Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: A Cup of Poison Tea
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Ren hurriedly shot to his feet.
“Y-Your Highness. When did you arrive? What brings you to the princess’s room so suddenly?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you why you’re here at Astor Palace this late in the evening?”
As Ren rolled his eyes searching for an excuse,
Lizbet, having wiped away her tears, grabbed the teacup from the table and rushed toward Lark.
“Oppa!”
“Yes, Lizzy.”
“I brewed tea for you. I did it myself. If you drink this, could you maybe grant me just one favor…?”
“Oh dear, our princess!”
Splash—!
Ren, who had rushed over, snatched the teacup and flung its contents across the floor.
“Yaah! What are you doing?!”
“Shh.”
Ren, smiling brightly with a finger to his lips, soothed Lizbet.
“It’s late at night, so keep it down. And the tea’s gone cold anyway. I’ll brew you some fresh tomorrow.”
“Oppa, don’t do that. Drink it and go. I’ll make more.”
“Princess?”
Ren tugged Lizbet’s arm, pushing her back into the room.
“Let go!”
“Lizzy, were you trying to brew tea for your oppa?”
Lizbet’s face lit up as Lark asked with gentle eyes, and she nodded eagerly.
“Yes, Oppa. And I have a favor to ask, so first have a cup of tea and then…”
“Tomorrow! Tea time is tomorrow. Got it?”
“What business is it of yours…!”
“Alright, Lizzy. Oppa’s tired today, so let’s meet tomorrow.”
Lark’s eyes flashed for a moment as he spoke with a smile.
Faced with her oppa’s expression, which seemed oddly angry for some reason, Lizbet had no choice but to nod reluctantly.
Lark let out a short chuckle and then turned to Ren with a sharp gaze.
“You. Come with me. Now.”
* * *
Lark’s study.
Ren stood tensely before Lark, who sat silently for a long while.
Ren had come up with some excuses on the way here.
“Lizzy’s all grown up now. Even brewing tea for her oppa and all.”
“That’s right. She asked for my help, so that’s why I went there.”
“Aha. I see? And you got the tea leaves for her yourself?”
“Huh?”
Lark chuckled shortly, opened a desk drawer, and tossed something out.
Ren’s eyes widened in shock.
A box of tea leaves containing poison grass. It was the one he had taken from Lizbet before.
‘Damn. I hid it in my room, but when did he…?’
Blaming himself for not disposing of it sooner, Ren bit his lip.
“…Rafflesia, was it? A poison grass that paralyzes reproductive function. Hmm, it would’ve been quite the sight if I’d drunk it.”
“…”
“Ren. You looked into what this was behind my back, didn’t you?”
Lark’s eyes narrowed sharply as he asked.
“That tea Lizbet was about to give me—it seems it was this.”
“That’s…”
“To think she’d try to turn her one and only oppa into an eunuch. Shocking. I can’t just let this slide.”
“It wasn’t something the princess obtained.”
“Then?”
“I did. I found it in my room.”
“Aha. So you had Lizbet give it to me?”
“I didn’t know it was poison grass. I thought it was just some nice-smelling tea leaves, but when I checked, there was a problem.”
“Hahaha!”
Lark threw his head back and laughed foolishly.
As if he’d believe such a stupid lie. Ren gritted his teeth and scowled.
“Ren.”
“…”
Lark opened the drawer again, this time pulling out two small video stones.
The moment Ren saw the blue orb-shaped video stones, a bad feeling washed over him.
“It’s not just the poison grass from your room that made me suspicious of you.”
“What’s that?”
“Video stones that capture you sneaking around behind my back in vivid detail. Someone’s been sending me these anonymous tips. For quite some time now.”
“What exactly did I do?”
“The assassin who infiltrated my bedroom two months ago.”
Lark touched one video stone as he spoke.
“I tracked down the guild that assassin belonged to and wiped them all out. You should’ve followed the trail to find the mastermind, but instead, it looked like you were trying to erase all the evidence.”
“…”
Ren closed his eyes tightly and swallowed a sigh.
‘Damn.’
At first, just as Lark said, he had gone to the assassination guild to uncover the mastermind.
But Ren discovered something shocking there.
The assassination guild was masquerading as a respectable tavern, and the tavern’s nominal manager was none other than the 8th Prince.
The 8th Prince, only six years old and uninvolved in the succession struggle, had clearly been manipulated into buying the tavern without knowing anything.
Even though his name was only nominally on the guild’s leadership, if it came to light, punishment would be inevitable.
To prevent the 8th Prince from being unjustly held accountable, Ren had no choice but to destroy the guild along with all the evidence.
“And another thing.”
Lark pointed to the other video stone, addressing Ren who couldn’t respond.
“You said you were cracking down on illegal slave traders.”
The recent illegal slave traders.
Their intent was clear. It wasn’t about profiting from slave trade.
The more illegal activities proliferated and imperial security declined, the more Lark’s approval ratings as crown prince would drop.
It was definitely the work of his political rivals.
“You raided the trading posts, but didn’t you say the slave trader ringleader got away?”
