The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 197: easily manipulated

Chapter 197: easily manipulated

"Physician Dorothy," Mary urged, seeing her staring at the paper in her hand without saying anything. She had insisted questioning Dorothy so late to catch her off guard.

"Although this is not my handwriting, yes, it is the prescription I wrote," Dorothy replied, responding to Mary’s prompt. Her gaze was steady; after all, she had no intention of harming the queen.

Although she had never been pleased with taking care of the queen, she would never dare harm her so openly.

"Then, Physician Dorothy, why did you add the Yellow Life Herb?" Physician Nathan asked, his gaze sincere. He did not ask her why she harm the queen, just her reasons for adding the extra herb.

"What do you mean add the Yellow Life Herb? This is the prescription you gave me. Are you saying you don’t recognize it?" Dorothy asked, clearly confused. He had given her the prescription and explained it to her himself. Why was he now acting as if he hadn’t?

"I did give you the prescription for the queen and instructed you on how to administer it," Physician Nathan replied, "but I did not include the Yellow Life Herb. While the Yellow Life Herb has many benefits for the body, when combined with Mandrake, it becomes poisonous to a woman. Surely you know this?"

He did not directly accuse her of trying to harm the queen but gave her the opportunity to defend herself. He did this because he sensed the king still wished to protect her.

When King Edward heard Nathan’s explanation, he turned to Dorothy, waiting for her response.

"I don’t know anything about that. You gave me this prescription, and I followed it," Dorothy answered. She feared that trying to explain herself further might only make her sound suspicious.

"You are a physician how can you not know this? Moreover, I remember that when I gave you this prescription, I explained the medicinal properties of each herb and how they should be used. Yet now you claim to know nothing?" Physician Nathan asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

Mary frowned. She noticed that Dorothy’s gaze remained clear, and she didn’t seem guilty but the entire situation was odd.

Dorothy had admitted that the prescription matched what she had written, yet she claimed it was exactly as Nathan had instructed. Mary then turned to look at Anastasia. Her eyes were lowered, but she didn’t look anxious. Mary then looked at her son, whose gaze remained fixed on Dorothy as though trying to see through her. Seeing his serious expression, Mary was relieved. She did not want a son who could be easily manipulated by a woman.

"Physician Nathan, you have taught me many things in the short time I’ve been in the palace," Dorothy began. "I didn’t know that Yellow Life Herb and Mandrake were dangerous when combined. This is indeed the prescription as you gave it to me I added nothing."

"I never gave you this prescription. But if you insist I did, do you have a copy written in my handwriting?" Nathan asked, his gaze unwavering.

Dorothy paused. Nathan had given her a few handwritten prescriptions and even lent her a book to copy. But for the queen’s prescription, he hadn’t written anything down; he had only described each herb and explained its properties. There were six herbs in total.

"No, I don’t have a written copy from you," Dorothy admitted. "I wrote it down myself as you listed and explained the herbs."

Now she began to feel anxious. Without evidence, who would believe her? She saw the king’s gaze darken after she answered.

"Is he also starting to believe I deliberately hurt the queen?" Dorothy wondered, sweat breaking across her back. After all, only the king would want to protect her.

Physician Nathan turned to the king.

"Your Majesty, I did not include the Yellow Life Herb in the prescription. If I had, why would I bring it up and expose myself?" he asked.

King Edward, who had begun to suspect that Nathan might be trying to frame Dorothy, hesitated. Why would Nathan mention the herb himself if he had wanted it hidden?

"What do you mean expose? You’re the one who gave me this prescription. There’s nothing wrong with it. You’re framing me!" Dorothy snapped. Her mind raced. She recalled her grandmother’s warnings: if a mistress from a humble background made a mistake, she could be beaten or locked away with just enough food to stay alive until she died. She couldn’t let that happen to her. She needed a defense.

When Nathan brought up the idea of exposure, she suddenly saw a loophole—Nathan had no reason to hurt the queen, but perhaps someone had put him up to it. Her grandmother had once said that because noble wives held significant power, many servants would help them frame a mistress.

Dorothy turned and looked at Anastasia, convinced she had uncovered the plot. She believed the prescription was fine and that these two were simply trying to frame her. It made sense to her—after all, it was the king’s mother who had assigned her to care for Anastasia. She didn’t believe Anastasia had planned this from the beginning. Why would Anastasia risk taking a faulty prescription just to frame her, especially after being poisoned once already? Surely, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to try again, not when childbirth was her only means of securing her status.

Anastasia returned Dorothy’s gaze calmly. She had never intended to frame her, so she had nothing to hide. Something was wrong with the prescription.

Mary and King Edward also glanced at Anastasia, beginning to wonder if, after hearing of Dorothy’s pregnancy, she had decided to frame her. But then again, Physician Nathan was a respected man—why would he agree to such a thing? It seemed unlikely he would risk his reputation for the queen. Still, the king noted how clear and open Dorothy’s gaze was. She wasn’t trained like nobles to mask her thoughts—everything she felt was written on her face.

"Send for three royal physicians. Let them come and examine the queen," King Edward ordered.