"Tell me what the hell happened to them?!"
Arabella's furious voice rang inside the room as the doctor left her children's side after assessing them.
"They-they were poisoned madam." after the old physician informed her, she controlled her breathing to keep her frantic emotions from consuming her.
"Ho-how? Who will do that? I don't remember angering anyone, so why?"
"W-wait you'll be able to heal them right? What kind of poison is it?" Arabella felt the heavy emotions on her chest making her breathless as she keeps on looking at Blaine and Scarlet who are now lying on the bed with frowning faces, which indicates that they're clearly suffering from poison.
"I-I'm sorry, but this kind of poison isn't something I can-" before the physician can even finish his words, Arabella grabbed his collar and pull him near.
"You're a physician so why can't you?!" her anger reached its limit, she had never been this scared before, even in her past life, there is no one that she cared for that she'll feel like losing her mind.
Ruel who just arrived quickly pulled her away from the poor physician. The physician knew how the Baroness loves her children so he understands her actions just now, but when she pulled him earlier he felt like something cold wrapped around his neck.
"What are you doing?! Do you think the children will get better with you harming the physician? Please calm down and let's talk about it." Ruel asked as he guides Arabella towards the chair inside the room and dismissed the physician.
"Do you know anyone whom you had any-"
"The hell I know! This wasn't supposed to happen, did I do something to alternate some events? What should I do?" Ruel frowned at her scared and confused expression.
"Calm down!"
"How can I calm down! They can die! They were poisoned! Do you hear me? poisoned! Any minute they might die!"
"I know that, we'll try to track those people whom you had talked with before, who do you think will do this?"
"I-I don't know, everyone in town is all looking at me with disgust and slandered me, but I've never confronted anyone and I always stay out of trouble," Arabella answered while looking down, trying to think harder.
Ruel stood up and walk towards the bed where the two children are. He lifted Blaine's arms and examined his pulse, the abnormality of his pulse, and the gaps between every pulse that happens every second can uncover the poison that was used to them. While examining them he found where the children got injected by such poison, tiny little holes caused by thin needles are clearly seen at the side of their neck.
After a while, Ruel felt a chill running down his spine. This was the feeling he had when he met Arabella for the first time. Ruel stopped himself from turning his head to where Arabella is. He calmed himself and continued examining Blaine's pulse. After a few seconds, Ruel stepped back, as if he just received a startling blow.
"A-Azula flower?" he muttered to himself.
Ruel knew this flower very much since he grew up knowing the only person in the empire who can grow this kind of flower. But, how can such a dangerous poison used against such small children? and the thing that bothers him the most is that the only person he knew that can create such lethal poison is already dead.
While Ruel's having second thoughts about what he found out, Arabella suddenly talked behind him as if she realized something.
"Viscountess Alum...no it's Viscountess Mille. That woman...I must find her!" as she was about to stand up, Ruel blocked her.
"Get out of the way! What do you think you're doing?!" Arabella shouted as she tried to push Ruel away, but the latter didn't budge.
"I never thought I'll be able to see that calm woman before like this, but it's understandable. But I can't let you go until you clear your head. What will you do when you get there? Accuse her of poisoning your children? without shreds of evidence? You're not as intelligent I thought you were." when Arabella heard that, it hit her straight to the head making her stop from pushing Ruel.
"ha! I never thought you'll be able to throw those words back at me Mr. Crowe"
After a few minutes of silence, Ruel sat down in front of her and sigh. Ruel was contemplating whether to silence this woman when he first heard her saying his origin but delayed it when he saw that she has children to take care of, but that doesn't mean getting rid of her is already dismissed inside his head. There are a lot of things he needs to accomplish and failing it just because of a woman, how can he possibly...
Ruel shakes his head and directly looks at Arabella who's now staring at him. Right now that thing he discovered greatly changed his mind, killing her isn't something he wanted to do right now. It's best if this woman knew what kind of poison was used against her children, this way she'll expect the worse.
