“Ah, you’re saying ginseng was added to the supplements?”

A tremor tinged Jane’s voice as she questioned me. Lea grinned, her eyes twinkling playfully.

“Yes, it helps with insomnia. Many of our servants have been complaining about it, you see.”

Of course, that was a blatant lie. How could they have added an exotic Eastern herb so difficult to acquire to ordinary supplements?

However, Jane, being ignorant in herbal medicine, had no choice but to believe this absurd lie. After all, she was the one who had actively purchased these supplements.

‘Who would gamble with their life like this?’

Lea clearly remembered the sight of Jane swallowing the supplement. If it were true that the food had been drugged, Jane would be unable to act.

The herbs Jane had taken would transform into poison even with a small amount of ginseng.

‘If Jane has been consistently taking the supplements.’

The poison would be almost lethal. All of a sudden, the spoon in Jane’s hand trembled violently and dropped to the floor.

Unable to contain her trembling, the spoon rolled across the floor. At this sight, Lea slowly curled her lips into a smile.

‘As expected. It was you, wasn’t it?’

The thistle of Bayern.

Lea scooped up a spoonful of soup and offered it to Jane.

“So careless.”

Jane’s face turned pale at Lea’s urging look, as if telling her to eat quickly. She was like a rat trapped in poison.

Jane looked at the spoon Lea offered, then collapsed onto the floor.

“Come to think of it, you’ve been taking these supplements quite regularly, haven’t you?”

“…”

“Thus, you can’t act, can you?”

Lea bent her knees and looked Jane in the eye.

“I’ve put the herbs you stole last night into this food. You can’t eat it because it counteracts with ginseng.”

“Ah, Mistress of Medicine…”

Jane’s voice quivered as she called for Lea. And the smile on Lea’s lips abruptly ceased.

“How dare you plot against the only Count in the empire. Even if you were sponsored by a servant.”

“Hhow did you know…?”

“Do you think your death will be the end of this assassination attempt against a royal?”

Jane trembled, perhaps foreseeing the words that would follow.

“Your elderly parents in your hometown, as well as your sick younger brother, should die too.”

Not just Jane, but a sin that would extinguish three generations. A chill settled in Jane’s face, now covered with despair.

“How unfortunate. To think that you started this to save your younger brother, yet it may lead to your entire family’s demise.”

“Pplease, Count!”

Jane crawled up to the Count, wailing.

“Count, I have committed a sin worthy of death. Please, please forgive me just this once.”

“…”

“I had no choice because I needed money for my brother’s medicine. Sob, sob. I didn’t want to go this far, but the servant threatened me…! Please believe me!”

Jane clutched the hem of the Count’s pants, pleading.

Tears flowed down her cheeks, leaving dark stains on the carpet.

‘Asking me to trust the one who intended to assassinate me.’

If Lea hadn’t noticed, Akiya would have died an awful death. Her gaze grew cold as she looked at the shameless Jane.

The Count, observing Jane, quietly wrote something down. When Lea checked the note, it succinctly read:

‘A test of trust.’

Lea’s lips curled slightly at the corner, as if she understood what the Count wanted to convey.

“Prove it.”

“Hhow?”

At Jane’s retort, Lea’s and the Count’s gazes met in midair. Seeing the Count who wrote nothing, Lea understood he was leaving it up to her.

Yes, if it were the Count she knew up till now, he would have said something like this.

“Do as you’re told from now on.”

Had she precisely grasped his intent?

A loose smile appeared on the Count’s face as he looked at Lea.

(This is a time separator.)
Bayern, freshly returned from vacation, sat facing Count Heidern in the reception room. It was time to place orders for necessary goods for the changing season.

“So, we’ll place our orders like this this time.”

“Very well, just like always, from Parthia.”

Upon the butler’s response, Count Heidern nodded. The Count was likely to collapse soon, so not much housekeeping was required.

However, Bayern cunningly increased the quantities.

‘If we move to the capital, we’ll need settling funds. Hehe, this will come in handy.’

He was scanning the completed order form with a satisfied gaze when urgent footsteps echoed down the hallway.

“Tsk. Who’s running in the mansion?”

“I’ll increase discipline among the staff.”

Bayern clicked his tongue in displeasure.

It was a mansion inhabited by a Count of the empire. The mansion’s discipline was a shambles.

‘The servants are like this because of the Count’s condition.’

Then, the footsteps gradually approached the reception room. And suddenly, the door burst open.

“Sir, sir! There’s big trouble!”

“What happened?”

Bayern locked eyes with the maid seeking him. She was one of the maids working in the Count’s bedroom alongside Jane.

If this bedroom maid sought him so urgently, there could be only one reason.