“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are going down to the White Villa… It’s not a rumor, but news.”
“It’s not a rumor. They said they are going down for recuperation.”
Ruans walked forward, tilting his head askew, and grabbed Yuria’s bangs tightly, pulling them back.
“Who told you such news?”
“I overheard the maids passing by talking.”
After Adrian’s death, Emperor Adolf and Empress Ines went into seclusion. Adolf gave Ruans the position of crown prince and entrusted him with all affairs.
Ruans pondered how to kill the two who stayed in their room every single day without fail. Poisoning? Murder? Rebellion?
If Adolf died, he would naturally become the emperor, so there was no need to start a rebellion. Then it was either poisoning or killing, but he lacked justification for killing the imperial family. If Adolf and Ines died, the person with the clearest motive would be none other than himself.
If the two, the emperor and empress, were murdered, the culprit had to be caught. However, there was currently no one in the Isuter Empire who had enough justification to kill those two. Therefore, it was difficult to arbitrarily kill Adolf and Ines simultaneously in the palace.
“Just hearing the maids’ stories, and you call it news?”
Ruans looked down at Yuria’s gaze and asked.
“I went to see His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress to confirm if the maids’ story was true. They really were making plans to go down for recuperation, and I also advised that getting some fresh air would be good for them.”
If the information Yuria brought was true, it was an opportunity. An opportunity to kill the two.
“And they decided to go to the White Villa for recuperation. They told me directly.”
At Yuria’s words, Ruans burst into laughter out loud. As if he heard a very funny joke. But his expression hardened coldly after he stopped laughing.
“Yes. The White Villa… They’re going there?”
“That’s right. Your Highness, Crown Prince Ruans.”
Ruans smiled again, eyes curving beautifully, and cold sweat trickled down Yuria’s back.
“The White Villa is a place where there are few people.”
“That’s right.”
“It’s also a place where it wouldn’t be strange for anything to happen.”
The strength slowly drained from Ruans’ hand that was gripping Yuria’s bangs.
“When will His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress go to the White Villa?”
“Why is that…”
“I’ll have to see them off when they go.”
To say my final farewell.
“But the departure date has not been set yet.”
“Is that so? I see.”
Yuria bowed his head to Ruans again and bit his lower lip. In order to save the emperor and empress somehow, he had to escort them out of the palace.
A few days before the engagement ceremony, Adrian acted as if he knew something would happen to him. At that time, Yuria had listened without much thought.
But on the day of the engagement ceremony, during the hunting competition, Adrian died.
Yuria regretted not participating in the hunting competition held on the day of Adrian’s engagement ceremony. He naively thought nothing would happen since Duke Teishar was with him. He didn’t stay alert until the end.
It felt like Adrian’s death was his fault.
He was foolish. And he remembered. The person who strongly pushed for holding the hunting competition was Ruans.
Yuria recalled Adrian’s last words. It was so agonizing it felt suffocating.
“Sir Yuria.”
“Yes. Your Highness, Crown Prince Ruans.”
“I’ll go see His Majesty the Emperor right now.”
“Understood.”
[This is the timeline separator]Ruans laughed loudly. He was quite satisfied with the current situation. Except for the fact that Lorencia was not by his side.
“Sir Yuria.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“The emperor and empress are going down to the White Villa. Isn’t that such joyful news?”
Yuria bowed to Ruans. He felt relieved that Ruans seemed to be following along well with the plan he had set up. Now the plan was to secretly find and rescue Emperor Adolf and Empress Ines who went to the White Villa.
Ruans would definitely send assassins to the White Villa. After killing the attacking assassins, he planned to dress their corpses in Adolf and Ines’ clothes and set fire to the White Villa along with them.
“So, Sir Yuria.”
“Yes, Your Highness Crown Prince Ruans.”
“I want to bestow a gift upon you for bringing me good news. Just know that it’s an extremely difficult item to obtain.”
“Thank you for the gift.”
Ruans took out a glass bottle with a black palm-sized bottom from the desk.
“What is that black glass bottle? Your Highness.”
“This is poison.”
Ruans smiled brightly, looking kind as he took out the frightening item and gazed at Yuria.
“Can’t you understand what I’m saying? I said this is poison.”
Perplexity flashed in Yuria’s eyes. He couldn’t understand why Ruans showed him the poison. No, actually he felt like he knew. So he just wanted to ignore the poison Ruans took out.
“Pardon? I don’t quite understand what you mean by poison.”
