Even Wei Wei was startled by the king's expression—let alone the steward who had served him loyally for years.
Fortunately, the king still remembered that he couldn't afford to lose his temper in his current state. His breathing grew heavy as he forcefully suppressed the storm of fury rising in his chest.
In just a moment, he appeared to calm down. However, the slight irregularity in his breathing and the sharp look in his eyes betrayed the turmoil still raging inside.
This fit of anger had completely drained what little energy the king had left. His back, which had straightened in rage, suddenly slumped backward. Luckily, there was a pillow behind him, so it looked more dramatic than it was.
The steward cautiously stepped forward to help soothe him, and Wei Wei couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, your health is most important."
The king waved a hand. "I'm fine."
Illness had aged him considerably. His once fiery red hair now showed strands of white, and he looked every bit the weary, ailing old man he had become.
Wei Wei stepped forward to take his pulse. Surprisingly, despite the strong emotional swings of joy and anger just now, his vital signs had improved slightly—this emotional spike had, in a way, revitalized him.
A blessing in disguise.
Wei Wei advised, "While it's not serious, please do try to manage your emotions."
Now that he had heard the worst news, the king was finally calm enough to think things through.
Of course, if Wei Wei had said that Edward couldn't be saved, he likely wouldn't have been able to remain calm at all. But now that there was a chance at recovery, the king would not let himself collapse at such a crucial moment.
He thought back to the time when Edward's condition had relapsed and suddenly asked, "Who do you think poisoned us?"
At first, Wei Wei thought he was asking the steward, so she didn't respond. But when the steward remained silent and the king continued to look directly at her, she realized. "Your Majesty is asking me?"
"Yes."
Though unsure why he wanted her opinion, Wei Wei considered it for a moment before answering honestly. "I think it may have been the queen."
"The queen?" Though he phrased it as a question, the king didn't seem surprised by her answer.
Wei Wei caught his reaction and said firmly, "Your Majesty had already been suspecting the queen too, hadn't you?"
Indeed, the king had begun to doubt Mirabelle. Though he hadn't considered it before—after all, she was his wife, and they were naturally aligned—she had no children, and both princes loathed her. If the king were to fall, her life would become extremely difficult.
As for the theory that she was colluding with Duke Romanov, the king considered that completely impossible. Just as the rumors said, Mirabelle's first husband—the former heir to the dukedom—had died under suspicious circumstances, and the current Duke Romanov was deeply implicated in his death. It was Duke Romanov who had ruined Mirabelle's chance of becoming Duchess and effectively forced her to seduce the king in a desperate bid to secure her position as the new queen.
Though she was queen now, everyone knew the difference between "Duchess-to-be" and "Royal Consort." Mirabelle and Duke Romanov were enemies through and through. Mirabelle had offered the king many ideas on how to deal with the duke.
Therefore, when the king suspected Duke Romanov of poisoning him, he never once considered that Mirabelle might be involved.
But it seemed that Mirabelle had grown nervous upon realizing that the king hadn't fallen into a coma. Yesterday and today, she had acted in several ways that made the king uneasy.
When Edward went to see Wei Wei, the steward informed the king that the queen had gone to the kitchen and said she wanted to bring him some soup. The king wasn't stupid—this was all part of a trap he had set. With the queen jumping in so eagerly, it was impossible for him not to grow suspicious.
What he hadn't expected was that she had even laid a hand on Edward!
What had once been only a hypothetical scenario now turned out to be true—the crown prince had indeed been poisoned. How could the king not be furious?
His rage was accompanied by regret—regret that he had married this woman.
Even Wei Wei could deduce that if it truly was Mirabelle who had poisoned Edward, the decision was likely entirely her own.
At the time, Mirabelle couldn't have imagined she would remain childless. Poisoning the crown prince would have been her way of paving the way for her future children. After all, the king already had two sons, and Edward was especially favored. If Edward had recovered fully, her future child would have had even less of a chance at the throne.
Given her irreparable relationship with both princes and her naturally foul temper, Mirabelle might have thought it best to get rid of Edward once and for all.
The reason she only poisoned him once was likely because that single dose had already triggered Edward's latent illness. With the royal physicians saying he might not live past twenty, the queen would've seen no need to continue poisoning him.
