***

Allan walked in inside the room, the butler reported what happened and he went in without further adieu. ​​

When he stepped into the lit room of Evelyn, the smell of iron flow in the air, mixed with the sweat and dirt.

He saw his Father, standing menacingly while watching Evelyn who was the source of the metallic smell. Evelyn was coughing blood.

No one could approach the Duke, even Allan himself are afraid of the consequences. It was the first time that he saw he's Father that angry.

Allan was baffled.

It was just Evelyn, to begin with, the good-for-nothing sister that he and his Father hate.

So, what does it mean that he's Father, the known cold-hearted Duke of the Emsworth Family was now showing and suppressing his full murderous aura?

Allan approaches the Duke silently, and he asked the question that swirling in his head.

"Father...?" But before Allan could say anything he shut his mouth.

It was because the Duke turned around and left the room.

-thud! The sound of the wooden doors forcefully shut together.

Allan who was left alone in his sister's room went and get close in the bloodied bed of Evelyn.

He stares at Evelyn and saw that the girl was in a deep struggle to breathe for air.

In his face, he expressed his dissatisfaction.

His brows form a horizontal line that went and become a scowl, while he's tongue clicked, and his eyes gleam with disappointment. He stands closer to Evelyn and utters words in a whisper.

"Why can't you just stay still? Why do you have to go and get yourself in a mess? Why don't you just die quietly?"

Later, he trudges and went to the door, Evelyn who was struggling and was still conscious of what is happening heard her brother and blink slowly.

She can't imagine her brother's hatred was too deep that he can utter words of death to her.

The cold words left a bitter taste in Evelyn's memory and her heart was broken into pieces yet again by her own family.

Unknowingly, a shed of tear left the sunken eyes of Evelyn.

***

While the banquet was still happening, three men are in a secluded parlor inside the Emsworth mansion while the quivering knights were standing, facing the cold stare of their master.

The Duke, who was resting his arm in the armrest and disturbingly tapping the edges of the leather couch by his slender fingers, made sounds that the knight's quiver in fear and then...

-baam!

The table broke into two pieces, the Duke who can't hold his anger smashed the coffee table! The knights knew then that they're in for a punishment.

While they're busy lamenting their possible punishments, the Duke yelled angrily.

"Where the hell are you when my daughter was being chased down by an assassin in my own house?!"

The knight's face gloom, it's because they knew they left the back garden unprotected and the Emsworth one and only Lady was hunted by an assassin during their absence.

"What's the used of hiring a bunch of men that they can't even patrol a small portion of a garden!"

"We're sorry, your Grace! We deserve punishment."

The knights we're shaking with the Duke's aura that are focused on them.

The knights went on their knees and beg. It was their negligence and they knew that the punishment of endangering a noble's life is punishable by stripping off their titles, or banishment, worst case is death.

"Duke, you need to calm down first..." It was the First Prince, the Crown Prince of Livingstone, Edickart who broke the cold sweat of the knights.

"...and assess the situation." Edickart continued.

The Duke turned his head and coldly spat words to the Prince.

"Do you hear what you're saying, Crown Prince? If an assassin gets passed in the house of a Military General where the security was supposed to be top-notched, then surely there's a problem...!"

"... it's either my knights are neglecting their work! Or that assassin was far superior to that of the Levingstone knights!" The Duke logically said...

"...and if that assassin we're hired to kill my daughter, then you must know why that the reason is either because of you or me."

"...AND DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. I'm assessing the situation as you can see AND you've got nothing to say how I do things in my own house, Crown Prince." Duke Keene knitted his brows and frown. It was his expression of annoyance.

It means that the Crown Prince and Evelyn that was supposed to announce their engagement in the banquet were postponed and Edickart who isn't part of the family should mind his opinion.

It was the Duke said and his meaning behind words, not regarding that it was the Crown Prince who receives his remark.

Edickart swiftly just smile like it didn't bother him a bit.

"You're right, Duke..."

