Chapter 61
“What on earth happened?!”
Isel burst through the door after hearing the news. The moment she saw Diana lying in bed, she turned pale and cried out.
“Mother…!”
Isel gripped Diana’s hand tightly. Diana was gasping for breath, as if she could die any moment.
“What did you do to my mother?!”
Isel growled, looking like she might lunge at Alicia at any second.
“Do to her? What could I have possibly done to Her Grace?”
“Then why did she suddenly collapse?!”
“Since when was she your mother? Be quiet. I’m still examining her.”
Alicia placed a cold wet towel on Diana’s forehead and responded icily.
Isel looked at Diana with a hollow gaze. Her lips had turned an alarming shade of blue.
Her eyes wandered the room and landed on the table—on the food placed there.
Could it be poison? No. Her mother wouldn’t fall for such a simple trap.
“Ugh…”
“Mother…!”
A faint groan escaped Diana’s lips. Isel was beside herself with worry. She gently released Diana’s hand and glared at Alicia with eyes burning with hatred.
But Alicia didn’t know the truth about what Isel really understood.
To the outside world, Alicia was Diana’s closest friend. Even Isel couldn’t easily accuse her of poisoning Diana.
If Calypso chose to side with Alicia, and Diana was unconscious… one misstep could spell disaster.
Isel bit down on her lip, forcing herself to suppress her fury. She picked up a quill from the desk and hastily scribbled something down.
Alicia was the only doctor in the Grand Duke’s estate, so she needed to summon help from the outside.
She rushed into the hallway and handed the letter to Shane.
“Deliver this letter as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Shane gave a solemn nod and disappeared down the corridor.
When Isel returned, Alicia, who was tending to Diana, asked indifferently—as if she couldn’t care less about the letter.
“What did you send?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Just then, Catherine rushed into the room.
“Mother!”
Tears brimmed in her eyes, as if she’d been close to Diana all along. She collapsed dramatically beside the bed.
It was all for show—solely aimed at Isel. Catherine had no idea that Isel knew the truth.
Wailing as if Diana were already dead, Catherine turned toward Alicia and shouted:
“What happened here?!”
Alicia’s lips tightened with bitterness. She swallowed dryly and explained:
“We were eating the meal I prepared together… and she suddenly collapsed…”
“You were eating together?”
Catherine sounded skeptical, even as Alicia replied obediently.
Isel watched the two with growing interest.
Surprisingly, it was Catherine who seemed the most suspicious of Alicia.
“Yes. I ate as well.”
Alicia’s eyes trembled. Catherine clearly didn’t trust her. Worse, her gaze looked like one directed at an enemy.
But wasn’t Diana supposed to be Catherine’s enemy?
Shouldn’t she be smiling at Diana’s collapse?
A sudden headache surged through Alicia. She rubbed her temples, but Catherine didn’t even flinch.
“These dishes—are these what she ate?”
“…Yes.”
Catherine’s behavior felt unfamiliar. It was strange to see her so aggressive. Alicia felt tears threaten her eyes.
Before her daughter, even a mother becomes weak. Alicia answered in a shaky voice:
“Is someone out there? You—come in.”
Catherine passed Alicia coldly and opened the door. She gestured for Belinda, who had been anxiously pacing in the hallway.
“Y-Yes, Lady Catherine.”
“Investigate all of this food.”
Alicia’s eyes widened in shock.
“Your Highness! I made that food myself! I ate it too! If it were poisoned, I’d have collapsed as well!”
She protested with a trembling voice.
If the food was found to be poisoned, Catherine would abandon her without mercy. Even if it wasn’t, she might still use it as an excuse to drive Alicia out.
“And so?”
Catherine’s ice-cold retort made Alicia tremble.
She felt like her chest had been slashed with a knife. Her throat closed up. She forced herself to speak.
“…What?”
“Regardless of your intentions, my mother collapsed after eating your food. Isn’t it only natural to investigate?”
My mother. Catherine had clearly emphasized that word.
Dizziness overwhelmed Alicia. She wanted to collapse like Diana, just to escape this.
Catherine, how could you…?
My own child, born from my own body, is now trying to abandon me.
Alicia stood in shocked silence, unable to respond.
“Catherine’s right.”
Isel added, backing her up. At this moment, she had to side with Catherine.
That vile woman must have tampered with the food somehow.
“Isn’t it obvious? You’re just a doctor. Did you think you were above suspicion?”
“You…!”
“If you didn’t do anything wrong, why are you shaking so much?”
Isel crossed her arms and glared at Alicia, who was trembling.
Desperately, Alicia clung to Catherine’s dress.
“I wouldn’t poison Her Grace! Please, Your Highness!”
She looked up with desperate eyes, hoping her sincerity would come through without words.
But Catherine turned her head sharply, avoiding her gaze.
Alicia’s face turned ashen.
Whether she had poisoned the food or not didn’t matter anymore.
What mattered was this: Catherine no longer believed in her. She was already convinced Alicia had tried to poison Diana—and was preparing to cast her out.
That was what drove Alicia mad.
“Well? Aren’t you taking the food?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Belinda began gathering the plates onto a trolley. Alicia stared helplessly at the dishes being taken away.
She had made mistakes, sure—but she never imagined Catherine would go this far.
She’d expected Isel to distrust her—but never Catherine.
“There’s no need to send it far, Belinda.”
A strange voice echoed from the air.
“I’ll investigate it myself.”
“Ruery!”
A red-haired man appeared in the corner of the room. Belinda gasped at the sight of him. Ruery’s brows were deeply furrowed in fury.
He strode toward Diana. Seeing her in pain made his rage boil.
He took a deep breath. The culprit could wait—for now, Diana’s safety came first.
He placed a large palm on Diana’s forehead. From it, golden mana flowed out.
As its warmth spread through her body, the cold sweat on her face began to fade. Her color slowly returned.
The worst had been averted.
“What kind of poison was it…?”
Isel had approached him silently. She was the one who had sent the letter.
Ruery gave a gentle smile and patted her hair.
“Thanks for trusting me, Miss. But…”
“But?”
“I’m not a priest or a doctor. I can’t identify the poison in her body. But…”
Ruery’s gaze slowly turned toward Alicia.
The chill in his stare made her flinch and recoil.
“If it’s in the food, I can find out.”
There was no need to guess—clearly, the cook was responsible.
Ruery stepped toward the food trolley.
“I’m innocent!”
Just as he reached for the food, Alicia cried out.
“Why would I poison Her Grace?! This is disgraceful!”
Her voice sounded truly pained. Ruery paused.
He slowly turned his head toward her. His blue eyes locked on her.
Diana’s condition had stabilized. He no longer had any patience left for the criminal who dared try this.
“Shut up, woman.”
The sheer force of his words made Alicia clamp her mouth shut.
Ruery turned back to the trolley and looked over the dishes.
He released his mana. Crimson energy—matching his hair—surged around him.
It flowed toward the food.
He raised both hands, aiming to draw out any poison.
If there was poison, it would rise from the dishes in glowing wisps.
“…Huh?”
But only the red light swirled around. No trace of poison appeared.
“Wh-What’s happening?”
Isel tugged on Ruery’s robe, confused. But he couldn’t answer.
This couldn’t be. He had been so certain.
His eyes flickered with doubt.
There was no poison.
“See…?”
Alicia finally stepped forward, smirking confidently.
“I told you—I’m innocent.”
Everyone in the room looked at her with the same expression.
“Why would I poison Her Grace, mage?”
Having shaken off suspicion, Alicia raised her chin and smirked.
