Chapter 52

Deborah took out a small bottle in front of Yuria, who was shaken by shock.

It had a round bottom and a narrow muzzle, shaped like a soda bottle, and was made of crystal.

It looked just like a perfume bottle. But anyone could tell it wasn’t perfume.

Because there was a dangerously pulsing purple gas inside.

“…Is it poison?”

Yuria asked with a corpse-like face.

Deborah laughed out loud.

“Oh my gosh. The Queen grew up in a swamp, you can’t kill her with poison.”

“Then, this is…”

“It’s called ‘The Breath of Johannes.’”

Deborah waved the vial. Within it, the gas strangely changed its shape.

“It’s a very powerful antidote.”

It was the most powerful antidote in existence. 

Capable of detoxifying any poison.

“It’s the gas that was in the lungs of a dragon named Johannes. It makes even a person who eats extreme poison get up and walk in half a day.”

“…….”

“It has no effect on people who haven’t been poisoned. But…”

“……”

“For someone who originally had poison in his blood and flesh… If someone who is resistant to poison eats it…”

Deborah laughed quietly.

“The whole body is judged to be poison, and Johannes’ breath attacks, so much so that it could melt the intestines…!”

As if possessed, Yuria stared at the crystal bottle.

“Where did you get such a scary thing…?”

Deborah whispered quietly.

“It’s an underworld thing that normal people don’t have access to.”

“……”

“How about it? If the lady wants it, I’ll hand it over at no cost.”

“……”

“Because we’re friends.”

Seducing an innocent and weak lady to hell.

The pleasure of dragging her down to the same level of evil as herself was as thrilling as a drug.

Deborah spoke softly, closely observing every change in her expression, as if she was aiming for a prey.

“No one can blame the lady. This is a choice made for the Crown Prince and Aktoum.”

So listen to me.

“If you want, just reach out and hold it.”

Yuria was gazing at the purple crystal bottle with strange eyes, as if captivated.

A small, thin finger pointed towards it.

The moment when Deborah’s pupils gradually enlarged.

“!”

Yuria shook her head and drew her hand back.

“No. I can’t.”

A deep sigh flowed through Deborah’s chest.

“Why? Don’t you want the Crown Prince very much?”

Without realizing it, Deborah spit out twisted words.

Yuria opened her eyes clearly.

“No. I want his happiness above all else. But…”

“……”

“I’m not sure the Queen is bad enough to have to die.”

What kind of bullshit was that? Why was it important for the queen to be ‘bad enough’ in this situation?

Still, it was a very Yuria-like answer, so Deborah swallowed a bitter laugh inside.

Well, in the first place, she had expected this situation.

‘You aren’t in a corner yet, are you?’

And so, Deborah smiled brightly.

“Yes, it’s not necessarily the only way to stop this marriage.”

“Do you have a good way?”

Deborah opened her peacock feather fan and raised it, covering her face as she laughed at the easily tempted Yuria.

“It’s the lady’s birthday soon right? The Margrave will come then.”

The reason the Duke of Mavis was famous wasn’t just because of the Terra mines.

In their family, there was an outstanding talent who was a margrave.

“Archduke Marquis has no choice but to check the public opinion of the nobles before putting his seal on the marriage permit.”

“…….”

“Of course, it’ll be harder to ignore the opposition of the Margrave, right?”

That was true. Because the voice of the margrave was very powerful in the noble society.

“Well… Lady Yuria, we just need to do this until the Margrave arrives.”

“Do what?”

Deborah leaned down and whispered to Yuria, whose eyes were shining.

“From now on, here’s what we’re going to do…”

* * *

‘It doesn’t feel right.’

I sat on the antique cowhide sofa and was deeply immersed in thought.

Tak, tak-

I tried to organize my mixed thoughts while mindlessly tapping the table with my fingers.

For some reason, I couldn’t shake this feeling of uneasiness.

‘No matter how I think about it, Yuria appeared too early compared to the original.’

At first, I was just going to let go of this doubt.

After all, in this lifetime, the original had already been twisted since a long time ago with Rixus’ proposal.

But was that a change that just happened for no reason?

In retrospect, the reason that Rixus proposed to me was because, unlike the original, we met when we were young.

There was a cause, and there was a result.

So, Yuria’s early appearance had no choice but to be taken into consideration… 

But the more I thought about it, the more I felt…

“It’s kind of gross and dirty…”

“!”

Seryl, startled by my mutterings to myself, wiped the table more thoroughly.

Laura, who was reading a book next to me, asked,

“Your Majesty, what are you thinking of?”

I looked at her quietly, clenching my chin.

“How did Lady Mavis hear about the marriage?”

“Hmm… perhaps the Duchess who’s with her in Malta heard about it?”

Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks

“…….”

No, that couldn’t be true.

