TGDHC Chapter 107

Chapter 107 — Bitterness

“Thanks to Your Highness, it was truly an enjoyable banquet. Once again, we thank you for the warm hospitality.”

“I’m glad. Please, everyone, rest well and recover from your journey.”

“I’ll escort the delegation out.”

I watched as Perel led the delegation out of the banquet hall.

Then—click—the doors shut.

“Your Highness!”

The moment the doors closed, my legs gave out and I collapsed.

Whitley and Tiern rushed over to support me.

“Get the magician! Quickly!”

At once, Enolius and the court physician, Hossen—who had been waiting in the next room—hurried in.

The delegation had remained in the banquet hall for another hour and a half.

By the end, I could barely remember what I had said; my mind was spinning.

The stabbing pain in my stomach was so fierce I almost wished I could just faint.

Still half-conscious, I lay across several chairs that had been pushed together.

Enolius knelt in front of me.

“Your Highness, please hold on a little longer.”

Cecilia came to my side, trembling as she took my hand.

“You’ll be alright soon,” she said, her voice shaking.

Thankfully, as Enolius’s healing magic took effect, the pain began to ease little by little.

Only then did my surroundings start to come into focus.

Enolius, Physician Hossen, Cecilia, Whitley, even Tiern who had been standing guard—all of them were gathered around me, watching with worried eyes.

Magic really is incredible.

“Wow… I thought I was going to die.”

Oddly enough, my words of near-death seemed to relieve them; they all let out small sighs of relief.

“Lying here like this, it feels like you’re all looking down at my grave.”

“What are you saying!”

Cecilia’s eyes filled with tears.

“Do you know how worried everyone was in the next room?”

As Enolius stood, Hossen quickly crouched down, eager to show he was doing something as well.

“It’s fortunate you’re recovering. The head chef nearly fainted.”

“Berni?”

Of course—the head chef must have tasted the sauce too.

I gave Hossen a questioning look, and he nodded.

“The magician immediately used healing magic on him.”

“What on earth was in the sauce?”

Finally, Hossen—who hadn’t been much help in the treatment—jumped in enthusiastically.

“It was Black Caribein, a poisonous herb that causes vomiting and severe stomach pain.”

He explained in detail how difficult it had been to identify, but they had found a trace of the powder left on the counter.

“If no one had noticed, people would have thought it was simple food poisoning.”

“Thank goodness.”

“The pain must have been excruciating. How did you endure it?”

Hossen’s voice was filled with concern as he explained that Black Caribein was one of the stronger toxins of its kind.

“You should rest for the entire day. Even if your body has healed, the strain on your mind must be exhausting.”

“Yes, I think I will.”

Now that the crisis had passed, a wave of sadness suddenly washed over me.

Even in my old life—no matter how tough things were—I had never imagined someone would actually try to poison me.

To think I’d face something I’d only read about in romance novels…

The thought made my throat tighten.

But when I saw the worried faces around me, all I could say was, “I’m fine.”

These were people I needed to lead and rely on—not people I could lean on for comfort.

Bang!

Just then, the banquet hall doors burst open.

Heavy footsteps strode in, and the people around me quickly stepped aside.

I turned my head to see who it was.

“Loic!”

The person I most wanted to see was standing right there.

Loic forced a smile as he approached Annette.

Seeing her pale face light up at the sight of him made his heart ache.

“I’m back, Annette.”

“How did you get here so quickly?”

Even at the fastest pace, he shouldn’t have been able to return until tomorrow.

Annette’s voice rose slightly in surprise.

Loic knelt on one knee beside her to meet her gaze.

‘I should have hurried even more.’

He had ridden for hours without rest.

When the knights began to fall behind, he left them and pushed his horse to full speed.

He could sense Norton and a few others desperately trying to keep up, but he didn’t slow down.

When the moon rose high, the lights of the Grand Duke’s castle finally came into view.

Normally, he felt nothing when seeing the castle.

