drawer of my office desk. Could you retrieve it… and burn it for me?”
“What are you so afraid of? Where’s the fearless knight who used to stand at His Majesty’s side?”
El just smiled and gave him her thanks.
“Thank you. Truly. I won’t forget this, Lord Wontil.”
It felt like a final farewell. Wontil struggled to hold back his emotions.
He had watched El grow from a young girl to the person she was today. His heart ached.
But he also knew… he couldn’t stop her from walking this path.
“Go now. Before anyone sees you.”
“There’s still time, El. There’s still one last chance.”
Wontil left the prison, his voice filled with desperate hope.
Alone again, El felt a small sense of relief. At least Tervan would never find out she was sick.
That was enough for her.