“This poison, you see, is from some snake that my mother personally obtained. It’s colorless and odorless, so it’s perfect for putting in food. The moment you eat it, your tongue goes numb and you experience the agony of your insides burning up.”
Yuria stared blankly at the glass bottle. He swallowed hard unconsciously. What kind of snake’s poison could it be? Could an antidote be obtained for this poison? What types of snakes had colorless and odorless venom? No matter how much he thought, nothing came to mind. There was no way Ruans would just show him that poison for no reason. It was obvious he would use that poison on Adolf and Ines.
“Before I give this gift to Sir Yuria, let me ask one question.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“What’s the best way to kill someone with poison?”
“If it’s colorless and odorless, as you said, Your Highness Crown Prince Ruans, it seems putting it in food would be best.”
“Sir Yuria. Are you using your brain before speaking to me? Putting it in food? Is that the most simplistic way you can think of? This is so disappointing. If you put a silver spoon in food laced with poison, it turns black, you know. Putting poison in food isn’t a good method.”
Ruans tapped the desk slowly.
“There are various methods for poisoning. You should be able to figure it out if you just think a little… Sir Yuria.”
“My apologies.”
“Now, let me ask another question.”
“Yes.”
“Is Sir Yuria my person?”
A chilling shudder began to run down Yuria’s back. He started to have an unpleasant premonition.
“I am indeed Your Highness Crown Prince Ruans von Isuter’s person.”
“In order to prove that Sir Yuria is my person, you must follow any order I give, right?”
“That’s right.”
Ruans, who had been tapping the desk, tilted his head slightly and met Yuria’s gaze. A smile was drawn on his lips, and his eyes curved beautifully like crescents. Yuria became so tense that the back of his neck stiffened.
“Yes. Saying you’re my person.”
Ruans reached for his waist and drew his sword from its sheath. At the sound of the sword being drawn, Yuria bowed his head to Ruans. Because bowing before a royal family member who has drawn a sword means pledging loyalty.
“I’ll give Sir Yuria one order.”
“I will do anything.”
“Accompany His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress who are going down to the White Villa this time.”
“Understood.”
“And make sure to feed them the poison I gave you somehow.”
Yuria swallowed hard, making a gulping sound unconsciously. Could it be that his plan to secretly save Adolf and Ines had been found out? His heart suddenly started pounding.
Had Ruans seen through his plan from the beginning, mocking him while pretending not to know, and prepared the poison?
How should he answer here? No matter how much he thought, there was only one answer. There was no choice.
“Understood.”
“Understood? Did you just say you understand? Sir Yuria.”
Why was he speaking in an interrogative tone? Yuria looked at Ruans.
“Do you understand what you’re trying to do and answering me?”
“Your Highness Crown Prince Ruans’ order…”
“No.”
Ruans cut off Yuria’s words.
“Sir Yuria. You’re going to kill the emperor and empress of the Isuter Empire?”
“That is…”
“You dare to kill the imperial family under the pretext of my order? What great loyalty?”
“I am Your Highness Crown Prince Ruans’ person. So I intend to follow any order you give.”
“How can I trust and keep by my side someone who commits the crime of poisoning the imperial family?”
Yuria knows well how Ruans makes people doubt their self-esteem while simultaneously making them depend on him. A conversation that blurs the point of wrongdoing. When talking with Ruans, it becomes confusing what is actually wrong. And there is only one thing Ruans, who uses this way of speaking, wants.
“I was wrong. Your Highness Crown Prince Ruans. I made a huge slip of the tongue.”
Pleading miserably that you were wrong. A way of speaking that makes the other person take all the blame.
“I committed a crime deserving of death. I am truly sorry.”
Yuria knelt down and bowed as low as possible, showing a trembling, fearful appearance. Ruans looked down at Yuria with satisfaction.
“Even if it was Your Highness’ order, for me to try to kill His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress… I apologize, Your Highness.”
“Listen carefully, Sir Yuria.”
Ruans laughed, looking at Yuria who was answering.
“Poison, you see, doesn’t have to be put only in food. You can smear it on a drinking cup, the bottom of a plate. Fingertips. Hair. Clothes, etc. As long as the poison seeps in through the mouth, eyes, nostrils, ear holes, or anywhere, they die.”
Ruans casually spouted only cruel words.
“You want to become my person? Then use this poison well to kill the emperor and empress. And set a fire to destroy the evidence.”
“Understood.”
“You may go.”
After Yuria opened the door and left, Ruans sat in a chair and a black figure suddenly appeared from somewhere.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