At the time, Duke Romanov was still fighting for his right to inherit the dukedom—juggling military achievements while guarding against scheming brothers. He was barely able to protect himself, let alone orchestrate an attack on the crown prince.
So there was no way the poisoning came from him.
Now that she knew the king also suspected the queen, Wei Wei shared another observation: "When the queen heard you had regained consciousness, she showed a momentary look of surprise. It was very brief, but it revealed that she had expected you to remain unconscious."
The only person who could time it so precisely was the one who administered the poison.
Wei Wei speculated that the secret drug—undetectable even by the royal physicians—had likely been brought over from Mirabelle's homeland. Otherwise, in all of Pradi, surely someone would have at least recognized the symptoms, even if they couldn't identify the substance.
The king had received too much information in one day. He began to look fatigued and soon asked Wei Wei to leave.
Before she left, Wei Wei pulled the steward aside, handed him Edward's dietary restriction list, and explained a few details before departing.
Behind her, the king—who they had thought had already fallen asleep—spoke in a hoarse and tired voice: "Madam, I entrust Edward to your care."
"Of course. I'll do my best."
By evening, Kama and the royal physicians finally returned from their trip outside the palace. They had brought back all the missing medicinal herbs. The herbs growing around the countryside chapel proved to be surprisingly useful, and those that hadn't been planted were bought from the clergy.
Since it was already quite late, Kama and the physicians agreed to process the herbs the next morning. For now, she returned to report to Wei Wei.
At that moment, Wei Wei was revising the prescription for the crown prince.
Unlike the king, Edward's body was even weaker. The poison had lingered in his system for so long that it had seeped into his very bones, making detoxification extremely difficult. The medicine she had used for the king wouldn't work for him—she needed to start from scratch.
"Tomorrow, I'll need to visit the royal physician's quarters to see what herbs they have."
That wasn't a difficult task. The royal physician's quarters were located in a remote part of the palace where few people ever passed by. Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, the steward led Wei Wei and Kama—both cloaked in black—through a hidden passage. They easily avoided the guards and reached the royal physician's herb storeroom.
Wei Wei didn't stay long. With her excellent memory, she quickly noted all the herbs in stock, then left Kama behind to help the royal physician sort and process them, while she hurried back with the steward—if she didn't return in time, little Anthony might wake up and find her gone, which would be a real problem.
She arrived just in time. As soon as she entered, she saw Anthony sleepily rubbing his eyes and getting out of bed.
Handing her cloak to Penny, Wei Wei stepped forward and gently moved her son's hands away. "Sweetheart, didn't we agree not to rub your eyes with your hands?"
The moment Anthony opened his eyes and saw his mother, a big, sweet smile lit up his face. In his soft little voice, he called, "Mommy."
Hearing him get it so right for once, Wei Wei couldn't resist picking him up and kissing him. "Good boy. Say it again."
"Mommy!"
The little one giggled and called out even louder this time.
The mother and son happily played their little call-and-response game, not finding it childish at all. Eventually, the maids had to gently remind Wei Wei it was time for breakfast.
Wei Wei hadn't weaned Anthony yet, so she breastfed him first. Once he'd burped, she was finally free to have her breakfast.
Compared to the day before, her breakfast had improved significantly. Even the maids were getting better meals now. Otherwise, they'd be stuck like everyone else in the palace, surviving on just two meals a day.
At this time, nobles and commoners alike typically only had two meals per day. If Wei Wei hadn't specifically requested it from the steward yesterday, she and her husband wouldn't have had breakfast at all.
Meanwhile, over on the other side of the palace, Crown Prince Edward—who usually skipped breakfast—was roused by his servants.
"The steward said that starting today, Your Highness must have three meals a day." The servants, puzzled by this sudden change, still brought out the food as instructed.
Edward, who normally wouldn't have been awake at this hour, yawned as he glanced at the tray in front of him. It looked like the same rice porridge he'd had yesterday, but upon closer inspection, there were white slices in it that looked suspiciously like garlic. Edward grimaced—he didn't like the smell of garlic at all.
But the servants, well aware of the prince's tastes, quickly explained, "Please don't worry, Your Highness. The maid who delivered the food said this was lily bulb porridge. The white slices are lily bulbs, not garlic."
