TLDOWN 04

CHAPTER 04

“I Warned You”

Leah’s heart dropped under the cold, piercing gaze that bound her in place.

No way.

Her trembling hand clenched tightly. There was only one person she knew with those crimson eyes.

The one who had gripped her wrist with surprising strength for someone supposedly sick. The one who carried that distant, haunting floral scent.

“…Your Grace?”

Maybe it was the tension. Her voice cracked into a low murmur.

But the man’s eyes, locked onto hers, gave no answer—only stared back at her with the coldness of midwinter frost.

A heavy silence settled between them. Even the sound of her pounding heart felt eerie.

Then, as the moonlight spilled between the gaps in the stone wall, the shadowed figure fully revealed itself.

Ah…

The moment her vague suspicion turned into certainty, the man began to walk toward her—slowly.

Step. Step.

His pace was neither hurried nor languid, but with every step he took, Leah’s chest tightened with fear.

She staggered back, desperate to escape, until her back met the cold wall.

There was no escape now.

“Guess you’re unlucky.”

A deep voice whispered by her ear.

“Or maybe you’re just too perceptive?”

Leah stared at him with trembling eyes.

“How did you know to come here?”

“I-I just happened to…”

“Happened to, huh?”

He let out a scoff, clearly amused by her response.

“Then I guess we’ll say it was bad luck.”

A blaring red alarm rang in Leah’s mind.

“Why are you shaking so much?”

Even his curious tone didn’t stop the fine tremor in her shoulders. After all, this was Duke Hydern speaking.

“You… you’re talking…”

He had claimed he couldn’t speak and had always communicated through writing. Leah’s hands, resting on the desk behind her, began to tremble even more violently.

The pressure he exuded was so overwhelming, she could barely breathe.

“Are you trembling because I can talk? Or…”

He stepped closer and reached out to her. Then gently swept away her flowing red hair that curled down her chest.

“Because of what you’re holding?”

He looked down at the vial clenched tightly in her hand. Leah gripped it tighter instinctively.

The poison—transformed by the addition of lily of the valley.

“Forarium.”

As if reading her thoughts, he continued with a languid smile.

“A poison made by combining lily of the valley and Akapodium. In large doses, it’s lethal. But in small amounts, it weakens the body, making one appear sick, as if with the flu.”

The chronically ill duke. The tragic prince.

Was he always this weak?

No. The realization struck fast. Everything suddenly made sense. Leah bit her lip. The sting felt like a slap to the back of her head.

The duke… he’s been taking this poison…

“I made it,” he said, lifting one corner of his mouth.

“And I took it myself.”

He snatched the vial from her hand and, without hesitation, drank the contents in one gulp.

Leah stared, slack-jawed.

Like it was some kind of health tonic—he just drank poison.

Her mind filled with questions.

Why? Why would he do this?

The Duke of Hydern had weakened himself with this poison.

Even if it wasn’t enough to kill in small doses, it was still clearly harmful.

From the looks of his condition, he hadn’t just started taking it recently. He must have been consuming it for years.

But why would a man of such noble stature…?

What on earth was he trying to gain, to the point of doing this?

“You could die,” she said.

“I know.”

“Then why…?”

Why would he risk death?

The duke leaned in closer, invading her space.

His crimson eyes glowed with a chilling intensity. Staring at her silently, he finally spoke.

“I don’t owe you an explanation.”

His fingers brushed her cheek.

“Because you’ll die here tonight.”

Damn it. Leah exhaled a shaky breath.

Why are ominous feelings never wrong?

I should’ve run when I had the chance.

She had discovered the secret he’d hidden for over a decade. In the stupidest way imaginable.

The deadly intent crawling over her skin made her swallow hard.

His hand, which had gently stroked her cheek, began to move lower—to her throat.

If I stay here, I’ll die.

Her heart thundered as his eyes bore into her. And when his cold fingers touched her neck, she squeezed her eyes shut.

She had just begun her work as an apothecary. Was she really about to die in this cursed duke’s estate?

No. I won’t die like this.

The man’s hand slowly tightened around her neck.

Just as she felt her breath begin to fail, an image flashed through her mind.

He definitely had chest pain.

The memory of their first meeting resurfaced. The duke clutching his chest, as if in pain—it hadn’t been an act.

“Y-you’re experiencing side effects, aren’t you?!”

“…What?”

They say even in a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits.

Leah racked her brain for side effects of Forarium.

And as if confirming her hunch, the duke’s brow twitched. The pressure of his hand loosened slightly.

I knew it.

“You haven’t been taking it for just a year or two. It must’ve been at least seven. Right?”

A flicker of intrigue passed through his crimson eyes.

“The first signs of side effects are eye twitching and frequent chest pain. When I first visited you, you were clutching your chest in agony.”

“…So?”

He narrowed his eyes, signaling her to continue.

“It starts with chest pain, but over time, as the toxins build up in the body, it can lead to cardiac arrest. You could die at any moment.”

“So what you’re saying is… if I do nothing, I could drop dead?”

What she said wasn’t a lie to save herself. If the side effects had begun, he could indeed die suddenly within a year or two.

“Yes. I’m sure you’ve already felt it—your body isn’t the same.”

Apparently convinced, he withdrew his hand from her throat.

Yes…

His expression darkened like a predator who’d taken the bait. Leah knew he believed her.

“I can make it—a cure for the side effects.”

“…”

“I don’t know all the details behind why you’re doing this… but you clearly need to keep taking the poison. You’ll need the antidote. Am I wrong?”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Leah’s heart threatened to explode as she waited for his answer.

Please… please just take the bait.

Seconds felt like hours as she stood frozen, waiting for his decision.

Finally, the duke exhaled sharply.

“How long will it take?”

Got him.

She had never created a cure for poison before.

She had no experience to base a timeline on, but hesitation would only cost her now.

“About… six months should be enough…”

“Three.”

“…What?”

His voice was calm but firm.

“Bring it to me in three months.”

Is he insane?

It normally took over a year to develop a new drug. She had only said six months because she knew he wouldn’t wait a full year.

But three?! That’s impossible!

Whether he knew what she was thinking or not, he muttered coldly,

“I hope you succeed. I’d hate to see blood spilled.”

There was no room for negotiation. That man fully intended to kill her if she failed.

Leah’s throat went dry.

“You’d best not show your face around here again.”

As if the discussion were over, the duke turned away.

“Unless you want to die before those three months are up.”

With that chilling warning, he disappeared.

❀ ❀ ❀

Leah didn’t even remember how she got back to her room. When she came to her senses, the door was locked, and she was alone.

She placed her hand on her pounding chest. Even now, her heart was still racing.

“God… what am I going to do?”

She had only said that to save herself in the moment. Now the regret hit her hard.

Three months. How could she possibly create a cure in just three months?

It’s impossible.

I’m not some kind of genius! How am I supposed to develop a drug in three months?!

Especially when she had just become an apothecary.

It felt more reasonable to walk out and die right now. Despair pressed down on her.

Leah wiped her dry, pale face.

“What should I do? Should I just run away?”

The moment she thought of escaping, she remembered the glow of the duke’s crimson eyes. The cold hand on her neck.

The hand was gone, but it still felt like something was clutching her throat.

What was the difference between this and a three-month death sentence?

She sat in silence for a long time.

“…Yeah. If I’m going to die anyway…”

Whether she died later or got caught trying to escape, it made no difference.

First, I need to get away from the duke’s estate.

Leah stood up abruptly, her leaf-colored eyes filled with resolve.