The crown i will claim — Chapter 16

AS PER YOUR ORDERS, I DELIVERED THE INCENSE THAT INDUCES IMPOTENCE...

...TO UMBERTO, ETIENNE'S ATTENDANT.

SINCE HE HAS TO KEEP HIS TRUE IDENTITY HIDDEN,

HE'LL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS.

ONCE ETIENNE USES THE INCENSE, UMBERTO WILL SEND US A NOTE.

OH? ETIENNE'S MANOR IS KNOWN FOR ITS TIGHT SECURITY, THOUGH.

TOM MUST BE QUITE SKILLED.

PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME!

HE'S FAR TOO FRIVOLOUS TO SERVE AT YOUR SIDE.

BY THE WAY, YOUR HIGHNESS,

HOW DID YOU KNOW UMBERTO WAS AN IMPERIAL SPY?

IF ETIENNE HADN'T CAUSED A SCENE...

...WHILE I WAS PRAYING IN THE CHAPEL AS PUNISHMENT FROM GRANDMOTHER,

I-I'M UNDER ATTACK! SOMEONE'S TRYING TO ASSASSINATE ME!!

I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN, EVEN WITH THE MEMORIES OF MY PAST LIFE.

WHILE UMBERTO STRUGGLED TO CALM HIM DOWN,

THAT "BADGE" SLIPPED FROM HIS TORN CLOTHES PURELY BY CHANCE.

LET'S JUST... CALL IT LUCK.

FIRST, I'LL USE UMBERTO TO ELIMINATE MINISTER ETIENNE.

AND THEN, THROUGH THIS CONNECTION, I'LL DRAW THE OWNER OF THE BADGE TO MY SIDE.

NO TRAP COULD BE MORE EFFICIENT.

TELL TOM TO KEEP AN EYE ON UMBERTO.

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.

THE TRAP IS SET.

NOW, LET’S GO MEET THE HUNTER.

Episode 16

GREETINGS, YOUR HIGHNESS.

IT’S BEEN A WHILE, SIR SISAIRE.

YOU WISHED TO SPEAK WITH ME?

AT LEAST IN TERMS OF APPEARANCE, SHE’S EXACTLY AS I REMEMBER HER.

BUT WITH HER CHANGE IN ATTITUDE AND THE WAY SHE DEALT WITH QUEZIN,

THINGS AROUND HER HAVE DEFINITELY CHANGED.

PERHAPS...

WHAT IS IT THIS TIME? HAS DUKE CLAUDIO SENT ANOTHER REQUEST?

IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'M AFRAID I'LL HAVE TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE.

MY APOLOGIES, BUT I HAVE OTHER PRESSING MATTERS TO ATTEND TO.

THAT'S NOT WHY I'M HERE. AS FOR UNCLE JOAQUIN--

THIS IS AN INTERESTING TEA. THE SCENT SEEMS... FAMILIAR.

AH, IT'S AN HERBAL TEA MY MAID PREPARED HERSELF.

SINCE SHE PERSONALLY BREWED EACH ONE, I DRINK IT IN APPRECIATION.

IF IT'S NOT TO YOUR LIKING, I CAN HAVE SOMETHING ELSE PREPARED.

SIR SISAIRE, THIS TEA IS CALLED "HALLUS."

I WOULDN'T EXACTLY CALL IT HERBAL TEA.

ISN'T THAT RIGHT?

PARDON...?

YOUR HIGHNESS, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?

I'M IMPRESSED THAT YOU WENT TO SUCH LENGTHS AS TO PREPARE THIS RARE HERB AS TEA.

SINCE IT'S SO PRECIOUS, IT'S ONLY PROPER THAT YOU HAVE A CUP, WOULDN'T YOU AGREE?

M-MY APOLOGIES, YOUR HIGHNESS. I WOULDN'T DARE DRINK TEA MEANT FOR YOU...

OH? IT SEEMS YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE "TEA LEAVES" WERE CALLED.

YOUR HIGHNESS, WHAT’S GOING ON?

DRINK.

!!!

YOUR HIGHNESS!

ARE YOU...

...AFRAID TO DRINK IT?

YOUR MASTER IS PROTECTING YOU WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING HE'S BEEN DRINKING POISON.

P-PLEASE FORGIVE ME, YOUR HIGHNESS!

I WAS BEING TH-THREATENED! M-MY SON... THAT MAN HAS MY SON!

I'M SORRY, YOUR HIGHNESS!!

