Eilika lingered in the doorway for a moment before stepping fully into the room. "Damian," she began. "I heard that a couple’s competition is being held soon. Would you be willing to participate?"

Damian paused, the glass halfway to his lips. He took a slow, cooling sip of the orange juice before setting it aside on the table. "What kind of competition is it?"

"It’s a couples’ contest," she replied, stepping closer. "I understand it hasn’t been held for four years. I thought it might be an interesting experience for us, if you are open to it."

Damian reclined in his chair, his eyes fixed on her as he considered the proposal. It was a departure from their usual routine, but seeing the genuine spark of interest in her eyes, he found himself agreeing. "If you wish to participate," he said, offering a curt nod, "then go ahead and register our names."

"Really?" A hint of disbelief colored her voice.

"Yes," Damian confirmed. Before the word could fully settle, a sharp pressure clamped down on his chest. A wave of vertigo hit him, making his head swim as his vision blurred at the edges. The room seemed to lurch violently.

His instinct took over. He stumbled away from the chair, navigating blindly toward the adjoining washroom.

He barely reached the basin before his body convulsed. He braced his hands against the cold porcelain, coughing harshly as blood splattered into the sink.

"Damian, what happened?" Eilika, who had rushed in right behind him, gasped. Her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and immediate, mounting terror as she stared at the sight before her.

"Catch that maid..."

The words were a raspy before Damian’s body went limp. Eilika surged forward, barely managing to catch him before his head struck the floor.

"Damian! Damian!" She shrieked, her voice cracking as tears blurred her vision. She dragged him toward the bed, her cries for help echoing through the corridor.

Servants flooded into the room, their faces draining of color the moment they saw the Duke unconscious, his shirt stained with blood.

"The physician! Fetch the physician now!" Eilika screamed, her hands trembling as she pressed a cloth to his lips. "Damian, please, look at me. Open your eyes!"

Her mind raced through the last few minutes. She remembered the maid who had handed the juice to her, the way she had hurried to be of service.

Joanna rushed in, gasping at the sight of the blood. "Your Grace!"

"Joanna, stay with him. Do not leave his side!" Eilika commanded, rising with a sudden clarity. She could not let the attacker vanish.

She sprinted toward the kitchen, her heart hammering against her ribs. She scanned every corner, every shadow, but the woman was nowhere to be found. The kitchen staff stood in startled silence, paralyzed by the sight of the frantic Duchess.

Dashing back into the hallway, she shouted for the guards. The head maid hurried toward her, looking terrified, followed by a guard from the foyer.

"Summon every maid in this house to the main hall immediately!" Eilika instructed, her voice trembling but laced with an iron authority. She turned to the guard, her eyes fierce. "Seal every exit. No one leaves the premises. Tighten the security, someone... a maid has poisoned the Duke."

She pressed a hand to her forehead, fighting back the crushing weight of panic as she realized the gravity of what had just occurred.

The Head Lady and the guard scrambled to carry out their duties, their footsteps fading down the corridor, just as Sylvian entered. He carried a small bag in his hand, but his expression shifted to one of immediate alarm when he saw Eilika’s tear-streaked face.

"Eilika? What has happened?" He rushed to her side, his presence a jarring intrusion in the midst of her panic.

"Sylvian... Damian has been poisoned," Eilika gasped, her voice thick with stifled sobs. "I—I served him that orange juice. He vomited blood."

She let out a broken breath. Realizing she couldn’t afford to waste another second, she turned to head upstairs.

Sylvian followed her closely as they burst into the room to find the Dowager Duchess already there. The physician was hunched over the bedside, already examining the Duke.

"Eilika, what happened? How did my son get into this state?" Georgia demanded with panic.

"Mother," Eilika sobbed, her hands trembling as she rushed toward her mother-in-law. "He drank the juice I brought for him. Somebody... somebody poisoned it. I have already ordered the head lady to assemble every maid in the house, and I have instructed the guards to seal the estate." She collapsed into Georgia’s arms, weeping uncontrollably as the older woman pulled her into a tight, grounding embrace.

While the two women clung to each other in their shared agony, Sylvian moved quietly to the side. His attention was locked on the glass of juice, which sat half-empty on the side table.

He leaned in to examine it, testing the air for any trace of an unnatural scent, but the liquid remained odorless. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Please, Doctor," Eilika pleaded, pulling back from Georgia to look at the physician with pleading eyes. "You have to save him."

The physician looked up, his brow furrowed in deep confusion. "His pulse is dangerously weak, Your Grace. This poison is lethal, and strange. I must confess, I have never encountered anything like this before. It is an agent I do not recognize."

"What do you mean?" Georgia stepped forward. "Explain yourself."

"Your Highness, the poison have several categories. The one given to the Duke instantly reacted with his system. Maybe a strong snake venom. I need a bit more time to find what it exactly is."

"But we don’t have time for that, doctor," Eilika stated. "You said that the Duke’s pulse is weak. You need to find out quickly. Please."

"What happened to my father?" Just then, Roman’s voice echoed in the room. "I heard strange things. Mama, why are you crying?"