Chapter 9

“That day… the tea leaves I brewed at the tea party were given to me by Lady Chaoka.”

“I know that.”

“But our family has no connection whatsoever with House Chaoka. Doesn’t that make it more likely that I wasn’t the intended victim?”

The Duke’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“In other words, shouldn’t we focus on the merchant group that distributed those tea leaves?”

And that merchant group belonged to the family aligned with the Empress — Count Blanc. A faction with decent influence.

The Empress hated the existence of the Imperial Consort, and the Second Prince was a thorn in her side. So she planned to kill the consort and her son. The Blanc family eagerly stepped forward, promising to see the plan through.

If they could leave a good impression on the Empress, their future would be paved in roses — and they could prove their capability. And they were confident. They had acquired a very precious poisonous herb.

In the game, the Imperial Consort and the prince die under mysterious circumstances. The crown prince later learns the truth but turns away from it.

Anyway, that part aside — Lepina’s luck was filthy. Out of all the tea canisters she could have chosen, she picked the one mixed with poison.

My father and the Duke whispered among themselves, clearly catching onto something I’d said.

It was obvious neither the Duke nor my father would have stayed idle. They must have already investigated, and Seban would know well that the tea leaves I brewed came from the canister I brought back after being invited to Lady Chaoka’s tea party.

This was a gamble. My information was basically something that dropped from the heavens. The world of a game I played in my past life — who would believe that…?

I finished the words I had left hanging.

“It’s just my speculation, but House Chaoka was simply unlucky. If someone truly intended to poison, the smart move would be to hand it over discreetly or have someone secretly mix the poison. Alosi doesn’t react to silver at all. It’s perfect for silent assassination. But handing over a poisoned canister during a tea party, in front of other young ladies? That’s taking a huge risk.”

“We’ve already confirmed with House Chaoka. They knew nothing. There was no method or reason for them to distinguish the poisoned canister from the rest.”

Of course. The Duke had already ruled them out.

Now all that remained was for me to present what I knew — about the Alosi poison — in a way that wouldn’t trigger suspicion.

My mouth was dry. I swallowed.

“And… I know what the poison is.”

“…You?”

“Yes. May I ask how the young master is doing?”

I wanted to say “It’s Alosi poison” outright, but that would be too absurd. I’d been bedridden, suffering. How could I suddenly know the name of a poison no physician recognized? If I at least heard the symptoms first, I could pretend to deduce it.

The Duke was still suspicious — the disbelief in his tone made that clear.

Someone who served poisoned tea now claiming to identify the toxin? Anyone would find that ridiculous.

I met his gaze squarely.

“I’ve been interested in medicine and read various texts.”

A lie — but mixed with truth. I didn’t read books; I learned from the game. And it’s true I know the poison better than anyone.

The Duke stroked his chin, thinking, then spoke. His eyes, sharp as a blade, still measured me carefully.

“…Evan’s condition isn’t good. They say his organs have been damaged in that short time. The constant bouts of bloody vomiting are also a problem. Even the family physician couldn’t identify the poison, yet you claim you can?”

His eyes flashed dangerously. The chill in the room was palpable. I shivered, but straightened my back.

I didn’t look away.

“Yes.”

“Oh?”

Intrigue flickered in his eyes.

“To my knowledge, it’s definitely Alosi poison. Poisons that don’t react to silver are rare. Especially poisons not native to our empire… the only one that fits is Alosi.”

Mary saw the silver spoon stir the cup. Evan confirmed it too.

A poison that doesn’t react to silver — uncommon. With the Duke’s resources, he would already know every poison native to Alterun that fits that criterion.

“Alosi?”

He raised a brow at the unfamiliar name.

‘Well, of course.’

I laid everything out — confident, clear, steady.

“Alosi is extremely dangerous. It’s said to grow on the corpses of venomous desert scorpions. It kills easily. Unless completely neutralized, the poison slowly spreads and rots the organs. Unexplained fever, unexplained vomiting of blood, organ damage… all of it matches Lord Evan’s symptoms.”

The Duke’s eyes sharpened.

“Yes, that’s right. Exactly those symptoms. But how did you know of this ‘Alosi’? Even physicians didn’t know. Are you crafting a convincing lie, or is it the truth…? I have no way to tell.”

His icy stare drilled into me. Killing intent filled the room; the temperature dropped like frost settling over everything.

I trembled from fear and cold. My father grabbed his shoulder and shouted, but the Duke didn’t step back.

He eventually pulled his killing intent away — maybe because he realized he’d gone too far, or because of my father’s warning.

His gaze was still fierce, but bearable. I answered steadily.

“…As I said. The key is the merchant group. And recently, they…”

The Duke cut in, frowning.

“They were pleased to have made connections with the Zeiran Empire.”

I nodded.

“And I read about Alosi in a book from a distant continent. It was in a little antique shop. I looked at it out of curiosity. I wish I still had it, but the shop disappeared…”

I said it with the frustration of someone who regretted not buying the book.

No book describing Alosi should exist in this era yet. No one should know of it. But someday such books appear.

For now, “I saw it once in a shop that no longer exists” was the safest explanation.

The Duke’s sharp aura eased, and his hard expression softened into something curved and amused. I blinked at the unexpected reaction.

“Quite knowledgeable. Count Clies is fortunate. All his children are remarkable.”

I couldn’t tell if it was praise or sarcasm, but judging by his lifted lips, he was satisfied.

The real problem was my father — who knew I’d never read medical texts.

But contrary to my worry, he looked proud. His puffed chest said everything: My child is amazing.

“Of course!”

I almost laughed. That was exactly like him.

Still, this wasn’t the time to relax. I folded my hands neatly and spoke.

There was something crucial I hadn’t told the Duke yet.

“I have one more thing to say.”

“What is it?”

He focused, ready to catch every word.

‘He’s taking me seriously.’

I smiled faintly, then continued.

“I heard from my father. The New Year Festival is coming. Many families will present gifts to His Majesty. Us included. And among the gifts offered to the Imperial Consort will be tea leaves.”

“The Consort?”

He frowned, confused by the sudden mention of the festival and the Consort. My father also asked what I meant.

Noble ladies drink tea often. Tea from distant lands is precious. And the source of that tea is the same as the source of Alosi poison.

“The intended target wasn’t me. So, who was originally meant to drink the poisoned tea?”

They went through the trouble of acquiring a poison that doesn’t react to silver. Why hand it over openly in front of witnesses? It made no sense.

The Duke jerked his chin — continue.

“We must examine the merchant group importing the tea. I heard its owner is House Blanc. And the Second Prince is about to enter the Academy.”

The Duke murmured darkly, connecting the dots.

“Yes… considering the possibilities, it’s not entirely wrong.”

He added: “It’s true Blanc owns the merchant group, but accusing him of plotting poison is excessive. And at the New Year Festival, all gifts are submitted under the family name.”

I agreed. Of course gifts must be clearly identified.

And that was exactly what House Blanc was aiming for.