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Chapter 33
“……”
The room fell silent at Piril’s statement.
“Wait, wait, doctor. That was the water I drank, wasn’t it? Are you saying I drank poison? Am I going to die?”
Pell, on the verge of tears, clung to Piril’s arm, but Piril subtly pulled away.
“It’s not certain yet. It’s just my hypothesis.”
“Poisoning through water, huh.”
Killian held the water bottle up to the lamp.
The water, clear and free of any impurities, looked perfectly normal to the naked eye.
“What made you think that?”
“Ah, well, first of all, the pattern of onset was strange. This season isn’t the kind for epidemics, and the illness broke out simultaneously, without any incubation period.”
Piril pulled out a map and began marking the path they had taken.
“And as we were leaving the capital, I noticed something. The illness only seemed to occur near areas with wells. It seemed unlikely at first, but…”
“So you became certain after our group got sick from well water, too?”
Under Killian’s piercing gaze, Piril frantically nodded.
“Interesting. If your claim is correct, then what kind of poison was in the water?”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t identified it yet… It appears to be odorless, tasteless, and colorless…”
“Then what about the antidote?”
“I-I haven’t found that either… J-just kill me now, Your Grace!”
Just like during their first meeting, Piril was completely overwhelmed by Killian’s intimidating aura and tightly shut his eyes.
By rumor alone, it wouldn’t have been surprising if his head were cut off right then and there.
But surprisingly, Killian didn’t draw his sword. He simply rested his chin on his hand and continued to gaze silently at the water bottle.
“Kill you? What would I even use your corpse for? So, what are the symptoms people are showing? Are their lives in danger?”
“Huh? Oh—no, no, nothing that serious. Most people, like Your Grace’s knights, are only experiencing mild stomachaches.”
“Of course. The goal isn’t to kill people but to destroy my reputation.”
Thud. Killian lightly tapped the water bottle, and it rolled across the marble table.
“Understood. Everyone leave for now.”
“Killian.”
Litricia grabbed his arm with eyes that seemed to ask, Is that all you’re going to say? But he only leaned his head back, looking tired.
“Litricia, you should rest too. You don’t look well.”
Her hand faltered, but Litricia eventually stood and left the room. Soon, the presence of the three others disappeared.
“What a nuisance.”
Killian took out a cigar and placed it between his lips. Again, he didn’t light it.
He merely held it between his teeth, slowly grinding it.
The Empress Dowager wouldn’t want to escalate things further. Even if the illness spread beyond a certain threshold, the emperor couldn’t avoid the resentment of the people.
So perhaps it was best to let things run their course—they would eventually die down on their own. The problem was…
“I don’t think my wife would be happy just sitting around and waiting.”
As the bitter cigar aroma filled his mouth, Killian pictured Litricia’s face and ran his tongue over his lower lip.
“Why does she make that face?”
When he recited the rumors about himself, Litricia looked as if she would cry at any moment.
“Just another insult on top of the usual—what’s the big deal?”
Why?
Did she pity him for being falsely accused? Or was she just one of those people who feel others’ pain deeply?
If that were the case… then she shouldn’t have abandoned him in the first place. That lingering resentment stirred again.
But he brushed it aside and closed his eyes.
Whatever it was—if some part of him had managed to capture Litricia’s interest, that was enough.
Maybe it would be the thing that made her hesitate to walk away.
*
“Pell.”
“Y-Yes, milady.”
Pell, walking as wilted as a withered tree, waved his hand in front of his face.
“Oh right, right. You don’t like being called ‘milady,’ do you?”
Apparently having been scolded by Mark in the hallway, Pell laughed awkwardly, looking like someone who’d been denied even porridge.
“It’s embarrassing to see you again looking like this after only a few days. Ha ha. By the way, why did you call me, Lady Litricia?”
Though Pell’s cheerful demeanor tempted her to smile back, Litricia couldn’t bring herself to do it and simply let it go.
“Killian… Is he always like that?”
“You mean my lord? In what way?”
“The rumors. Does he always react that way to malicious gossip?”
“Ah…”
Scratching his cheek, Pell nodded with a reluctant expression.
“Yes. He doesn’t care at all. He never bothers to explain or defend himself. I bet he won’t this time either.”
“But why? Why accept blame for things he didn’t do?”
“Well… I didn’t get it either, so I asked him once. He just said one thing.”
Pell furrowed his brow and mimicked Killian’s signature blank face.
“‘It’s too much trouble to care.’ That’s what he said.”
Quickly smoothing out his expression in case someone saw, Pell put his hands on his hips.
“Ehh, that’s just how he is. Cold and indifferent to everything.”
“Pell.”
“Eek.”
Hearing Mark’s voice, Pell flinched like a scolded child.
“I’ll be going now, Lady Litricia. Please don’t tell the deputy I was mimicking our lord, okay?”
“Pell, you little rascal. Stop right there!”
“Would you stop if the deputy chased you with that grim reaper face?”
As Pell ran off, Mark paused in front of Litricia.
“Is something the matter, Sir Davis? Do you have something to say?”
“Don’t mind what that rascal said. His Grace simply believes it’s natural to be hated. He sees himself as a sinner.”
“A sinner? What do you mean—”
“Forgive me. I can’t say more than that.”
Leaving behind only that cryptic remark, Mark vanished as abruptly as he had appeared.
A sinner.
There was only one reason Killian would consider himself that. Crown Prince Kendrick—his brother’s death.
Killian must feel guilty about it.
But…
Killian was only eight years old when Kendrick died.
The image of Killian, soaked in rain and trembling the previous night, kept returning to Litricia’s mind, making her press her temples.
I really can’t stop thinking about him.
Even though she told herself not to get used to Killian… her thoughts kept gravitating toward him.
“Sigh…”
After a moment of hesitation, she called over the grimy, unwashed doctor.
“Piril, can we talk for a bit? Let’s go to my room.”
*
“Looks like northern life suits you. You look much better than when you were at the mansion.”
“It’s only been three days.”
“Still. Even in that short time, your expression is much brighter.”
…Is it?
Litricia glanced at herself in the mirror on the wall and shrugged. She didn’t see any change—must’ve just been polite flattery.
“We can exchange pleasantries later. Piril, earlier you said the poison was likely colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Are you sure?”
“I-I can’t say for certain, but the likelihood is high. Would you take a look at this?”
Piril placed the water bottle he had shown Killian earlier on the table, then rummaged through his bag and took out a vial of reagent.
The small crystal vial, no larger than a fingertip, was filled with a clear liquid.
“What is that?”
“A reagent I created back when I was obsessed with toxicology. It doesn’t look like much, but it reacts distinctively with most known poisons.”
To help Litricia understand, Piril opened his research notebook.
It was filled with detailed notes about colors and characteristics of various poisons.
“It’s kind of like how you diagnosed my condition back then.”
Litricia remembered the flask changing color after her blood was added and murmured to herself. Piril’s expression darkened.
“……Yes. It’s the same principle. By the way, Lady Litricia, how is your—”
“Piril. We’ll talk about that later.”
Cutting him off, Litricia stared hard at the bottle of well water.
Her firm expression, so unlike her usual passive self, widened Piril’s eyes in surprise.
“So, Piril. Have you tested this water with your reagent?”
“Ah! Yes, yes. But strangely, it didn’t react at all. I designed this to detect almost every poison in the Empire, so I’m not sure why…”
His voice trailed off, losing confidence.
But Litricia’s eyes lit up instead.
“Piril, I think I know.”
“It’s unlikely a new poison would just appear out of nowhere… Wait, what did you say?”
“I think I know what poison is in that water. And I believe this whole incident is tied to the Godwin family.”
