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~Chapter 25~
“They put Crusel poison in the tea. It was hard, but I’d practiced enough that I could finish it all.”
Through the thick leaves, sunlight fell in broken pieces. A clear bell sound carried a soft, white scent.
Warm arms wrapped around her. A low, calm voice whispered—
“It must have hurt a lot.”
“….”
Shariette leaned into that safe warmth and whispered back.
“Mm…”
The faint sound was like a sigh. Her tension eased, her body going slack. Finally, she could rest.
If only I could see this more often.
Not that she’d remember anything after waking up in the real world.
Shariette opened her eyes after two whole days.
Of course, if she had been an ordinary person, the internal injuries would’ve kept her from waking for a hundred years, but she was not ordinary.
Still, no matter how much she could rely on her quick recovery, it was useless in front of the man in front of her.
“You caught the assassin, so why the long face?”
“….”
Not that? She tilted her head, trying again.
“Oh, the duchess and Nixia are fine. They didn’t drink a single drop.”
“….”
Not that either? Then what?
Shariette puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
She wanted to know how things had gone—what happened to Eden, whether Milla had done her job well, what the mood was like now.
But instead—
The first thing she saw when she woke was the grim, deathly face of Noxian Rubellot, like a reaper, demon, or worse.
Frustrated, she asked,
“What exactly is the problem?”
…Every word out of her mouth made him want to clench his teeth.
Noxian thought he might finally understand why his lieutenant sometimes muttered while downing stomach medicine, ‘That man’s going to kill me before the enemy does!’
The clothes Shariette had been wearing when she collapsed had been so soaked in blood they had to be thrown away.
And now, just two days later, she was awake—only to say this.
Shariette got out of bed in one motion. Up close, she got a good look at his extremely severe expression.
…Wait, what’s with his face?
She rubbed her eyes. Her patient’s complexion was the second worst she’d ever seen.
For the record, the worst was when they first met at Argen Castle.
There’s no sparkle in his eyes!
Even back then, it wasn’t this bad. Shocked, she blurted,
“You haven’t been taking your medicine, have you?”
Noxian looked her over slowly from head to toe without answering.
She looked exactly the same as usual, with no sign of illness.
…Fine. He had some reason to trust she’d be okay. But still—
“If I haven’t been taking it, are you planning to knock me out by force?”
You?
With what right?
The heavy emotions that had been piling up over two days threatened to eat away his patience.
The thought that he could have lost something he’d claimed as his, all over again, so easily.
A strange, unfamiliar impulse churned like a storm in his head.
But—
She’s used to being treated carelessly.
Used to being used as a tool without hesitation.
That unpleasant truth held his reason together, keeping him still.
But if he lost her again? If next time she didn’t wake up?
If she lay there without breath, without a pulse, without warmth—if she never opened her eyes again—
Never. He never wanted to see that, not even in a dream.
The conflict between his impulse and reason blackened his vision.
At that moment—
“There are always fools who don’t follow prescription instructions.”
Turquoise eyes suddenly leaned in close to look him over.
“…!”
That calm, examining gaze was so familiar it made his heart lurch.
Just like back when he’d be beaten, crawling and humiliated, tied up and waiting for Shasha to come—
Even with shame and rage crawling up his skin, when he finally forced his eyes open, this expressionless woman would be looking at him with quiet concern.
[Even if you hate it, take it for your recovery. You don’t have to trust me, but you should trust my prescription.]
In a place where even breathing had to be guarded, it had been the one time he could breathe in peace.
“I’ll say it again—don’t stop your medicine without my permission.”
Almost without thinking, his body reacted.
He leaned his cheek into her hand as she reached for the pulse point under his ear. She twitched in surprise.
In an instant, peace washed over him, and his eyes drifted closed.
Like a tamed beast, he let himself rest against her touch—rubbing his cheek against her palm, inhaling her warmth and scent, lowering his head until his lips were buried against it.
“…Shariette.”
Shariette jumped at the familiarity of it.
She could feel his lips move right against her palm.
She wanted to pull her hand back, but couldn’t.
How could just saying her name feel so tense?
Did he figure it out?
No—impossible. He’d said Shariette, not Shasha.
Her eyes trembled.
The hellish, overwhelming presence from moments before was gone in an instant.
Still resting his head in her hand, he murmured,
“I’m grateful you saved me, my mother, and Nixia. Even if we didn’t give you reason to trust us.”
It was so straightforward she couldn’t think of a response. She glanced at him cautiously.
Maybe he doesn’t know…?
He opened his eyes again, wearing a satisfied, gentle smile.
“I’m glad you’re alive.”
And then he smiled fully, eyes shining, as if he knew she’d be captivated.
“As my personal physician says, I’ll take my medicine regularly from now on.”
“Huh? Oh… yeah, good idea.”
But…
Why did she feel so uneasy?
Why had he suddenly become so obedient?
While she was still confused, he added softly,
“So you must also never, without my permission, go and die.”
No, I’m not dying.
She couldn’t exactly say, I have Latium’s blessing, so drinking that much poison won’t kill me.
It was maddening.
Who said anything about dying?!
I’m doing all this to live!
And you—if you knew my real identity—you’d kill me without hesitation!
She wasn’t sure if he suspected anything or not, but since he was letting her live, it seemed he hadn’t figured it out completely.
After Noxian left for the basement to “take care of postponed business,” Shariette met with the duchess and Nixia.
It turned out Milla had done exactly what she’d asked.
‘Do two things for me. First—don’t tell Eden Evans that I knew his plan.’
She had confirmed that before collapsing. Eden—no, Franz’s—stupidly shocked face had been worth it.
‘Second—quietly tell Lady Marian and Lady Nixia that I knew they’d been repeatedly exposed to poison and that I suspected Eden.’
After seeing an attempted poisoning right before their eyes, she expected they’d believe it.
Sure enough, Marian reassured her,
“He’s locked in the underground prison.”
Her brow furrowed, as if even saying Eden Evans’s name was distasteful.
Not just any mansion—did this one really have a prison underground?
Ah… could that be where Noxian went?
As Shariette realized what his “postponed business” might be, noise erupted outside and the door burst open.
“…! Dear?”
“Father, you’re here?”
Seeing the duke stride in, Shariette couldn’t help but admire silently.
If Noxian Rubellot aged, he’d probably look exactly like this.
After hugging his wife and daughter, the duke turned to her.
Then he bowed deeply.
“…!”
“Truly, thank you. In the name of Duke Erev Rubellot, I promise that Miss Berdette will be treated as an honored benefactor of the Rubellots.”
When he lifted his head, he looked at the woman who had saved most of his family.
“…?”
Then he glanced at his wife.
Ah.
Exactly the same.
Now she understood why his son acted the way he did.
