He had clung to the carriage she was riding in and followed her to the Artem estate.

Serrun watched it all with his own two eyes.

Rosé entering the Duke’s mansion.

Serrun licked his lips, his gaze dark.

“… There doesn’t seem to be anything in particular. I’ve checked all the letters, but there was nothing. Except that Duke Artem sent an invitation to the ball to the lady.”

He hid the truth he had seen that day and shook his head.

Sedric moved on without doubting the transparent look in Serrun’s eyes, which seemed devoid of any deceit.

“Why would that damned brat invite Rosé and cause this trouble, tsk.”

Remembering the humiliation he suffered at the ball, Sedric clenched his fist and trembled.

“Duke Artem… you may have been lucky once, but you won’t be able to avoid it the second time. This time, I’ll strangle you.”

A sarcastic laugh echoed in the basement. The man next to Sedric added to the conversation.

“Yes. You won’t be able to avoid it this time. I’ve already planted someone on Princess Diana’s side.”

“Yes, everything is falling into place. The woman infamous for her thoroughness is the only one who lets her guard down around my cousin, Duke Artem. We have no choice but to exploit that.”

Diana was excessively sensitive to ‘poison.’

She always had a poison detector by her side, and she only ate after he had eaten the food.

She always drank water from a cup made from ‘unicorn’s horn,’ which had detoxifying effects, and never touched any kind of wine.

Because it’s hard to distinguish the taste, aroma, and color if poison is mixed into wine.

But she had one day a year, just one day, when she drank wine.

It was on her birthday celebration, Diana.

Without fail, Duke Artem would bring wine that day. She would drink the wine her trustworthy cousin poured for her without any doubts.

“I made a cup identical to Princess Diana’s from the tooth of a narwhal. Unlike the ‘unicorn’s horn’ which breaks down poison, the tooth of a narwhal has no effect, so even a small amount of it can be very dangerous. The princess will probably drink the wine handed to her by Duke Artem without any suspicion.”

“Yes, but His Majesty is worried. Isn’t Princess Diana his only daughter? He asked to use a poison that she could recover from if she takes an antidote.”

“Don’t worry about that. We’ve already finished testing how much is enough through the prisoners.”

At the man’s words, Sedric’s lips curled up in satisfaction.

“Duke Artem will never be able to avoid suspicion of poisoning Princess Diana.”

“This time, you can finish the Duke off for sure. And once this matter is over, you will acknowledge the efforts of the Count of Wens, Duke Fliche.”

In the basement, the hearty laughter of the two men echoed.

Jane, who had heard all the conversations, froze on the spot.

‘What… what did I just hear?’

She had heard a chilling, horrifying plot that she shouldn’t have.

If she were discovered here now, it wouldn’t end with just a severe punishment.

Jane held her breath, unable to even breathe properly. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the hellish time to pass.

The thought that she would die if discovered made her knees numb with fear.

How much time had passed? Sedric and his man bid farewell to Serrun and left the basement.

But even after they left, Jane couldn’t move.

Because there was one more person in this basement besides the two men and Jane.

Thump thump.

The slow footsteps approached. Jane kept her eyes closed tightly, shaking with fear at the footsteps coming towards her.

“You… heard it all, didn’t you?”

Before long, Serrun approached Jane’s side. In a low voice, he whispered into Jane’s ear.

Jane, who had been tightly clutching her hands, slowly opened her eyes at the sound of Serrun’s voice. Her eyelashes trembled delicately above her squinted eyes.

Unable to hide her trembling, she stared at Serrun.

“Lord Serrun… how… how could you do this?” she questioned.

Facing Jane’s resentful gaze, Serrun responded in silence.

“Pretend you didn’t hear what you just heard.”

Serrun did not answer Jane’s question, he just said what he had to say.

However, it seemed he had no intention of killing Jane, who had heard everything.

“Lord Serrun! How did you get tangled up in all this?”

“Don’t you understand yet? I’ve been approaching the lady intentionally from the beginning. And to you too.”

“….!”

At Serrun’s words, Jane’s eyes filled with shock. Then, large tears welled up in her eyes.

Even though she didn’t want to believe it even though she saw it…

She had hoped that at least his feelings for her were genuine!

Transparent tears streamed down her freckled cheeks.

“So everything… was a lie.”

“….”

“Your gentle attitude… and your loyalty to the lady…”

Jane, with her shaking eyes, looked at Serrun and trembled. Then, she opened her trembling mouth with difficulty.

“Even your confession of love to me… everything must have been a lie.”

Serrun flinched at Jane’s words.

“I believed you… when you said you would protect me for a lifetime!”