I'LL ACCEPT ANY PUNISHMENT YOU SEE FIT! IF YOU ORDER ME TO DRINK IT, I WILL!

PLEASE, JUST SAVE MY SON!!!

WHAT IS GOING ON...? POISON?!

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! WHO THREATENED YOU?!

THE LORD P-PROTECTOR... HE TOOK MY SON, JEREMY, HOSTAGE...

...AND FORCED ME TO BREW THIS TEA EVERY DAY. I'VE BEEN GIVING IT TO YOU FOR THE PAST F-FOUR MONTHS...

SO THIS WAS IT.

THE REASON BALDINA'S GENIUS CHANCELLOR DIED AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE.

NEAR THE END OF THE WAR BETWEEN PELEUS AND THE NOMADS,

SISAIRE SUDDENLY FELL INTO A MADNESS THAT WOULD NORMALLY AFFLICT VETERAN WARRIORS AFTER YEARS OF TRAINING.

HE TRIED TO HIDE IT AND CONTINUED GOVERNING IN SECLUSION,

BUT IN THE END, HE COULDN'T OVERCOME IT... AND WAS LATER FOUND DEAD, HAVING TAKEN HIS OWN LIFE.

BIND HER AND LOCK HER IN THE NEXT ROOM. HER PUNISHMENT WILL BE DECIDED BY HIS GRACE.

Y-YOUR HIGHNESS...! I'M SORRY! PLEASE SPARE ME!!

Y-YOUR GRACE...! I BEG OF YOU...!!

YOUR GRACE!!!!!

I DON’T BELIEVE SHE NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT HER SON’S SAFETY.

FROM WHAT I KNOW, YOU’RE SURPRISINGLY SOFT-HEARTED.

SINCE WHEN DID YOU BECOME SO KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT POISONS?

YOU NEEDN’T CONCERN YOURSELF WITH THAT. IT’S A SECRET.

I’M GLAD I STUDIED POISONOUS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS IN MY PAST LIFE.

I ONLY DID IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE EVEN A LITTLE USEFUL WHILE ON EXPEDITIONS.

HALLUS...

...IS A LETHAL HERB. ITS SCENT ALONE CAN INDUCE MADNESS.

FOUR MONTHS ISN’T ENOUGH FOR DEPENDENCY TO SET IN,

BUT YOU SHOULD STILL TAKE AN ANTIDOTE FOR A WHILE, JUST IN CASE.

YOUR HIGHNESS,

YOU DON’T SEEM SURPRISED THAT THE LORD PROTECTOR WAS POISONING ME.

IN THE PAST, YOU WOULD HAVE INSISTED THAT THE MAID WAS LYING AND TRIED TO CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.

AFTER NARROWLY ESCAPING DEATH, MY EYES WERE FINALLY OPENED.

I NOW UNDERSTAND WHAT MY UNCLE IS AFTER, SIR SISAIRE.

I ALSO KNOW THE KAZHEN EMPIRE IS BEHIND HIM.

AND I'M SURE YOU DO AS WELL.

THE REASON I CAME HERE TODAY IS TO STATE MY INTENTIONS.

I'M GOING TO PROTECT BALDINA FOR MY BROTHER, PELEUS.

TO DO THAT, I WANT TO GET RID OF MY UNCLE'S RIGHT-HAND MAN, COUNT ETIENNE,

AND HELP YOU REGAIN CONTROL OF THE INNER PALACE.

THE COUNT IS NOT AN EASY OPPONENT.

I WILL GLADLY ASSIST YOU.

TELL ME YOUR PLAN, YOUR HIGHNESS.

ARE YOU REALLY NOT GOING TO THE PRINCESS'S RECOVERY BANQUET, BOSS?

YOU GOT AN INVITATION TOO.

DOESN'T MATTER. I'M NOT GOING.

IF WE'RE GOING TO STAY IN BALDINA, WE CAN'T JUST KEEP IGNORING THE LORD PROTECTOR.

YOU PROMISED SISAIRE YOU'D MAINTAIN A PUBLIC PRESENCE. YOU NEED TO ATTEND.

LOOK AT THIS, MERCENARY "ACARES." IT'S EVEN WRITTEN IN GOLD!

SERIOUSLY, WHERE DOES THE LORD PROTECTOR EVEN GET THE MONEY TO SPRINKLE GOLD DUST ON INVITATIONS LIKE THIS?

CARLO...

BOSS...!

GO GET TERRENCE.

NOW.