* * *

Crash!

The teacup in Dowoon’s hand shattered against the floor with a piercing sound, fragments scattering everywhere.

The serene, elegant atmosphere of the party was instantly overturned.

Baek Yigang rushed to catch Dowoon as he collapsed, his brows furrowing with cold dread as he noticed Dowoon’s weakening breaths.

“Your Highness, what is…?!”

Alarmed by the sudden commotion, Asel, Philip, and Anna hurried to Baek Yigang’s side from the back of the room, their eyes wide with shock.

“Asel, take him,” Baek Yigang commanded.

With ease, Asel lifted Dowoon into his arms.

Despite Dowoon’s build making it difficult for most to carry him, Asel’s similar physique made it manageable.

Though it was an outdoor party with a relaxed atmosphere, the designated area wasn’t vast.

Within the confined space, where guests had been mingling and chatting moments ago, all eyes were now fixed on the scene.

Ignoring the stares, Baek Yigang bent down and picked up two silver spoons from the floor—presumably dropped when Dowoon collapsed.

Holding the spoons in his hand, Baek Yigang shifted his gaze.

Across the room, at the optimal vantage point, stood Piel.

Their eyes met, and Piel, usually composed, returned Baek Yigang’s cold, piercing glare with a rare rigidity.

Finally, Baek Yigang broke the silence.

“Cedric.”

Though his voice was quiet, the tension in the room amplified his words, making them resonate throughout the space.

“Yes, Your Highness. I am here,” Cedric responded promptly, stepping forward.

“What do these spoons signify?”

Baek Yigang held out the spoons to Cedric.

The murmurs of the crowd grew louder as they caught a glimpse.

“Gasp…!”

“Why do they look like that?”

“Silver spoons? Could it be… poison?”

Amid the rising whispers, Cedric examined the spoons carefully, his expression grave.

After a moment, he spoke with measured weight.

“While the ordinary silver spoon showed no reaction, the enchanted one has slightly corroded. This indicates a potent toxin—far stronger than anything commonly found on the market.”

“What happens to someone exposed to this poison?” Baek Yigang inquired.

“Immediate death, in most cases.”

The room descended into a stunned silence as Cedric’s blunt words reverberated.

Shocked whispers quickly turned into chaotic chatter.

“Escort the Princess at once!”

“Your Highness, this way, please…!”

The first to regain their composure were the ministers of the Arthe Empire.

Hurriedly shoving Delcia between the armed guards, they made for the exit in a rush, abandoning any pretense of tidying up the aftermath, their wide, startled eyes betraying their fear.

“Wait! How can only the Arthe delegation leave like this? We haven’t even determined who poisoned the tea!”

“Exactly! Who’s to say there isn’t a culprit among you? No one should leave until the investigation is complete!”

The nobles of the Pendium Empire stepped forward, furrowing their brows and blocking Arthe’s path.

The first to respond, with a rebuke that seemed to thunder through the room, was an elderly minister leading Arthe’s guards.

“What an outrageous accusation! That tea was meant for our princess! If that wizard hadn’t drunk it instead, the one collapsing would have been Her Highness!”

“Exactly! And yet, you expect us to stay here? The culprit could still be among us, targeting the princess!”

“Stand aside immediately!”

Faced with the sharp words and reddened faces of Arthe’s enraged ministers, the Pendium nobles hesitated, unable to offer a rebuttal.

Their expressions soured as they reluctantly stepped back.

Seizing the opportunity, the knights escorting the princess left the venue without a backward glance, followed by Arthe’s ministers, clicking their tongues in frustration.

As Arthe’s party was excluded from suspicion, murmurs of discontent began to ripple among Pendium’s nobles.

However, their complaints were subdued, as the Crown Prince, Yigang, remained silent.

“…Your Highness, Dowoon’s breathing is growing weaker.”

Regrettably, Yigang had no leisure to concern himself with the nobles’ clamor.

Asel, cradling Dowoon in his arms, looked down at him with a troubled expression and drew a shaky breath.

