The Immortal Queen Cannot Escape the Lies and Obsession of the Demon — Not That She Wants To - Chapter 11

“Now, let us proceed to the main topic. I shall report in order the events that transpired after His Majesty retired last night.”

He cleared his throat once.

Ariana straightened her posture to listen.

“I coordinated with the First Knight Brigade and saw off the participants from the lower castle one by one. While there were individual differences, all appeared bewildered, but no one exhibited suspicious behavior. The drug-sniffing dogs showed no reaction either, leading us to believe no participant brought in or took out any poison.”

“Did anyone leave just before I collapsed?”

“No. We checked the participant list and saw everyone off. Afterward, we thoroughly searched the venue, including entrances and passages, and no reports of suspicious items were found.”

In other words, the poison Ariana ingested must have been brought in before the party began, and there were likely no accomplices among the participants.

That narrowed the suspects down to those within the castle.

The fruit water Ariana drank had been handed to her directly by a servant just moments before.

And right before her eyes, the servant had performed a poison test and confirmed it was safe.

“What about the servant who brought me the fruit water?”

“She was apprehended by the Second Knight Brigade. She has calmed down now, but she was probably the most distraught when you collapsed.”

Since she had served Ariana almost as long as Nala, Ariana felt a slight relief that she was alive.

However, she couldn’t be optimistic about her being the prime suspect.

Even if it was attempted, poisoning a member of the royal family meant only one punishment—execution.

Personally, Ariana didn’t want to suspect someone she knew well. Yet, as queen, she had to judge strictly and administer punishment.

She let out a small breath, cutting off her hesitation and sentimentality.

“Is she still under investigation?”

“No. She is currently detained in the noble prison, but solely for protection. She hasn’t been interrogated, as the perpetrator has already been identified.”

“R-Really?”

Ariana, who had braced herself, was stunned by Valerio’s report.

She had expected the suspect to be captured but with no physical evidence linking them to the crime. To hear they had already identified the culprit surprised her with their efficiency. It also seemed that many, including him, hadn’t rested.

(The perpetrator has been found? If they’re not captured, are they on the run?)

Yet, everyone seemed too calm for that.

As if answering Ariana’s confusion and questions, Valerio nodded quietly and placed a sheet of paper on the table.

“The perpetrator is Grecia Fen Strix, who served as Your Majesty’s makeup artist that day. She was found dead in the servants’ quarters, having taken her own life, leaving this suicide note.”

“…I see. It was Grecia.”

The Strix family was a lineage of knights serving the royal family.

She had no talent for knighthood and originally served Ariana’s mother as a makeup artist. When her mother returned to her family home, she left some servants behind. Ariana rehired them, and Grecia was one of them.

She had lost both parents to Sorel’s disease and was supporting her older brother, a count who had recovered thanks to a miracle drug but was left with aftereffects.

Ariana felt a closeness to her due to their similar ages eighteen and circumstances, and had always been concerned about her.

I am the one who applied poison to Lady Ariana’s lips. I will atone with my life.

The suicide note was too brief to discern her final feelings.

Was the poison in the lipstick? Ariana unconsciously touched her lips. She now realized the honey used for moisturizing during her earlier preparations was due to caution against poison.

“The corpse showed toxic reactions. Raised blood vessels turned black, similar to Your Majesty’s symptoms last night, so we believe she ingested the same poison.”

Ariana swallowed a gasp that nearly escaped.

Unaware of the changes in her appearance, she shuddered at the thought of how terrifying she must have looked last night and masked it with a nod.

“Analysis is still ongoing, but the poison is likely derived from a magical beast. The toxicity of the lipstick itself was weak, but it was confirmed to activate upon reaction with the fruit water.”

“…What a frightening poison. If it reacts not just with water but also with alcohol, it could be easily misused.”

A weak poison when merely applied to the lips. But upon drinking fruit water, it transforms into a deadly venom inside the body.

While there are several known poisonous food combinations, this was a new one to her.

“Her suicide note was discovered before dawn. We immediately dispatched knights to the Strix residence, where Count Strix’s body was found. Partial skeletonization suggests he died at least last month or earlier.”

“I hadn’t received such news.”

“It appears it was concealed.”

Beside the suicide note was a stack of loan documents.

The amount was staggering, far exceeding her salary, and stamped with a proof of repayment.

“We confirmed with the moneylender this morning. The loans were made to the count starting three years ago, and a week ago, a proxy claiming to be his sister appeared and repaid them. From the testimony, we believe it was Miss Grecia herself.”

“What about the Strix family servants?”

“Summarizing accounts from three hired by other families, it seems all were let go two months ago with severance and referral letters. The siblings told them it was before they could no longer pay salaries. We’re still investigating the other two, but it’s unlikely the servants were involved.”

“…I think so too.”

Even if providing satisfactory wages to five servants was tough, combining the brother’s stipend as a count and the sister’s salary should have allowed them to maintain the estate, repay debts, and live modestly together.

But once the brother died in some way, the situation changed entirely.

Without the title, she couldn’t work in the royal castle.

The process to inherit the title also required considerable money.

She must have been cornered. Ariana could visualize the anguish Grecia hadn’t written in her note.

“Given the circumstances, we believe Miss Grecia was the perpetrator but not acting alone. She likely accepted a murder contract for money. Though there’s no evidence, she may have also been blackmailed over concealing the count’s death.”

Ariana had survived the poisoning, fully recovered by the next day, and was nonchalantly eating. Grecia had seen and known all that.

—Perhaps that’s why she was tempted, thinking “just this once.”

Ariana didn’t know Grecia’s true feelings, but in any case, she had no intention of blaming her.

However, she felt a boiling rage toward the coward who had manipulated Grecia.

“…So, ‘given the circumstances’ means there’s no evidence leading to the culprit?”

“Correct, none has been found at this point. The possibility that Miss Grecia wasn’t acting alone is merely my speculation. However, as a noble of the royal capital, it’s hard to believe she had knowledge of magical beasts, and there are many unknowns, such as how she obtained the poison. The investigation continues in shifts, so please remain vigilant, Your Majesty, and allow for increased guards.”

“No, my guard with Fols alone is sufficient. He is currently the strongest in this country, and I will not die from assassination. If you must allocate personnel, assign them to the investigation.”

“But—”

“If we increase the number of people, more can rest, right?”

Considering the density of the report, it was clear they had been investigating with little sleep. That included her fiancé before her.

“Valerio, you should rest too. Before I issue a royal command.”

“…Understood. I gratefully accept your kindness.”