40 Laurel Elysium

It was a peaceful day in the Elysium Manor.

Julius works, distracting himself from the disaster of a tea party that went down in the Odum Household.

He has heard no news of Nazareth.

His network can't find anything remotely related to the incident, and even after penning several letters to those who Nazareth associates with, no one has a clue of his current state of health.

A few days ago, he received a letter from Royce. The teen had sounded unusually confident about Nazareth, but Julius can only doubt.

Bellodon was a nasty poison that caused a lot of pain. It has a slow recovery rate and leaves its victims vulnerable during the recovery process.

If Nazareth was fine, he should have been cured of his ailings a week ago.

It's been two weeks since he collapsed and no one has heard a single word about his recovery.

Julius fears for the worse.

He knows better than anyone else what an intentional assassination attempt looks like. They first render the victims vulnerable before striking for the throat.

The bellodon was the first strike.

It is only a matter of time before the second strike comes--

Plop.

Julius drops his pen.

His mind began to turn, frenzy and quick, drawing to an unfortunate result as realization dawns upon him.

They say that the Odum Household has been put under lockdown.

No one is allowed inside the grounds. Likewise, no one is allowed out, either.

The Duke hasn't been seen for two weeks, while some say that the Duchess has been roaming around the Odum Territory like a woman out for blood.

The second strike has already happened.

And no one outside the Odum family knows about it.

That is unless they reached the same conclusion as he.

"Thomas,"

"You called, Master Julius?"

The elderly servant appears from seemingly out of nowhere.

Julius glanced out the window.

"Where did you say Mother is going, today?"

---

"Must you go?"

In the Master Wing of the Elysium Manor, there is only the Duke and Duchess and no one else.

This is a private moment between the wife and husband.

Eubulous kneels on the foot of the bed, holding his wife's hand. He looks pleadingly at her, his vermillion eyes widen by a fraction, appearing almost puppy-ish as he whines. The action is quite similar to the youngest of his children.

"You don't have to go, Laurel. Please..."

Laurel Elysium, the love of his life and beloved stepmother to his remaining five children, can only smile placatingly as she removed her hand from his.

"Dear, you do know I'll be back by evening, don't you?"

She continues packing her tools into an airtight briefcase.

"Don't forget to give Julius his medicine before dinner if I don't make it back in time. April and May are spending the day in the garden and working on their recital pieces for midsummer. I am requiring you and Julius to go and join them in the afternoon. The two of you need some sun. It's summer, but both of you are always so pasty."

Turning to Eubulus, she pats him softly on the cheek to make a point before slamming the briefcase shut.

Eubulous finds himself thoroughly defeated, especially after Laurel called him pasty.

He is suddenly determined to get a tan by autumn.

As for the list of tasks he has just been given, he looks forward to doing them but is rather ashen that Laurel won't be able to see him fulfill his fatherly duties for the day.

He's cleared up his schedule this summer season so there is a lot of time on his hands to be with his family and children.

Today is the start of his vacation, but his wife is needed elsewhere.

It's been a long time since he has taken care of his children by himself.

Speaking of children...

"Is there anything for Juneth and Augustine?"

The youngest children of the household, his youngest set of twins, still haven't entered the Academy, yet, so their schedule is relatively the same.

There are other types of education for children of the aristocracy before going to the Academy--such as the Royal Primary School--but Eubulous feels more comfortable with them staying homeschooled for as long as possible.

In exchange for that, however, the summer holidays do not apply to them. They will continue learning throughout the year at their own pace until they are old enough for the Academy.

Eubulous saw how Laurel was flipping through her mental planner and checking their children's schedule before she answered his inquiry.

"Not for today, dear. The two of them are with their tutors and will be taken care of by the nannies. Classes will only be until noon, so they can be brought out to join all of you in the garden right after. And do be mindful of August once you're there. I'm afraid he got a bit friendly with a peer from the Peregrine Family at the weekly playdate."

"Oh no..."

Laurel smiled. "Just make sure he's not eating dirt. Luckily, the one he's befriended only consumes leaves. Apparently, she has a cousin who drinks chemical fluids for fun."

Right.

None of these things sound too difficult.

Drag Julius outside to watch April and May play music, fetch June and August once they're done with the tutors. Watch August and make sure he doesn't eat something he shouldn't.

Eubulous had been busy since last summer. It's been nearly a year since he was able to spend time with all of his--remaining--children.

