# Chapter 22
What Judith asked the Master wasn't too complicated: sneak near the Duke's room and notify her when the Duke drinks Bart's tea. She also had to get in at the right moment with her own tea.
Of course, she had expected that it would take some time to figure out Duke Ben Mayus's daily routine. However, the master discovered it surprisingly quickly.
“He drinks it while doing his duties after breakfast.”
“Oh my God, how did you know that so quickly?”
“I heard the maids walking around the palace.”
“Oh, great.”
“But what are you planning?”
“Fortunately, there is another doctor here.”
Judith nodded to the master and added: “An exceptionally talented person.”
I thought that if Ayoade, the genius doctor, looked into it, he might discover something. And even if he didn't, she could at least warn Bart.
“Judith.”
"Yes?"
"Are you suspicious of Bart? He's been loyal to the Maiwes family for a long time, and I can attest to his dedication."
“Huh?”
“He has a wonderful sense of loyalty.”
“Hmm.”
Judith clicked her tongue as she looked at the teacher, “Master, you really don’t know anything about the Maius family, do you?”
"What?"
“Just do what I tell you.”
That morning, Bart did a knee-jerk examination of Judith and gave her some tea. It was clear that he wasn't paying much attention to her, probably because he thought she would be gone in a few months anyway.
Judith did not drink tea, but waited for the master's signal. As soon as she arrived, she summoned a maid and went to the duke's office to have tea.
“This tea… seems a bit strange.”
After finishing the tea, Judith's eyes widened and she said, "I feel like there is something strange. Duke, please do not drink any more of this tea...and call the other doctor, Ayud, immediately."
“What are you talking about?”
“Duke.” Judith spoke softly, "I've been working as a private teacher, taking on different jobs because of the debt my parents left behind. Some of the employers I worked with were herbalists."
It was an excuse I had prepared in advance.
“I worked there for a long time and became very close to my master, so I gained some knowledge. Herbalists often know more about medicinal herbs than doctors do.”
“But this tea… it smells like a poisonous herb I once recognized. I can’t remember the exact name… Excuse me, can I smell the tea?”
Judith picked up Ben's tea and inhaled it. Then she whispered seriously: "This smell... I'm sure it's the same smell. I heard that although it may make the body feel better at first, in the long run it may lead to death."
Upon hearing this, Ben did not hesitate any longer. Health was not something he could take lightly.
He pulled the bell rope and summoned Ayoade, the young doctor whom Judith had requested.
Ayoade arrived looking confused, having been summoned suddenly.
“Poisonous herbs?”
Judith had already finished drinking her tea, so Ayoade had to analyze the remaining tea in Ben's cup.
“Poisonous herbs are not permitted to enter the Duke’s Palace. However, some mixtures of herbs can produce effects similar to those produced by poisonous plants...”
While Ayoade was muttering to himf, Judith interrupted him, saying: “Is it possible to see Bart’s prescription?”
"That would be very inappropriate. Bart is many years older than me." Ayud shook his head, clearly uncomfortable.
Judith did not back down from her words, but continued her speech, saying: “But didn’t you say that tea would improve the Duke’s complexion and energy? Karl does not seem to suffer from any of these effects.”
“Huh?”
“Just yesterday, Karl seemed completely exhausted. I also heard that he started losing some weight.”
Ayuz looked even more confused. Judith widened her eyes and continued, “If tea is really supposed to make him feel better, why does he need stomach medicine every day?”
At that moment-
“Ah…”
Ayud's expression suddenly changed as if he realized something.
"Wait a minute. I think I've forgotten something. Can I sample the Duchess' tea as well?"
Since Bart could easily have denied any accusations, they decided to keep the investigation secret.
Fortunately, Isabella hadn't drunk her tea yet. So she quickly brought her cup to the office.
“Hmm...it can't be...”
While Judith was explaining the situation to Isabella, Ayoade took some flasks out of his bag and ran tests on the tea left in the two cups.
Not long after...
“Oh my God…” Ayoade’s voice trembled. “Duke, it’s poison...”
"What?".
"This mixture would produce a slow-acting poison. The dandelion root in the tea neutralizes the odor, which is why I didn't notice it earlier."
Of the three people present, none of them fully understood Ayode's explanation. But they all knew that he had revealed something dangerous.
“At first, the body may feel better. But after more than five years of continuous consumption, it becomes dangerous.”
“Oh my God…” Isabella shuddered violently. “So Judith was right?”
"Yes." Ayoade's voice was heavy with sadness. “The same combination of ingredients is in the Duke and Duchess’s tea. It is strange, given their different circumstances and compositions.”
“Huh...” (gasp)
“It seems that the stomach medicine I prescribed for Young Master Karl contained an antidote. That is why it was not effective on him.”
"antidote?".
“Yes, it is a rare desert herb that was discovered recently. People who are not familiar with the latest research will not know its properties. This herb neutralizes the poison in this mixture.”
Now it all makes sense. Why did the Duke and Duchess feel better at first, why did Karl continue to weaken, and-
'Why do the two suddenly die in the end?'
Ben gritted his teeth and forced himf to remain calm as Ayode asked, “Then... are we really poisoned?”
“Since there are no obvious symptoms yet, it is not too late to administer the antidote.”
As soon as Ayoade said those words, Judith couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Even when she started all of this, her greatest fear was that it was already too late. She was worried that the Duke and Duchess were beyond rescue.
“It was such a relief...” Judith whispered, overcome with emotion. “I was so worried... Thank God the antidote is possible...”
Ben watched her face cloy as she spoke, then let out a quiet sigh.
"Thank you."
His voice remained cold, but his gaze was no longer as harsh as before.
"…Thank you."
His voice was low and hoarse as he slowly rose from his seat.
“Thank you. It can wait… until we finish interrogating Bart.”
Finally, Judith was able to relax, and her anxiety began to fade.
That night, Ben entered Isabella's room. She paced back and forth nervously, but lunged at him as soon as he entered.
"Dear! What did he say? Did he confess?"
"no." Ben shook his head. “But once we showed him the evidence, he didn’t deny it.”
"Oh, my God…".
“It's true he tried to poison us.”
Isabella's legs gave way, and she collapsed into a chair.
The family's long-trusted doctor was trying to kill them.
They didn't have any personal grudge against him, which meant someone was pulling the strings behind him.
“We're going to need to dig deeper,” Ben muttered, sounding exhausted.
Isabella let out a heavy sigh, rubbed her forehead, and said, “If it hadn’t been for Judith, we wouldn’t have survived.”
"actually." Ben whispered, "She could have easily kept quiet. There was no reason for her to say anything. In a few months, we would be strangers again. She had no reason to make trouble with such a risky claim."
It wasn't like they were particularly close, and she wasn't even a doctor. I made a bold move based on the knowledge I gained from an herbalist.
If she was wrong, she would have been the one who got into trouble. If Ayoade had not been clever enough to discover the truth, it would have been counterproductive for her.
“She is a wonderful person,” Isabella said quietly. “We have already received a lot from her.”
"…This is correct." “Even after her divorce from Ikean, we should take responsibility for her,” Ben muttered as he stroked his chin. “She deserves to have at least a husband, not just a baron.”