Edward took a spoonful and gave it a sniff. He didn't smell any garlic, so he skeptically took a bite.
Unlike the plain porridge he had at the king's place yesterday, this lily bulb porridge had been sweetened and carried the delicate fragrance of the bulbs. It was both aromatic and sweet—quite to Edward's liking. Even without side dishes, he found it acceptable.
As he ate, he asked the servant, "Did they send any medicine?"
"Medicine? No, the steward didn't send any. But he did say that after breakfast, Your Highness is to take a walk in the garden. Oh, and he had this delivered as well."
The servant handed over a white cloth mask made of several layers of fabric, looking somewhat puzzled and skeptical. "It looks a bit strange. The maid said you're to wear this over your mouth and nose when going outside. Won't this make it hard to breathe?"
Everyone around the crown prince knew he had asthma, so his servants were particularly cautious about anything that might affect his breathing.
"It's a mask," Edward said, recalling Wei Wei's words from yesterday. "It will help prevent me from inhaling pollen when I go outside. Is that all?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Strange. He thought he'd have to start drinking medicine today.
But if there was no medicine, all the better.
Edward slowly finished the bowl of lily bulb porridge. He had to admit, having a warm bowl of porridge first thing in the morning made his stomach feel warm and cozy—much better than usual.
After breakfast, Edward took the mask and examined it for a bit before putting it on. Though the stitched fabric felt a little uncomfortable, it didn't make breathing difficult as the servants had feared.
Once properly dressed, Crown Prince Edward headed out for his walk.
"Good morning, Your Highness," came a chorus of greetings as soon as he opened the door. A group of maids stood outside with cleaning tools in hand.
"Good morning," Edward replied, eyeing them with surprise. "What are you all doing here?"
The lead maid looked up and answered, "The steward said your quarters need to be thoroughly cleaned, so we were sent to take care of it."
The maids were rather aggrieved. They believed they'd always done their duties diligently, but the steward disagreed. Yesterday afternoon, he had ordered all new bedding and linens to be washed and aired out, and today he wanted everything changed and the entire room cleaned. All the clothes had to be removed—washed if possible, or at least aired in the sun, regardless of whether some of them might be too delicate for sun exposure.
They recalled the steward saying: "If the sun ruins them, then don't let the prince wear them. Prepare only garments that can be washed and aired. It's summer now—cotton and fine linen are perfectly suitable."
When one maid asked what the prince should wear in winter, the steward had looked troubled but replied they'd deal with that issue when winter came, then hurried off.
Edward, unaware that his wardrobe was about to be overhauled, nodded knowingly as soon as he heard the steward was behind it all. He stepped aside to let the maids in and continued on his way to the garden.
Because of his pollen allergies, flowering plants were scarce in the royal gardens. Those that remained had been placed far from Edward's usual paths and shielded by trees, so he didn't have to worry about where to walk—and besides, he was wearing a mask today.
While Edward took his stroll, the steward came to consult Wei Wei about the clothing issue.
At first, Wei Wei thought he was making a fuss over nothing. But after thinking it through, she realized it was a legitimate concern.
Back then, there were no dry-cleaning agents. Soap was the only thing used for laundry, and it was quite damaging to the fabric. Sun exposure caused fading, so expensive garments were rarely cleaned—people barely bathed themselves, and as long as the clothes looked clean and smelled nice from incense, that was considered enough. The inner linings were usually the only parts washed.
No one could say how much dust and bacteria remained on such garments.
And for someone sickly, that kind of clothing was best avoided.
But as a crown prince, Edward couldn't simply stop wearing fine garments. In winter, he'd need thick, warm clothing, which were typically never washed all season. Yet it wasn't feasible to discard a garment after one use either—noble clothes were decorated with gold and gems. Even royalty couldn't afford such waste.
Wei Wei found the question genuinely difficult. She hadn't thought about it before. Come to think of it, hadn't her winter clothes all been regularly washed?
So she handed the problem over to Penny.
"How are my winter clothes usually cleaned?" Wei Wei asked.
Penny froze—she didn't handle laundry. "I think they're washed like normal?" she replied uncertainly.