But tonight, those shining lights felt like Annette herself was welcoming him home, and his heart grew warm.

As he dismounted and patted his exhausted horse, a thought filled his mind.

He had returned.

Returned to the castle where Annette waited.

He silently repeated the word, savoring it.

Even though he was nearly at his limit, he couldn’t wait to see her.

But before he could rush inside, one of his aides ran up, pale-faced, and explained the situation.

Loic sprinted to the banquet hall.

According to Perel, Enolius had already stabilized her, but knowing that this small woman had suffered while he was away burned inside him.

Still, he took her small hand gently and asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

“Are you alright?”

‘Of course. Enolius healed me with magic. I’m not in pain anymore.’

That was the reply he expected.

Annette always worried for others but couldn’t bear others worrying for her.

But instead, Annette pursed her lips, then beckoned him closer.

Puzzled, he quickly leaned in.

“It hurt so much,” she whispered softly.

Her sugar-sweet voice melted in his ear.

When he lifted his head, she looked almost pouty, as if complaining to him.

“Did it hurt a lot?”

The anger that had been boiling inside him dissolved instantly.

He carefully smoothed her disheveled hair.

Annette lowered her head slightly, the corners of her lips drooping with a trace of sadness.

Loic turned his broad back slightly to shield her from the others.

He didn’t want anyone else to see this fragile, adorable side of his wife.

“Let’s go back to your room and rest.”

Sliding an arm under her back and knees, he gently lifted her into his arms.

Annette didn’t even flinch—she simply nestled against his chest.

As he turned, the people who had been fussing only moments ago stood frozen, mouths slightly open, watching the two of them.

Among all these people who cared for her, only Loic was allowed to hold her like this.

Feeling oddly pleased, he strode out confidently.

Meanwhile, Janet peered out her window toward the main castle.

‘By now the poison should have taken effect.’

From the annex, she couldn’t see the guest palace clearly, but even so, things were far too quiet.

Could it have failed?

Maybe the sauce hadn’t been used for the banquet after all, or maybe she’d used too little of the powder.

Moments ago, she had heard the sound of hooves and knights’ voices outside—it seemed the Grand Duke had returned.

‘Tonight was the perfect opportunity… did I miss it?’

Janet swallowed a frustrated sigh.

Bang!

Without even a knock, the door slammed open.

“Take her out—now.”

A blond knight barked the order as two others strode in toward her.

“W–wait a moment! How dare you barge in without knocking!”

A chill ran down her spine, but Janet tilted her chin, pretending to be shocked.

Seeing the knights storm in, she felt a small flicker of relief.

If they were acting this aggressively, that meant the plan had at least partly succeeded.

She had already guessed that the kitchen staff might be questioned.

After all, she—a marquis’s daughter’s maid—had entered the kitchen while the banquet was being prepared. People were bound to be suspicious.

But in the end, it would just be labeled as food poisoning.

‘It’s not like anyone’s coughing blood. Just a stomachache.’

And even if they suspected her, there was no proof.

All she had to do was feign ignorance to the end.

“What crime have I committed to deserve this treatment?”

The blond knight’s face twisted with open contempt.

“So it’s true—maids from marquis households are born shameless.”

Janet suddenly recognized him.

He was the knight who had once asked her for directions, only for her to coldly ignore him.

“I demand to see Her Highness!”

She raised her voice, hoping to use Annette’s name as a shield.

But the knight ignored her completely.

‘This is outrageous!’

There was no clear evidence, yet they dared to treat a marquis’s daughter like a criminal. Her face burned with humiliation.

‘How dare they treat me like this!’

Dragged out with her arms bound, Janet was forced out of the annex.

There, standing just ahead, were Perel and Cecilia, watching everything unfold.

Seeing what looked like her only lifeline, Janet cried out pitifully.

“Sir Perel! Please, help me!”

Perel stepped forward with a calm, unreadable expression.