TTPD 14

Chapter 14

Poison Plan (4)

“Miss Edith is quite the scholar, Grayson. We were just about to have a deep discussion about herbs.”

For some reason, Grayson’s brow tightened slightly.

His smile vanished as he fixed Edward with a steady look.

“Isn’t it a bit early to call her by name, Edward? You seem to be meeting her for the first time.”

“Ah, that’s true. My apologies, Lady Reynolds.”

Edith had been so startled by Grayson’s appearance that she hadn’t even realized Edward had called her by name.

She finally came to her senses only after hearing his apology.

“It’s all right, Professor.”

An awkward silence followed.

Edith felt unsettled by the fact that the man who might hold the information she needed about Plarin poison happened to be Grayson’s friend.

At this rate, everything she said to Edward might end up in Grayson’s ears.

‘Now I’m not even sure I’ll be able to talk to him at all.’

She couldn’t think of a natural way to resume the conversation that Grayson had interrupted.

And for some reason, Grayson didn’t seem willing to leave.

‘Why isn’t he going? Isn’t he busy?’

Edward pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses with a finger, clearly waiting to see how Grayson would react.

Edith worried he might leave any moment.

If she couldn’t get information from him here, she would have to return to the library and dig through countless books again.

She didn’t know whether she could find anything in time.

The thought was suffocating, but she kept her expression calm as she carefully asked Grayson:

“Aren’t you busy, Your Grace?”

“Grayson.”

“…Yes?”

“We agreed to call each other by name the next time we met.”

Had they made such a promise?

‘Let’s call each other by name the next time we meet.’

After the date ended and just before they parted, the words Grayson had spoken came back to her.

So did the memory of his sculpted face, shadowed deeply under the streetlamp.

Even though there had been nothing suggestive about it, the feeling that had squeezed her heart then returned, and Edith’s cheeks grew warm.

“Oh… right. But I thought you meant for the next date….”

“Do you dislike that I call you by your name?”

“No, it’s not that. I just… don’t know how I should call you, Your Grace.”

To call him Grayson so easily—she couldn’t imagine herself doing that.

“You just call me. It’s not as if the name is anything grand.”

“But you are just… um….”

Unable to find a polite way to put it, she hesitated.

He tilted his head.

Even the way he simply looked curious was elegant and beautiful, and Edith couldn’t properly look at him.

She raised both hands awkwardly.

“You’re… like this. A bit like this.”

Grayson narrowed his brows slightly, looking at her hands raised with the palms upward.

“Like this.”

“Yes. Like… this.”

“I don’t understand. What does that mean? Did society come up with a new expression without telling me?”

“No, it’s just… you know… you’re just a little… like….”

Edith lifted her hands again, mimicking the gesture of holding something radiant, then gave up.

“You’re a great person. It feels… inappropriate for me to say your name so easily.”

“Ha!”

A short burst of laughter escaped him.

His face, usually adorned only with a restrained smile, softened completely.

His eyes curved like crescents.

The smile blossomed beautifully, like moonlight, and Edith stared at him wide-eyed.

The smile vanished instantly, almost dreamlike.

“That’s quite an unexpected reason, Miss Edith. I was amused.”

Because his face no longer showed a smile, Edith wondered if what she had seen moments ago was real.

Edward, who had been forgotten beside them, seemed to share her confusion.

‘What was that? What did I just witness?’

Edward had known Grayson since childhood, back when he used to visit the palace.

Yet he had never seen Grayson like this.

To speak so earnestly about calling each other by name?

And then to laugh because of Edith’s gesture?

Of course, Grayson had only let out a short “Ha,” but to Edward, who knew him well, it might as well have been uproarious laughter.

Who was Grayson Riley Myers?

Sarcasm. Derision. Cold amusement. And the perfectly crafted smiles used for social diplomacy.

In the twenty years Edward had known him, these were the only expressions he’d seen.

But today, Grayson had genuinely laughed at Edith’s flustered gesture.

Yes, she had been trying hard to respectfully describe how great he was, and yes, it was amusing—but not amusing enough for Grayson to laugh like that.

‘Did society humor change while I wasn’t looking?’

While Edward puzzled over this, hands tucked into the pockets of his white coat, Grayson turned to Edith, who was still staring at him blankly.

“Call me however you want. I won’t force you.”

“Yes. Thank you for understanding.”

“Edward.”

Edward, who had drifted off, blinked rapidly.

“Huh?”

“You said you were going to discuss herbs with Miss Edith.”

“Oh, right. But… is that all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… is it all right if I have a deep conversation with Ed— I mean, with Lady Reynolds?”

Grayson’s gaze lingered on Edith for a moment before turning away.

“Why ask me? You should ask the person involved—Miss Edith.”

With Edward’s expectant gaze on her, Edith curled her fingers into a small fist.

Grayson’s appearance had startled her, but she couldn’t let this chance slip away.

The wedding was a little over three months away, and she needed to learn everything she could about Plarin poison before then.

Even if she didn’t get the information today…

‘I need to build some connection with Professor Porte. Otherwise, it’ll be harder to ask questions later.’

Resolving herself, Edith opened her mouth to answer.

“I’m fine with it. As long as Professor Porte doesn’t mind.”

Edward smiled brightly.

“I’d welcome it with open arms. It’s rare to find someone who enjoys talking about herbs. Shall we go to my laboratory, then?”

“Yes, that sounds good.”

Edith followed as Edward turned and began walking.

Naturally, Grayson walked right alongside her.

Edward hesitated, then looked back at Grayson and asked,

“You… you’re coming too?”

When Grayson gave a small nod, Edward swallowed and continued,

“You don’t like listening to my lectures, though.”

“It’s not that I disliked them.”

“You said herbal talk is boring.”

“I’m interested today.”

Edward stared at his friend’s unreadable, handsome face, then broke into another bright smile.

“Well, having two listeners is even better.”

Edward’s laboratory was in a building about five minutes from the library.

He seated the two side by side on a sofa and prepared tea himself.

It smelled sharply fishy, like old dried fish, and neither Edith nor Grayson could bring themselves to touch their cups.

While their hands stayed away from the teacups, Edward casually sipped the hot, fishy-smelling drink and explained,

“This tea is made from Potenta root.”

“Potenta… isn’t that the poisonous plant from the book earlier…?”

“Exactly, my lady. You remember. Potenta usually causes a high fever, rash, festering sores, and eventually death by bleeding from the nose and mouth. But look at me. I’m perfectly fine, right?”

“Yes… you are.”

“By now, you’ve all figured out Potenta’s true usefulness, haven’t you?”

‘Not at all. Absolutely not. Am I the only one who has no idea? Am I the only fool here?’

Edith cautiously glanced at Grayson’s face, but his expressionless features revealed nothing.

Fortunately, Edward hadn’t asked for an answer.

He continued on his own.

“Potenta is known as a poison, but with the proper method, it becomes medicine for severe cold conditions. It’s used when someone’s body temperature drops after illness or when they’re suffering from frostbite in winter. On a day like this, drinking a cup keeps you warm for a long time. Plants often hold both poison and remedy within them.”

Edward continued lecturing about other plants as if he were teaching a class.

Edith had no interest in any of them, but showing attention only when he mentioned Plarin would look suspicious, so she did her best to respond enthusiastically.

But after more than an hour of uninterested listening, her eyes began drooping.

She hadn’t slept at all the previous night after learning of the plan to poison her.

She tried to hold her head up and force her eyelids open, but eventually, the overwhelming sleep dragged her down like a storm.

Her head dropped—slowly tilting—

—and finally came to rest gently against Grayson’s shoulder.