The Way To Protect The Female Lead’S Older Brother [EN]: Chapter 182

“How can you say it’s poisoning? What is the basis for such a claim?”

With Jeremy’s appearance, a strange tension began to fill the garden.

He had heard the news and, on his way to the garden, saw a physician rushing over, whom he then accompanied.

However, upon seeing the person collapsed on the grass, Jeremy seemed to prioritize the immediate issue, refraining from further lengthy remarks.

“Physician.”

Jeremy quietly urged the man behind him.

“Don’t just stand there blankly; do what you need to do.”

The physician, who had hesitated due to the unusual atmosphere, quickly approached the patient.

“H-How is he? Duran isn’t going to die, is he?”

A member of Hyperion, who had been snarling at Agritel just moments before, grabbed the physician and asked urgently.

The physician examined the fallen man closely with a serious expression.

Finally, he looked up and replied.

“It doesn’t seem serious, so you can rest assured.”

“Really?”

“Yes, his breathing is steady, and his pulse is normal. I will examine him in detail now.”

Only then did the tense atmosphere ease slightly.

Meanwhile, Jeremy scanned the surroundings and addressed the Agritel people who had approached.

“Why is she acting like that?”

Jeremy’s gaze lingered on his stepsister, who was still lying on the grass like a tragic heroine.

Seeing this, his stepsiblings nearby helped her up.

“Ah, it hurts. I think my ankle is sprained.”

The moaning voice sounded very weak and pitiful.

However, Hyperion, who had seen her smirking and throwing a card into the wall in the lounge, found the sight disgusting.

In fact, the other Agritel people felt the same way.

Jeremy scoffed inwardly.

‘His stepsiblings must have done something to that tea.’

And as he suspected, the teacup was indeed tainted. [Tainted implies a harmful substance was added, without explicitly stating poison]

Beside the path in Yggdrasil [a mythical tree in Norse mythology, often used to symbolize the connection of all things] grew a poisonous plant that caused abdominal pain.

However, because it resembled ordinary weeds, it was difficult to distinguish unless one was knowledgeable about poisonous and medicinal herbs.

Of course, none of the Agritel people who had survived being discarded until now would fail to recognize it.

Anyway, one of his stepsiblings had accidentally found it and intended to use it to prank Hyperion.

Yggdrasil had as many types of tea as there were people here.

Each family preferred different teas, and among them, the three members of Hyperion had recently been drinking tea that was good for relieving fatigue and calming the mind.

It was not difficult to sneak into the place where the tea leaves were stored and mix in the poisonous plant.

The poisonous plant was not very potent, so even if someone else accidentally drank it, there would be no major problem.

Only Hyperion’s three members, who felt a constant threat to their lives every night, would think that drinking tea that caused a bit of abdominal pain was an assassination attempt.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Who do you think will believe you even if you act innocent? Duran wouldn’t have collapsed so suddenly unless you guys did something!”

But in fact, the Agritel people were also puzzled because they didn’t expect the person who drank the tea to faint.

Finally, Jeremy parted his tightly closed lips.

“Poisoning? Are you claiming that someone in the sacred Five Families’ fellowship harbors such wicked intentions?”

Because it was a very sensitive topic, the atmosphere in the garden immediately froze.

“Moreover, that it’s Agritel? What’s the basis for thinking that?”

“Well…”

“Did you directly witness my people acting suspiciously? Did any of you come to the garden and touch this?”

Jeremy did not wait for an answer and asked his stepsiblings.

“No.”

“As you know… we’re awkward with Hyperion, so we didn’t even sit close to them in the first place.”

“We haven’t exchanged a single word today.”

Their voices were followed by obvious signs of discomfort.

Because it was true that they had not touched the teacup in the garden, they replied nonchalantly.

“So you’re suspecting without seeing anything directly.”

As expected, the others around them whispered.

Like Agritel said, it was rare for Agritel and Hyperion to be close, not only today but also usually.

This was because friction always occurred when the people of the two families faced each other.

And the instigators were always Hyperion.