He is excited to spend the day with them.

"Alright. I can do this."

"You can do this," Laurel affirms.

She pats him on the shoulder encouragingly before heading towards the door, lugging her utility case with her.

"Now, I really must be going, dear. Vespera is expecting me."

"Have a safe trip!"

---

Laurel sat in the carriage--case safely stored beside her--and brought out a letter from her pocket.

Re-reading its content, she sighed.

"What is with nobles and tea party assassinations? It's like they all ran out of ideas..." She muttered.

You would think those in upper society would stop hosting tea parties once they realized that there's a direct correlation between these social gatherings and poisoning incidents, but tradition has always been stubborn.

Regardless if there's like, a one out of sixteenth chance you'll be poisoned, the aristocracy will continue risking their lives for something as redundant as drinking tea with their friends and acquaintances.

She's a bit disappointing that Julius went.

One would think he'd be more cautious and wary of tea parties after that assassination attempt that nearly killed him.

But then again, her eldest stepson is quite introverted. She had been glad when he told her he would be visiting friends.

The tea party Julius had recounted took her back to that year when Julius was poisoned.

Laurel had been passing through town when the entirety of the Elysium Family went into lockdown.

She had been one of the healers ushered into the Elysium Manor.

Eubulous was a passionate man, emotional and sensible. He had been so vulnerable at the time, resenting his family curse.

Beneath the exterior of the Elysium Duke was a gentle and loving man who loved his children dearly--and most don't bother to see between the lines.

Laurel had fallen for him instantly and was willing to risk the wrath of the Church to save this man's son and heir.

It was just her luck that Eubulous didn't rat her out.

If she hadn't used her illegal methods, Julius would have died an agonizing death. The poison was a bitch to siphon out, and even then, some of it had entered Julius' bloodstream.

In the end, she could only promise a full and fulfilling life as long as he takes his medications on time and stick to a proper diet.

So many things have happened in barely half a decade. Her life has changed forever when she met Eubulous.

Stepping into the role of the first Duchess of Elysium was difficult. Becoming the stepmother of five children was also difficult.

But Laurel knew struggles and comparing her past struggles to this life, she thinks she has found happiness.

Some might call her a seductress, using underhanded techniques to marry the Duke of Elysium.

There have been speculations on the poisoning. She has been accused of sending assassins to poison Julius so she can come in and heal her stepson.

In the words of her beloved mentor, she doesn't give a single fuck about what they say because she's happy and those bitches obviously aren't.

"Madam, we've arrived."

The coach driver called out.

Laurel glanced out the window and saw the grand manor of the Odum Family.

With just one look at the black steel gate and the blank-faced servants standing guard, Laurel knew she was about to get herself into something unnecessarily troublesome.

"Ah, fuck. This shit reeks of tragedy."

The uncouth language was thus delivered by the gentle Duchess of Elysium, who so happens to be very, very distantly related to the Rickman Family.

---

Vespera and her personal servants stood at the entrance of the manor.

"Madam, Duchess Elysium is standing in front of the gate."

"Let her inside."

A petite woman dressed in pastel blue walked daintily into the Odum Manor with a soft smile on her pale face. Her light-brown hair swayed as she moved, making her appear less put-together, but easier to approach.

An idiot would certainly try to approach such a delicate-looking lady. Especially if they don't care to notice the calculative sheen in her silver-grey eyes. They're the eyes of a Rickman--and no one wants to cross a Rickman.

"Vespera!" Laurel greeted, setting her briefcase on the ground, before approaching the other duchess. Despite not seeing her since she and Eubulous got married, Laurel wasn't one for pretense and neither was Vespera.

The Odum Duchess can be as short and blunt as she wishes while Laurel can be friendly and talkative so long as they both understand each other's quirks.

It's not like the entirety of aristocracy is watching them.

Screw decorum.

"I came as soon as I heard,"

"Good."

"May I see my patient?"

"Come."

Laurel followed Vespera further into the manor, chatting all the way.

Vespera nodded along but didn't say a word. She has always been a good listener.

The Elysium Duchess ranted about the dangers of tea parties and why poison testing talismans should always be a must-have to carry on your person. After that, she went onto the subject of healing and the many methods she could think about regarding the poisoning of Nazareth.

From a newly developed poison to a secret injection of a slow-acting poison that could have gone unnoticed. The bellodon had been the distraction. Or it may have been the trigger.

