The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 103: Blind trust

Chapter 103: Blind trust

The next day, news reached the palace about the state of the war. The king wanted to force himself out of bed to meet with his military advisors, but he feared that he might collapse in pain. In the end, he told them to hold the meeting without him and ordered the eunuch to listen and bring back a report.

The military advisors found the king’s attitude strange but still held the meeting without questioning his orders.

When the queen heard about this, she was shocked. After all, in the past, every time the king met with the seer, his condition would usually improve. She had assumed it would be no different this time, so when he asked her to rest for the night, she had left without worry. But now, hearing that he was unable to attend such an important meeting, she decided to visit him.

"Physician Nathan," she called as she made her way to check on the physician in the front hall.

There should have been three physicians present, but Nathan informed her that the other two were in the library, searching through medical records in hopes of finding a cure for the king.

"Can you determine what is wrong with His Majesty?" the queen asked. So far, the physicians had only said they did not know how to cure him, but none had explained exactly what was wrong.

"Your Majesty, if I may," Physician Nathan said hesitantly. He found the king’s condition unusual.

"Speak," the queen urged, eager to know the truth.

"When we examine His Majesty, he appears to be in good health. Everything in his body seems to function normally. We do not understand why he feels weak or experiences such pain. My colleagues and I have discussed it, and we believe that if His Majesty is not suffering from an illness, then he must have been poisoned," Nathan concluded. Poison seemed to be the only plausible explanation. Although he did not know of any poison that could make someone look sick but have a healthy heart but it was the only possibility he could think of.

The queen was stunned. She had never considered that her husband might have been poisoned. After all, his food and drink were always tested before he consumed them.

"Poison? That is impossible, is it not? His meals are checked, and even if there was an oversight, the food taster should have also fallen ill. But apart from the king, no one else is sick," the queen reasoned. She did not doubt the physician’s words, but poisoning the king should have been nearly impossible.

"What if the poison was not administered through food or drink?" Physician Nathan suggested.

Queen Mary froze. Indeed, she had heard of poisons that could be absorbed through touch, mixed into bathwater, or even burned in an incense burner and those who inhale it would be poisoned.

"How do we identify this poison? Can it be treated?" she asked.

"I am not certain. I remain here in case of an emergency, while the others are searching the library for answers. However, it is difficult to say whether we will find a solution in time..." Nathan trailed off, hesitating.

"If you have something to say, speak freely. The king’s life is most important," Queen Mary urged.

"I believe you should interrogate those responsible for taking care of the king. One of them must be involved in His Majesty’s condition. Perhaps this person possesses an antidote. At the very least, we could determine what kind of poison was used and find a cure more quickly," Physician Nathan advised.

The queen hesitated. She had been trying to keep the king’s illness a secret.

"Your Majesty, this is the fastest way to get results and the best chance to save the king," Nathan pressed, explaining how quickly the king’s condition was deteriorating.

Hearing this, the queen could no longer hesitate. She immediately gave the order for everyone responsible for serving the king to be rounded up in a room.

She was deeply worried about her husband, so even the eunuch who attended to him was brought in. After all, sometimes the most loyal person could turn out to be the traitor.

"The king has been poisoned. If anyone has a clue, or if you are responsible, I will give you a chance to confess. I swear on my word that apart from being expelled from the palace, no other harm will come to you," Queen Mary declared. She feared that if the punishment was too severe, no one would step forward. Interrogating them one by one would take too much time; she needed answers immediately.

The gathered servants and maids exchanged nervous glances. They were all loyal and would never dare to harm the king.

The queen frowned when no one stepped forward. "If you have any information; if you saw anything suspicious speak now. The reward will be generous," she urged.

Some murmured among themselves, and a few stepped forward with minor observations, but nothing concrete.

"Since no one is willing to confess, you will all be sent to prison for interrogation. Let me warn you, if we discover the culprit later, you will face full punishment for harming the king. Not even your families will be spared," Queen Mary said coldly. She had offered them a chance, yet no one spoke up.

Panic spread among the servants.

"Your Majesty, I have served in the palace for years. I am innocent!" many of them cried, falling to their knees in fear.

"Your Majesty, I follow the king at all times and eat the same food he does. I would never dare poison him!" one eunuch protested. He was responsible for the king’s meals, and it was highly unlikely that the food had been tampered with under his watch; unless he wished for his own death.

"I am loyal to the king. I would never harm him!" the eunuch who personally attended to the king swore.

The queen waved her hand, signaling the guards to take them all away. She knew that some of these people were innocent, but she could not afford blind trust. She had to investigate thoroughly. If she failed to find the culprit, what if she became the next target? A poison capable of causing such prolonged suffering could just as easily be used on her or the entire royal family.

"Go and investigate all the servants," she ordered. If someone had managed to poison the king without being detected, they must be extremely careful and cunning.

"Physician Nathan, how long do you think this poison has been in the king’s body?" the queen asked.

"The king was in good health and only fell ill three months ago. I believe he may have been poisoned from the beginning. Perhaps the investigation should cover the past six months," Nathan suggested.

The queen agreed. Poisoning the king was no simple feat; whoever was responsible must have been planning this for a long time. So it was better to widden the time lines to find clues quickly.