Third Arc: Thirty-Fifth Chapter

"So then, you'll explain what is going on, from the very start, won't you?"

Her lecture over, Lady Julia wore a refreshed look. She wet her lips with the fragrant tea Sissi had poured and smiled sweetly.

Sweet, and yet. Was it my imagination that there was a pressure in it that brooked no argument?

"Ugh..."

"But we can't drag you all into it..."

"You'll explain, won't you?"

Why is it. She's smiling, and she's terrifying. Somehow I feel I've seen this somewhere before.

A prickle of the familiar made me glance behind me, and there stood Sissi, a full smile on her face, holding the teapot.

"Miss, would you care for more tea?"

"No, Sissi. I haven't had a single sip yet..."

"You must be terribly thirsty. You'll be talking a great deal from here on, so you must keep yourself properly watered."

"..."

Yes. Sissi's smile is deeply scary. This is where the familiar feeling comes from. Yes.

Beaten by the pressure of all that smiling, we reluctantly opened our mouths.

"Um, then I'll explain. But absolutely no reckless meddling. Promise me that much, at least. First. You know that Michael, King of Lumelica, has been laid up ever since that incident?"

My words drew a slightly dissatisfied look, but Lady Julia, and Remias and Georg too, all nodded gravely.

Still, I couldn't have a marquess's daughter like Lady Julia, or Remias, working to restore his house, or a promising earl's son like Georg take a hand in stealing an antidote. If anything went wrong, it would land on my father and mother too. That was why I had prepared so carefully before slipping in.

"Yes, of course. I had heard the wounds from that attack were slow to heal, but..."

"Yes, that's part of it too. But I think it's most likely the poison on the arrow that has him laid up."

"What did you say?!"

At the word poison, every face but Anje's and mine changed color.

"Since that matter, Elliot has been run off his feet and I've barely been able to see him, so this isn't solid information. It's only a guess."

I couldn't put Anje's past-life knowledge on show, so there was very little I could actually say. Since the night of the incident, Elliot had been dashing all over in search of the antidote, and apart from news passed on now and then through Lady Remie, we had no contact with him.

"Then there is also a chance no poison was used at all?"

"Well... but we think that chance is close to none. And we're searching for the antidote on the assumption that poison was used."

At my words, Lady Julia and the others frowned in thought. Then Lady Julia drew her thin brows up sharp, hardened her face, and stood with a clatter.

"You don't even know what kind of poison it is, and you speak of an antidote? A story as vague as grasping at clouds. You're trying to throw dust in my eyes!"

"Lady Julia! Please, calm yourself! This is Cosette we're talking about. It would be no surprise if she had knowledge the rest of us can't even imagine!" Remias said.

"That's right. We should hear her out first," Georg said.

Remias and Georg held the bristling Lady Julia back, but being so overrated made me want to sink through the floor. It wasn't my knowledge, it was Anje's. Though I couldn't say so.

When I stole a glance at Anje, for some reason she too looked apologetic, her brows drooping.

"It isn't really knowledge as such. But I am certain poison was used, and certain an antidote exists. And of course I have someone in mind as the culprit. As for proof, all I can call it is a hunch."

I said it to Lady Julia and the others as sincerely as I could. There was little I could tell them. But I didn't want to add any more lies for these kind friends who worried so much over me.

Lady Julia stared back at me for a while as if glaring, then let out a great sigh, as if giving up.

"Haah... a hunch, you say. A hunch. A hunch, then... Ah, never mind. So you're following that 'hunch' and hunting for an antidote..."

"Well, honestly!" Lady Julia cried. But her voice no longer carried the flame-hot anger of a moment before.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's fine, it's fine... haah..."

I somehow felt sorry and apologized, but Lady Julia only covered her face as if worn out.

"Um, I... that is, I had some information from a merchant I got to know long ago."

"Anje?!"

Anje spoke up out of nowhere, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. If she let knowledge slip carelessly, they might work out that she had past-life memories. My heart was in my mouth.

Anje met my worried look, nodded to set me at ease, and haltingly began to spin out her words.

"A merchant I once knew let slip that he'd supplied poison to Elliot's mother. To Lady Lyonetta. And so..."

"I see. Lady Lyonetta, is it... She's more than capable of it," Remias said.

"Remias, you know her? You're saying she's the one who poisoned Michael?" Georg said.

"I've met Lady Lyonetta once, only to exchange greetings. It was my own sister's wedding, after all. Lord Elliot said he didn't want Remie anywhere near her, but as head of House Dranju he could hardly refuse to meet her even once."

Remias added an explanation for Georg and Lady Julia, who were in the dark about Lumelica's inner politics.

"Lady Lyonetta is a concubine of Lumelica's former king, and even now she holds considerable power over the court. And she still hasn't given up on setting Elliot on the throne..."

"How dreadful...!" Lady Julia said.

"Hmph. I see," Georg said.

"Yes. I think there's no mistaking that Lady Lyonetta is behind the attack."

When I said this, looking round at all their faces, everyone nodded, grave.

"And the antidote is in Lady Lyonetta's hands. We had been making arrangements to slip into her mansion to get hold of it."

"Wha...!"

All three of them went wide-eyed and froze.

"But don't worry. The arrangements are already..."

"Why! Why must you be the one to do something so dangerous, Miss!"

A pained cry cut across my words. I turned in surprise to find Sissi, eyes brimming with tears, both hands clenched, trembling.

"Sissi, calm down..."

"K-king or no king, this is another house's family quarrel, in a country you've only just come to! Where is the need for you to go throwing yourself into danger, Miss!"

"No, listen, Sissi!"

"You need only leave it to Lord Elliot! There's no reason for you to lift a finger, Miss!"

"Sissi!"

Sissi clung to me and held on, and I spoke sharply. At the scolding, so unlike me, Sissi flinched hard, her whole body jerking.