I snatched Violet’s teacup.

“If the Lady doesn’t drink, may I drink it on your behalf?”

“V-Violet. I’ll bring you a new cup of tea.”

“No. I’m thirsty, and I want to drink cold water.”

I looked at the tea.

The purple tea had tea leaves floating, similar to mine.

I glanced at the maid who brought the tea.

Even when she brought the tea to her lips, there was no change in her expression.

Naturally, there was nothing wrong with the taste.

I couldn’t sense any other scent beneath the unique tea aroma.

The taste and scent were identical.

‘Did I imagine it?’

Recently, I’ve become more sensitive due to various incidents.

“I guess I should ask them to bring another cup of tea.”

She glanced at me with a worried look as I remained stiff.

“No. I ate a lot of the food you prepared today, and now I’m full. I think I should drink this much tea.”

Just as I was about to put down the teacup and continue talking with Violet, she started coughing.

Her face looked even redder than before. It was sudden for her to catch a cold in this warm guest room.

She took out a handkerchief hurriedly, covering her mouth, but there was no sign of the cough subsiding.

“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

It’s nothing.

Blood rushed to her face as she continued to cough.

“I’ll get some water.”

I handed her the water from the edge of the table.

She accepted it with a grateful nod and took a sip. After that, she seemed to breathe a little easier.

Then, she emptied the cup of water at once.

I saw red spots rising along her delicate neck and continuing up to the dress.

At first, her face cooled down, seemingly turning pale.

“Thank you, Violet. I think the cough has subsided. Did you hear my cough? It’s okay now.”

“What’s wrong with your body?”

“What?”

She urgently adjusted her clothes.

The doubt I felt didn’t easily dissipate.

“If it’s rude, I apologize.”

I reached for her sleeve that reached down to her wrist. The fair skin turned red as blood flowed, and small red spots appeared.

It was clearly an allergic reaction.

Violet did have a peach allergy.

But there was no peach in the food.

I recalled the food I had eaten and began inspecting the desserts placed in front of me.

There was no food containing peaches.

The same applied to the tea.

“Tea?”

I examined the teacup again.

Then, I turned my gaze to Violet.

“Why did you push the teacup away, Lady?”

She clearly averted the teacup. She wouldn’t push it away if she simply didn’t want to drink it. Something was amiss.

Violet’s eyes, now swollen with blood, blinked.

“You must tell me honestly. That way, we can understand what the problem is.”

She seemed difficult to talk to.

Before waiting for her to speak, I could feel my neck swelling.

“There was something on the teacup holder.”

Violet raised her head, her eyes wide.

I lifted the teacup holder placed in front of her. It couldn’t be confirmed just by looking.

When I swiped my finger over it, white powder adhered to my fingertip.

To someone without allergies, it might seem like simply not being properly cleaned, with dust floating to some extent.

But for someone with allergies?

‘It’s a problem that could lead to death if mishandled.’

“It’s peach fuzz.”

She blinked, her red eyes filled with surprise.

“I… Did you know that I shouldn’t eat peaches?”

I gently nodded.

“I heard from someone that if there’s something you can’t eat, I shouldn’t send it as a gift.”

It was a lie, but it was a reasonable explanation.

“For now, stay here. I’ll bring medicine to relieve your symptoms.”

Peach fuzz was only under Violet’s teacup.

Moreover, she had a peach allergy.

Is this a coincidence?

Or did someone intentionally cause this?
I first found something that could be medicine and handed it to Violet.

With her face swollen to the point of looking pitiful, she was in no condition to carry on a conversation.

It was getting difficult to talk to her.

“If you drink this and rest well, you’ll feel better.”

I handed her the medicine and helped her lie down on the bed. She looked miserable, pulling the blanket up to cover her head.

If it was a coincidence, she wouldn’t look so distressed.

‘Does Violet also think someone intentionally caused this?’

If so, she probably didn’t want to show me this side of her.

“I’ll go. Rest well and let me know if you need anything.”

Leaving her like that made me feel choked up.

But getting involved in the Duke’s affairs would mean ignoring Violet, which was not an option.

‘When will Violet’s situation improve?’

It’s been a long time since the original story started.

By now, it might be the time when Serdes opens up to Violet.

However, for some reason, whether it was because of me or not, Serdes hadn’t met any women, not just Violet.

I was afraid that the day she would be loved was getting farther away.

My steps leaving the mansion became heavier.

Looking at the Sharpenen mansion from the carriage felt unusually dark today.