In particular, those two members of Hyperion were the main culprits who would always pick fights with the Agritel people until recently.

So, the only contact today was when the Agritel person approached the person who had collapsed after drinking the tea to ask if they were okay.

Everyone in the garden could testify to that.

“Can Hyperion take responsibility for what you’ve said?”

As the chilling voice scratched at their eardrums, those who faced it head-on had no choice but to pause.

“W-Well…”

At that moment, the physician spoke from below.

“Speak.”

Jeremy replied curtly, and a cautious voice followed.

“Excuse me, but it doesn’t seem to be symptoms caused by poisoning.”

Hearing that, the Hyperion person raised their voice in disbelief.

“That’s impossible! Did you examine him properly?”

“Yes, I need to move the patient to the medical room to know the details… but for now, it doesn’t seem like a poisoning reaction at all, and it seems like he simply lost consciousness due to weakness.”

“What?”

“It is thought that he has not been sleeping well lately and his body has become weak due to accumulated fatigue. In short, it can be said that his body is simply resting, not that he fainted due to other external factors.”

Hearing that, the others around them also sighed in relief.

However, the Hyperion person still seemed unconvinced and shouted furiously.

“Physician! Are you also in cahoots with Agritel?”

“No, what are you talking about!”

The physician jumped at the sudden accusation.

“It can’t be not poison!”

“Why can’t it be? Is there a reason why this teacup must contain poison?”

Jeremy asked, lowering his eyes.

It seemed that some people around him were also starting to feel something was strange.

“Even if it’s not poison… Duran’s condition is all because of you guys in the first place!”

However, Jeremy ended up frowning at the continued insistence.

The reaction of the people watching the scene was no different.

“You guys have been harassing us every day!”

“The slander has gone too far since earlier. Why would Agritel do such a thing?”

“Because you, because you guys resent us!”

It wasn’t just the person lying on the floor who was extremely sensitive, mentally and physically exhausted, and suffering from nervous breakdown due to the daily pressure.

Moreover, feeling the threat of poisoning, he was overwhelmed with anxiety and babbled without knowing what he was saying.

At that, Jeremy tilted his head and said.

“I think it’s the opposite. Wasn’t it Hyperion who showed displeasure whenever they saw us since the fellowship began?”

That was something that everyone in the other families agreed on.

“What do you think?”

Jeremy turned slightly and spoke again.

“Hyperion seems to have a lot of grievances against Agritel, Head of the White, Sir.”

Hiakin Hyperion, who had come after hearing the news, was standing there.

After roughly grasping the situation, he clicked his tongue with a troubled expression.

“It seems my vassal has said something absurd.”

“Sir!”

“Can’t you distinguish when to speak and when to shut up?”

The person who had been complaining about the injustice closed his mouth at Hiakin’s cold rebuke.

“If you have the energy to talk, take Duran to the medical room.”

Hiakin was feeling considerable annoyance and embarrassment because it wasn’t the first or second time that Hyperion’s vassals had brought up Agritel in this way, both big and small, during the fellowship.

“Physician. Are you sure Duran didn’t collapse from drinking poison?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Still, it would be good to investigate the teacup just in case.”

At that, Jeremy slightly twisted his lips.

The stepsiblings behind him exchanged glances without being obvious.

The tea leaves inside the building would have already been disposed of by another stepsibling, and it would be difficult to detect the poisonous component in the water-soluble tea.

Still, it might be better to take the opportunity to replace the teacup later.

Hiakin looked back at Jeremy with a regretful look and said.

“It’s not that I suspect Agritel, but it’s good for everyone to finish things like this clearly. Wouldn’t everyone feel uneasy otherwise?”

“Yes, do as you wish.”

Jeremy readily agreed.

“I was well aware of what other families thought of Agritel until now…”

However, the words he muttered quietly, lowering his eyes one after another, contained such a poignant emotion that they were more than enough to affect even the listener.

“I can’t help but feel miserable as I keep seeing my innocent family being persecuted in this way.”