Chapter 11: Distortion Of The Original Story
Before the knights could react, the king hurried over to his daughter and snatched the soup spoon from her.
Princess Vanessa stepped back and hid to one side.
"Cleopatra! Klaus! Julius! "
Three handsome knights appeared out of nowhere from the shadows in response to his command. They were all armed with swords strapped to their backs.
They all came to a halt in front of the king and knelt. They spoke in unison, as they had been trained to do so.
"Please instruct us on what you request of us, Your Grace."
"Immediately! Look at that purple sky!! I will not tolerate my daughter being poisoned," Halfway through stating his feelings, the King glanced in the direction of Kendrick and continued, "And if it's a lie and there's no poison in there, I will have his head separate from his neck on the spot."
When he heard what the king said, Kendrick shuddered in despair.
The three handsome knights rose and proceeded to check Lilac at the king's request. Soon after, the three returned to the king's side and, with a solemn look, delivered their analysis.
"Your Grace, as the young man over there remarked, the drink has appeared to be tampered with."
"Oouuf—"
The King almost stopped breathing.
"W-who dares to poison my daughter on her birthday?!"
His mind was a jumbled mess. It's hardly surprising given that they're discussing his daughter. When the handsome knight proceeded with his report, the king was about to shout out and scowl at Kendrick.
"However, there may be unrest among those on the nobles' side. This is merely a speculation, but the perpetrator may be a member of the royal family."
Princess Vanessa looked on with a worried grimace. Because of the commotion, she was able to remain hidden, and no one could see her current expression.
'How unfitting this is for a princess of a kingdom.'
Slowly, the king shifted his gaze over to Kendrick.
"Is it likely that he isn't the perpetrator?"
"That's right, Majesty," the attractive knight said without hesitation.
"How did he know there was poison in there?!"
"That is for him to answer, Your Grace."
Kendrick couldn't prevent himself from swallowing the sticky saliva stinging his throat. He was now sweating profusely.
The king turned his back on his knight and began walking. He continued walking until he came near Kendrick, who was held down on the ground by some royal guards.
"For whom are you working...?"
His eyes belonged to a tyrant. He acted as if he would devour Kendrick at the moment he said something he didn't like.
Kendrick was under pressure and tried to answer shakily.
"I-I am not working for anyone..."
"How did you manage to find out there was poison in the drink?"
Viscount Anwir and Silvia Frost had nothing to say.
Kendrick noticed their expressions and flashed a toothy grin.
"A rumor has been circulating recently that apparently, a member of the royal family has struck up a deal with some of those from nobility to assassinate the princess. Otherwise, I am afraid I do not know anything else."
Viscount Anwir began to clench his teeth. His fist was resting on a rock, ready to strike someone. Kendrick knew that even if he survived this, he'd be doomed.
The plot was veering off in a new direction. Princess Ruri was supposed to be coughing up blood due to food poisoning just now, yet she was still standing there, worriedly glancing at Kendrick.
She doesn't appear surprised; in fact, she seems to have expected it, with simply a bitter look on her face right now.
The king, on the other hand, was stunned, with an evident look of wrath in his eyes.
He crouched and went on his knees before strangling Kendrick's neck, ostensibly trying to murder him and displaying his terrible ugliness for all to see.
Kendrick may die, as he predicted, if things continue at this rate.
"Can you promise me that nothing you've said is a lie??! "
Despite being strangled by the king, Kendrick was capable of speaking a few words.
"D-Do you think... I've got the audacity to lie? "In... a scenario... Like this...? "
The king straightened his clothes and released his grasp on Kendrick.
He looked away from him before issuing an order.
"Put him behind bars! Make sure he has more than ten knights guarding him so he can't flee!!"
'He's seeking to protect me...'
Although it doesn't appear to be what the king is thinking just now, Kendrick misinterpreted his chilly order as a warming intervention.
The knights who were holding him down let go of Kendrick and restrained him once again before taking him out of the palace.
Princess Ruri stood there watching him being carried out of the palace while the mayhem inside resumed.
"Julius, Klaus, and Cleopatra. Study every noble inside the palace. Make it certain that nothing slips through the cracks."
One of the three posed a question to the king.
"What if they refuse to cooperate, Your Grace?"
The king's eyes narrowed to a slit. His demeanor is back to normal. Even still, a chilly tint lingered in his gaze.
"If they resist, see it as a revolt, and you have my authorization to end their lives.
Viscount Anwir began to sweat profusely.
"Understood, Your Grace."
Before leaving, the three knights bowed their heads.
The three knights were meant to obey the king's command, so they began the investigation with the nobles present.
Silvia Frost approached Viscount Anwir and spoke to him. Her voice was so low that only the two of them could understand what she was saying.
"I'll support you in this phase, but you'd best get your penance afterward. Your son disrupted our plan, thus, isn't it the father's responsibility to shoulder the burden? Anyway, I doubt he'll return alive, so don't be concerned about your son. In a worst-case scenario, he may drag you down with him before his death, so brace yourself."
Silvia Frost was grinning like a wicked witch, despite the fact that their plan had failed.
Viscount Anwir avoided her gaze because he was trembling.
And after an hour, the inspection of them is nearly complete. Just like in the otome game, no one was apprehended. Even the perpetrator of the blackout was never identified.