Chapter 29: A cold is oppressive (2)
“Miss?”
Sass looked at me as if he found me strange.
“Why did you suddenly grab the pen?”
“Doctor, you said that all the other doctors were out on outpatient visits.”
"What? Oh, yes.”
“Then there are only you and this pharmacist left here.”
“True, but why do you ask?”
The doctor was looking at me, wondering what I meant.
“Because I'm not sure this body can handle two men at once.”
As soon as I finished my sentence, I stuffed the medicine bottle in my hand into his mouth.
The lid had already been opened.
“Mmmph, mmm—! Mmm—!”
The doctor suddenly swallowed the medicine as it flowed down his throat.
As I grabbed his chin, he thrashed madly in my grip.
A strange reaction from someone who had just drank a cold medicine he prescribed himself.
“What's the matter?”
After I was sure he had swallowed everything, I let him go.
“It's a regular cold medicine. Aren't you overreacting?
“Cough, cough!” Ahh—! No no-!"
Sass fell to the ground the moment she let go of him.
He tried to stick his fingers down his throat.
(Where do you think you're going).
I gripped his wrist tightly.
An old man who spent his life turning pages cannot overcome me by force.
“What are you doing?!”
Sass twisted his wrist and screamed.
«Leave me! Leave my hand! I said leave—!”
“What do you think I'm doing? I will let you taste the medicine in advance as long as it is intended for His Highness.”
“W-what did you say?”
“Doctor!”
I fell in front of him as he panicked.
“I don't understand much about medicine, but I understand a little about toxicology.”
“What are you talking about...”
“Why does cold medicine contain oleander leaves?”
As soon as I mentioned the poisonous plant, the doctor's face turned pale.
“Oleander?! This is slander!”
Sass shook his head violently.
“I—I've never used anything like that—!”
Oleander is a poisonous plant imported from the distant Eastern continent.
Its toxicity is extremely high, and assassins often used it to paint arrows and blades.
I turned the fountain pen I still held in my other hand.
“I'm quite sure that oleander is a poisonous plant.”
“How dare you accuse me! There can be no such thing in medicine!
"exactly. Lethal poison should not be present in the medicine.”
Sssssss—
I brought the pen tip close to the back of his neck.
The sharp tip immediately cut his weak skin.
As soon as he realized that the tip of the pen was sinking into his flesh, his face grew whiter.
“Why are you doing this to me all of a sudden?”
“Your overreaction to a self-prescribed medication naturally aroused suspicion.”
I pressed the pen harder.
"I'll ask you: Why did you try to kill His Highness?"
“H—that's nonsense! Don't talk nonsense! "I've never done anything like that!"
“You're the one talking nonsense.”
I got up and without hesitation ran over the doctor's shoulder.
“Aaah!”
“I saw the pharmacist clearly adding oleander leaves. And you still deny it?
“I-I didn't do that! If it was added, then yes! It must be that man! He did it on purpose!”
Sass pointed frantically at the pharmacist behind the counter.
“He did—!”
But his attempt to drag others into the abyss failed.
The pharmacist was smarter than he expected.
“Not true! I am innocent!”
As if he was waiting for an opportunity, the young pharmacist handed me the prescription written in Sass script.
“It clearly says here: Add four oleander leaves!”
As the pharmacist claimed, that was literally what the prescription said.
Sass was betrayed by the pharmacist himself, and he screamed at my feet.
“You—you—!” Stay away from me! I said stay away! Go away—!”
“Four papers. A dose that is not surprising if it kills...or does not kill.”
I grabbed his collar and lifted him up.
As soon as our eyes met, the insults came out.
“You bastard! Do you know who I am? I have served His Majesty for ten years! I am the imperial doctor! Imperial physician, I say! And you dare—!”
When he got fed up, he began to rant about his position.
"so what?"
“W-what…”
"Don't you realize that being the Imperial Doctor makes it worse?"
His dull eyes trembled.
