• This is a continuation of chapter 2 “One Day, It’ll Become a Trump Card.”

“—But if you wish to escape from him, then…”

With those words, Prince Jake handed me a small vial containing a liquid.

“What is this…?”

“It’s a poison passed down in the royal family.”

“Poison…”

I was terribly confused by his bizarre words.

“Why…?”

“The poison will halt your bodily functions for two months, but will also let you retain some of your consciousness.”

“…I, I’ve never heard of such a thing before—”

“—In the past, it seems to have been used for torturing spies, or infiltrating other countries. As a torture method, you’ll remain conscious, but you’re utterly paralyzed, making it hell. In terms of infiltration, if the other person thinks you’re unconscious, they’ll let their guard down and talk about confidential information. In these decades of peace, this poison has rarely been used, however.”

Prince Jake explained nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.

However, I shouldn’t have listened to such a story, or been told about it in the first place.

“I can’t accept such priceless thing.”

“Lady Daisy, as the second prince, I was determined to support your relationship with my brother. However, my father, mother, and even my younger brother—Blake, have noticed that he is somewhat lacking. Regardless, we decided that if Lady Daisy became the queen, and we—his younger siblings—were to assist him, it’d be sufficient for the development of the kingdom. And yet, not only has my brother neglected all our efforts, he’s ruined everything for something as nonsensical as true love.”

As he spun his words, Prince Jake expressed anger like never before.

“Both I and Blake have agreed to stop assisting him. He’s unfit to be a king.”

“Your Highness Jake…”

“However, while we can freely decide our next course of action, Lady Daisy can’t go against the wishes of Marquis Astor or my brother, correct? If Lady Daisy wishes to keep supporting my brother, there’s nothing we can do about it. Nevertheless, I want you to remember that you have the option of drinking this poison before your reality becomes despair.”

“…If I drink this poison…”

“Only the royal family knows about the existence of this poison. As such, no doctor will be able to trace it. If you were to be unconscious for two months due to an unknown disease, you’d probably be deemed unsuitable to be a concubine.”

“…If I’m deemed as unsuitable, I’ll be able to escape from him.”

“Besides, the king and the queen will soon realize that this poison is the cause. Hence, regardless of what Marquis Astor say, they’ll know that you objected to the idea of becoming his concubine. This poison shall attest to your firm refusal.”

Prince Jake—who had been staring straight at me, dropped his gaze for a moment.

“However, if there’s something I’m concerned about…”

“What is it…?”

“…My brother is probably aware of this poison.”

“His Highness Freddie…”

“Since he should’ve learned about the poison during his prince education, he might reveal the existence of it to the congress, and along with that, the fact that there’s nothing wrong with you…”

…To announce the existence of a secret poison that’s been handed down in the royal family, I doubted Prince Freddie would strive that far to make me his concubine.

“Surely, the king will instruct the saint to heal you as a means of clarification. When the saint, who can heal any injury or illness, can’t cure you, they’ll come to a conclusion that your coma was caused by poison. Most likely, they’ll also inform my brother of the truth. Nevertheless, if my brother can’t reach the conclusion that it was caused by poison, the king and the queen will surely give up on him…”

“…Your Highness Jake, as I thought, I can’t accept this poison.”

“Lady Daisy?”

“To present this poison to me, who isn’t even a member of the royal family, can only be considered a felony, isn’t it? What’s more, if I take this poison, what’ll happen to you? Surely, His Majesty the King won’t stay quiet.”

“…Are you worried about me?”

“While I certainly don’t want to be a concubine, it is another story for Your Highness Jake to take the fall. I don’t wish for a happiness that comes from another’s expense.”

After staring at me in surprise, Prince Jake suddenly smiled.

However, unlike the usual diplomatic smile he’d show during public events, it was a genuine one.

“Did you know? The reason why I decided to support my brother was because you were his fiancée.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’m saying that you don’t have to worry about me. In fact, rather than punishing me, the king and the queen will realize their mistakes. Lady Daisy, who’s been making steady efforts, is better than the saint who suddenly appeared. After all, both your wisdom and experience are necessary for this kingdom.”

“You’re exaggerating…”

“Lady Daisy, you’ve always done everything for the sake of Marquis Astor and my brother, right? For once, you should put yourself first without worrying about others.”

“Put myself first…?”

Is that really alright?

Moreover, what if—what if didn’t wake up from my slumber? Would my father and Prince Freddie worry, even if just a little?

…Said thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Although I strongly deny the notion of ‘true love’ that my brother is so proud of, I’d like to apologize… It’s just that I wonder if I continue to support you—who has become my brother’s partner—with the feelings that’d remain unrequited for the rest of my life, then will I come to refer to those feelings as ‘true love’ at the end of my life…”

…Prince Jake’s voice was so soft, I couldn’t hear anything. At the same time, he looked extremely sad…

“Your Highness Jake, I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you, so can you—”

“Lady Daisy, if you want to use that poison, then you may. If you don’t want to, then you may refuse. The choice is up to you.”

“But I… until now, I’ve been told to support His Highness Freddie. Therefore, is it really alright for me to decide for myself?”

“Of course, it’s only natural, and the same goes for me. I’ll do what I can so that the future Lady Daisy has chosen will come true.”

I’d always thought of Prince Jake, who was two years younger than me, as my real brother. However, the gaze he sent my way was dazzling. Moreover, because my engagement with Prince Freddie had been dissolved, I could no longer think of him as my younger brother.

---

***T/N: Exactly what would such a specific poison will do in infiltrating the country… It’s like a recipe to be buried alive…

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