“The Count has collapsed!”

Bayern shot up from his seat. Unlike Count Heidern, who was visibly pale, his eyes were ablaze.

.

.

.

Lea alternated her gaze between the Count and the bedroom door. The bedroom maid had gone to report, so the butler would arrive soon.

Stealing a glance, she saw Jane tightly clasping her hands. A face full of tension.

Feeling Lea’s gaze, Jane hid her trembling hands in her skirts.

‘Well… she’ll handle it.’

Their lives were at stake. Lea shifted her gaze back to the Count, whose body twitched even while unconscious.

Thanks to the medicine Lea had prescribed in advance, the Count’s pulse had dropped dramatically.

At this rate, it would look like a cardiac arrest happened overnight. Lea purposely raised her voice more intensely.

“Count!”

Akira drew a ragged breath. The acting was so spirited it made her worry if there were real side effects.

‘He’s not really sick, right?’

While internally worrying, Lea was about to secure his airway for emergency measures when—

—Bang!

The bedroom door flung open, and Butler Bayern entered.

“Count!”

His eyes briefly lingered on Jane while rushing toward the Count slumped on the bed.

They exchanged what seemed like wordless communication, extremely covert.

Had Lea not known about the two’s relationship, she would have been completely fooled.

Then, swiftly approaching, Bayern pushed Lea aside.

“What in the world happened? Why did the perfectly fine Count suddenly collapse?”

“That’s… He just collapsed suddenly. I am trying to figure out the cause; there was nothing wrong, specifically.”

Upon hearing Lea’s ignorant response, Bayern’s brow furrowed deeply.

“What have you been doing all this time that you don’t even know the cause when things have come to this?!”

“…”

“He was perfectly fine until breakfast, why suddenly…”

While shouting at Lea, Bayern’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. As if recalling something.

“Yes. Now that I think of it, it’s strange. He was fine this morning.”

Suddenly, Bayern’s suspicious eyes landed on Lea.

“Could it be that the apothecary wrongly prescribed medicine?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you scheming something by feeding the Count some strange medicine?”

Bayern’s eyes glaring at Lea were fiercer than ever. He now seemed convinced of Lea’s guilt.

“It’s not like that! I’ve only given him ginseng tea as usual…”
“You dare prescribe whether it’s a remedy or a poison! Make your excuses to the royal guards and leave at once!”

“Poison? I’m Count Heidern’s apothecary, why would I ever prescribe poison?”

Lea cried out in injustice, but Bayern snorted dismissively.

“We will find out after an investigation. If anything happens to the Count, you won’t escape execution.”

With a threatening tone, Bayern, who was standing behind, called Jane.

“Jane! Go fetch the estate soldiers. Also bring something to write a letter.”

“Yes, yes!”

Jane promptly accepted the command and left the bedroom.

“Wait a moment! Sir! Leaving it like this is dangerous for the Count. At least emergency treatment…!”

“You’re not getting through.”

Lea clung desperately to Bayern’s coattails in a pitiful voice, but he pushed her away. Then, seemingly annoyed, he called to a servant standing outside.

“Hey! Take the apothecary to the dispensary room now! Guard her until charges are cleared.”

Bayern looked more confident than ever, unaware of the future.

‘Foolish.’

Lea twitched the corner of her mouth to hide her unease, and contorted her face. Then she protested towards the steward with an even more desperate voice.

“I… I am being wronged! Sir!”

Despite her desperate calls as she was led away, Bayern’s expression did not change a bit.

(This is a time separator.)

It had already been two days since Count Heidern collapsed.

At first, his pulse seemed to faintly beat, but now it was so weak that it was nearly untraceable.

‘He will soon suffer cardiac arrest. Conveniently, a delegation from the royal family is coming.’

Jane, who had been trembling at the steward’s command, seemed to have done her job well.

As expected, she was a woman obsessed with money.

Having confirmed that Count Heidern had completely lost consciousness, Bayern sent a letter to the royal palace.

And today, a royal decree arrived.

The one who stole medicine from the dispensary was Jane. And the one who prescribed tea with sanjoin, which was antagonistic to the stolen medicine, was Lea.

‘Therefore, I am not under suspicion.’

Once the people from the royal household confirmed the Count’s death, Lea would be the first to be suspected. Moreover, Lea had disappeared from the dispensary where she had been confined.

“Clever girl.”

It was clear she sensed something was wrong and fled. She had hastily run away, leaving all her personal belongings and clothing behind. Only Lea was missing.

“It’s a good thing. It makes it easier to frame her.”

Even if something went wrong and it was revealed to be someone’s scheme.

‘The one who will be punished is that maidservant.’