I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 18
“Arrest and investigate all the servants and chefs present here, as well as everyone who prepared the food and utensils.”
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, it wasn’t me!”
Cries erupted at the Emperor’s stern command. But surprisingly, he took another sip of the aperitif to wet his throat.
“Ah, clear away the bruschetta.”
“Father, the meal…”
“Surely they wouldn’t use two or three poisons at a lunch gathering? If the chef’s innocence is certain, it would be a shame to waste all this delicious food.”
“Your Majesty!”
He intends to continue the lunch, just removing the bruschetta. Shocked by this calmness, I couldn’t help but cry out, and the Emperor looked at me.
“Duchess, Duke. If you’re not afraid of poison, let’s continue the meal.”
Are we also suspects? Or is this some kind of test?
“The prince has done well too. Return to your seat now.”
“Yes.”
The two were frighteningly calm. The prince, who returned to his seat as if he had finished his duty, resumed eating as if nothing had happened. I looked at Cassion in confusion.
But Cassion seemed to have taken the Emperor’s words “if you’re not afraid of poison” as a challenge.
“The Duchess looks pale. If you’re very shocked, I’ll talk with the Duke, so you may return to your room.”
In this crazy situation, I was the only one who hadn’t picked up my utensils. The Emperor had already finished half of his aperitif, and the servants who had replaced those who were taken away quickly began to change the appetizers.
I alone was watching them with clenched fists.
“…No, Your Majesty. I was a bit surprised, but I can’t refuse such an honorable occasion.”
They all seem crazy, but it doesn’t feel right for me alone to leave.
I decided to go along with their mad behavior. The newly prepared appetizer was a simple canapé. My hand seemed to tremble slightly, but I managed to put the canapé in front of me into my mouth without dropping it on the table.
I couldn’t taste anything. I just felt anger rising inside.
“Indeed. The chef probably isn’t the culprit. It would be a shame to miss his cooking, so let’s forget about this small commotion and enjoy the food and conversation.”
Small commotion? Is that a small commotion? Feeling even more heated inside, I gulped down the wine they said was made from green grapes. But perhaps because I was so upset, the burning in my stomach wouldn’t subside.
“….”
“Asil?”
Did I drink too much at once? Cassion called me in a low voice.
Feeling like I might vomit if I answered, I just met his eyes.
“The Duke and Duchess seem to get along very well. I’m looking forward to the future, it seems my decision to grant Lord Yeager the title of Duke was worthwhile.”
The Emperor’s words seemed to come from further away than before. I kept feeling a surge in my stomach. Was I too shocked? Or was the alcohol content of the aperitif higher than expected?
“…Urgh.”
If I throw up here, it would be a real disaster. I should have left earlier and gone to the room. I managed to swallow down what was rising.
And at that moment, I realized from the metallic taste that what was coming up wasn’t food.
Why me?
“Asilia!”
“…!”
I managed to prevent myself from spewing blood on the table, but it was impossible to swallow everything that kept coming up my throat.
I clenched my teeth with all my might, but I could feel blood flowing between my lips. Cassion, who had been looking at me in confusion, jumped up from his seat.
“Nnngh…”
Now, enduring the internal heat that felt like I was melting, I gripped the table and bent over. Cassion shouted something and embraced me.
Even at that moment, I looked around, concerned about those present, but the prince and Emperor also looked surprised. This wasn’t their intention.
“Ugh, hah.”
The Emperor, seeing me continue to endure, showed an even more surprised expression and called for a physician.
“Asil, Asilia, hang on a little longer. It’ll be alright.”
I can’t die like this. They said the imperial palace has antidotes prepared for various poisonings, so I should be able to survive, right?
No longer able to endure, I abandoned my dignity and clung to Cassion, clawing at his clothes, regardless of the Emperor’s presence. It hurt so much.
“Urgh. Keh.”
His large, trembling hands stroked my back, and I ended up spilling blood into his arms. I wanted to say it hurts, I wanted to ask when the doctor would come, but there was no chance to speak.
The prince, who had approached at some point, was examining my condition and giving instructions, but now I could barely hear.
It was then. The prince’s face, visible in my blurry vision, looked unusually grim. From that expression, I realized why I, not the Emperor, had been poisoned.
‘S**t…’
I felt a small sense of relief. Although it’s unbelievably painful, the poison I’ve ingested probably won’t be life-threatening.