Then a timid voice came from one of the three junior maids—Susan. "Madam's clothes are all simple in design and made of fabrics that handle water well, so they're easy to wash. Also, we use laundry liquid that's gentler than soap, so even delicate garments can be cleaned thoroughly."
The junior maids had not immediately begun serving Wei Wei. They had undergone training and helped with other duties first. Susan had worked with the laundry maids before, so she knew more about this topic.
Mention of laundry liquid jogged Wei Wei's memory. She had once experimented with making laundry liquid—basically dissolving soap in water—but it wasn't the real thing. Later, she handed the idea to some alchemy apprentices. They seemed uninterested and chose to study other things, so she thought it had gone nowhere.
They had made it after all—but no one told her?
Penny remembered too. "I think the alchemy apprentices made it around the time you were pregnant, Madam."
Back then, everyone was focused on protecting Wei Wei and didn't want to disturb her. Since it was just something the apprentices made, no one paid much attention. Only the laundry staff got excited, and the matter faded quietly.
Though unimpressive, it was an essential daily item. Now that she knew about it, Wei Wei wouldn't let it go unused. She told the steward, "If you need some, I can write to Sardinson and have them send a batch. Also, about the clothing—ask our tailor. He has plenty of fabrics and outfits that would suit the crown prince."
Items used by royalty easily became fashion trends. This was also a subtle advertisement for her and her elderly tailor.
Next time she bought fabric, she could probably negotiate a better price.
"Thank you, Madam."
With that settled, the steward remembered something else. "When should we deliver the prince's medicine?"
"He won't be taking medicine for now," Wei Wei replied. She hadn't finalized the prescription yet. "Let's start with food therapy to build up his strength first. That lily bulb porridge was already sent this morning, yes?"
She had spotted the lily bulbs in the royal herb storage and instructed the steward to prepare the porridge for Edward.
He nodded. "It's been delivered. But what's 'food therapy'?"
"It's a concept from the Kingdom of Silk. We use the nutritional properties of food tailored to a patient's condition to strengthen their body. The crown prince has been on medication for years and has a lot of residual toxins. Before detoxifying him, we need to restore his health. His current condition is perfect for food therapy. I'll write a list of dishes for the next week. Have the chefs prepare them accordingly—the ingredients should be easy to find."
These were just basic health-boosting dishes. Once she finalized the proper prescription and sourced the ingredients, Wei Wei intended to switch Edward to real medicinal meals—combining both treatment paths.
The steward took the meal plan to the kitchen, but just as he began discussing it with the chefs, Queen Mirabelle appeared again.
She walked straight up to him and asked about yesterday. "Can I see His Majesty?"
The steward shook his head. "His Majesty says he's not ready to see anyone. But he also mentioned that he misses your cooking, Your Majesty. You may send him some soup."
At first, hearing that the king still refused to see her, Mirabelle looked ready to explode. But after the steward's last sentence, her face lit up. "His Majesty said that? He likes my cooking?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. That's what he said."
In truth, Mirabelle had been born a princess and had never done any housework. Even after learning to cook, her skills were average at best. The king wouldn't eat anything she made if he hadn't wanted to test whether she was behind the poisoning.
But Mirabelle was quite pleased with herself. Upon hearing the king liked her food, she happily returned to her chambers to change clothes, then went straight to the kitchen to prepare soup.
Of course, when she said she was "cooking," it was the servants who washed the ingredients and the chefs who chopped them. All she did was put everything into the pot.
The steward watched her the whole time under the pretext of discussing the meal plan. She didn't do anything suspicious. In front of so many people, she had no opportunity to poison the food.
Maybe she didn't poison it this time?
Still unsure, the steward personally delivered the soup to the king.
"Your Majesty, this was made by Her Majesty herself," he said, placing the thick soup on the table. "I watched her from start to finish. She had no opportunity to tamper with it."
The king, who had been eating another lunch dish, nodded and stared at the soup for a long moment before saying, "Call the Countess."
Even if there had been no opportunity, it still had to be tested.
Wei Wei was summoned again. She took a small bowl, scooped some of the soup, sniffed it, then put a spoonful in her mouth. After a while, she calmly spat it out.
After rinsing her mouth with the prepared warm water, she nodded at the king. "I don't know what it is, but something was added."
The king crushed the silver spoon in his hand.