The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 112

112. Annette Doke

February 20, 2024

“This is a frame-up!”

Duke Rivera, having rushed to Adrian’s mansion upon hearing the news, exclaimed as if in despair.

“Why would Ines, why would our Rivera family try to poison Her Majesty the Empress? What benefit would we gain from it!”

“It may be difficult, but please calm down for now.”

Even with Duke Adrian’s attempts to calm him, Duke Rivera couldn’t control his agitation.

“Even if others don’t, Your Grace must believe in Ines’s innocence.”

“Of course, I believe her. I know very well that Ines is not the type to do such a thing.”

“We must quickly find the real culprit. That fragile child can’t possibly endure being in prison, so before her body and mind collapse…….”

Duke Rivera eventually lost control of his emotions and hung his head. Thick drops of tears fell from his eyes.

“Only happiness should be ahead of her, how could this…….”

“You can’t fall apart. Let’s go back and gather your thoughts and find a way. I’ll do my best too.”

The Duke, having soothed and sent the Marquis back, looked at Rosette, who had been in the study all along.

“So, Rose. Can you explain what happened? I’ve heard bits and pieces, but I want to hear it directly from you.”

“Well…….”

Rosette told him about what happened at the tea party in as much detail as possible.

After recounting the objective facts, she added her personal thoughts.

“Actually, the Lillis ducal family is suspicious.”

“Why do you think so?”

“When the Empress collapsed, the first one to mention the possibility of poisoning was the Lillis heiress. And also…….”

As Rosette trailed off hesitantly, the Duke whispered in a reassuring voice.

“I’ll filter out what I need to, so go ahead and say it.”

“If you think the Empress was poisoned, everyone would be terrified, right? Even if I didn’t do it, I’d be worried someone might frame me.”

“That’s right.”

“But the Lillis heiress was very relaxed. As if she knew the outcome of this incident in advance. Of course, this is just speculation. Also…….”

Rosette mumbled.

“At this point, the person who would benefit the most if something happened to the Empress is the Lillis heiress.”

“Alright, Rose. I understand what you mean. But you mustn’t say what you’ve told me to anyone else. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Just then, a knock was heard, and Isabel and Lucas came inside.

Isabel had a stiff expression on her face, and Lucas was nervously fidgeting with his hands.

“Father, what on earth is going on? Brat, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Not reassured by the answer alone, Lucas grabbed Rosette’s shoulders and scanned her up and down before finally sighing in relief.

“The capital city is in an uproar right now. Everywhere you go, it’s all about Her Majesty the Empress and the Rivera heiress.”

Lucas paused before asking.

“Shouldn’t we inform Brother as well?”

“Even if we don’t tell him, he would have already heard the news by now. The news of Her Majesty would have been delivered to His Highness the Crown Prince, and then naturally, Brother would know too.”

“Then Brother will probably use the mana gate [a magical portal for rapid travel] to rush back.”

“Probably.”

Isabel nodded and gestured.

“Everyone, please sit down. I have something to say.”

As the three sat down, she began to speak seriously. As a former member of the Imperial Knights, she seemed to have some information, having just come from the Imperial Palace.

“Everyone was trying not to tell me how things were going. They said Adrian was also under suspicion. Fortunately, I was able to hear from a colleague who is a close friend.”

She took a deep breath.

“First of all, Her Majesty the Empress has made it through a critical point. She hasn’t regained consciousness, but a magician belonging to the Imperial Knights has treated the internal damage caused by the poison.”

Rosette breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t something to be completely relieved about, but she was glad that Ophelia was not in mortal danger.

‘To think Annette would be used like this.’

The extract of the Annette flower, now considered a poison, was once used as a main ingredient in cosmetics. It was said that using the cosmetic would make the face clear and improve the skin texture.

But later, problems arose. People thought that using highly concentrated Annette flower extract would make the effects appear faster and more abundantly.

Some even used the undiluted solution without diluting it with water.

Around that time, a disease with no special name appeared among noble young ladies and wives. Some people coughed up blood and died.

Later investigations revealed that the Annette flower was toxic, and the Annette flower was classified as a poison.

It was a story from about 20 years ago.

While Rosette was thinking about the symptoms and treatments of Annette poisoning that she had read in a book, Isabel continued to explain.

“However, they used the antidote for Annette poison, but there hasn’t been much improvement yet.”

“No improvement?”

“Yes. The antidote for Annette poison needs to be ingested for the effect to appear quickly, but Her Majesty is unconscious, so they’re using a sleeping incense instead, so the effect won’t be as fast.”

Isabel added.

“But more than that, there’s speculation that it’s because they used the antidote too late. It seems that Her Majesty the Empress had early symptoms of poisoning but endured until she coughed up blood.”

Rosette nodded, recalling Ophelia’s pale complexion.

“That’s right. Her complexion was bad even before she coughed up blood.”