Just as Yigang turned his gaze back to Dowoon, Reggie and Blue approached swiftly, their usually playful faces uncharacteristically serious.

“Your Highness, we will personally escort him to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

“This situation appears more urgent than we thought. We’ll cast a teleportation spell immediately.”

Reggie and Blue, visibly anxious, awaited Yigang’s permission.

“Anna, go with them.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Given the circumstances, teleportation was undeniably faster than having Asel carry Dowoon to the palace.

Once Yigang gave his approval, Reggie and Blue took Dowoon from Asel without hesitation.

With a quick spell, Dowoon’s form lifted into the air and vanished in an instant.

Watching the spot where Dowoon had disappeared, Yigang’s eyes glinted sharply.

If he’d only sent the two wizards, he might’ve worried.

But with Anna accompanying them, he was confident matters at the palace would be handled properly.

For now, though…

Feeling a sudden, chilling unease, Philip turned an uneasy gaze toward his master.

As expected, Yigang’s piercing eyes were locked on Piel.

“Philip, Aquilada.”

“Your Highness…!”

The decisive tone of Yigang’s command left no room for doubt.

By addressing Piel directly, he was clearly stating his belief that Piel was the culprit behind this incident.

It was no mere oversight that Yigang had allowed Arthe’s delegation to leave unimpeded.

His certainty about the true culprit meant he saw no reason to detain those who had narrowly escaped harm.

“I will kill him.”

Yigang’s cold, emotionless declaration sent shivers down Philip’s spine.

Acting on instinct, he grabbed Yigang’s arm as tightly as he could.

Asel, sensing the prince’s rising fury, quickly seized Yigang’s other arm.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t. Please, restrain yourself!”

“There’s no concrete evidence linking this to the Second Prince yet. You need to hold back.”

Both Philip and Asel pleaded, knowing that letting Yigang go now would lead to catastrophe.

Though outwardly composed, Yigang’s insides churned with rage so fierce it left him disturbingly calm.

Piel Dirzio.

He was an irksome pest who had, for some time now, involved himself in Dowoon’s affairs under the guise of competition. Yigang had dismissed him as a fool blinded by inferiority, unworthy of attention.

But now, that fool had gone too far, targeting his Dowoon.

Worse yet, Piel’s expression revealed frustration, not triumph.

It seemed his ploy had misfired.

But Yigang cared nothing for Piel’s intentions or mistakes.

What mattered was that Dowoon, his Dowoon, was the one harmed—and his breathing was weakening by the second.

“Your Highness, please regain your composure! A public killing is out of the question!”

“So it’s acceptable in private, then?”

“Of course not! This is not the time or place to act rashly.”

Fortunately, the efforts of Asel and Philip to restrain Yigang were beginning to show results.

His pallor faded, and some color returned to his face.

Or so they thought. Despite the change, Yigang’s gaze remained fixed on Piel, brimming with unrelenting fury.

“If only it weren’t for you two…”

Yigang’s lips twisted in frustration as he glared at the two men clinging to his arms.

“Your Highness, please, hold back until the coronation. If you kill the Second Prince now, everything will fall apart.”

“Dowoon wouldn’t want this, Your Highness.”

The mention of Dowoon seemed to finally ease Yigang’s tension.

His rigid shoulders relaxed, and he exhaled a short, sharp breath.

“…Tch.”

The sound was nearly inaudible, but it was enough for Philip and Asel to breathe a sigh of relief.

When Yigang clicked his tongue in such a manner, it signaled that his fury had subsided.

“I need to see Dowoon.”

His thoughts shifted back to what truly mattered—checking on Dowoon’s condition.

Turning abruptly, Yigang declared, “We’re returning to the palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

With that, Yigang’s hurried steps carried him toward the Crown Prince’s Palace, leaving behind a crowd of nobles murmuring among themselves.

The short-lived yet tumultuous outdoor tea party had come to an end, marked by Yigang’s final order to conduct a superficial investigation before dismissing the guests.

* * *