"I'm sorry to see that you don't seem to have taken my teachings to heart at all. This was the case before, and it is still the case now."
When the queen woke up, she heard a familiar voice with a bit of coldness. The sequelae caused by belladonna made her vision blur for a while before she saw Heinrich sitting in the room clearly.
Adele was not surprised to see him.
The Heinrich family has a long history and is one of the behemoths of the Roland Empire. Families like theirs have backgrounds that are difficult for outsiders to pry into. Because of this, even if they were expelled from the imperial capital more than ten years ago, they were still able to send their heirs to the crown prince.
He has the ability to send Dalton away at this time.
"Six."
Adele sat up and put her hand on her forehead.
"It takes at least ten to be fatal."
As soon as the second gooseberry was in her mouth, she knew something was wrong.
In the period after my mother died, too many people wanted her life. How to make a young princess disappear from the court as quickly as possible? The answer is belladonna.
During Heinrich's first month as her tutor, the gooseberries in her compote had been mixed with belladonna.
That was the real danger.
If it weren't for the secret medicine of the Heinrich family, the first queen would not have appeared in the Roland Empire.
She always remembered the difference between gooseberries and belladonna.
"It's a great honor for you to remember the teaching at the beginning, but why don't you remember the second half—for adults with weaker physique, even less than ten can be fatal?" Heinrich sat in front of the candlelight, wearing a A black smock with silver buttons, "As long as there is one more belladonna, even the arrival of a saint will not be able to save you."
After he finished reprimanding, he realized that his tone was exactly the same as when he was the queen's mentor.
Adele looked at him.
"If you are so careless about your own life, then I don't think there is any need for the Heinrich family to continue to cooperate with you." Heinrich avoided her gaze, "We need stable companions, not take Crazy to gamble."
The period from the beginning to the end of the chaos was actually not long, but it seemed that they hadn't been together face to face like this for a whole century.
"Dalton is suspicious," said the Queen slowly.
Heinrich frowned at her.
"Your family may really have a net in the port, but it may not be the case in Gelt City." Adele lifted the silk quilt, walked barefoot to her dressing table, opened the drawer, and took out a letter from it. The secret letter I had passed, "A reconciliation was made on August 1. Within a week, rumors that I fell in love with Dalton and intended to marry him spread throughout Gelt... The speed was too fast, and it was suspicious from the beginning."
"But he fell for it."
Heinrich said calmly.
They are like back in the past, teachers and students can quickly understand each other's meaning.
The Queen and Heinrich set up an elaborate game for Dalton.
Everyone is saying "marry the queen and become the king of Roland". After listening for a long time, even if Dalton doesn't care at first, he will be lured into the trap later. Once Dalton has this idea, in order to pursue the Queen and even propose to her, he must make the gesture that a suitor should have.
In some government affairs, he had to start to consider the Queen's thoughts and opinions.
Therefore, even if the queen indulged Dalton in the imperial meeting, she could still use this method to subtly push things in the direction she wanted.
In fact, the most deadly point is on the bright side from beginning to end:
— How can a commoner marry a queen
Nobles won't allow it, Congress won't allow it, and even commoners won't allow it.
But the traps of sweet lies, of glorious crowns, are always the most alluring. Dalton's ambition drove him in.
"He asked me what I wanted to do, to manipulate the crown prince of the Root Empire, just like manipulating him." Adele repeated verbatim what Dalton said before the quarrel.
Prince Arthur's arrival alerts Dalton.
—No matter how glamorous he is at this time, in the eyes of everyone, he is a commoner. Rumors are beautiful, but they can never be fulfilled.
"Jealousy is a double-edged sword. It can break through the fog that covers people, and it can also teach people to fall into new quagmire." The queen said meaningfully, "Who is behind the belladonna? grid? Or both?”
"It's both."
King John VI of Jager was furious when his marriage proposal was rejected. The alliance between the Root Empire and the Roland Empire forced him to recall the fleet, but he made up his mind not to teach Queen Roland how to live. So... Ambassador Yager, who was still staying in Roland, naturally came together with the Old God Sect.
"Crime of treason."
The Queen's tone was cold.
"You want to take this opportunity to attack the Old Gods?" Heinrich frowned, "Their counterattack will only become more vicious."
"In what capacity are you speaking? An old god believer, or a family patriarch who is afraid of a new business association?" Adele asked sharply.
The harmonious relationship between teachers and students is instantly shattered, and the camouflage of warmth is torn away, revealing the core of the interaction of interests.
"Just a reminder, although the Knights of the Temple have been silent for a long time, don't underestimate them."
"I bet my life on a gamble, do you think I will do nothing?"
The queen turned to look at him. She was only wearing fine linen, and under the candlelight, the thin skirt clung to her body. She looked extremely slender, just like the saints in linen holding up candles on the walls of the monastery.
"When I sacrifice enough things, I'm bound to get more in return."
She was strange to Heinrich.
"The suppression of the Old Gods will not involve the port." The Queen handed him the letter, "Tell Archbishop Rodri that I want to see him."
Heinrich took the letter and realized one thing—
Adele is a natural political animal. Under her glamorous skin hides a heart of stone more terrifying than a viper.
She is transforming rapidly.
……………
Maybe some people think that the Queen is vicious and cold-hearted, but in Mrs. Kelly's heart, she is always warm, fair, and kind—no matter what she does.