Theory after theory sprung up in between Laurel's chatters, and although Vespera didn't look like she minded, the servants standing around steadily grew suspicious.

A maidservant almost brought a knife... just in case.

Unaware she is implicating herself, Laurel went on another tangent on the properties of snake venom.

"Here."

Vespera cut her off when they came to a door.

She gives it a knock, injecting her life signature into the locking mechanism of the door before it swung open.

The Odum Duchess steps inside, leading Laurel after her.

The door slams shut when both women enter.

Inside the healing ward, the healers are focused on the youth lying in bed.

They continue to maintain the healing talismans.

Beside the youth, the Duke of Odum lethargically sits, looking pale and haggard as he gently holds his son's hand.

What appears to be a thread of gold connects the two of them, growing from the runes carved into Gareth's back and rooting itself gently into the pulse of Nazareth's neck.

Vespera approaches her husband, but he doesn't seem to notice her.

Gently, the Duchess places a hand on the other's shoulder.

"Gareth?"

Gareth jolts, becoming aware of his wife after a few seconds. He squints and then widens his eyes.

"Sorry... I... Sorry..." He sighs, using the palm of his hand to cover his face. Giving up, his mind too tired to form proper words, he settled for a grunt.

"Okay," Vespera answers and then turns to Laurel. "Help him. Please."

Laurel stares curiously at the sleeping teenager on the bed, brows wrinkling just a bit.

"I need to change first. I don't want to contaminate anything."

Vespera points to the bathroom.

Laurel quickly goes in with her briefcase.

A few minutes go by before she eventually comes out.

No one comments on her strange appearance.

Those in the healing ward are aware of Laurel Elysium's eccentric methods.

Dressed in a blue, loose cotton gown with her brown hair pulled tightly into a bun and wearing the strangest of gloves pulled to her elbow, she marches back to the bed.

Some notice the strange device on her neck, a "stethoscope", she had called it, and watched as she placed two ends into her ear and the round end on the Young Master's chest.

There is a moment of silence.

Everyone waits with bated breath.

Laurel's face grows darker and more venomous with every second.

She rips the stethoscope from her ears, a look of resentment clear on her face.

The Duchess brings out a night pearl and gently lifts one of Nazareth's eyelids. She shines the pearl into the unseeing eye and then does the same for the other.

Finally, she sets down the pearl and turns to the group.

"Healer Waldorf?"

She calls the head healer.

"A-ah, yes?" The healer approaches.

"Can you bring over the metal box I have in my pack? It's about the size of a book."

"Of course, Madam."

The healer went to get the box.

Laurel turned to Vespera and Gareth.

"You said there is a second poison in his body?"

"Yes. Here."

Vespera brings out a piece of bedsheet with a purple stain on it.

Laurel takes it gently and begins to observe it.

"This isn't a large sample, but if I can replicate its basic components, there is a likely chance that we can find a cure."

She turns to the youth on the bed.

"I will be honest. His pulse is erratic. In terms of poisoning, the heart has a slide to its pulse. The rhythm feels off and seems to be slowed to the point of uncertainty. Your son doesn't have such symptoms. His pulse is irregular, like the beat of a hummingbird's wings. It beats and beats until the heart exhausts itself. It pumps blood and makes so much of it that he eventually has to get rid of it."

That should explain why he's bleeding from his offices.

"His current state isn't like that of a poisoned patient."

Gareth looks like he's about to protest, but Laurel holds up a hand.

"If I can put it into an analogy, his current state is like a rat inside the alchemy tower. Whoever is trying to kill your son is also using his body to understand the effects of a chemical compound. Rather than call it being poisoned, I'd say he is drugged, and this drug will eventually break down his body and eventually kill him."

As Vespera and Gareth allow these words to sink in, Healer Waldorf comes back with Laurel's box.

Laurel opens it, revealing needles of different sizes and lengths. Glass vials and strange plunger-like tools could also be seen.

The Elysium duchess selected the thinnest, yet longest, needle and attached it to the ends of a vial. As for the finishing touch, she placed the plunger-like device on the other end.

Bringing out a small bottle of spirit and a cotton pad, she goes over to the Young Master and rubs the spirit on a small area between his forearm and bicep.

And then, before anyone could stop her, she inserts the needle into his arm and begins drawing blood.

"What are you doing?!"

Gareth demands.

Vespera keeps him in place, fearing that the lifestrand might be disrupted if he attempts to move.

