Chapter 3
For a moment, Alice smiled softly as she looked at Helkin, who was smiling at her.
“I look forward to working with you, Doctor Helkin.”
“So, you’re saying if I feed him small amounts of this new poison you’ve created, he’ll die within three months?” Lady Quillian asked without giving time for greetings. Helkin nodded with a confident smirk.
“Yes. This new poison is more potent than the previous one and leaves no trace whatsoever. Even a small amount will start to rot the organs immediately, but since it leaves no evidence, no one would be able to tell even if an autopsy were performed later.”
A poison that rots the organs.
The pain was unimaginable just hearing about it, yet they were planning to feed this to Kylus.
Alice picked up her teacup to hide her contorted expression as she silently listened to their conversation.
In stark contrast to the sweet taste of black tea spreading in her mouth, the discussion at the table was utterly brutal.
Lady Quillian, her eyes gleaming with interest, finally burst into a satisfied laugh.
“Truly remarkable. The poison that brought down Kylus was already impressive, but to think you’ve created something this useful again. Well done. You’re certainly worth the hefty price.”
“I am always grateful, my lady,” Helkin bowed his head.
A hefty price…
It wasn’t wrong.
After all, Helkin was pocketing an astronomical sum that Lady Quillian couldn’t even imagine.
When Alice, who knew this hidden truth, gave Helkin an enigmatic smile, he returned a puzzled look.
But then, Lady Quillian asked, “If it rots the organs, will he feel the pain?”
“…He won’t feel any pain. The Duke is currently in a deep sleep state and cannot sense anything.”
“Hmm, is that so? That’s a bit disappointing.”
Disappointing?
Alice’s face hardened as she watched Lady Quillian pout.
No matter how bad their relationship was, wasn’t this too cruel?
Although Alice felt chills at such ruthlessness, Lady Quillian genuinely seemed to want Kylus to die in agony.
As if merely killing him wasn’t enough.
The naked disappointment on Lady Quillian’s face was enough to make even the eccentric Helkin flinch.
“Hmm, but three months might be problematic,” Lady Quillian suddenly furrowed her brow, causing Helkin to look perplexed.
“Pardon?”
“Edellm needs to be at least 16… His Majesty will only approve the succession of the title when he’s 16. That’s why we put him to sleep instead of killing him outright, to time it right.”
“Then…”
“It would be troublesome if he dies now. As things stand, someone from a collateral line might step up as another heir, citing Edellm’s young age.”
Edellm… That was Kylus’s younger brother and Lady Quillian’s biological son.
“Ah, so you had me create the sleeping poison to wait until the young master is old enough to inherit the title.”
“Yes, because I can rule the duchy as Edellm’s guardian when he receives the title. And when our Edellm comes of age, transferring the duchy to him would be perfect and clean. That way, even the vassals won’t be able to say anything.”
“Don’t worry about that. Three months is the minimum; with proper dosage control, we can extend it up to six months.”
“Extend it?”
“Yes. As long as the young madam who will be administering the poison follows my instructions for the dosage carefully.”
Suddenly, both of their gazes turned to Alice.
Alice, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, put down her teacup as the attention shifted to her.
“You understood what the doctor said, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Mother. I will carefully control the dosage.”
As Alice slightly raised the corners of her mouth as if to say not to worry, Lady Quillian’s sharp gaze softened a bit.
“It’s good that you seem to understand well.”
Just as Lady Quillian was looking Alice up and down, there was a knock on the door, and the lady’s maid who had been out entered.
“Grand Madam, a letter has arrived from the young master.”
“Really? I’ve been worried since he hasn’t sent any lately, wondering if he’s doing well at the academy. Bring it here quickly.”
Alice felt strange seeing maternal love suddenly fill the face of someone who had just been plotting to kill her stepson, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to leave.
“Mother, we’ll take our leave now. I’ll discuss the details with Helkin, so please read your letter.”
“Yes, go on now.”
Lady Quillian, her attention fixed on the letter, waved her hand dismissively.
Alice left the room with Helkin.
Then, she spoke to him first.
“Doctor, let’s continue our unfinished conversation somewhere private.”
As they say, strike while the iron is hot. Alice intended to execute the plan she had just thought of upon seeing Helkin.
“As you wish, Young Madam.”
