The Princess Who Saw the Fall of Her Homeland Strives to Change Fate by Becoming the Cold Prince's Bride! - Chapter 20

“Wha…!”

All the color drained from Karina’s face at once.

A lady-in-waiting who had been standing by spoke timidly, as if to protect her.

“Pardon me, Prince Richard, but there was no reaction from the tea set. Is it really right to believe Princess Elze’s words and suspect Princess Karina—”

“Silence.”

Richard gave her a sharp glare, and the lady-in-waiting gasped and held her breath.

Tension filled the room, and Karina trembled with a pale face.

Before long, a man who seemed to be a court apothecary appeared.

He was an old man with a white beard, who looked like he’d held this job for fifty years.

“Hmm, hmm. So you believe something might have been put into the tea. I see, I see…”

After carefully observing the tea, the apothecary asked Karina, who looked like she might faint at any moment:

“You are Princess Karina of the Kingdom of Eichner, correct?”

“Y-yes…”
“I have heard that recently in Eichner, a special drug has been secretly circulating. It is said that this drug doesn’t react to traditional tea sets. Just in case, I will also use a modern testing method.”

It seemed that despite his appearance, the court apothecary of Ernstahl was well-versed in the latest technology.

As he quickly prepared the test, Karina looked completely hopeless.

…At this point, it was clear to everyone that she had put something in the tea.

“I will now add this powder. If the color changes, we can assume the drug is present.”

“Wait—”

Before Karina could stop him, the apothecary dropped the powder into the teacup.

The result was obvious to everyone.

As soon as the powder mixed in, the orange tea turned a bright red, like bl00d.

Seeing the change in color, Richard stood up.

The person he now looked at with cold, icy eyes… was Princess Karina.

“N-no, Prince Richard, I—”

“Be silent.”

With overwhelming pressure, Richard stepped closer and closer to Karina.

When he stood right before her, he drew the sword from his waist.

“You’ve got some nerve trying to kill me.”

The sharp blade, out of place in the beautiful garden, shone dully in the sunlight.

Karina collapsed in fear, unable to stand.

“No, it’s not what you—please—”

Richard raised his sword.

The scene was just like the dream Elze had once seen.

(No…!)

She didn’t even know why she did it.

Before she realized it, Elze had moved her body in front of Richard’s sword, shielding Karina.

Richard’s cold, lifeless eyes stared at her.

She clearly understood—if she made one wrong move, she would die.

“You’re in the way. Move.”
“No, I won’t.”

Richard clicked his tongue in irritation and pointed the tip of his sword at Elze.

“Do you want to be cut down with her?”

Elze could tell—it wasn’t an empty threat.

He was serious.

He truly intended to kill both Karina and Elze.

If she stepped aside, she would probably live.

But she had no intention of doing that.

“…Please lower your sword, Prince Richard.”

“Silence.”

“You should calm down and listen to Princess Karina. She might have something to say.”

“There’s no point in hearing from someone who tried to poison me. If you protect her any further, I’ll consider you guilty too.”

“—!”

If she even flinched, the blade would cut her.

Even knowing that, Elze didn’t move.

(Because she…)

Maybe… Karina was the same as Elze had once been.

In the nightmare shown by the ‘future reading’—Elze had everything taken from her without knowing why.

Looking at the trembling Princess Karina, she saw her past self.

That’s why… she wanted to change fate.

Perhaps realizing Elze wouldn’t back down,

Richard’s eyes sharpened with true killing intent, and he raised his sword again.

It was just like the scene from that dream.

“—!”

Elze held back her fear and looked straight at Richard.

She saw her own reflection clearly in his cold eyes.

And then, just as he was about to swing his sword—

“Please wait.”

A calm, quiet voice rang out.

It reached even Richard.

Still holding his sword, he turned toward the voice in annoyance—the old apothecary.

“…What is it?”

“It may be that Prince Richard is mistaken. It is true that the tea contains a special substance. However, it is not something that threatens your life.”

“…Get to the point.”

“Ah, forgive me. When you’re old, you talk too much. In short, this tea contains… a substance similar to an aphrodisiac. Its effects are very weak, like a charm or a spell…”

“…What?”

Richard let out a confused voice, as if he didn’t understand.

Even Elze almost collapsed from the tension leaving her body.