Chapter 21
Bang—!
The door burst open with a loud crash. Gasping for air, Tericia scanned the room. The space where the ceremonial cup was stored… was empty.
“It’s already gone…”
Without hesitation, she turned and ran toward the banquet hall. The dress clinging to her legs felt unbearably heavy.
‘Where should I go? The kitchen? The hall?’
She came to a sudden stop in front of the grand hall. Inside the open space, the Duke’s speech had already begun. Rashid was standing beside him.
Though his face showed no emotion, and he seemed to be calmly matching eyes with those watching him, his gaze was searching—for her.
Tericia’s eyes paused on him for a brief moment before she scanned the hall again, searching for the cup.
‘There—!’
Behind the Duke and Rashid, she spotted the commander of the knights, Roben Heinz, holding the ceremonial cup.
‘That cup mustn’t reach Rashid.’
But there was no chance to switch it now. As soon as the Duke finished speaking, he would declare the succession, and the cup would immediately be handed to Rashid.
‘Am I already too late?’
Tericia looked toward Rashid. Their eyes met at last.
His expression slowly softened into a smile—a quiet, relieved smile that came from finally seeing someone he had been desperately searching for.
‘Rashid…’
Tericia found herself smiling back before she realized it. Her throat tightened at the sight of what felt like the most beautiful smile in the world.
No—she couldn’t give up yet. Not now.
‘I’ll protect you.’
She stepped forward. A firm, determined step.
When Rashid saw her, a silent breath of relief escaped him.
She had promised to follow soon, but when she didn’t appear, the growing anxiety nearly pushed him to run out after her. Now, just seeing her face calmed it all.
Their eyes met, and Tericia gave him a small smile. That smile made his throat tighten—he swallowed hard without meaning to.
She didn’t look away. Step by step, she came toward him.
“With this, I hereby declare that Rashid Carlo Hespelt, my son, shall be the next head of House Hespelt.”
The Duke’s announcement was followed by a thunder of applause.
Roben Heinz stepped onto the platform, knelt on one knee, and held up the ceremonial cup. At the Duke’s nod, Rashid reached for the cup, filled with colorless wine.
“Father.”
A clear, composed voice echoed through the hall. Tericia stepped forward, one hand placed over her heart, and gave a small curtsy.
“…Rise.”
At the Duke’s permission, she straightened. She didn’t look at Rashid. Instead, she fixed her gaze firmly on the Duke and offered a composed smile.
“I wish to offer a vow of loyalty.”
The hall stirred with whispers.
Vows of loyalty were typically made during formal succession ceremonies, not at the heir announcement. Skipping the oath was the usual custom.
“Please allow me to receive the cup first, Father. As his sister, as the Lady of House Hespelt, I want to swear loyalty to the heir before anyone else.”
She pressed her hand to her chest again to keep her heart from thundering out of control.
To say she wasn’t afraid would be a lie.
‘It’s okay. Nothing’s happened yet. I still have time. But even so… just in case.’
This was a gamble. She didn’t know what kind of poison her mother had used.
If the intent was to kill Rashid, it would be something fatal. If it was only meant to disgrace him, it might simply cause him to collapse.
‘She probably prepared an antidote just in case—but even so…’
Either way, it wouldn’t end well for Rashid. And it would leave a permanent stain on House Hespelt.
Even for the sake of her own status, Lady Boren wouldn’t risk a full-blown scandal in front of the entire nobility.
Tericia chose to stake everything on that single belief.
‘Rashid… I won’t let anything happen to you. I will protect you.’
When she had first opened her eyes—when she first realized she had come back—Tericia made a vow.
This time, I will save you. I will protect you.
“That would be fine.”
After a moment of thought, the Duke extended the ceremonial cup to Tericia.
She looked toward Lady Boren.
All color had drained from the woman’s face. She flinched slightly, as if trying to stop her daughter, but in the end, she stayed in place, unmoving.
There was hesitation at her fingertips, but she made her choice—to remain still.
‘In the end…’
Tericia lowered her gaze with a bitter smile. She looked at the cup once, then turned her eyes back to Rashid.
“Sister.”
He was looking at her with a bright, open smile.
“Rashid…”
Black hair. Golden eyes. A straight nose and lips that reflected a firm will.
She took in his entire face with both eyes.
My beloved brother… My dearest, Rashid.
Tericia smiled warmly at him.
And then, slowly, she tilted the cup.
Rashid was the first to notice something wasn’t right.
