Both of them looked at Rory with joyful surprise.
Rory walked briskly inside. Then, he grasped Bailey's chin and slipped the pill into her mouth. After making sure she had swallowed it, he carefully examined her injuries.
When Bailey was brought back to the mansion, Rory was in a hurry to fetch medicine from the palace. He only managed to cast a glance at her from a distance.
At that moment, Bailey was being carried on a wooden stretcher, her face devoid of any signs of life, covered with a stark white cloth that stood out prominently.
A vague sense of restlessness weighed on him, but he resisted the urge to look at her for a second time.
Now she lay peacefully on the bed, her pale face lacking color, dry lips cracking, and messy hair scattered around her slender figure.
After a sleepless night, she appeared utterly drained of vitality.
Vic spoke softly, "Your Majesty, not only has the queen consort been affected by the deadly Othalda, but there are also other unknown toxins in her body. These accumulated over time. I'm unaware of the exact nature of the poison, but its accumulation makes her vulnerable to fainting whenever she gets upset."
"She's the well-respected daughter of the prominent Noel family. Who would have poisoned her?"
After uttering those words, a web of intricate connections within the Noel family swiftly crossed his mind
Just then, the person on the bed made a slight movement with her fingers and whispered something in a feeble voice
The royal physician listened intently and then delightedly exclaimed, "Your Majesty, the queen consort is requesting water!"
Meghan swiftly brought a cup of warm water, but despite her attempts to feed her with a small spoon, it spilled from the corners of her mouth.
Vic, feeling helpless, turned to Rory and said, "Your Majesty, since the queen consort is still unconscious, would you kindly deign to help her drink some water?"
Rory glanced at Bailey, her eyes tightly shut, and let out a cold sneer, "Impossible! Let her continue suffering from thirst!"
It was deep into the night when Bailey gradually regained consciousness. A suffocating sensation weighed on her chest, propelled by a potent inner force. Before long, she coughed several times and forcefully expelled a clot of congealed blood.
Vie sighed in relief. "Your Highness, you're finally awakened."
He helped Bailey sit up, then grabbed two large bowls of medicinal soup, which he promptly fed her.
Soon, her body broke into a sweat, and she felt considerably more at ease.
Gratitude rose as she uttered, "Teacher, thank you."
Vic was momentarily taken aback, completely astounded by Bailey. After traversing the dangerous threshold of death, she seemed unconcerned about who had poisoned her and didn't inquire how she miraculously returned to the mansion.
Instead, she referred to him calmly as teacher!
Feeling undeserving of such an address, he awkwardly responded, "It is His Majesty whom you should truly express gratitude towards. As a mere subordinate, I lack the ability to counteract the effects of Othalda's poison. It was his Majesty himself who ventured into the palace and implored Consort Jade to obtain the antidote."
Bailey spoke expressionlessly, "Oh, is that so?"
"Are you surprised? Is this something you expected, hence your lack of astonishment?"
Only then did Bailey notice the presence of someone sitting beside her. Shortly after, Rory approached her bedside, his gaze icy as he said, "Aren't you curious about who poisoned you?"
"If you wish to reveal it, you will do so. Why should I bother guessing?" she replied.
"Currently, rumors abound that Aimee is involved with Othalda, but I know this poison has no connection to her. Poisoning a member of the royal family is a heinous crime. Even if Aimee is foolish, she would never use Ufrurg's poison to harm you!"
"The sole purpose of poisoning you with Othalda is to divert blame onto Aimee, placing her at the center of the storm, isn't it?"
Bailey smiled and nodded, remarking, "Your Majesty, your thinking is evident!"
"The person behind the poisoning would never be the same one who once schemed against you. Their target was either you or me, but your clever escape not only absolved you of all accusations but also won everyone's sympathy."
"No one would care about the death of a commoner. The queen consort was sentenced to death and poisoned. Surely, someone wanted to silence you permanently!"
With each word Rory uttered, his scrutinizing gaze grew more intense,
Bailey mustered a smile. Her wounds were bandaged, and fresh clothes adorned her. Though wearied, her eyes shone unusually bright, as if they could unravel every hidden plot. Who do you think is the culprit behind the poisoning, Your Majesty?"
5/7
Rory fixed his gaze on her, unapologetically gripping her chin.
Powerless to resist, she was forced to raise her head and meet his eyes.
His grip tightened, devoid of any trace of mercy. "So, you're ruthless enough to ingest deadly poison without a second thought. What if there were no antidote in the palace? You would have gone to hell!"
Bailey remained composed, maintaining her gaze on him. Indeed a prince, he was quick to deduce the truth, surpassing the average person.
However, how could the palace be without an antidote? The elixir delivered to Consort Jade by the Ufrurg envoy was, after all, her creation!
That precious elixir, Consort Jade, would surely hold it dear.
Fearlessly, she locked eyes with Rory, her smile growing bolder. "I must thank you, Your Majesty, for personally seeking out Consort Jade."
Rory sneered, his voice cold. "My visit was not to save you but to confirm my suspicions. Bailey, you possess courage and cunning, daring to shift blame onto the princess. If the emperor discovers the truth, your head will surely roll!"
"Princess Aimee indeed caused harm to me. She is far from innocent," Bailey retorted with a chilling laugh. Her eyes held a deeper meaning as she continued, "I thought you tacitly approved of such actions. What I did save more than just myself."
"If I were to reveal the truth about Kelsey while imprisoned, others would be implicated."
A dangerous glint flickered in Rory's narrowed eyes. "Keep your mouth shut!"
Observing his reaction, Bailey deduced that he knew the matter was connected to Brenna.
Bailey sneered disdainfully, "Why are you so agitated, Your Majesty? When I mentioned others, I wasn't referring to any woman but the Fifth Prince."
The Fifth Prince?
Rory's expression changed. "Why would you think of him?"
"The Noel family discovered that I was treating someone. Undoubtedly, many of the Fifth Prince's spies are around Alicia. The Fifth Prince would be the ultimate victor if I were to die. Not only could he dispose of Noel Family's unwanted eldest daughter, but he could also pressure Jayden to choose between two sons-in-law."
"And it tarnished your reputation as well. As my husband, you would find it difficult to absolve yourself of blame!"
Once more, Rory cast his gaze upon her, his eyes now holding an unfamiliarity as if he were looking at a stranger.
"You are not Bailey Noel."