I Unintentionally Cured the Grand Duke’s Insomnia - Chapter 150

75. — Doubt Sprouts (2)

“I didn’t notice anything. To me, it just smells like regular herbal tea.”

I hesitated for a moment, blinking at his question.

He really couldn’t detect the scent of Ritul? As he had said, at first, the tea smelled just like any other herbal tea. But beneath the fragrant tea, I caught a scent I recognized. My instincts sharpened as I concentrated on the scent, and before I knew it, a buried memory resurfaced.

The lingering scent that had once filled the halls of the Winder family estate. The unmistakable scent of Ritul, the deadly herb that had robbed Lord Winder of his sight.

I stumbled slightly over my words as I met Lord Jackson’s expectant gaze.

“At first, I only noticed the herbal tea’s fragrance. But hidden within it was a subtle yet distinct scent of Ritul. I’m certain of it.”

“….”

“There’s no doubt. I once caught the scent of Ritul when Baron Jo Malone used it to keep Lord Winder hostage.”

Hearing the conviction in my voice, Andre’s expression hardened.

For a moment, I wondered if he didn’t believe me. Watching him closely, I caught the contemplation in his eyes as he studied the teacup before finally speaking.

“If you’re talking about the incident with Baron Jo Malone and Lord Winder, do you mean the shapeshifter village case that was reported in the articles?”

“That’s right. Have you heard about it?”

“Yeah, that incident was well-known in Retinem, too. But I don’t recall the articles mentioning anything about Ritul…”

I gave a slight nod in response to his careful question.

“That’s right. His Majesty was concerned about Ritul being misused, so he chose not to disclose its involvement in the reports.”

Lord Jackson let out a quiet, restrained sigh.

I glanced at him with concern, only to catch a sudden flicker of something sharp in his gaze.

‘…Killing intent?’

“It seems there’s an accomplice to the assassins inside the castle.”

“Lord Jackson…?”

“I’m sorry, Lia. I should have paid closer attention…”

“Ah, no, I’m fine. Besides, nothing actually happened…!”

“No.”

His voice cut through the silence, cold and firm. Then, his piercing gaze locked onto mine as he continued his words.

“If someone not only targeted your life once but now serves you tea laced with poison, it’s only right to cut them off immediately, Lia.”

“….”

“Phem!”

It was like he had become a different person.

Hearing Lord Jackson’s sharp tone, Phem hurriedly burst into the room, out of breath. His eyes darted to the shattered teacup on the floor, taking in the deadly tension in the air before hastily lowering his head.

“Find the maid who prepared this tea. No—bring everyone who had a hand in bringing it into the castle. I want them before me immediately.”

Lord Jackson was no longer the same composed man from before.

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“She was just a normal girl. She loved playing with kids her age, and even though I raised her alone, she grew up cheerful and full of life.”

“Did anything out of the ordinary happen on the day she disappeared?”

“It was just like any other day.”

“Anything at all, no matter how small, could help. Please share whatever you remember, ma’am.”

Cain observed Abel in silence as he spoke with the woman. With his brows tightly knit, his expression was a mix of sympathy and barely restrained anger.

In response to Abel’s question, the woman, nervously wringing her hands, spoke hesitantly.

“M-My birthday was coming up in a few days. Just a few days after she disappeared. I couldn’t bring myself to leave her alone, and noticing my hesitation, Emily told me…”

“….”

“She said this birthday would be special. That she’d make sure it was one I’d never forget.”

As the woman had mentioned, there was nothing out of the ordinary for either of them on the day of the disappearance. Before they arrived at the woman’s home, the villagers, too, had described her daughter, Emily, as a kind and perfectly normal girl.

“Thank you for speaking with us, ma’am. If you remember anything else, please visit us at the castle.”

Seeing the woman nod, Cain and Abel rose from their seats.

Just as Cain was about to step outside, a thought seemed to cross his mind, and he turned back to the woman with a question.

“Come to think of it, has the current lord conducted an investigation into this matter?”

“Oh, you mean Lord Andre Jackson? Yes, he inquired about the situation right after assuming the role of acting lord.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Despite not being from this town, he was meticulous in looking into the matter, and we’re all very grateful for it.”

Cain and Abel exchanged a quick glance at her reply. Then, Cain gave the woman a small nod as if expressing his appreciation.

“If we discover anything, we’ll be sure to inform you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”