* * *
The quiet place Helkin took her to was his workshop.
Alice had been planning to suggest going to his workshop anyway, so it was a perfect choice of location.
‘I’m discussing important matters that the Grand Madam ordered me to, so you wait outside.’
Alice, who had lightly brushed off Maris who tried to follow them in as if it were natural, was now sitting face to face with Helkin.
The door was firmly closed, ensuring soundproofing, and there were no other assistants besides Helkin in the quite spacious workshop.
It was perfect for having an in-depth conversation.
Just as the corners of Alice’s mouth turned up slightly, Helkin spoke first.
“Then, let me explain again about the dosage of the poison I mentioned earlier. This new poison usually requires 10 milliliters…”
“Doctor Helkin, a poison expert so knowledgeable that there’s no poison in this world unknown to him. Hobby: collecting rare poisonous plants. Age: 35.”
“Young Madam, what are you doing right now…?”
Helkin, who had been explaining about the dosage of the poison, stiffened his expression at Alice suddenly reciting his personal information.
“I know quite a lot about you, you see.”
“…I didn’t know that the Young Madam, who just married into the ducal family, had such an interest in me.”
Sensing that Alice’s atmosphere was strange, wariness crept into Helkin’s eyes.
“Well, you’re someone the mother brought in personally. So I looked into you before I came to the duke’s household. And what do you know, I discovered things I never expected.”
“…I don’t particularly have anything to hide.”
“Nothing to hide, you say? It was like striking gold, the more I dug, the more I found.”
“Ahem, I really don’t understand why the Young Madam is acting this way. If the Grand Madam finds out that you’ve treated me so carelessly, she absolutely won’t let it slide.”
“I know… well. That mother is a person without mercy. But Helkin, you know mother’s personality better than I do, yet you dared to touch the duchy’s assets?”
“What are you…!”
Helkin’s eyes widened.
“Young Madam, don’t try to slander me with such nonsense. I won’t tolerate any more disrespect!”
Helkin shouted, jumping to his feet.
Isn’t this exactly like the saying ‘a thief is the first to shout ‘thief”?
Alice looked at Helkin with a calm face and raised her hand.
Then she pointed precisely at where the bookshelf was placed.
“Behind that bookshelf. If I call people right now and have them push that bookshelf aside, would you still be able to act so boldly?”
Helkin’s secret space hidden behind the bookshelf.
It was a place unknown to anyone in the duke’s household, but Alice knew about it.
Because she had seen it in the book.
And inside that secret space were rare poisonous plants that Helkin had collected by embezzling the duchy’s assets.
Poisonous plants worth the price of a mansion each.
No matter how much Lady Quillian favored Helkin, she wouldn’t have paid that much money.
So Helkin had boldly approached the duchy’s treasure vault under the pretext of research in the basement and embezzled valuables.
He took advantage of the gap when the duchy wasn’t running properly after Kylus collapsed.
Judging by the fact that he embezzled the duchy’s assets and made poisons, he was definitely not a good guy, but among the people who could help her in the duchy full of Lady Quillian’s people, Helkin was the best option.
Because she knew his weakness precisely.
“…What.”
“Well, if that’s what you want, I’ll call someone right now.”
The moment she was about to get up, Helkin, who had been frozen like ice, grabbed my arm.
“You can’t! No, that is… How on earth did Madam…”
“I told you. I know a lot about you.”
Alice leisurely sat back down, looking at Helkin’s trembling eyelids.
Helkin also sat down quietly, clasping his shaking hands.
“Helkin. If I report this fact to mother… do you think you could survive?”
“…”
Of course, he wouldn’t be able to escape death.
Given how greedy and temperamental Lady Quillian is.
Would such a person forgive Helkin for embezzling the duchy’s assets?
As soon as she found out the truth, she would chop off Helkin’s head in an instant, calling him an ungrateful bastard, poison or not.
Helkin seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he was stroking his neck with trembling hands.
“There’s no need to be so scared. I’m not trying to kill you, but to make a deal.”
Alice was relentless in a situation where one could die at any moment, walking on thin ice.
Helkin’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Alice.
“A deal… What exactly do you want from me?”
“What I want is just one thing.”
“…”
As Helkin swallowed hard with tension, Alice’s pink lips parted.
