TIRS 81

CHAPTER 81…………………………………………

. Indomitable Love

Amidst the chaos, Ruivel was moved from the greenhouse garden to a guest chamber in the main palace of Luenhart.

Yet, she still did not awaken.

Upon hearing the news, King Titarus, Anselot, and the rest of her companions rushed over.

“Ruivel…”

Anselot gazed down at her face in disbelief, his expression dazed.

His face had gone so pale it was corpse-like, and his crimson eyes trembled as they looked at her.

“Princess Ruivel’s pulse is too faint.”

After a long examination, the physician spoke cautiously.

“Judging from the circumstances, it is surely poison. But to administer an antidote, we must first identify the toxin…”

“An assassination attempt in broad daylight, in the royal greenhouse!”

Klaus, who had been silent, ground his teeth and roared.

“If anything should befall Princess Ruivel, Azester will never forgive you.”

He was consumed with fury at himself for failing to protect her despite being closest at hand.

It was rare for him, normally so stoic, to let his emotions slip.

“I—I know nothing of this,” stammered Titarus.

Azester was the mightiest empire on the continent, rivaling even Daisen.

By comparison, though Luenhart had expanded in recent years thanks to Anselot’s achievements, it was still a small kingdom.

If Ruivel did not awaken and they incurred the emperor of Azester’s wrath, even the nation’s survival would be uncertain.

So Titarus turned his suspicion toward Arbella.

“Arbella. What in the world happened here?”

“I—I didn’t do anything!”

Arbella shrieked in protest.

What she had used was fake poison. Though it would make someone cough blood and turn deathly pale like a corpse, it had no real harm.

If it caused no actual damage, then naturally it could not kill.

Which meant that right now, Ruivel was only pretending to be dead! She was framing Arbella!

“Princess Ruivel is just playing dead!”

At her cry, frigid gazes turned upon her at once.

The eyes that looked ready to tear her apart belonged to Anselot.
The eyes that looked ready to crush her alive belonged to Klaus.
The eyes that looked ready to wither her dry belonged to Illay.

Though she flinched, Arbella forced herself to continue.

“J-Just wait a little while, and she’ll tire of it and open her eyes! I swear it’s true!”

“Then why is that woman still standing there on her own two feet, talking?”

Anselot’s cold rebuke was directed at Titarus.

He had not spoken a word since arriving, except to murmur Ruivel’s name again and again.

Though he seemed calm and quiet, his deranged, spinning eyes betrayed that he was far from normal.

Shaken by that murderous glare, Titarus hastily ordered the guards to seize Arbella.

“B-Bind Arbella, the criminal who attempted to poison Princess Ruivel, and throw her in the dungeon!”

“Your Majesty! How could you…!”

Arbella stared at him in disbelief.

But Titarus did not miss the chance to shift all blame onto her.

Though it was hard to believe that the usually decorous Arbella would commit such a heinous act, rumors had already spread throughout the palace that the previous night she had snuck into Anselot’s chambers, only to be thrown out.

I told her to win his heart, and she does something this foolish instead.

He could not risk being dragged down with her.

“What are you waiting for! Take the criminal away at once!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The soldiers dragged Arbella out.

Even as she was hauled away, Arbella kept shouting that it was all Ruivel’s scheme, but no one listened.

When her desperate cries finally faded, silence filled the room.

“I shall send a letter to His Imperial Majesty of Azester. Luenhart must uncover the truth behind this incident and do everything in its power to ensure Princess Ruivel’s recovery.”

Klaus spoke coldly, then strode out at once to prepare the letter.

Titarus, restless and anxious, hurried after him.

Anselot clenched his fists as he gazed at the still figure of Ruivel.

He gripped so tightly that veins bulged upon the back of his hands.

“That damned quest…”

Muttering faintly, Anselot too left the room.

Now only Ruivel, Illay, the physician, and the palace attendants remained.

As the key figures departed and tension eased slightly, the physician finally let out a shaky breath.

“Lady Ruivel…!”

A cry came from the hallway.

“P-Please be careful, Saintess!”
“You haven’t fully recovered yet…!”

Ignoring the priests trying to stop her, Maria burst into the room.

“Oh heavens…!”

Her face turned pale at the sight of Ruivel lying motionless on the bed.

The night before, she had expended too much holy power and had to stay in the next chamber rather than return to the temple.

Even so, she had not yet fully recovered her strength, so priests had been guarding her and aiding her recovery since morning. But when news came that Ruivel had been poisoned, she rushed over.

Staggering, Maria fell to her knees beside the bed.

“Who…! Who could do something so vile…!”

Tears welled in her beautiful eyes.

“Hhic… Lady Ruivel…! How could you leave me behind like this…!”

Her sorrowful cries filled the chamber.

Illay quietly confirmed the situation with his eyes, then left the room.

Ahh… I can hear it all…

Klaus’s anguished outcry, Anselot’s murderous voice, Maria’s weeping…

I’m not dead, you know!

Flat on the bed, I shouted inwardly.

I wanted to tell them to stop crying already, but I couldn’t.

Because right now, I was in [Near-Death State].

.
.