If I simply put my mind to it, I remembered all of Yuria in the original story.

How much her family loved her.

Would they have delivered such shocking news to Yuria, who was already weak and fragile?

People of the duke’s family hated Yuria’s obsession with Rixus.

The only thing the family wanted was Yuria’s happiness and health, because her feelings for the crown prince were eroding them.

The reason she went to Malta for recuperation in the first place was because she was getting weaker as she paid attention to Rixus’ every move.

So, the family in Malta wanted her to distract herself from the affairs of the capital.

‘So it must have been desperately hidden. News of his marriage.’

If so, someone deliberately delivered it with a purpose.

A person who didn’t care whether Yuria fell or not.

Maybe, it was someone who wanted to take advantage of her.

“…I can think of an unpleasant face.”

I whispered, frowning.

Of course, Yuria could have just found out by chance.

But I had always been a very cautious person, to the point where my enemies were often in trouble.

It was a survival instinct that I naturally acquired while becoming enemies over and over again with the monstrous Munchkin.

“Is there anyone you know who is acquainted with Madam Deborah?”

Seryl, Laura, and Maribel looked at me in turn.

Among them, Maribel shifted her timid eyes and spoke carefully.

“A childhood friend of mine works as a maid for Madam Deborah.

It was a pretty quick suggestion for her normally timid attitude.

“Yes. Just tell her to let you know if Madam Deborah and Lady Mavis are meeting.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After Maribel left, I got up from my seat.

Seryl asked cheerfully, her pink eyes shining.

“Oh, where are you going?”

I was still supposed to be away from Rixus today.

It was the last day. I had to spend time with him again from noon tomorrow.

Like before, he would send another note, then come to meet and talk to me.

So today, with a little free time left, there was something I had to do.

“To go see someone, I’m going alone, so you guys can stay here.”

“But… who are you visiting to go alone, Your Majesty?”

“Well…”

I thought, tapping my chin with my long fingers.

That person was a bit dangerous.

‘A person who is likely to get hurt if I don’t get close.’

But… He was a person who I coveted very much because it was certain that he would become a powerful force if I obtained it.

“Should I say he’s a close friend?”

I was going to see Johann Marquis.

* * *

I had collected some information about Johann from Madam Verdi.

For example, his reputation in the social world.

He was a wealthy man and lived in a fairly large house. His relationship with women was clean, and young kids liked him a lot.

As for his spare time, he spent it exclusively at the grand duchy’s temple – to pray.

‘What the hell is fun about that?’

To be honest, I was sleepy even after 10 minutes of prayer.

There was a time when I dozed off while praying at a national event in Spinel. Yes, he was strangely interesting.

‘Can one believe in God so faithfully…?’

Perhaps God granted his wish.

My God had always betrayed me.

Anyway, I was here to buy a gift to ‘coax’ Johann.

“Is it here?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I was standing in front of a very old wine shop in the capital city, with only an escort.

“Is there anything else the Archduke likes besides praying…?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Wine. He likes very special wines from a shop in the capital.”

It was a shop recommended by Madam Verdi.

At first, I thought of sending someone to buy it, but then I planned to show off that I bought it myself.

It would look more sincere.

“Welcome! Your Majesty, it is an honor for my family that you came to such a shabby shop.”

“You’re being too humble. I’ve never seen such a variety of wines in one place.”

“Oh, that’s an undeserved compliment.”

As soon as I walked in, the owner of the store greeted me politely, bending almost 90 degrees.

Compared to his attitude, the store was very stylish.

At the front was a large wine bar table made of oak wood.

Behind the wine cellar was an endless list of wines classified according to each region’s name and year of manufacture.

The closely embedded lights were soft and beautiful like starlight.

It was a wonderful shop where one could feel the tradition and history.

How precious would a special wine sold in a shop like this be?

“Is there any wine you are looking for, Your Majesty?”

“I came here on a recommendation. Show me a wine called ‘The Dew of Montaigne’.”

“Is this for a gift?”

“Yes.”

“Are you giving it to the Archduke?”

How did he know? I looked at the owner with slightly startled eyes.

The quick-witted owner continued speaking, stroking his beard that was like a swallow’s tail.

“It’s a wine with a distinct, wild taste, so only people with a ‘special taste’ drink it.”

‘I’m looking forward to that.’

“Wait a minute, I’ll get it right away!”

The owner quickly disappeared. I passed my time by looking at the different wines. How long had I been waiting?

After a while.

Seeing the wine the owner brought, I asked with a shocked expression.

Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only

“…The Archduke really enjoys this kind of wine?”

“Yes.”

The special taste the owner was talking about… Was it a ‘perverted taste’?

My heart turned cold because I was worried that I might get tied up and hit on the butt upon entering the archduke’s residence…

To explain – the shape of that odd wine bottle, it was like this.