As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.
Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.
The stepmother's eyebrows twitched, but there was not a hint of surprise in her expression.
"Really, you know everything, don't you? They said that if I brought this out, you would react, and you really did."
The stepmother muttered softly, her expression somewhat entranced. She then shouted loudly,
"What kind of medicine is this that you look so contemplative, Fereshati?"
The sudden shout made the nobles leaving the temple and the passersby all glance at us. It was certain. The red liquid wrapped in a thin membrane was definitely a pill made from Aillette's blood.
'Why is this here...'
I clenched my teeth and glared at her with a venomous look.
"Just two pills, and you were quite surprised, weren't you?"
The stepmother's voice held no emotion.
"Tell me when you've had this medicine."
If you had it before Father passed away...
The stepmother roughly shook off my wrist.
"Fereshati, you asked if the late Duke took this medicine on the night he died, didn't you?"
She chuckled. Then she firmly held my palm open and placed the two pills on it.
"I also want to ask you, Fereshati."
"What?"
"What kind of medicine is this?"
What are you trying to do? Are you pretending not to know? The stepmother's innocent question made me sneer involuntarily.
"That's what I should be asking. Everyone here saw you take this medicine out of your bag. This is clearly your medicine. You should know better than I do what it is."
The stepmother gritted her teeth.
"Don't lie, Fereshati. When you first saw the medicine, you grabbed my wrist and asked if the Duke had taken it..."
"It's me. I heard today, just a moment ago, that Father might have suffered side effects from taking a medicine that prevented him from having children for a long time."
The surroundings became noisy again.
"So I was just suspicious of the medicine you had. A reasonable suspicion."
"..."
"Good. If neither of us knows what this medicine is..."
I moved closer to the stepmother.
"Then you should take it yourself."
"..."
"To prove that you didn't hide it."
First, I know the 'real' identity of this medicine.
"You might have coated this medicine with poison and tried to make me take it. This is your medicine, after all. It wouldn't be fair for me to take it alone."
Second, I am the only person who won't die from taking this medicine.
"So let's take it together."
"..."
The stepmother's hand, holding the pill, trembled slightly as if a heavy weight had been placed on it. Her eyes, which had lost their light, shook roughly.
"Why are you hesitating? You said you didn't know what this medicine was. Why are you so contemplative now that I suggest we take it together?"
I smiled calmly, showing everyone. A drop of blood trickled down from the corner of the stepmother's mouth.
"Don't worry. I'll take it too. Who would dare to lie in front of the temple? Oh, the people gathered here will be witnesses."
The stepmother glared at me with a fierce look.
"Come on, watch. I'll take it."
I smiled brightly and tried to put one of the pills in my mouth. That's when it happened.
"Her Highness, the Duchess."
Adeus, who had approached without me noticing, quickly grabbed my hand to stop me. Adeus frowned and alternated his gaze between me and the pill. He leaned in and whispered in my ear,
"Do you know what this medicine is?"
Of course, I do... but I can't say that. This is the curse of the Laphireon family, so I can't just say it.
"How would I know?"
Adeus's eyes narrowed at my immediate response.
"Didn't you look surprised and grab it when the Duchess first took it out?"
"I was suspicious that this might be the medicine that killed Father."
It's a ridiculous excuse. But what can I do? If I say I know what it is and still want to take it, they would suspect me. Adeus scrutinized my expression for a while before looking at the pill with a displeased expression.
"I think it's better not to take it."
"Why?"
"What if there really is poison in it? If this is the medicine the Duke took on the day he died, as the Duchess suspects."
Adeus sighed softly.
"It's really dangerous."
He has a good sense. He hit the nail on the head. But I pretended not to know and responded casually.
"Would she really try to kill me here? In front of the temple, and with everyone watching. If there's poison in the medicine, it will be detected during the autopsy."
Of course, if the stepmother dies, no poison will be detected during her autopsy.
"As long as I don't die, it doesn't matter. If I don't take the medicine now, everyone will suspect me."
Adeus glanced around.
"If I really had hidden this medicine and it was the one that killed Father, strange rumors will spread."
Yes, as long as I don't die. It will be painful, but I will only collapse, not die.
'Of course, you will die.'
I glared fiercely at the stepmother, who stood there, unsure of what to do. In my past life, she not only killed me directly but also killed Father, and now she dares to try to kill me again in this life. Not this time.
'Fall into hell.'
I coldly shook off Adeus's hand and smiled brightly, preparing to take the pill. Thud. But I failed again.
"Ah, can you let go of this?"
Adeus desperately held my hand. I sighed in annoyance and clicked my tongue.
"You're being too impulsive, Her Highness."
Ah, not impulsive. I calculated that I won't die.
"I can handle it, so can you let go?"
"It's dangerous."
"It's not."
Adeus, with a tense face unlike his usual self, tried to stop me.
"Don't take your life lightly, Her Highness."
What? Is that what you should be telling me? Who has been charging in without thinking, like a moth to a flame, all this time!
"Aren't you afraid of death? People who care about you will be sad."
Adeus showed no intention of letting go of my hand. I sighed softly and turned to Terdeo, signaling with my eyes.
'Can you get him off me?'
Whenever Adeus gets too close, Terdeo always rushes to pull him away. Terdeo frowned and looked at me disapprovingly. Selphius, standing beside him, was unsure whether to stop me or let me be, knowing I wouldn't die.
"Of course, you can't take it, Fereshati."
As time passed, the stepmother sneered, as if she had expected this.
"Did you already have a script to stop you when you tried to take it? Then you'll pretend you can't take it, right?"
"..."
"You're too predictable, Fereshati."
I twisted my lips with a cold expression and coldly pushed Adeus's hand away, glaring at him to stop interfering.
"You're wrong. After me, it's your turn."
You should die to apologize to me. Fall for your own trick and die. I looked at the stepmother head-on and tried to put the pill in my mouth this time.
"Then I'll prove your innocence myself."
Terdeo suddenly appeared and blocked my hand. Without giving me time to think, he took the pill from my hand.