This morning, when I woke up—

Rumors had already spread throughout the palace that Arbella had tried to sneak into Anselot’s bedchamber the previous night, only to be driven out.

I swallowed my rising anger, but Maria’s fury exploded first.

“That crazy filly! Has she lost her mind? Shamelessly coveting someone else’s man? She needs to be taught a lesson!”

“H-Huh…?”

Startled by Maria’s violent words, I gaped at her.

“Oh my, I got carried away. Hoho.”

Maria smiled demurely, as if she hadn’t just raised her voice.

“Maria, didn’t you dislike Anselot?”

“That’s a different matter entirely.”

She snorted in indignation.

Then an invitation from Arbella arrived.

“What if she’s plotting to harm you, Lady Ruivel?”

Maria’s voice was filled with worry.

“If only I could go with you to protect you…”

But she was still too weak to leave her room.

“Don’t worry. I have the monocle you gave me, Maria.”

I reassured her, then headed to Arbella’s greenhouse garden with Klaus at my side.

But I stopped short at the entrance.

Through the monocle, I saw a faint crimson aura of killing intent surrounding the greenhouse.

The entire greenhouse itself emanated that aura.

No way.

As I entered, I realized the exotic, dazzling plants were all poisonous herbs.

This greenhouse was nothing less than a massive poison garden.

To think such a dangerous place exists within the royal palace…

Remembering the noble ladies who once laughed and sipped tea here, ignorant of the truth, made my blood run cold.

“Sir Knight, please wait here.”

Arbella’s maid directed Klaus to remain apart.

She wouldn’t dare try to poison me in broad daylight, surely.

I glanced at the maid, thinking.

Arbella sat at the tea table, awaiting me.

Her favorability had fallen much further since I’d last checked.

If favorability drops below -500, it triggers violent hatred…

She picked a quarrel, and I parried her words until the maids brought refreshments.

Though the greenhouse was steeped in killing aura, the steaming tea itself carried none.

So it seemed safe to drink…

But she wouldn’t invite me here without reason.

[SYSTEM] Skill activated.

[SYSTEM] While active, no one will question your actions.

I swiftly cast and swapped our teacups.

Ugh…

At once, dizziness hit me, my head spinning.

The skill was powerful enough to disguise even Hazen’s murder attempts as mere lovers’ quarrels.

But it devoured an immense amount of mana.

I hadn’t known that overusing it could make me dizzy.

Perhaps it works like mental stamina.

Thanks to the skill, no one found it strange that I had just switched cups in plain sight.

“Shall we drink together? Luenhart’s tea has a different flavor from Azester’s.”

Arbella even raised the swapped cup, offering it to me.

I nodded and sipped.

And then—

“Cough—!”

Blood spurted from my mouth as I collapsed.

[SYSTEM] You consumed <Arbella’s Elixir> and entered a temporary Near-Death State.

[SYSTEM] Time remaining until recovery: 5 minutes 00 seconds.

That lunatic… She meant to frame me as the poisoner.

Luckily, the elixir only induced a deathlike state.

It left no damage, but my body was frozen like a corpse.

I would return to normal after just 5 minutes…

[SYSTEM] Due to your Blessing, potion effects last 1,000 times longer!

[SYSTEM] Time remaining until recovery: 83 hours 20 minutes 00 seconds.

Eh?!

I stared wide-eyed at the system message.

The Blessing effect…!

The icon of the blessing I’d received from the priests upon leaving Azester shimmered in the air.

It was supposed to lengthen potion duration a thousandfold—but I hadn’t expected it to apply to Arbella’s elixir!

Eighty-three hours… That’s more than three days!

I nearly fainted from shock—though I was already in a deathlike state, so I couldn’t faint any further.

If only Piya were here, I could use my inventory and antidotes. But without her, I was helpless.

So, I resigned myself to the unintended role of playing dead.

Might as well use this time to sleep…

Damn.

It was too noisy to rest.

Even in this state, I could hear every word around me.

I tried to tune it out—but things only grew stranger.

Arbella was dragged away, screaming that I was pretending to be dead.

“If anything should befall Princess Ruivel, Azester will never forgive you.”

Klaus sounded ready to start a war.

“Why is that woman still standing and speaking?”

Anselot’s voice was icy, as if he might rip Arbella apart.

Though calm on the surface, I sensed madness and bloodlust beneath.

Wait. He should be able to see my status window. Why’s he acting like this?

While I puzzled over Anselot’s reaction—

Maria burst in, sobbing.

“Hhic, Lady Ruivel…! Don’t leave me like this…!”

Her cries soon swelled into wails of grief.

No, Maria… I’m not dead… I’m alive…

It was frustrating not to be able to tell them.

Even playing dead isn’t easy, huh.

Just then, Maria began pouring holy power into me.

“No, Saintess! You haven’t recovered your strength yet!”

The priests panicked, trying to stop her.

Of course, channeling holy power into my near-death body had no effect.

“If only I had stronger power…!”

Then it happened.

[SYSTEM] begins awakening through her Indomitable Love for you!

Indomitable… what now?

Out of nowhere, Maria had awakened.