Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 79: Apothecary Evelina...

Chapter 79: Apothecary Evelina...

Lord Luther’s eyes lingered on Evelina one last time. "Do be careful, Lady Evelina. Not all experiments end well."

As Luther finally stepped aside, Damian and Evelina passed through the gates. Evelina released a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

Though his words were casual, they carried unspoken threats. Evelina clenched her fists but kept a calm expression as she walked through the gates with Damian, her mind was in turmoil.

Experiments? She turned the word over in her head. He knows something, or at least he wants me to think he does. Does he suspect I’ve uncovered more about the poisoning?

Or is this just another way to rattle me?

His intense stare stayed in her mind, reminding her that Lord Luther was not one to be overlooked.

"Does he think I’ll slip?" she muttered under her breath.

"Slip?" Relia asked sarcastically. "Please. If he wanted to rattle you, he should’ve done better than a cliché threat."

"I don’t think it’s that simple,"

Relia snorted. "Or he’s jealous of your brain. I mean, you’re practically radiating brilliance lately. Poor Luther—what’s a conniving old wolf to do?"

Evelina sighed softly, brushing off Relia’s teasing. Her steps fell into sync with Damian’s as they walked further into the palace.

"What’s with him?" Evelina muttered aloud, glancing back briefly.

Damian’s jaw tightened, his sharp profile illuminated by the soft lantern light. "He’s being watchful," he said curtly. "And waiting for the slightest mistake. Keep that in mind."

Evelina nodded, though the uneasy feeling in her chest refused to dissipate.

*********

Inside the palace, they headed straight for the room Jasper had commandeered as a makeshift lab. True to his word, he had set up everything Evelina had requested.

Glass vials, mortar and pestles, burners, and other alchemical tools were arranged neatly on tables.

"Lady Evelina," Jasper said with a mock bow as they entered. "Your lab awaits. And might I say, I’ve never been so thrilled to play errand boy."

Evelina rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile. "Thanks, Jasper. This is..." Her eyes scanned the classic equipment and apparatus, "...will work perfectly."

"Anything for science," Jasper said with a grin before turning to Damian. "Though next time, I’d appreciate a bit more detail in your requests. ’Fetch the weird stuff’ isn’t exactly helpful."

Damian sighed. "You managed, didn’t you?"

"I always do," Jasper said with a wink.

Eve ignored their banter, already pulling off her protective coverings and setting up the samples she and Damian had collected. She set to work immediately, focused, her mind buzzing with theories.

Damian and Jasper stood nearby, watching as Evelina expertly prepared the samples.

"So," Jasper whispered to Damian, "how long before she figures it out?"

"She’ll figure it out," Damian replied, his voice steady with quiet confidence. "She always does."

Evelina worked quickly in her makeshift lab, focused on her task. The air was filled with a sense of anticipation and a metallic smell from the samples. She put on clean gloves and prepared to fill the first vial.

"Jasper," Evelina called without looking up. "Can you double-check the labels on those jars? I don’t want any mix-ups. Water from the well, soil from around it, and the blood samples need to be processed separately."

Jasper saluted dramatically. "On it, Apothecary Evelina."

Relia chimed in her mind, "Apothecary Evelina. I like that. Maybe we should get you a pointy hat to complete the look."

"Focus, Relia," Evelina shot back mentally, though a hint of amusement flitted through her mind.

Damian leaned against the table, his arms crossed but eyes glued to Evelina’s work. His usual commanding air had become a bit gentler, replaced by a calm attentiveness. "What’s the first step?" he asked.

Evelina adjusted the burner under one of the vials. "Elimination," she said crisply. "We need to figure out what we’re dealing with—whether it’s in the water, soil, or something else entirely. The faster we rule out sources, the quicker we can pinpoint the toxin."

She carefully measured a portion of the well water into a small beaker, adding a few drops of a reagent.

The liquid fizzed faintly, and Evelina frowned. "There’s some kind of mineral contamination here," she murmured, "but I don’t think it’s the cause. It’s too minor to trigger these symptoms."

Jasper handed her another jar—soil from near the well. "Your Highness," he said to Damian, "if she’s this efficient with poison hunting, I’d hate to see her in a real fight."

"Stay focused, Jasper," Damian said, though there was a trace of humour in his voice.

Evelina ignored them, taking a small scoop of soil and mixing it with distilled water.

After straining the mixture, she tested it with a similar reagent. The result was inconclusive, and she pushed it aside for later testing. "Nothing definitive yet," she muttered, frustration creeping into her voice.

Relia piped up again. "Don’t rush, Evie. You’ve got this. And if you don’t, well... I’ll bite someone for you."

"Not helping," Evelina thought with a sigh.

The next sample was blood from one of the afflicted patients. Evelina hesitated for a fraction of a second before steadying herself.

Using a sterile pipette, she prepared the sample for examination. Her hands were steady as she mixed the blood with another reagent and observed the reaction.

The liquid in the vial turned a faint, murky green. Evelina’s brows knit together as she studied the result. "Interesting," she murmured.

"What is it?" Damian stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he looked over her shoulder.

"It’s... odd," Evelina said slowly. "There’s a trace of something here. A compound I don’t recognize, but it’s reactive. It’s binding to the proteins in the blood."

Jasper leaned closer, looking at the vial with a curious expression. If someone had been watching him, they might have thought he knew exactly what he was looking at. "And that means...?"

Evelina set the vial down carefully. "It means there’s definitely a toxin. It’s not natural—it’s alchemical."

Damian’s expression darkened. "Someone did this deliberately."

Evelina nodded grimly. "It’s not airborne, or we’d be seeing a much faster spread. It’s ingested—or possibly absorbed through contact. That’s why it’s hitting people near the well hardest. Whatever this is, it’s concentrated there."

Relia growled in her mind. "Someone poisoned the water. Cowards."

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