Chapter 288
“Guards, throw him into prison, and exile him to Sandsteppe in three months!” the King ordered.
The Imperial Guards entered and dragged General Griffith out.
55 vouchers
Simon watched as General Griffith left, feeling somewhat rueful. “It seems that a storm is truly brewing in the court.”
The King looked at him. “You’re still hiding something from me, aren’t you?”
He let out a hum.
In fact, he held Simon in great esteem.
Simon had changed his name, but this man once fought alongside his father, conquering east and west. Back then, as a youth, he was exceptionally talented and was one of his role models.
Thus, over the years, the Hall of Divinity had always remained such.
He never questioned why Simon changed his name and concealed his true identity to stay in the Eastvale Empire, because he believed that someone who had fought for this country would never do anything to harm this land.
Simon glanced at the King and sighed. “Nothing escapes Your Majesty. Recently, Margaery discovered another matter, identical to General Griffith’s case.”
“Comparing the two, it seems the fog in the court is finally lifting,” he added.
The King furrowed his brows. “What is it?”
Simon said, “Margaery went to visit Phillipa and met Osmond. She discovered that Osmond was not ill, but poisoned. The timing of the poisoning coincided precisely with Alardus’s wedding.”
“Osmond started acting strangely right after returning from Alardus’s wedding banquet,” he added.
“What did you say!” the King shouted.
He was always calm, but at that moment he nearly stood up!
It was not that he lacked intelligence, but rather that each had his own expertise; he was not a physician and had never considered that possibility over the years.
First, because people from the Royal Medical Hall had visited many times, all claiming Osmond was ill.
Second, Osmond had always treated others kindly and had not offended anyone.
Yet unexpectedly, he was actually poisoned!
Simon also felt rueful. “When Margaery went to the Eames family to withdraw from the engagement, Phillipa once testified
for her.”
“This time, she only wanted to express her gratitude, see if she could help a friend, and after learning some medical skills, went to visit Osmond, only to uncover an earth–shattering secret!” he expounded.
“So what now?” the King asked.
He took a deep breath, slowly suppressing the tremor in his heart, and pressed on with his questioning.
1/5
12:05 pm P PPD.
Chapter 288
E 55 vouchers
Simon said, “Margaery has already performed treatment twice, expelling most of the poison from his body. There is still a small amount remaining, which will require a month of recuperation.”
“However, this poison has quite an origin,” he added.
The King furrowed his brows. “Had I known earlier, I should have had you take a look. I thought Nolan’s medical skills were already the pinnacle of a Royal Healer, but I did not expect…”
Simon did not know how to respond to this.
‘Nolan could certainly have detected it, but he is old now.
‘He is nearly seventy, and there is no need for him to throw himself into such bloody turmoil, risking an unhappy end,’ he mused.
The King pressed further, “What is the matter with this poison? Tell me.”
If even Simon said the poison had quite an origin, then it must be extraordinary.
Simon rubbed his temple. “To be precise, it’s not a poison. It’s the ‘White Bone Erosion Powder‘ refined by the Hermit, an aid for energy cultivation. That… was my master’s creation.”
The King, upon hearing this, was truly at a loss for words.
He had not expected that, though Samuel had not appeared for twenty years, his medicine would turn up on Osmond.
Simon was also somewhat frustrated. “My master, in pursuit of immortality, went to the Eastern Isles twenty years ago and has not been heard from since,” he said.
“At present, the only one who knows how to make this is my junior fellow apprentice, Silas Wren,” he added.
Raising his head, Simon looked at the King, his expression somewhat complicated. “Currently, he serves in the Southcroft Empire’s royal palace as the head of the Royal Medical Hall. He has been in Southcroft for over ten years now,” he pointed
out.
This is not just a story, the King thought.
The sheer amount of information made his brow furrow tightly, and a surge of anger was almost impossible to suppress.
As for the rest of the story, there was no need for Simon to say more.
The King understood on his own.
The poisoning of Osmond was the result of collusion with the Southcroft Empire, and the incident with General Griffith’s runaway horse was also caused by the same trick.