I raised an eyebrow and sneered: “If word got out that the imperial doctor tried to assassinate a prince, it would be a huge scandal.”
“You—you—!” Who would listen to a lowly being like you, a contemptible maid!”
“You say no one will listen to me, but even if someone did, I doubt you would be able to speak.”
It was time for the poison to take effect.
Indeed, the doctor clutched his chest and began to gasp.
«See? If I had answered from the beginning, this would not have happened.”
“You—you—!”
“Then why did you try to kill him?”
“Kill who?!” I didn't do anything! I tell you, I didn't—!”
He had a lot to say, and it seemed like he was going to hold out for a bit.
But I wasn't going to wait.
“Sorry, I don't have time.”
“Ahh—!”
I stuck the fountain pen into the doctor's thigh.
He collapsed like a sack and shook violently.
The white robe he wore was immediately stained with crimson.
“Who ordered you?”
“Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhf
Sass clutched his injured thigh and gasped.
Then he looked up at me with terrified eyes.
“You—no, miss, why are you doing this to me—?”
The poison spreads, and the blood does not stop.
For an old, frail body, these pains are unbearable.
“You have no reason to kill the prince. Someone must have ordered you.”
“Urgh… urgh…!”
"Who is he?"
Finally, Sass burst into tears and held on to my leg.
“Miss, K—I was wrong. Please, please, have mercy on my life!”
“You are the one devouring your own life.” I answered coldly. “The sooner you speak, the sooner you can administer the antidote. Why procrastinate?
“I…I…”
Sass hesitated until the last moment.
It was clear that he had a name on his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
I already knew the answer.
I have every reason to guess.
He mentioned that character himself previously.
“I knew.”
I opened my mouth quietly.
“Was Her Majesty the Second Empress?”
Sass said nothing.
But I didn't need his words.
His shoulders falling in despair was enough to confirm my right.
“I—I only did what Her Majesty asked… I couldn’t refuse...”
“And what exactly did Her Majesty ask for?”
“She said... If the opportunity arises, send the third prince to... the arms of the angels...”
In any country, the struggle for the throne is brutal.
It is as common as sand for heirs to try to kill each other.
“What did I do wrong—!”
The screams with which Edwin burst into the garden at Lloyd rang in my ears.
What did he do wrong?
(nothing).
If he had a sin, it was that he was born a prince.
The crime of having noble blood and yet owning nothing.
(How hard your life really is.)
I smiled bitterly.
“Oh—Miss, please have mercy on me. L—I have my circumstances too!”
“You are there.”
I ignored Sas clinging to me, and turned my head.
“I—me?”
The pharmacist was confused and his eyes widened at my call.
“You are a pharmacist. "You must know how to prepare an antidote?"
“Ah, n—yes. I know."
“Then do.”
At my command, the pharmacist quickly approached the doctor.
He forced Sass to vomit the poison, then gave him a drink mixed with charcoal powder.
Having barely gotten out of danger, Sass seemed a little better than before.
“Warning from now on.”
I looked at the submissive Sass and continued: “Never touch the Third Prince—nor any of his servants.”
“I—of course! I don't dare! I swear, I won't!
“If you break your promise, I will visit Zael’s house.”
I came close to his ear and whispered: “I will tell your wife about all the shameful things you have done. Isn't most of Beit Zayl's wealth from the dowry she brought? If I spit you out, you'll throw up every coin.”
Sass's eyes widened until they almost popped out.
“K—how do you know that…?”
“Things have ways to know.”
I smiled brightly at the old doctor as I met his gaze.
“So keep your mouth shut. “Not a word about what happened today to anyone.”
“H—Huff...”
“If you do, I'll show you what's worse than death.”
Trembling at my last word, Sass nodded. “N—yes. “I will remember it well.”
“Then that's all I need.”
Knock—!
I hit the back of his neck.
His consciousness disappeared immediately, as if a lamp had gone out.