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(3rd Person POV)
Roxana Agriche, the Rose of the Agriches was sitting in her room quietly while pondering over something.
Her maid, Emma standing behind her with bowed head asked, "The usual, Miss?"
"No, Emma. Today, increase the dosage of poison by 10 mL."
Emma replied without any hesitation, "Of course, Miss Roxana."
This was the usual persona of the servants of the Agriches. These servants had to turn cold and uncaring towards anything that happened. They should only care about fulfilling their master's orders, they will kill their fellow servants on the order of their master without any hesitation.
Even if they weren't that strong compared to the soldiers, they still possessed enough capabilities to protect themselves from any danger that might befall them. These people who joined were aware of the dangers.
However, some people do join because they aren't aware of how things actually work in the upper echelons of the nobility. The only choice is either they mould themselves to the wishes of their employers or they would have to leave the job.
Well, death on a noble's whim is also a possible fate.
Anyway, Emma handed over the poison to her master.
The poison was watery with a tinge of red colour spread throughout the solution. This solution was made from the extraction of the poison from one of the deadliest animals in this world, the Rouge.
It could kill a human in a matter of minutes with half a dozen drops of its poison.
Roxana was able to ingest that without much repercussions because she had her poison resistance built up from her childhood. She has increased her intake of poison since she was given the responsibility of hatching poison butterflies.
As soon as she drank it, her throat stiffened up while she wanted to retch up the substance that just entered her oesophagus. But her determination to survive her fate prevented her will from weakening.
She wiped some poison from her lips and handed it back the vessel to her servant, Emma.
Emma excused herself from the room.
Roxana dropped on the chair in front of her due to exhaustion.
Since she started taking poison, she has had several periods where she wouldn't be able to function properly.
The immediate time period after she has taken the poison and at random times, she will feel random bouts of nausea and throw up blood. Though, throwing up blood has only occurred one time when she got ahead of herself and drank a large amount of poison...
Well, she was foolish that day...
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In Aston's Room,
Aston had just come back from the tea party.
Edmund asked with an urgent tone, "Your Highness, how could that woman be so frank with you? She is walking past the line of formal etiquettes."
Aston replied with a deadpan expression, "Edmund... She is not sane. Why will she care about formal etiquette? They are just a waste of time, you can't rule over your territory with those fancy, wishy-washy etiquettes. You need to fight for it."
"I know that, your highness. But that scamp was trying to manipulate you."
"No, she was not. She just tried to offer her help in any way. She seems fed up with the life she is living and she knows that a wrong step can easily shorten her life. But I don't know how and why she has made up her mind like that."
Aston continued thinking out loud, "From your report and my observations, she has a chaotic nature. She enjoys bloodshed. But she is trying to get away from the Agriches? It's truly interesting. Maybe she dislikes the monotonous bloodshed of the Agriches?"
Edmund nodded along with his lord's thoughts and said, "Your Highness, I will try to find the accurate reason behind her desire. But, does the third wife of the Agriche Patriarch know that the patriarch intends to give his daughter to you?"
"Well, it isn't that hard to come to that conclusion. Roxana has been spending a large amount of time in this room. Normally, some people may have arrived at that guess. We aren't affected much even if they believe in such rumour."
"Yes, Your Highness. Shall I give you this week's report?"
"Go on."
"Your Highness, this week was an uneventful one but still your assumption was correct. The four families have truly started preparations. Bertiums have started the production of doll fighters at a high rate. White Huipelions have started buying beasts aggressively. Red Gastors have been conducting sword drills. Surprisingly, the Pedelians haven't made a significant move except positioning their soldiers close to their territory's capital."
"And?"
"Pedelians have been just communicating with the other families. We have not been able to access what is being communicated between them."
"Hmm... Send one of the 12 squad leaders on a mission to access what is being sent between the families. "
"Of course, Sir."
"What about William Phoenix? How is that old coward?"
Edmund paled slightly and replied hesitantly, "W-William has not spent much time out of his room. He just comes out when the council calls him for a meeting or his weekly walk in the royal garden."
"Hmm... He doesn't have much time left, I guess. Edmund, have someone compose a requiem. We will gift it to him soon."
"O-of course, Your Highness."
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(End of the Chapter)
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