“…”
“The ringleader you ‘let slip away’—you handed him money and even ferried him to safety. It makes it look like you staged the whole slave trade and the raid yourself.”
Once again, Ren had nothing to say.
Like with the 8th Prince, the slave trader ringleader was someone whose name had been used without his knowledge. An awkward foreigner who barely spoke the imperial language.
The man, who had come to the empire just to make money and signed a day labor contract, didn’t even know his name had been sold as the slave trader representative.
Ren couldn’t let him take the blame innocently. In the end, he had no choice but to help him escape.
“Any explanations?”
Lark chuckled and pulled out several more video stones from the open drawer, lining them up.
“It’s not just one or two.”
“…”
Lark stepped forward and loomed over the rigidly frozen Ren.
“You… are you perhaps plotting rebellion with my political enemies?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“No.”
As he spoke, Ren let out a self-deprecating scoff. Lark wouldn’t believe him anyway.
There had been quite a few incidents handled this way so far, and if they all remained as evidence casting suspicion on him…
“Alright. I believe you.”
“…What?”
But Lark grinned, grabbed Ren’s shoulder, and nodded.
“I believe you.”
“What?”
“That you’re not plotting rebellion.”
“No…”
Ren was flustered.
“Anyone would find this suspicious. What do you mean believe me? No, I’m not saying I’m plotting rebellion or anything…”
“Ren.”
Ren froze at the fleeting sadness in Lark’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For doubting you, even briefly.”
Lark returned to his seat and placed both hands flat on the desk, gazing down at the video stones.
“These tips that came to me—they might have gone to other nobles too. This anonymous tipster is probably trying to frame you.”
“…What?”
“I’m going to save you. No matter what.”
“…”
“So from now on, you tell me everything—why you did all this. No need to hesitate.”
Lark’s eyes gleamed.
“I’ll believe whatever you say.”
* * *
The next day, Severn Street.
As always, jogging in the evening, Lark was running alongside me.
“Excuse me, Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
“May I ask why you’re running here? I’m sure I told you yesterday—if you need me for something, just stamp the seal and send it to the ducal house.”
That way, we didn’t need to set a meeting place or time; we’d agreed to meet at our designated spot, the ‘Fine Restaurant 3rd Floor,’ the next morning at 11.
“If you need urgent information, just tell me what it is.”
“No? I’m just out for a run. Thought I’d see the duchess’s face while I’m at it.”
Lark replied shamelessly and focused back on running.
I picked up speed and asked,
“That doesn’t explain why you look so down. Is something wrong?”
“Hmm, no. Not at all. Thanks to the duchess’s help, I cleared up the misunderstanding with my aide, and I’ve come up with a plan to resolve this mess. It’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”
“No problem. Is there anything else I can help with?”
“This is my problem now. No need for the duchess to trouble herself. I’d feel bad receiving too much help.”
“Then could you at least brighten up that expression? You look so troubled that I can’t help but worry even if I try not to.”
Lark chuckled and rubbed his forehead as he watched me slow to a stop and tilt my water bottle to drink.
“Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. What’s the problem?”
I plopped down on a rock and asked.
“Just family issues. More specifically, my little sister’s been causing some trouble.”
“Aha. Her Highness Lizbet, the 5th Princess?”
“That’s right.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“She smuggled poison into the imperial palace.”
“Pardon?”
“She brought it in without knowing it was poison.”
“Could it be the 2nd Prince’s doing?”
“Probably. I asked her how she got it, but she won’t say a word.”
“Why not?”
“The little brat’s trying to make a deal with me. Says if I want to know, hand over a national treasure. The Parma Crystal.”
“Wow. She thinks big.”
“Even if I got her to talk, it probably wouldn’t be useful info. The 2nd Prince isn’t stupid—he’d have covered his tracks. But they might approach Lizzy again somehow, so I want to know whatever I can…”
Watching Lark rub his brow with a weary expression, I suddenly envied Lizbet for a moment.
‘She’s so loved by her oppa.’
She probably brought it in without even realizing it was poison, acting like a fool. But so what?
With a powerful brother who’d naturally cover for her and even eliminate the schemers behind it.
“Why not just yell and force it out of her?”
“…”
Lark paused at my words, then chuckled softly and muttered,
“How could I?”
“Such a doting oppa, Your Highness.”
“What, does it seem foolish? Like I can’t separate personal and official matters right now?”
Lark raised his brows playfully and grinned.
I shook my head.
“No. You’re the oppa every little sister dreams of. A total sister fool.”
“Haha…”
“Here.”
I pulled something from the pocket of my workout clothes and casually held it out to Lark.
A black invitation pinched between my index and middle fingers.
Lark tilted his head.
“…What’s this?”
I’d actually brought it out planning to send it anonymously to the imperial palace—specifically to Lizbet. Since I ran into her brother by chance, handing it over directly worked just fine.
It was an invitation to a secret social gathering for the chaebol heirs.
“No need to give up a national treasure. Take this and make a deal with Her Highness the princess.”