“… What did you say?”

Amy doubted her own ears. The Crown Prince glared at her with an annoyed face.

“If you wrongly suspected someone, you should naturally apologize.”

“Your Highness… Now is not the time for this.”

She tried hard to suppress her anger, fearing that even this commotion might burden Noah. But the Crown Prince paid no heed and poured out his anger.

“Are you joking? Who did you just suspect? I am the one and only Crown Prince of the Empire. I could turn this into an international dispute right now!”

“!”

“Do you really want that? Can you handle it?”

Since it was true, Amy couldn’t easily retort. As she chewed on her lips, the Crown Prince glared at her with betrayal in his eyes, then turned his gaze sideways and grumbled for all to hear.

“I don’t know who this is for, since when have you been on the 2nd Prince’s side…”

“… What did you just say?”

Amy’s voice trembled with anger, but the Crown Prince, unaware, continued to pour out his complaints.

“That’s right. I know you haven’t cared about that guy all this time, but after spending just a few months together, can you do this to me who has been with you for over ten years?”

“Your Highness, as I said, the Grand Duke’s well-being is the most urgent matter now…”

“Who doesn’t know that? But is there anything Amy can do right now?”

“…”

The Crown Prince’s words struck her like a sledgehammer. He rolled his eyes and glanced at the head seat. Noah was still lying there helplessly, covered in blood. The Crown Prince raised his chin triumphantly, looking down at Amy, and said meaningfully.

“You should think carefully. About who you need to be good to.”

It meant she shouldn’t forget her position, which would be like a kite with a broken string if Noah died. Just as Amy bit her lip in despair, Vernon at the head seat urgently called her.

“Lady-in-waiting! His Highness is calling for you!”

“!”

The expressions of the three people changed. While the Crown Prince and the Baron quickly exchanged glances, Amy hurriedly turned and ran. Then she collapsed by Noah’s head, looking at him with desperate eyes. His face had more color than before, perhaps due to the physician’s treatment being effective.

“How is His Highness?”

The physician spoke, wiping the sweat covering his face.

“We’ve passed the immediate crisis, but we need to move him right away for proper treatment.”

Amy nodded and gestured to Vernon to move Noah. At that moment, a cold hand grasped Amy’s wrist. It was Noah.

“Not yet.”

Noah spoke with difficulty.

“We need to catch the culprit.”

“Your Highness, right now your well-being is…”

Amy pleaded anxiously, but Noah stubbornly shook his head. Then he slowly stroked Amy’s hand.

“Don’t worry, Amy. I won’t die.”

“Your Highness.”

“I won’t leave Amy and the others to wander without a master. Trust me.”

Saying this, Noah smiled with a pale face. Amy, Vernon, Bradley, and the surrounding physicians and guards all felt like they were about to cry. The young Grand Duke was forcing himself to rise despite the pain of coughing up blood, in order to protect them.

Noah, who had painfully sat up in his seat, tilted his head back and muttered.

“So, what excuses did that fellow make?”

Realizing he meant Baron Pierson, Amy quickly relayed the situation while wiping the blood stains remaining on his face. Noah nodded after hearing the story.

“Now, step back.”

At those words, the guards who had been surrounding him to shield him from people’s eyes looked at Vernon and Amy. Amy nodded, and the guards retreated like the ebb tide. Noah at the head seat was once again exposed to people’s gazes.

“Grand Duke! Are you alright?”

Several northern vassals looked at him with concern. Apart from them, everyone else was staring at Noah with expressions mixed with worry and fear.

Noah silently looked down at them. In his mind, Amy’s words before entering the hall were echoing.

‘I hope you won’t be looked down upon.’

Noah slowly closed his eyes, then opened them. His expression changed in an instant. People felt the air in the hall suddenly turn cold.

“Baron Pierson, step forward.”

Noah calmly summoned the baron. He flinched, then soon came forward nonchalantly. Everyone’s eyes were on him.

Noah rested his elbow on the armrest of the chair and propped his chin. Then he spoke languidly.

“So what I drank was your medicine?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes…”

As the baron swallowed hard, Noah nodded.

“Then it was an accident.”

“What?”

The baron, who had been prepared for harsh questioning, felt caught off guard. It was the same for others. The northern vassals immediately came forward and protested vehemently.

“An accident? How can we believe that fellow’s words?”

“That’s right. To make a mistake with the wine offered to Your Highness, we can’t let this slide. We must thoroughly investigate if there’s someone behind this.”

“Exactly! We must clearly reveal the truth and make an example of him.”

Among them, there were also those who offered cautious opinions.

“Even if it’s determined to be an accident, he must take responsibility.”

“Of course. Wasn’t it almost a disaster? We should also protest to the Empire.”

As the Empire’s responsibility was mentioned, the Crown Prince waved his hand with a displeased face.