But before he can even open his mouth to tell her what he found out, they heard a voice calling outside.
Arabella stood up and look outside the window, there she saw someone familiar. She quickly relaxed and gently breathe.
Ruel followed her as she went out of the room, but stopped when he saw the physician who's waiting outside with paled face. This physician is known in this town, a very dedicated person to his job. Ruel pat his shoulder and told him to get inside and take care of the children which he quickly followed.
When Ruel was about to follow Arabella again, she was long gone. She was quite in a hurry leaving Ruel talking to the physician.
Arabella is now standing in front of the door holding an envelope, given by the person who just called earlier. Since she doesn't have any servant to receive mails like this, she needed to get it on her own. With her shabby clothes and torn shoes, the person in front of her thought she's the servant and gave her the mails.
"Oh, Mr. Crowe, I didn't know you'd be here. A pleasure to meet you again." the man bowed after greeting Ruel when he saw him behind Arabella.
"How are you Baron Clayore? It seems like the world is really...too small." Ruel's words have meanings underneath them, but Arabella who's now clutching the mails after seeing who sent it didn't pay attention to him.
"This...It's too soon."
'there should still be a year and months before he shows up'
"You."
The two men look at Arabella with confused expressions.
"Oh, Baron Clayore, meet Baroness Maguire." when Ruel introduced Arabella as Baroness, Mr. Clayore quickly greets the Baroness.
"Pardon me for not recognizing you Baroness. I am now done delivering these mails, I should probably go as the sun is about to set." Baron Clayore said.
"Baron Clayore, can I invite you in for a cup of tea?" Arabella didn't force herself to smile to show formality to the guest she just invited right now.
Ruel felt something odd about Arabella and immediately urged the Baron as well to have a cup of tea before he leaves. Although Baron Clayore knew nothing about Arabella he accepted her invitation, because seeing such desperation in such a young woman isn't something he can ignore.
Arabella marched towards her kitchen and prepared some tea, the two men are now inside her living room sitting down while balancing the situation they're in right now.
"Don't worry Clayore, Baroness isn't someone under me." Ruel cleared what's inside Clayore's mind, knowing this man greatly respects women.
"Yes, she's not one of your minions, but she can be one of your victim, your highness "
After hearing that word, Ruel stared at Clayore, although the two of them aren't saying anything to one another anymore, they knew their auras are threatening each other right now.
"After leaving the dukedom it seems like Mr. Clayore didn't lose his composure." Ruel complimented him with sarcasm.
"This is something I shouldn't lose, especially when you're the one who's in front of me." Baron Clayore smiled with his calm expression making Ruel feel like he lost a great companion.
"You should've just accepted my offer Baron Clayore, that way we can uncover what you Vresea people had been investigating for so long," Ruel said as he leaned his back at the sofa, he knew the person in front of him will clearly refuse him again, but he won't back down whenever an opportunity presents itself.
"Tell me why would I take the side of an enemy, your highness?" Baron Clayore asked with him still smiling.
"You still believed that I'm-"
"It seems like I made you two wait for too long."
Arabella put down the teapot and cups on the table in front of them.
"Oh, you didn't baroness, also Mr. Crowe and I are having a pleasant conversation, so we didn't realize the time," Baron Clayore said while smiling brightly at the young woman in front of her, whom he never saw smiling once as if a great burden is on her back.
After pouring tea for the three of them, before Baron Clayore can even compliment the tea and say thank you to her, words that came out of Arabella's mouth startled the two men.
"You're one of the butlers in Vresea estate am I right?" Arabella asked, which made Ruel spit out the tea he's drinking.
"Y-you? It seems like lying is still your hobby your highness." Baron Clayore glared at the two of them and decided to leave.
When Baron Clayore's already in front of her door, Arabella uttered words that made Baron Clayore froze on the spot.
"The child you've been looking for is with me"