In a room blanketed in deep darkness, Ankia, slumped in a chair, murmured quietly.

“Cheetah grass?”

“Yes. It’s a rare herb that only grows in the East. It’s not well known in the empire, but it’s a poisonous herb that can dissolve blood vessels if severe.”

‘Hmm.’

Ankia stifled a chuckle. Contrary to his endlessly rising lips, his voice was cold.

“It seems they are desperate to get rid of me, judging by the risky move they’ve made.”

Every three months, the Emperor sent Ankia a royal physician, under the pretense of caring for his only brother.

Strictly speaking, the royal physician was a monitor sent by the Emperor. To the Emperor, Ankia had to remain a frail Duke, whose death could come at any time.

A man hidden in the dark shadows cautiously asked.

“Could they have noticed something on your side? Your visit to the estate was faster than expected. And there’s this sudden prescription of a poisonous herb… I have a bad feeling.”

The royal physician always visited the estate on a predetermined schedule. That’s why Ankia adjusted his dosage of Polarium to coincide with the physician’s arrival.

If things had gone as planned, the royal physician’s visit would have been a month later. Moreover, due to the recent efficacy of the moonflowers, the Duke’s complexion was better than before.

If the royal physician discovered Ankia’s improved health, it was only a matter of time before it reached the Emperor’s ears.

As there was not yet a precise antidote developed, Ankia had no choice but to take Polarium again.

And that too, in a much larger dose than usual. At first, Ankia thought he would just suffer severely for a few days.

But then.

“Cheetah grass…”

Receiving such a poisonous prescription was something he had not expected at all. It was a move that could possibly raise suspicions about the Emperor trying to harm him.

‘Well, it’s not a false accusation, so it wouldn’t be unfair.’

Ankia seemed to be lost in thought, tapping his finger on the desk.

So far, the royal physician’s job here was to check on Ankia’s health and report back to the Emperor.

But this time, he had issued a prescription that could take his life and cornered him. Ankia rubbed his jaw and asked quietly.

That meant there had been a change in the Emperor’s sentiments.

“Did any news come from the capital?”

“No. There has been no particular news yet.”

“They might have noticed something. Look into it more closely. I have a bad feeling.”

“Understood.”

The moment he had been preparing for a long time was now approaching. Therefore, he had to be extra cautious.

“Still, the skills of the apothecary seem quite good. I was wondering where you brought a kid from at first.”

At the man’s words, Ankia remembered last night’s events. The image of the woman trying to make him take the medicine by any means.

“Yes, she does have some skills.”

If it weren’t for Lea, he might have been helplessly dead.

He had boasted of being quite proficient in herbs. Yet, Ankia had no knowledge of such a herb as cheetah grass.

‘They probably tried to pin everything on the apothecary.’

They could act so boldly because they had a scapegoat prepared. But they must not have thought that a rookie apothecary would know about such a herb.

And that the apothecary would treat him. The image of Lea trying to feed him medicine while he was in a state of confusion was vivid in his mind.

‘Come to think of it, her face.’

The left cheek was noticeably swollen, as if she had been hit by someone.

Who hit her? Who hit that woman?

The royal physician? Or was it the butler Byern?

Even when he tried to remember what had happened in his bedroom that day, he could only recall the horrific pain.

And then suddenly, Ankia realized he was curious about something useless.

‘Why am I curious about that?’

Again. This uncomfortable feeling.

Something that sprang up in his heart since last night wasn’t going away easily.

After all, she was just doing her job faithfully.
Being a prince and a duke, his own life was at stake if he were to die, so he had no choice but to be desperate.

However, he wasn’t feeling bad for some reason.

A smile had unknowingly crossed his lips. It was faint enough to be difficult to discern if he was smiling or freezing.

The next morning, Lea was examining the Duke early.

“How is your body feeling?”

“Not bad.”

Akia gave a terse answer to Lea’s inquiry about his health. Then, nonchalantly turning his head, Lea approached him.

“But you mustn’t overexert yourself for a while. From Polarium poison to leopard grass. Even if you look okay on the outside, your body took a lot of damage.”

The Duke glanced at Lea’s cheek, her voice filled with worry. He nodded reluctantly, seemingly persuaded by Lea’s imploring gaze.

“Alright.”

Lea was tidying her medical bag while sneaking glances at the Duke.

In fact, Lea had a concern she had been considering even before the Duke woke up. It was about the misconduct of Jacob, the royal physician.

‘I’ve heard that the current emperor cherishes the Duke greatly.’