Laurel doesn't bat an eye, her focus on the youth.

"It is likely that the drug has developed inside the bloodstream. I need a sample to determine how the drug had affected his blood cells."

No one said a word after, but the room became tense with anxiety.

Laurel finishes her task and moves to store the blood inside a glass dish.

She casts a light talisman on it and places it under an awkward-looking device called the "microscope".

A few minutes of looking at the blood sample has her suddenly jumping up.

"Oh! This is good! This is very, very good!"

No one understands her sudden shift in mood but remained quiet as she ran over to her briefcase and brought out a bright red elixir.

"Can someone get a bucket?"

"What for?"

"His body is trying its best to remove the drug from its bloodstreams. I'm not sure why, but that gives us a chance to siphon as much of the drug in his system as we can. That way, flushing it later on with the antidote will be easier."

One of the healers brought over a wooden bucket.

Laurel goes over to her briefcase and rummages around.

"Aha!"

She brings out a glass bottle with a red elixir inside.

"If I may ask, Your Excellency, what are you holding?" Healer Waldorf asked curiously.

Laurel grins. "This is the elixir I made a few years back to remove the poison inside my stepson's body. It just so happens that I keep a few around in case anyone tries to foolishly make another attempt at his life."

Her smile seemingly sharpens, sending shivers down many of the healers' backs.

Vespera merely eyes her with growing interest while Gareth is too tired to be mentally present.

Laurel uncorks the elixir and brings it to Nazareth's lips.

Patiently, she helps him drink it down and immediately pulls the bucket in front of him.

"Nobody panic. This is going to get messy..."

---

Neo stands in front of a gate.

An ancient language is carved into this gate. He toes the lines of existence and tries not to encompass the world with his conscious. If he grows too big, he will not be able to come back.

The edge of the cliff and its roaring waves taunt him.

The sky rains blood but he can't hear a single thing beyond the sound of pen to paper.

Someone write furiously. They mumble and mutter against his ear.

Sometimes, there is a tearing noise and he grows empty--only for the emptiness to be filled by written words.

The world shifts--

The familiar scent of jasmine and lotus linger thickly from the rich incense burning from a table.

The bed is covered in brocade and silk, but he seems to be lying beneath the bed. The ground is carpeted with rugs made from the finest of furs, soft to the touch, yet, they surround him, leaving him on the cold floor beneath the bed.

A lullaby rings in his head. A gentle hand strokes his cheek.

There is another sound of tearing, screaming, shouting--

The rewritten words burn to the surface.

He wakes up.

---

Nazareth is barely conscious.

Laurel supports him as the poor boy coughs into the bucket, vomiting out a mixture of blood and some type of gooey black substance. His nose bleeds black and red.

The bleeding and vomiting continue for some time.

Gareth and Vespera watch worriedly as the flow of the black substance continues to leave their son.

It's neverending and infinite.

Eventually, the vomiting stops.

Nazareth falls into unconsciousness once more, his eyes opening slightly in a futile attempt to stay awake before darkness drags him back into his dreams.

Laurel dips her handkerchief into a pail of clean water and uses the damp cloth to wipes up the blood.

"He's removed a majority of the poison, but there are still some left. If you hadn't placed his body under stasis, he would not be doing as well as he is now." She explains, examining the black substance inside the bucket. "The poison seems to evolve with time. The sample you showed me does not look like this. It is more accurate to say that this was made to be intentionally slow acting. For all we know, its intentions may be to stop the heart. I only have one solution to this problem, but the Church will not approve of my methods."

Vespera meets her gaze with her own, a look of determination clear upon her face.

"We have never cared about the Church's opinions. If you have the method, please tell us."

There was a clear sign of conflict on the other Duchess' face. It seems she is debating with herself. Finally, it seems one side has won out.

She asks a strange question.

"The boy has two kidneys, yes?"

"Yes. Why do you ask--"

The Elysium Duchess wordlessly brings her hand to Nazareth's chest.

The palm of her gloves begins to glow.

Vespera's keen eyes take notice of an emblem stitched into it.

When the light dies down, she couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"

Laurel smiled. "I have petrified the poison in his left kidney. Call the Church and request for Saintess Aria to come. She has the ability to remove it."

Gareth lethargically lifted his head from his wife's shoulder. It is obvious to see that he is very much out of it, but the name Aria has managed to startle him.

He didn't know his older sister could remove kidneys.