“More concerning than the Empress is the maid who collapsed with her this time. Because she was discovered late, she lost her life. It just so happened that the maid was the daughter of Count Tiaje, so the Count’s family is in an uproar. They’re saying that Ines Rivera must pay the price quickly.”

Count Tiaje’s family mainly engaged in trade and contributed significantly to the empire’s economy. This meant that they had quite a bit of influence among the nobles.

If he pushed for it, even the Emperor would be quite troubled.

Rosette, who had been listening quietly, asked.

“Is it really true that the statue of the goddess that Ines brought had poison on it?”

“They gave bread smeared on the statue to a mouse and observed it, and it died shortly after.”

“But Ines, who brought it, is fine.”

“I understand how you feel, but unfortunately, that’s not enough to argue for innocence. If they claim that the Rivera heiress wore gloves when she touched the statue, or that she took an antidote in advance, we’ll have nothing to say.”

“That’s…….”

“Also, the reaction to Annette poison varies from person to person, so the reaction may have appeared immediately in Her Majesty the Empress, who is weak. Her Majesty would have used it as a cosmetic before Annette poison was known, so she may have had toxic substances accumulated in her body.”

Lucas, holding Rosette’s hand tightly, asked instead.

“Then what should we do now, Sister?”

“We need to find the real culprit, but that’s not easy. His Majesty has already ordered the artisans who made the marble statue to be brought in. Unlike Ines, they will be subjected to harsh torture. They may make false statements because they can’t bear it. If they can’t assert their innocence before that, it’s over.”

“That can’t be…….”

Rosette couldn’t bear the overwhelming emotions and buried her face in her palms. Isabel also clenched her fists tightly and looked at Duke Adrian.

“So, Father.”

She continued with difficulty.

“Just in case, we need to distance ourselves from the Rivera family.”

Lucas asked.

“Distance ourselves?”

“We need to break off Brother’s engagement with the Rivera heiress.”

“Sister! How can you say that now……!”

Lucas raised his voice.

“What’s the point of breaking off the engagement? Are you saying we should strongly accuse the Rivera heiress as the culprit to assert our innocence?”

“Calm down, Lucas. I didn’t say that. Don’t distort my words.”

“What’s the difference between my words and Sister’s words? Either way, you’re betraying the Rivera heiress! How can we abandon our faith to save ourselves? Are you still a knight if you do that?”

“Then what do you want me to do!”

Isabel couldn’t bear it and shouted, unlike her usual self. Before she knew it, her eyes were also red.

“Do you think I said this lightly? Do you think I decided to break off the engagement as if I had been waiting for this to happen!”

“Sister…….”

“We could all die if things continue like this. Our family, relatives, vassals, even people related to us could all die. Innocent people. Can you watch that happen? Is that what you call chivalry?”

Isabel finally burst into tears.

“If you see me doing this simply to save myself, then you’re not even my brother.”

“I didn’t mean that…….”

It was a difference in values.

Isabel had been taking care of the household as the mistress of the family since she was young, paying attention to many things. While Lucas was simply thinking about his faith with Ines, she saw more.

“And it’s only in case of an emergency. Just because we break off the engagement doesn’t mean that Adrian will completely withdraw from this matter. Understand? Our Adrian will try to assert the Rivera heiress’s innocence no matter what.”

“I understand your opinion, Isabel.”

Duke Adrian, who had been listening quietly, mediated between the two.

“But it doesn’t seem like something we can decide arbitrarily. Shouldn’t we hear Daniel’s opinion as well?”

“But it will be too late when Brother comes.”

“It’ll be quick if we use the mana gate. He’ll be here tonight at the earliest, or tomorrow at the latest. Let’s wait a little longer for now.”

“Alright.”

“Then everyone, go and rest for now. It’ll be tough, but you must all steel your hearts.”

“Yes.”

Rosette came out of the study and approached Isabel.

“Sister.”

“Are you going to criticize me too?”

“No, it’s not that. I just have something I want to ask.”

Rosette asked about something that had been bothering her since earlier.

“Are you sure it’s Annette poison?”

“Sure?”

“I was there, so I know well. It didn’t take as long as I thought to identify the poison. How were they able to find it so quickly? It’s as if they knew it in advance.”

Isabel did not agree with Rosette’s question.

“Rose, I know what you’re suspecting, but it’s not what you think. Annette poison is the easiest to obtain and is a commonly used poison for poisoning. So when they suspected that Her Majesty had been poisoned, they would have suspected Annette poison first.”

“That’s why it’s even stranger.”

Rosette insisted stubbornly.

“You remember that more than 10 years ago, the Crown Prince and I prevented the Empress’s poisoning, right?”

“Yes, how could I forget that.”

“They used poison so subtly that no one could know. A poison that was difficult to find an antidote for. Historically, poisonings that have occurred in the Imperial Palace have often involved poisons that could not be identified or were difficult to obtain an antidote for.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Ines isn’t stupid, would she use a poison like Annette poison that’s easy to get an antidote for?”