All of it was to bring them down and let their own people rise.
‘So, with Osmond removed, the one to take his place is Alardus, the King thought.
If General Griffith is brought down, the person who rises will also surely be connected to Alardus, won’t they?‘ he wondered.
‘As for Alardus, he is the nephew of Lady Freda and the cousin of Callum.
‘Callum… he added in his mind.
2/5
12:05 pm P PPD.
Chapter 288
“These sons of his truly are accomplished,‘ Simon thought to himself.
ร
E 55 vouchers
He looked at the King in this state, sighed, and said, “Your Majesty, rest for a while. There is a tough battle to fight tomorrow.
When Margaery woke up, dawn was just breaking.
Warren stood at the doorway, smiling at her. “Miss, it’s morning. I will escort you back. Today, you still need to go to the Carey residence.”
“Thank you, Chamberlain Warren!” Margaery said.
She rose, tidied her appearance slightly, and asked, “Where is the King?”
“The King has also gone to rest. Today’s morning court session will be delayed by an hour.” Thinking of some matters from last night, Warren’s expression was somewhat troubled.
‘Not only am I and the King bound together.
‘He is as well,‘ Margaery thought.
‘If anything happens to the King, he will have no choice but to guard the mausoleum until death,‘ she added in her mind.
Margaery nodded and left with him.
Unexpectedly, on the path outside the Imperial Study, she encountered Lady Freda walking over with two maids. When her gaze fell on Margaery’s face, it appeared particularly gloomy.
Margaery was taken aback.
Last night, the King instructed Lady Freda to pray for the late King for a month. If nothing unexpected happened, she should be here to bid farewell to the King, and also to probe for information.
“Morning, Your Grace,” Margaery collected herself and performed a salute.
Lady Freda scrutinized her. “Last night, were you in the Imperial Study?”
Her gaze was somewhat ambiguous, tinged with hostility, yet all was restrained, so outwardly she appeared gentle and calm,
However, that kind of stare made Margaery feel a bit sick.
In recent days, Bernard, Dashnell, and Marc had all repeatedly warned her to be cautious in the palace. Now, on her very first visit, she could already sense something unusual.
Clearly, in Lady Freda’s eyes, she was not a subject but just a woman.
‘When a woman and a man are together, nothing proper ever happens.
‘Even if their ages differ by an entire generation, it does not stop people from thinking the worst, Freda thought,
“No, I just came for some business. By the time I arrived, dawn was nearly breaking,” Margaery said.
She looked up at Freda, neither dodging nor avoiding her gaze,
There was neither intimacy nor hostility, only a sense of estrangement lingering around.
3/5
12:05 pm
Chapter 288
“Is that so? Why do you seek the King so late at night?” Freda pressed.
ཁ0་|
55 vouchers
She glanced toward the direction of the Imperial Study, only now recalling that the King was still in mourning. Even if he had thoughts about the Star of Fortune, it should not be to such an extent.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her face.
At this moment, her expression seemed to soften slightly.
Margaery sneered inwardly. “I was attacked last night. The assailants were from the City Defense Army. Has Your Grace not heard of this?”
Her gaze fixed on Freda’s face, staring at her without blinking.
Freda’s eyes flickered slightly. “Such a thing happened?”
She quickly stepped forward. “Are you alright?”
“I am fine. Thank you for Your Grace’s concern,” Margaery said.
Her expression remained unchanged as she looked at Freda. “However, things outside are chaotic now. First, Prince Nathaniel was attacked, and now I have been attacked.”
‘The enemy is already desperate. Your Grace should be more cautious when going out,” she reminded.
Freda clenched her fingers, feeling that Margaery was insulting her.
Her gaze toward Margaery became obscure. “Okay.”
She then smiled. “I heard you will soon enter the palace. If you need any assistance, feel free to send someone to seek me.”
Thank you for Your Grace’s concern,” Margaery said.
She caught sight of Freda’s tightly clenched fists; a flash of coldness flickered in her eyes.
Freda passed by Margaery and walked over to Warren, “Chamberlain Warren, I wish to see the King.”
4/5
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
