Chapter 54: The Conspiracy Exposed
What?
What is Victoria talking about?
Assassin, army… toxin?
I was staring blankly at her profile, gazing into her calm eyes, my mouth slightly ajar, my brain a little fuzzy.
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand her; it was just that Victoria was too unfazed. When she said that, she seemed completely unbothered and relaxed, with no emotional fluctuations whatsoever. It felt like she had just thought of a joke that wasn’t even funny.
But in my peripheral vision, I saw the Old Duke’s twitching lips and the shocked face of the rotund commander behind him, which told me that things might actually be as serious as Victoria suspected.
I became alert, my body tensing slightly. While keeping an eye on the Old Duke, I was also quietly observing the surroundings, worried about any assassins slipping in or someone suddenly using poison.
Victoria’s voice had been quiet, yet it reached the ears of several nearby aristocrats who were watching the scene with bated breaths. Panic started to spread among them, and the venue gradually became noisy again.
“Did you hear what Her Majesty the Queen just said?”
“Is she joking? What does Duke Lex want? How dare he…”
“Shh! Lower your voice; let’s get out of here quickly.”
Someone quietly made their way toward the exit of the hall.
But more chose to stay put, watching the situation unfold.
“Your Majesty, I genuinely don’t understand your meaning; I didn’t hear a word. Could you please… elaborate a bit more?”
The Old Duke, sitting across from her, remained calm, though his smile had vanished, his squinted eyes fixed on Victoria’s exquisite face, and his voice lower than before.
However, the rotund commander behind him was clearly getting anxious. He was fidgeting uncomfortably, hiding his trembling hands behind his back, sweat dripping down his face.
Something was definitely wrong…
I planted my hands on my mount, positioning myself as if I could jump at any moment, keeping a focused gaze on the Old Duke and his crew, ready to react if they unexpectedly launched an attack or pulled off an unpredictable Scheme.
Yet, in contrast to my tension, Victoria seemed extraordinarily calm.
She picked up the ornate box with the emblem, holding it before her with keen interest and even sniffed it.
Her lips curled slightly.
“Snake Kiss.”
She casually spat out that unfamiliar term that left me utterly confused.
But at that moment, I saw the Old Duke’s expression change completely.
“It’s a potent poison primarily made from creeping plants, specifically snake root. You crush the buds and leaves to concoct it. The liquid is colorless but has a faint fishy smell; it’s hard to detect unless you’re paying attention. Its toxicity is ten times that of a rattlesnake; just smelling it can cause unconsciousness, and touching it means d*ath by hemorrhagic shocks within half an hour. The toxin has a delayed onset, and until it activates, the poisoned person shows no signs—making it a favorite among assassins worldwide—”
Crash!
I slapped the box out of her hands, jumped up, and with the other hand hastily covered my nose.
In my eagerness, my palm met my face with a loud “smack”.
“Are you still sniffing it, you idiot?!” I shouted, tears welling up as I spoke.
Didn’t she just say that smelling it can knock you out?
d*mn the Old Duke for coating something used to threaten Her Majesty with poison!
How long have we been breathing this in…
My heart raced in my chest.
Crash, crash—
The box hit the carpet across the room. The surrounding aristocrats were instantly in an uproar, panic plastered on their faces as they stumbled backward, some even screaming in fright.
“Please, everyone, don’t panic. The snake root’s root can counteract the poison. I’ve ground it into powder and mixed it into the cake; you will be fine,” Victoria said indifferently.
As her words fell, I saw several people eagerly diving into the cake, eating with such fervor that they abandoned any semblance of aristocratic decorum, outdoing even my own enthusiasm.
I slowly lowered my hand from my nose, my eyes wide as I looked toward Victoria, speechless.
This woman…
She continued, “This is the poison that killed my father and mother. Duke Lex, did you really think I’d be caught off guard? In fact, five days ago, I had someone buy enough snake root. I knew you were coming and was well aware of your little tricks. Just to be safe, before the banquet started, I even prepared an antidote.”