There was something different about her expression.
Her smile—was too bright. A pure, radiant smile lingered on her face, as if she had accepted everything, and then quietly disappeared.
Tericia slowly raised the ceremonial cup to her lips. Her face vanished behind the cup.
When it reappeared, she wore the same soft, gentle smile as always. As she handed the cup back, Roben Heinz stepped forward and received it, then passed it to Rashid.
‘Sister…?’
Rashid found himself staring at her, unable to look away.
The cup was empty.
During the loyalty vow with the ceremonial cup, the tradition was to take only a single sip. Then the heir would also take a sip from the same cup.
But the cup Tericia handed over had been completely emptied.
With no choice, Rashid raised the cup and only pretended to drink.
“Glory to House Hespelt.”
As he lowered the cup, Tericia placed her hand over her heart once more and bowed gracefully before stepping back.
“Glory to Hespelt,”
the Duke declared in a deep, resonant voice.
It was the official proclamation—House Hespelt’s heir had been declared.
“Glory to the Young Lord!”
“To glory!”
The crowd raised their cups and voices in unison. Excitement and noise filled the air.
Nobles surged forward to offer congratulations to the new young lord of Hespelt. Amid the growing tide of people, Tericia’s figure disappeared.
“Sister!”
Rashid called out, but his voice was lost in the crowd. She was gone from sight.
His heart began to pound wildly.
Something felt wrong.
‘I have to find her. I have to go after her—Sister.’
Her expression had been strange.
So composed—it wasn’t just calm, it was empty. A face stripped of all emotion.
That was when Rashid saw Lady Boren.
Pale as a sheet, she was biting her nails in front of all these people—something she would never do in public.
A wave of dread crashed over him.
‘Tericia!’
Rashid pushed through the crowd of well-wishers and began to run.
Outside the banquet hall.
In a quiet, secluded corner where no one passed, he found her.
Tericia had collapsed. Blood had soaked through the dress he once called beautiful—deep crimson staining the soft fabric.
After the declaration ceremony ended and the Duke and Lady Boren left, the banquet shifted into a gathering of noble socializing.
Guests praised the grandeur of House Hespelt’s tradition, admired the Lady’s vow of loyalty, and romantically spoke of the young lord who had received it with such grace.
The banquet continued as though nothing had happened.
At least, on the surface.
“Where’s the physician?”
Rashid asked Adler, his voice tense.
“He just arrived and entered the room. The third floor is sealed off, and only her two personal maids have been allowed in.”
“I’m going to her.”
As Rashid moved to go, Adler stepped in front of him.
“You can’t. You need to stay and host the rest of the banquet.”
“She collapsed, and you expect me to stand here and smile?!”
“This was the ceremony your sister worked so hard to prepare!”
Rashid hesitated. The words hit him hard.
“Do you not understand why she drank from that cup? Why she went off alone afterward?”
“……”
Adler’s throat went dry. He was doing everything he could to stop Rashid, not because he didn’t understand—but because he did all too well.
“She did it all for you. Don’t let that be for nothing.”
“……”
“Just one hour. Hold on for one more hour. Say your final words to the extended family. After that… do whatever you must.”
Bang!
Rashid slammed his fist onto the table.
The force of it made the air tremble. A crack split across the black desk—known for being as solid as stone.
“What am I supposed to do?! She’s lying there like that, and I can’t even do anything for her…”
He had thought he was strong now. Strong enough to protect her. Strong enough not to be helpless anymore.
But even now, he couldn’t do anything.
“The Lady told me to keep the cup safe,” Adler said quietly. “She said… it might serve as evidence.”
“What?”
Now that he thought about it—he should have stopped her.
But Rashid wasn’t the only one who regretted it. Adler did too.
When Tericia had stepped down from the platform after the vow, the first person she approached had been Adler.
Her face had already turned ghostly pale.
“Sir Adler, please take care of this cup. Don’t let anyone else have it. Give it directly to Rashid.”
That was all she said before quietly disappearing from the hall.
If only he’d been more careful—he would’ve noticed something was off.
But he missed it. Swept up in the excitement, he let her go. That mistake now sat heavy on his chest.
“She said it had to be preserved…”
“Yes. I’ve had Roben Heinz secure it,” Adler replied.
“……”
Rashid fell silent for a long moment. Then, as if something had solidified inside him, he stood.
“I’m going to see my father.”
There was a cold, dangerous gleam in Rashid’s eyes.
