The Emperor stood by the pillar, drew his sword from the waist of the standing palace guard, and without a moment’s hesitation, beheaded the court jester who had boldly thrown champagne at him.

“Kyaaaah!”

The court jester, bewildered and helpless, rolled on the floor with his expression frozen.

The blood that sprayed like a fountain covered Yuan, the people around him, and even Clad, who was hastily lifted by other palace guards.

“How dare. Such an incident happening in the presence of Igor Yuphris.”

The temperature of the eagerly awaited debutante’s palace debut, a dream of all Yuphris girls, sank into a frost in an instant.

“Anyone who dares to attempt to assassinate my nephew in my palace will not survive the day.”

Carrying the unconscious Clad on his sturdy shoulders, Emperor Igor, followed by the dazed Clad, left the party hall, and Yuan saw the sight of everyone in the hall bowing with drawn swords to the Emperor’s footsteps.

When the atmosphere in the party hall froze like an ice rink.

Clad, lying in the guest room, was still unconscious, sweating cold.

Hill, who had accompanied him just in case, rushed over with the court physician after Clad was laid down, not long ago.

The court physician, familiar with poison, immediately put a silver needle into Clad’s mouth and licked his lips as he observed that the color did not change except for the fact that he had lost consciousness.

Seeing the red elixir being pushed into Clad’s mouth, Yuan, impatiently, questioned.

“What about it? What poison is it?”

“First calm down, Viscount. It’s not to the extent of being fatal. You’re not going back.”

“How do you know that? Without checking with a pulse or a stethoscope-”

“The Yuphris family has been educated in developing immunity to poison from a very young age. They do not easily lose their lives to ordinary poisons. However, that also means they are more susceptible to particularly toxic substances. This place is where such highly toxic elixirs come in.”

“Then!”

“It seems as if Your Excellency spat out the poisoned drink directly. I have seen a similar reaction to poison before, so treatment is possible. You’re fortunate. If it had been extremely toxic, or if you had consumed more, you would have ignored immunity and died instantly.”

The body leaning against the bedpost collapsed slowly.

Hill, surprised, supported her.

“If the progress is good, you may wake up this afternoon, and if it takes time, you may wake up tomorrow, so it would be better for Your Excellency to rest a little as well. Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

The court physician, with his long white beard, maintained a courteous demeanor but spoke with a highly distant tone, advising her to take a break and handing over the instruction to Hill along with the medicine pouch, then stood up.

Yuan, who wiped the cold sweat on Clad’s neat forehead, finally let out a breath, and with his legs losing strength, he sat at the edge of the bed, leaning his forehead on Clad’s shoulder, swallowing back tears.

He wouldn’t give in to stubbornness.
“Do not grab the hand of this man who seems willing to become a partner, telling you to live like others. Without even executing the plan to investigate Count Compani or understanding Bolonico’s intentions. ‘I am so powerless that I can’t even bear to watch you vomit blood….’ Thoughts stained with endless regret and reflection swirl in Yuan’s head. Behind Yuan’s shoulders, a strange murmur poured out. ‘Ha. Even to the palace like this….’ It was a very small sigh that brushed by like the wind. Although it was a sigh that might pass. It would have been a sigh questioning how such an incident could happen even in the palace. But now it was different. ‘……To the palace?'”
Hilé flinched as she raised her pale face and met Yuan’s gaze. Yuan opened his bloodshot eyes and stared straight at Hilé. “All the way to the palace?” Pale and horrified, Hilé looked at him as if she had just been slapped, unable to even open her mouth. Seeing Hilé’s frozen face, Yuan, filled with confidence, stepped decisively towards her. “Did such incidents also occur at the mansion?” “I, I… I mean, let me explain!” “Speak up!” Hilé, in a state of shock, couldn’t respond to Yuan’s unfamiliar shout. However, she couldn’t escape the deep anger and unfounded conviction in Yuan’s black eyes, which flickered with intense rage. Hilé, bewildered as if witnessing a change in personality, barely blinked her eyes twice and responded with a face mixed with embarrassment and defeat. “W-well, the truth is…”

Chief Physician of the Black Mansion.