When Mrs. Kelly returned to the queen's room, she found the queen sitting quietly behind the rose window, wearing only a thin petticoat.
"Why did you open the window?"
Mrs. Kelly tried to normalize her voice, but failed.
"They said you were hurt," the Queen whispered.
Until now, she did not show the weakness after being poisoned, and her brows and eyes were filled with exhaustion.
After waking up, Adele has also learned about the role played by Mrs. Kelly's husband in the entire poisoning incident—he took over a vineyard and made a silent woman a new member of the summer palace kitchen. Normally, this is just a harmless thing...
But the new cook picked out the gooseberries.
Lady Carey's husband, Bligh, did not mean to poison the queen, but he did bring death threats to her.
The Musketeers took him.
As he was dragged away, crying and shouting at her... "Kelly! For the sake of my love for you! I have done so much for you! Please... please forgive me, Your Majesty, she will listen to you..." Kay Madam Li stood in the corridor watching him being taken away, unable to feel the pain in her shoulder.
Mrs. Kelly held the queen's outstretched hand, and found that the queen's hand was cold and icy, trembling slightly.
"Let him have his due, Sire."
Mrs Kelly said she felt hot liquid rushing out of her eyes, but her voice was surprisingly calm.
Bly could not have survived.
The Queen and Dalton arrest Ambassador Yager and a series of Old Gods for "treason", and their accomplices will seize every opportunity to take revenge on the Queen. If the queen insisted on sparing Bligh, what reason was there to execute the others? If the queen signs Bligh's death sentence, what will happen between them
It was a knife, stabbing at her and the queen at the same time.
If this is what the enemy wants, then Mrs. Kelly will break the knife and throw it into the fire.
"I'm sorry, Kelly." Adele held Mrs. Kelly's hand tightly in turn, "I'm sorry... I know it's belladonna, I know..."
She feels guilty.
Because once again, even if she knew that Kelly's husband would be involved, she would not hesitate to seize this opportunity. She should have concealed the truth, making Mrs. Kelly think she was accidentally poisoned, but...but she was unwilling and unable to do so.
After the words came out, Adele waited for Mrs. Kelly's answer.
She didn't know if she would lose this last family member... Yes, Kaili was no longer a maid to her, but an inseparable family member.
"Don't do that again."
Mrs. Kelly hugged the child she watched grow up tightly, lest she disappear in the blink of an eye.
"What if... what if you really never wake up again?"
Adele felt a burst of relief knowing she hadn't lost the last of her family. She hugged Mrs. Kelly back, the second mother in her life.
"But..." she said, "Kelly, what else do I have to gamble with my life?"
Mrs. Kelly was on the point of weeping.
"We err, we think, we torment between good and evil."
Adele softly read her mother's last words before she died.
The night before dawn was cold and long, and the flames of the candles burned and danced in the Queen's eyes, condensing into countless shadows—all the weak, hard, defenseless, and indestructible women in the past.
……………
Archbishop Rodri hurried across the corridor.
He knew that the Templar Knights were planning a conspiracy against the queen, but he didn't expect that they would actually murder the queen. When the news came that the queen had survived the danger, the Archbishop breathed a sigh of relief—for Roland, for the Old Gods, and for...himself.
If the queen is not dead, then the matter has not reached the point of no return, and the chaos will not expand further.
When he thought so, the queen acted.
Belladonna didn't kill the queen, but instead pushed the Old Gods to the dangerous cliff.
Collaboration with the enemy and treason is a more unforgivable crime than heresy. A series of Old Gods who were in contact with Ambassador Jager were all arrested. Roland and Jager had a long-standing hatred. After the news spread, the Old Gods were denounced as "traitors" and were shameless, and their prestige plummeted.
After the Root Empire heard that Prince Arthur was nearly assassinated, they were furious. While declaring war against Jager, they put pressure on the Roland royal family to force Roland to abolish some privileges enjoyed by the Old Gods—the archbishop can be sure that this is actually the queen. want.
The queen's counterattack was fierce and quick, and it could even be said that she had planned it long ago.
She naturally has a plan, isn't he the one who gave her the warning
The Archbishop felt himself being torn apart by two voices.
One is saying: You joined the Knights, you swore... stand with your brothers, promise to stick to chastity, poverty, obey God, the Holy Mother and the brothers of the Knights, promise to abide by the rules and regulations of the Knights, and never die. Yu... look what terrible things you have done? You betrayed your brothers, you brought them to their deaths...
One is saying: You have done nothing wrong, the queen cannot die, Roland needs her, Roland cannot afford new chaos and war. She didn't take the lead in attacking the old gods. They betrayed the country. They forgot their honor and creed first. This is what they deserve...
But soon, the first voice came out to refute him again.
… That’s a good point, but is it really just for these? Why do you keep that damn diamond? Why didn't you throw it away? What do you think of when you look at it at night
…
Everything is messed up.
From that afternoon onwards, from that confessional room, everything was messed up.
He turned a corner and arrived at the agreed room—the room where they had taken refuge from the guards that night.
The queen sat sideways on the Geer chair with light gold curtains, and a thread-bound scripture book was unfolded on her lap. Just after narrowly escaping from death, her face became paler and her figure became thinner. Even a ruthless executioner hesitated for a moment when he raised his knife in front of her sick appearance. Nevertheless, she sat very upright.
The archbishop paused.