“Asilia!”
Because it wasn’t the First Prince’s faction that poisoned me, but the Second Prince’s faction. Feeling that it was okay to lose consciousness now, I let go of the mental thread I had been holding onto. I thought I heard a voice crying out in despair.
***
“…Ugh…”
“Asilia!”
Finally, an unfamiliar ceiling. But it wasn’t unexpected. Probably somewhere in the imperial palace.
As I tightly closed my eyes, clutching my throat against the burning sensation, a familiar voice called out to me, approaching.
“Asilia, are you conscious? Are you alright?”
“…S**t.”
I don’t have the energy to answer, but I have the energy to curse. I spat out a curse through my teeth at the pain that felt like it was boiling all my internal organs.
Despite the sudden profanity, Cassion was preoccupied with checking my condition.
“Did they catch the culprit?”
As I struggled to sit up, Cassion tried to make me lie down again. But I waved my hand to refuse and raised my upper body to lean against the bed’s headboard.
“Asilia, you need to rest. I’ll call the physician again…”
“I asked if they caught the culprit.”
I asked again with my eyes closed, as they felt hot too. They were also stinging, and I felt like I might shed tears of blood if I opened them now.
Hesitating at my stubbornness, Cassion answered slowly.
“The culprit who tried to poison His Majesty was caught, but it was just a simple servant, and we couldn’t catch the mastermind behind it. And they’re currently investigating the servant who brought out the canapé you ate.”
“Ha.”
This is truly ridiculous.
“We owe one to His Highness the Second Prince.”
“….”
Cassion hung his head at my sarcastic words. He knows it too.
“…I have no words. It’s because you were by my side.”
“Well, I’m annoyed, but this was my role from the beginning.”
“Asilia, don’t say such things. I’m sorry.”
“….”
“Please lie down again. I’ll call the physician.”
I slid back down and lay down at Cassion’s plea, who looked like he was about to get on his knees and beg. He quickly pulled up the blanket to prevent me from getting up again and rushed out of the room.
He could have just rung the bell, but it seemed he couldn’t wait even that long.
“Crazy bastards…”
It certainly hurts terribly, but it doesn’t feel like I’m going to die.
If they had any conscience, they would have used a poison that can be antidoted since we’re on the same side.
In fact, although people were taken away during the Emperor’s attempted poisoning, excluding us, the most suspicious people at that gathering were naturally those of us in the Second Prince’s faction.
But by me also being poisoned, we were excluded from the list of suspects.
Someone from the Second Prince’s faction who made us escape suspicion that the Second Prince’s faction tried to poison the Emperor by sacrificing me.
“…Surely it wasn’t the prince?”
If so, I’d like to think more about raising the Second Prince to the Crown Prince. But recalling the grim expression I last saw, I didn’t want to suspect him.
“This is really annoying.”
It hurts like hell, but the situation is going well, which makes it even more frustrating.
With this, the suspicion of the Emperor’s attempted poisoning would have shifted to the First Prince’s faction. It’s too obvious a ploy, but still, attention will be focused more on the First Prince’s faction than the Second Prince’s faction.
They attacked the Duke, who was at the center of the Emperor and Second Prince’s axis in one place, so if it had succeeded, the currently favored First Prince would have had a high chance of becoming Emperor.
“I’m scared, so scared.”
I muttered, seeing that there was still blood mixed in the small cough I let out.
I told Cassion this was my role, but even I hadn’t really realized it. I said I would be a shield to protect him from such harm until he welcomed the person he loves as family, but knowing the original story, I thought there wouldn’t be much harm to me. I was stupid.
Bang-
“Asilia! Quickly, quickly examine her.”
As I was sinking into complicated thoughts that kept leading to more thoughts, Cassion burst in, almost dragging the doctor, and shouted. Seeing the small splatter of blood on the blanket in the meantime, his face turned pale blue.
“Due to the effects of the poison, she might have a fever tonight, but it’s not dangerous. Since she’s taken the antidote, there shouldn’t be any problems if she rests for a while…”
As expected. It was just a poison that could be simply cured with an antidote.
…That means there was someone in the kitchen or hallway who could move immediately upon learning that the Emperor was almost assassinated.
“How can you say that when her face is so pale? Examine her again!”
But I didn’t have the energy to talk for long now, so I just sighed as I listened to Cassion berating the physician.
I need to reorganize my thoughts for now.