At this point, she cast a glance in my direction.
“I gave her the antidote too, and Old Leikmon…”
?
When did I get drugged? How could I not have noticed… impossible… ah!
Earrings…
“I assumed you would use a more ruthless method, but you resorted to the same old cliché. Duke Lex, what has made you so complacent? Is it that you think victory is in sight, or are you feeling pressured and growing anxious inside?”
“Anxious? Ridiculous!”
The Old Duke had completely shed his disguise. He no longer laughed, his gaze onto Victoria’s made him look as dangerous as a serpent.
“What am I anxious about? I told you today was about gifts—”
Before he could finish, Victoria interrupted him.
“Let me tell you what you’re anxious about.”
As she spoke, Victoria stood up from her seat, gesturing toward some unknown spot in the distance. Following her gaze, I saw several figures flash through the crowd. I instinctively touched my earring.
“Surely, you’ve received the Church’s summoning scroll by now. You don’t dare respond to it, yet you can’t be certain when forceful measures will be enacted. That’s your first dilemma.”
“Next, you want to buy time, but now that your treasury is empty, the Iron Guard’s pay is becoming increasingly strained. If you can’t pay their wages for a day, you’ll have to fill the gaps yourself, and by the end of April, the pressure will become unbearable, right? You’ve got no choice but to look for excuses to seize resources. But you don’t want to breach the treaty, terrified of being accused of war crimes by the Church. If it comes to that, the Church Knights will have a reason to march, and they could flatten your Felesk Fortress within a month. So you have to use the d*ath of my mother and father as an excuse for a bandit raid in the Northern Region.”
“You wiped out my mother’s family and stole their food supplies, but you know that won’t last long. Once the gold is gone, those who fight for you won’t listen anymore, and the Iron Guard will start to disintegrate from within. You don’t know how many are willing to starve and fight alongside you; you don’t dare take that gamble… and that’s your third dilemma.”
Victoria spoke slowly and methodically, and with each word, the Old Duke’s face darkened further. As for the rotund commander behind him… his body was trembling uncontrollably, cold sweat dripped from his cheeks onto the carpet.
He seemed to be struggling with the pressure…
I considered taking a few of them down, but I feared they had a hidden card up their sleeve. Victoria seemed to have seen through the Old Duke already; she likely had her own plan…
Let’s just hear her out first; vigilance is key.
“Three dilemmas, enough to send you into a frenzy. Your sleep quality must have been poor lately, right? This is the situation before you. To break free, you must act swiftly, not a moment to lose. And now… is the perfect time for you.”
“…Is that so?”
The Old Duke stood up, facing Victoria, a sneer curling on his lips as he locked eyes with her, his gaze fiery.
But Victoria remained indifferent, continuing to speak as if she didn’t care.
“Boswell has fallen, the Royal City is no longer impregnable, especially after experiencing such a disaster; it’s the most unstable time. And tonight’s celebration, everyone will gather together—this is your best opportunity to strike. Only by seizing the Royal City can you hope for a turnaround.”
Whoosh—
Suddenly, she raised her hand, sending a thin gust of wind that struck the Old Duke.
Clang!
It made a soft metallic clash.
This old geezer is wearing chainmail under his clothes!
The entire banquet hall erupted into chaos.
“Capture him!”
“Grab that old scoundrel!”
“How dare he plot to assassinate Her Majesty the Queen, he should be hanged—!”
The Old Duke ignored the surrounding din, his icy gaze fixated on Victoria’s face, his lips curling upward.
“Brilliant, brilliant! You’ve managed to expose my most embarrassing moments, Queen. I admit I’ve been somewhat careless this time. Your wisdom impresses me… honestly, I’m quite angry. Though I’m angry, I can’t help but want to keep listening. Just as you mentioned earlier, I’m waiting. So please, do continue. Guess how many Iron Guards will trample the Royal Palace shortly.”
