Chapter 23- Dethronement of the Illegitimate Queen

The once elegant middle-aged woman was now in complete disarray. Her hair and clothes were rumpled, and her eyes had a strange look in them. 

"You are my daughter! Why didn't you defend me!" Salina was screaming senselessly at Iris. Iris clenched her fists. 

Yes, she had done this to Salina. But that didn't mean she enjoyed bearing her screaming. Besides, Iris had only poisoned Salina about two weeks ago, it shouldn't be this effective so early. But Salina was already a hateful and venomous person, the poison had simply brought that forward.

"You are at fault for not doing anything, but that disgraceful bastard is even more so. He must have done it… Yes, it's his fault. I'm sure he seduced that wench into breaking my things. I must give him retribution. He has tainted my pride in front of everyone!" Salina was muttering to herself as she paced around the room. At the end of her speech, she was yelling. Her suspicious nature had only been exacerbated. 

Iris watched her with a strange light in her eyes. She didn't interfere as Salina trailed down this dangerous line of thought. 

"But you!" Salina suddenly spun and took a look at Iris. She was pointing accusingly at her.

"Why can't you be more like your father! At least he has ambition!" 

Iris's focus sharpened. This was precisely what she wanted to know about.

"Where is he right now?" Iris asked, trying to be nonchalant.

Salina looked at Iris strangely. As if she had said something ridiculous.

"What do you mean? He's at his estate." 

Salina hovered near Iris. She was looking at her face suspiciously. Suddenly a veil of obsession took over her beautiful face. 

"My dear daughter… This is all for us, for our family. So we can be united, so we can be recognized. And when it's time, you have to trust that…" Salina suddenly trailed off, clarity returned to her. 

Iris stayed silent. She wanted more information, but she would have to wait. The poison hadn't progressed enough, she couldn't properly get what she wanted. Salina still had most of her sanity. 

"I-I'm going to bed. Leave." Salina suddenly growled at her. 

Iris stood up and left the room, glancing at Salina as she confusedly looked at her surroundings. 

-

"Your majesty, please tell me what you would like assistance with." Reis said once he met Iris in her study. It was his first day as her assistant. 

He had to admit, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He would have to serve her tirelessly. But he couldn't let this opportunity go.

Iris waved him closer and began a lengthy discussion of his tasks. She would not have him here to do nothing. There was work to do, and he would do it well.

"Are you sure…This isn't too much?" Reis immediately regretted it as he said it. He wanted more work, that would be for the best. But he felt she was placing far too much trust in him. 

"No. I'm sure you can manage it all." 

Reis stayed expressionless, but he felt something. He wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't good. He couldn't let her trust get to him. 

Reis asked a few questions, and then the both of them immediately got to work. They fell into a strange silence, papers fluttering through their hands. It was oddly serene. Reis felt uncomfortable at the thought. 

Even if the Queen wasn't the same selfish brat he was used to, he couldn't become closer to her. He'd have to get her to trust him, but he couldn't grow attached. 

He would usurp her.

Iris wasn't thinking as deeply as Reis. She saw it very simply. She would use him to manage the kingdom. When he'd become troublesome, she'd kill him. She'd keep an eye on him to see if could control people, like Leon. But she didn't have emotions attached to him. 

And yet, Leon's face would occasionally flash in her mind. His expression when she left was uncomfortably familiar to her. And every now and then. the completely different features would overlap onto Reis's.

Iris's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a hand on her arm. Reis was serious, staring at her. 

"What is this?" 

Iris's sleeve had ridden up a bit while she was working. A large scabbed over cut was revealed. Some of the smaller injuries she had gotten had healed, but the larger ones were very stubborn. The poison had likely slowed the healing process. Her stomach wound twinged at the thought. That wound would likely never fully heal.

"Just a cut." Iris said simply. She resumed working as if the conversation was over.

"Just a cut? This is huge!" Reis wasn't overacting. A royal's body was treated like gold, especially the monarch's. If Iris had gotten a wound like this, everybody in the castle would know. Yet it looked like it hadn't even been treated seriously. Some healing mixture was casually spread on it, it hadn't even been bandaged.

"How did you get this?" Reis glared at Iris.

She looked at him dubiously but still answered truthfully.

"I just had a scuffle while traveling."

"Why didn't you-" Reis stopped himself with a short, angry breath.

"I'll be right back." Reis suddenly left.

Iris didn't pay him any mind and resumed her task. 

When Reis returned, he immediately grabbed Iris's arm and began tending to her wound. She looked at him strangely but didn't resist. 

Reis suddenly froze in the middle of bandaging. He had always done his best to maintain politeness with Iris, and yet he was being incredibly rude at the moment. He glanced at the Queen furtively, but saw she was just tending to her work with her other hand. She didn't seem to mind Reis's actions. 

He resumed his bandaging, trying to suppress the bizarre feeling in his heart.

"Do you have any more injuries?" Reis asked, his cold demeanor returned. 

Iris tilted her head to the side, considering something. She began counting in her head, trying to remember.

"Nine more. Though I have more that are mostly healed."

Reis stared at her blankly, trying to understand her words.

"What sort of scuffle did you have?" He said haltingly.

"Ambush." Iris said curtly.

"You got ambushed? And you didn't tell anyone?" Reis was obviously shocked.

Iris viewed his expression and found it to be genuine, which surprised her. She had thought of him as a candidate for the mastermind behind the attack. She wasn't sure if he had connections with the apothecary this early in the story, but he certainly had a motive. He was very suspicious.

The only reason Iris thought it might not have been him is because she doubted he could. The novel lauds him as being a morally righteous and thoughtful person. She didn't think he would impulsively try to assassinate her. And his reaction told her she had guessed correctly. He didn't do it.

"Can I help you bandage the rest?" The words left his tongue nervously. He was well aware his actions were muddying their carefully drawn boundary. He should keep a polite distance from her.

 And yet there was this itch of worry that burrowed itself into his mind. He would help her with her wounds and then…

And then he would ruin her life.

He had been planning this for so long.

Iris stared into the stern man's eyes. She felt the pull of an emotion she didn't understand.

"...Okay."