“I’ll express regrets on behalf of the Empire. That should be enough, right?”

“…”

“Making such a fuss over nothing.”

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant. Even those who had been silent until then, carefully observing the situation, turned their backs on the Empire after seeing the Crown Prince’s frivolous attitude. Unaware that he had hurt the pride of the northerners, the Crown Prince continued his foolish behavior.

“He’s alive, isn’t that enough? It seems the North is full of petty people who can’t be generous about mistakes.”

“Hah…”

People exhaled in disbelief. As the anger of the northerners seemed about to explode, Noah lowered his eyes and thought.

‘It’s a bluff.’

The Crown Prince was creating an opportunity to unite the North against the Empire. And he had no intention of missing this chance.

Noah spoke calmly.

“This is an incident where the Empire and the Duchy have become entangled in an unsavory matter. It would be better for appearances and the relationship between our two countries if we resolve this cleanly.”

“…”

Since it wasn’t wrong, the Crown Prince just clenched his teeth without rebutting. Noah continued speaking.

“Fortunately, the solution is simple.”

“What is it?”

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Noah turned to the baron and said.

“You drink it.”

“…Pardon?”

The baron was briefly flustered, then soon brightened up. He nodded his head vigorously.

“I will do so.”

Then he took out a small bottle from his breast, opened the lid, and dropped a few drops into a nearby wine glass. He had brought poison diluted dozens of times in case such a situation arose. As he was about to drink it excitedly, Noah suddenly shook his head.

“Not that one.”

“Pardon?”

The baron was bewildered. Noah raised one corner of his mouth and pointed to his own glass.

“You should drink that one.”

“!”

Suddenly his face turned black. The baron turned his head to look at the Crown Prince so quickly it made a whooshing sound. The Crown Prince was momentarily confused by his piercing gaze, then seemed to realize something and his face became one of dismay.

Amy secretly smiled with satisfaction.

‘The Crown Prince forgot that they had agreed to get rid of the glass the Grand Duke drank from.’

“H-How can we trust that that wine is what the Grand Duke was drinking?”

The baron made a meaningless protest. As soon as his words fell, one of the northern nobles who had been suspicious of him shouted.

“When His Highness collapsed, a knight received the glass and stood where everyone could see. Everyone here can testify that no one touched it. Do you imperial people think northerners’ eyes are knotholes?”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

The baron, overwhelmed, spoke in a shrinking voice while sweating. Noah, who had been slouching in his chair, straightened his posture and stared at him with sharp eyes unlike someone who had just collapsed.

“I guarantee, the wine I drank contained dozens of times more of the drug you just mixed in.”

“!”

The baron could only roll his eyes without replying. As he hesitated and wasted time, the impatient northern nobles urged him harshly.

“What are you doing? Go ahead and drink it.”

“Isn’t this your chance to prove your innocence? Why are you dragging it out?”

“Y-Your Highness…”

The baron called out to the Crown Prince in an anguished voice. It sounded like a goat’s bleat because he was shaking like an aspen leaf. But the Crown Prince avoided his gaze, pretending not to know.

Noah opened his mouth.

“Bradley.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Please command me.”

Noah gestured with his chin towards Baron Pierson.

“He seems to be having trouble drinking because he’s shaking, so lend him a hand.”

“As you command.”

Bradley went down holding the glass with long strides. The terrified baron tried to run away, but the guards surrounding the area rushed in and firmly held him down.

With his face smashed into the floor, the baron screamed at the top of his lungs, asking if they knew who he was. But no one paid any attention.

Bradley shoved his hand into the baron’s mouth to open it and poured the remaining wine in the glass all at once.

“Ugh, cough!”

Having swallowed it inadvertently, the baron coughed violently and tried to vomit by putting his fingers in his throat. But he couldn’t manage it while restrained by the guards. The baron struggled and shouted.

“Let go, you bastards! I won’t let you get away with this… Ugh!”

“!”

Suddenly the baron’s Adam’s apple moved up and down. Soon after, blood gushed out like a fountain from the mouth of the baron whose face had turned blue.

“Argh!”

The baron’s body was instantly soaked in blood. People screamed and stepped back.

“Y-Your Highness… Ugh.”

Released from the guards, the baron reached out his blood-soaked hand and tried to approach the Crown Prince. Even during this short speech, blood kept flowing from his mouth. A pool of blood formed around his body, indicating massive bleeding.

“Urgh…”

Thud. The baron clawed at his throat and fell to his knees. Then he collapsed face-first into his own blood. People held their breath and waited for his next move. But the baron, as if he had breathed his last, no longer moved.

“…”

The hall was enveloped in terribly heavy silence. While everyone was frozen, staring at the baron, Noah slowly straightened his back and leaned against the backrest. All eyes turned to him.

Noah slowly looked around and said in a low voice.

“Is there anyone else who wants to take the medicine?”