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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: The Real Culprit
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He glanced at the attendant, who quickly summoned the guards waiting outside the drawing room.
Joshua commanded the two guards who hurried inside.
“Make her drink.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
One held Greta down while the other tried to force the tea into her mouth.
“No!”
Greta, with a burst of superhuman strength, threw off the knight’s arm. The teacup held by the other knight fell to the carpet with a dull thud.
The hot tea splashed onto Rosette’s hand.
“Greta!”
Ophelia shot to her feet in surprise and asked Rosette.
“Goodness, are you alright?”
“What in the world are you—!”
Isabelle also shot to her feet, looking ready to grab Greta by the collar, but then turned her attention to Rosette’s hand.
Rosette’s fair hand, splashed with the hot tea, was already turning red.
“Rose, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Meanwhile, Greta fell to her knees before Joshua.
“I’ll do anything else. Please, just not that tea…”
Ophelia, her voice uncharacteristically sharp, pressed her.
“Greta, what is the meaning of this?”
“I will explain.”
Joshua rose from his seat and gestured to the guards, who quickly subdued Greta.
Though two burly men pinned her arms behind her back, Greta didn’t struggle in pain. She only wept, tears streaming down her face.
“So, what is all this about, Joshua?”
“It’s poison.”
At Joshua’s brief explanation, Ophelia was shocked, while Isabelle remained impassive.
“What?”
“Pardon?”
“Greta, was it? Explain yourself. What is in this tea?”
“*Sob,* I don’t know anything.”
“It’s useless to feign ignorance now. The investigation will reveal everything anyway.”
Greta kept her lips sealed and only continued to weep.
Joshua emptied the tea leaves from the tin case onto the table.
At his glance, Pipi flew over and shrewdly picked out several Evan flower leaves.
“These are Evan flower leaves. They’re known to aid in deep sleep, which is likely why Greta gifted this tea to you, Mother.”
“Yes, that’s right. But is that a problem?”
This time, he nodded toward Rosette. She took a small, folded envelope from her pocket and revealed its contents.
“And these are leaves from the Kish tree, native to the Owen Kingdom. As you can see, they look almost identical to Evan flower leaves, making them difficult to distinguish by sight alone. They can be told apart by their scent, but with pieces this small, even that is a challenge.”
“And?”
“And these Kish tree leaves were originally mixed in with the tea. These are the ones the Young Lady’s familiar picked out.”
*Chirp!*
Ophelia raised a hand, briefly halting Joshua.
“Hold on. Give me a moment to think. So, are these leaves a problem?”
“If we’re only talking about the leaves themselves, no.”
“Then?”
Rosette quietly interjected.
“The honey. When consumed with honey, it becomes poison.”
“Poison?”
“Yes. It can stop your heart.”
“Rose, don’t tell me you were going to drink it, knowing all that?”
For the first time, Isabelle was visibly shaken. She grabbed Rosette’s cheeks and studied her face.
“I'm fwine.”
Her words were muffled by her squished cheeks.
“Pipi removed it all. It would have been fine even if I had drunk it. Besides, I didn’t actually drink any, did I?”
“You, really...!”
Isabelle, about to lose her temper, glanced around and lowered her voice.
“I’ll get the full story from you later. You’re not getting off easy.”
“...Yes.”
Joshua glanced at the two sisters before continuing his explanation.
“There are people attempting to poison you, Mother. As you can see, they’re using tea secretly laced with Kish tree leaves. If you had added honey, the consequences would have been dire.”
“Then, Greta stopping me from adding honey was...”
“Yes. It means she’s a spy.”
Greta, perhaps realizing that excuses were futile, no longer offered any denial.
“And recently, wasn’t there someone who advised you to consume honey, Mother?”
“You mean Lord Largo?”
Largo was the empress’s personal physician, having served her ever since she arrived in the empire.
“Yes. Lord Largo suggested that honey would be good for you and recommended adding it to your tea. You declined because you dislike sweets.”
“He did say that.”
Ophelia muttered absentmindedly, then shook her head.
“That can’t be. Not Lord Largo. It must be a coincidence. Suggesting adding honey to tea is hardly an unusual thing to say.”
“That is something the investigation will determine.”
Joshua commanded one of the knights restraining Greta.
“Bring Lord Largo. And summon the other knights.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
He then turned to Isabelle.
“It would be best for you to leave now. The Empress’s Palace is about to become quite chaotic.”
“Yes, Your Highness. We will take our leave. Rose, let’s go.”
As Rosette followed Isabelle out, she glanced back at Joshua.
He mouthed the words, ‘I’ll be in touch,’ just before she left the drawing room.
***
As they were leaving the Empress’s Palace, knights in the formal attire of the Imperial Guard began to swarm in.
Isabelle, who had protectively wrapped an arm around Rosette’s shoulders as they exited the palace, immediately pressed her for answers the moment they were inside the carriage.
