Chapter 488

Chapter 488

An Ancient Poison: A Chance Encounter

While everyone was focused watching the king fall, Citrina got to work. She had been following Echard around the whole time because Mia told her to in order to prevent this situation, but King Abram had caught her by surprise.

Who would have thought he’d do that?

It was definitely the fact that his behavior was so out of the blue that took her longer to respond, not the fact that she was thinking about Bel’s worryingly long trip to the bathroom. Being honest. She wouldn’t have been able to react in time to the king’s move even if she had been fully alert. Sudden, but not unreasonable. His younger son had offered his older son a drink, but the older son couldn’t drink it right now, so he took it. His son tried to kill his brother, how could he have known? That the poison was in the glass he was holding?

His behaviors were completely logical, which means they were expected. She ought to have been ready.

“Don’t worry. He could still be saved...” Citrina whispered.

She had made a mistake, but it wasn’t fatal. She still had time to fix this. She had to, after all. Mia had been getting ready for just this kind of thing. That’s why she brought Citrina with her.

I might as well never be helpful if I can’t be here. It’s time for me to do my part. Her lips got tighter. Okay, think. What do I need to do...?

A young boy stood alone in the hall, out of sight of everyone else. He was shocked in silence. She walked up to him quietly.

“Prince Echard, we need to get to the point quickly. How much did you put in the drink?”

“Huh?” Echard shook his shoulders. Almost all of the color in his face had gone away.

Citrina spoke in a low but firm voice, “Tell me if you don’t want patricide to be added to your list of accomplishments. What amount?”

She put quiet pressure on the boy, and he broke. His voice was shaking as he replied, “O-One pinch.”

As she walked toward the king, Citrina thought about what he had said. She waded through the crowd of people who were watching, most of whom had now noticed what was going on, and knelt down next to the lying king with Tiona by her side.

She told them in a strong voice, “Don’t move him!” to stop them from doing anything that would make things worse.

After that, she looked at the king’s face. Half of it had turned a horrible black color, like death was beginning to seep through the skin.

That’s proof enough. Without a doubt, this is the sign of Shadowbane. It’s moving along quickly. Things are already going badly with ecliptic toxicosis.

As someone who could use powerful gazes herself, Mia was sensitive to them. That might be why she felt it right away and turned to meet it even though she knew she shouldn’t have.

Even though she was just as shocked as everyone else at first, she felt a little better after seeing Tiona and Liora pull the king back over the wall. Then she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Citrina, the local poison expert, rush over. She thought everything was safe.

Which made it even more disturbing when their eyes met.

No way. Seriously? Are you going to throw this at me? Now?

The fear that was going away changed its course.

Moons! Okay, think about it... How can I get out of this? I need to be careful with what I say...She didn’t want to get her brain back to work, but just as she did, she felt someone looking at her. That one was much closer. It actually came from next to her.

“Mia...”

At first look, she couldn’t say anything. Sion Sol Sunkland, the royal ideal of perfection, was looking at her with eyes so full of doubt and fear that he almost begged her to help him. As soon as she sensed his fear, she naturally nodded.

“Don’t be scared, Sion. It’s okay,” she heard herself say, then she turned to the crowd and said, “This girl is my vassal,” with such confidence that she was shocked herself.

“She is one of the best experts in the kingdom, so please leave this in her capable hands.”

People, including Sion, did a double take at her when she spoke, but what she said made him take a deep breath and calm down. Then he spoke to the crowd as well.

“All right, everyone. You heard the princess. Leave the girl to do her job.” He told the people watching, “And go get a physician right away,” and his authority made everyone but Mia think he was fine and really in control.

She was the only one who saw the tiny tremors in his tightly clenched hands.

Translator’s Note:

I had a hard time translating this chapter. But basically:

Shadowbane = makes your heart and body functions slow down; symptom is that your face will slowly blacken.

Lightbane = makes your heart and body functions overwork; symptom is that blood will come pouring out of your body.

They cancel each other out.

MF