Then, the Crown Prince heard a snickering voice. It was Allan.

The Duke glance at his idiotic son and calmly scold Allan.

"Do you found this funny, Allan? Do you want to go and have a spar with me now?" The Duke also reprimanded his idiot son.

Allan, after hearing his Father, flinched and he shut his mouth. The Crown Prince then laughs silently.

It is known that the training of the famous military-general and also the Duke of Emsworth is a spartan when it comes to the regime of his troops.

That is also the reason why the house of the Emsworth is one of the hardest to invade, but what happened to Evelyn made a crack to their defense.

And if it is known outside, a lot of enemies will swarm to attack just to get a hint of the weakness of the Duke.

"If something happens to my daughter, you'll know your punishments that you will face AND I'll personally do it." The Duke threatened the knights.

The knights who saw this, shiver. The severity of what happened was still unknown as long as the Lady is in critical condition.

All the knights prayed. They can only pray for the safety of their Lady.

They prayed for Evelyn to passed this storm calmly and prayed that she will be saved and will heal properly.

Evelyn is now their life insurance.

***

After some time, the Sage Healer arrived, and was panting heavily, he is now on his way to Evelyn's room.

"Doctor Llyod, this way... please do everything to save Lady Evelyn." The butler Jede pleaded.

He was the one who received the Sage Healer.

"I'll do my best..." Doctor Lloyd only said.

Sighing.

Doctor Llyod hurriedly open the door. What he saw made him stopped for a moment.

It was the metallic smell that has a pungent odor that only doctors would know.

It was poison.

"WHY didn't you call me much earlier?! She was POISON for goodness sake!"

The butler, who just knew that Evelyn was poison was in a panic but didn't let it show.

"I need to inform the Duke. Doctor Lloyd, Please do everything for the Lady."

The doctor only clicked her tongue, then shoo the butler away.

"Blake... clean Lady Evelyn's wound and take the dagger out, I'll need to concoct a potion to neutralize the poison. I still don't know which poison they made."

"This is a gamble...! We need to hurry."

The green hair, blue eyes, and tall stature Blake, who is also known as the only assistant of Doctor Llyod, the famous and only Sage Healer of the Kingdom of Livingstone, nod his head and swiftly made his way to the dagger that was still on the right upper shoulder of Evelyn.

Evelyn who was lying on her side was breathing uneven, and her face was paler than before. Her lips were turning to the color of lilac and her salty sweats were soaking Evelyn's wounded body.

She was in pain, add to that, she was poisoned.

The poison has an effect that made the victim writhe in pain because of little needle-like pricks that will start from the affected area to the other parts of the body.

Then after experiencing a horrendous pain, it will be followed by coughing of blood, and red liquid flowing from ears and nose. It was a fast-reacting deadly poison, that will make the victim died by a blood loss.

Doctor Lloyd after appraising the seriousness of Lady Evelyn's condition, then made a swift enchantment inside the Lady's room and tried to cleanse her blood where the poison was mixed.

A full circle enchantment was placed where Evelyn was laid, blue light formed in the strange letters cast in the magic circle.

Evelyn cough a lot of blood...

While performing the cleansing ritual, Doctor Lloyd was sweating buckets and his eyes were focusing tremendously, a tiny mistake can lead to Evelyn's death.

Soon after, Evelyn's face was serene, and is breathing evenly. Doctor Llyod then unconsciously sighs in relief.

The first step was taken care of. Now, Evelyn is not in pain anymore but the aftermath of the poison will be next on the list.

It is the continuous flow of blood out of her body.

He needs to take care of it immediately, as a cold pair of eyes was observing his every move since earlier and is oozing with displeasure.

It was the Duke.

~~~

A/N:

Hello, it's Monday again :)

Have a blessed day, everyone!

If you like this book then, please do add it to your library so, whenever the book is updated you'll get a notification. Also, power stones help to rank up this novel and will get a chance for a higher viewing, and... it will also make me happy 😊 that's all. Thanks again. 💓