“What in the world was all that? What exactly were you doing with the prince?”
“Well...”
Rosette couldn’t answer right away.
She couldn’t tell the truth, but she couldn’t concoct a clumsy lie either.
In truth, Rosette herself was still dazed.
She had only intended to inform Joshua about the poisoning method today, but somehow, they had ended up catching the culprit together.
It was a turn of events she could hardly believe herself. Would Isabelle buy some flimsy excuse?
*She’d never believe it.*
Finally, Rosette spoke meekly to Isabelle, who was glaring at her with crossed arms.
“I’ll tell you when we get back to the estate.”
“Fine. In the meantime, prepare yourself for a scolding from Father.”
Rosette, who hadn’t considered her family’s reaction, was startled.
“I’m going to be scolded by Father?”
“Yes. And not just Father. Daniel will be furious too.”
“Why...?”
“Why do you think? Because you did something dangerous! Why were you about to drink that tea? Why did you get involved in something like that in the first place?”
Rosette shrank back and tried to explain.
“Nothing would have happened even if I had drunk it. Pipi removed anything that could have been a problem. Really.”
“What if some of it was left behind? What if some of the leaf’s components had seeped into the rest of the tea?”
“That wouldn’t happen. Those components aren’t released until they’re brewed in hot water...”
“Ugh, honestly!”
Isabelle, contrary to her usual calm demeanor, burst out in anger. Her sun-kissed face flushed red.
“I was worried, you idiot!”
It was a rare, honest confession from Isabelle, who seldom showed her true feelings.
“Oh...”
“Why do you keep giving the family things to worry about? I thought you were the quiet one, but it turns out you’re worse than Lucas. How much more are you going to put us through?”
Rosette finally realized what she needed to say.
“I’m sorry, Sister.”
“You finally realize you should be sorry?”
“Yes.”
“Forget it. Father and Daniel will scold you in my place, so I don’t need to say anything more.”
“Sister...”
Rosette looked at her with the face of a dejected puppy, and Isabelle finally glanced back, letting out a deep sigh.
“Don’t do that again. You really scared me.”
“Okay.”
“Still, let’s have you examined as soon as we get back, just in case.”
Isabelle’s voice had softened. Realizing her sister’s anger had subsided, Rosette beamed.
“Okay!”
“Don’t smile. What’s there to be so happy about?”
Despite her words, Isabelle’s expression as she gazed out the window was much softer than before.
*If even Isabelle is this angry, Father is going to be furious, isn’t he? I’m scared...*
Rosette wished the carriage would take as long as possible to reach the estate, but the cruel vehicle seemed to arrive even faster than it had on the way there.
“Rose!”
“Belle! Are you alright?”
And, as if word had already arrived from the Imperial Palace, three men rushed over the moment Rosette and Isabelle stepped out of the carriage. Lucas, in particular, was making the biggest fuss.
“Kiddo! I heard you caught a fearsome criminal! That’s amazing!”
“Lucas.”
Giving a thumbs-up, Lucas seemed to catch himself at the sound of Daniel’s stern voice and whispered quietly.
“You’re in big trouble, little sis. Father and our big brother are furious.”
Rosette cautiously studied Duke Adrian.
“Um, Father.”
“Let’s go inside.”
Duke Adrian lifted Rosette into his arms and headed into the estate. Instead of questioning her immediately, he first took her to her room.
“Summon the physician. And Celine, if possible.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Not long after the head butler, Sebastian, left, the physician and Celine arrived.
The two of them, having apparently already heard what happened, quickly began to examine Rosette.
“Are you feeling any discomfort, Young Lady?”
“No, I’m fine. I didn’t ingest anything that could have been a problem.”
“That is a relief. There are no other abnormalities, either.”
“Her mana is stable as well. There is no need for concern, Your Grace.”
Only after the two had finished their examination did Duke Adrian’s expression soften slightly.
“Jane, she must be uncomfortable. Please help her change.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Once everyone else had left, Jane helped Rosette wash up and change into some comfortable indoor clothes.
“I’m so relieved you’re safe. The entire estate was in an uproar after hearing the news.”
“Mm.”
“Make sure you apologize to His Grace, alright?”
“Mhm.”
Rosette quickly dried her hair and headed to the dining room.
The rest of her family was already there, but unlike usual, the atmosphere was heavy.
As Rosette entered, four pairs of eyes turned to her. She gave an awkward smile and sat down next to Lucas.
“You must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”
With a stern expression, Duke Adrian instructed an attendant to serve the meal.
Rosette kept glancing at the duke as she picked up her spoon. She was so distracted she could hardly tell if the potato soup appetizer was going into her mouth or up her nose.
Only after they had finished the main course of salmon steak and the cheesecake for dessert did the duke finally speak.
“I’ve heard the gist of what happened at the Empress’s Palace, Rose. You helped His Highness, the prince?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me exactly what happened? I want to hear it directly from you.”
