Side Story: Feather and Poison (12)

all the best.

In the distance, Jasho reports to the Death Knell.

"I have fulfilled my mission."

What were sent in were lizard eggs.

However, the egg yolk inside was replaced with that of a griffin egg using an extremely delicate method.

The latter is non-toxic and can even be used in medicine, having a calming and sedative effect.

The problem is that humans are intolerant to griffin protein.

It must be specially processed before consumption, otherwise it will cause severe diarrhea.

Jasho was very pleased with himself.

Even setting aside the concept of "poison," there are still many tricks that can be used in special operations.

As if feeling the same way, Death Knell rubbed his own abdomen.

But imagine that halfway through tonight's banquet, all the toilets in the palace will be packed to capacity.

A scene where normally dignified nobles, carrying their formal attire, are contorted in pain, their expressions twisted, showing no regard for decorum.

Death Knell Ling couldn't help but smile.

"Well done!"

"Thank you for your praise, sir."

At this moment, Death Knell had changed into a Western-style dress. The fussy decorations made her feel uncomfortable, and her movements became somewhat awkward.

But I have a vague feeling that----

This outfit actually looks quite good on you.

Death Knell put on a pair of bracelets, the already faint energy fluctuations around her were immediately suppressed even further.

"I'm going to find Janet," she said to Jasshoe. "See you later."

"Yes, sir."

Another batch of goods has arrived at the palace banquet hall.

The steward opened the box; this time it contained incense.

The poison examiner stepped forward to examine the sample, and a faint red hue appeared within the magical light.

Their expressions changed simultaneously.

Just as the manager was about to explode, he demanded to know which chamber of commerce had the audacity to send this.

A hand reached out from the side and stopped him.

She was the Empress's personal maid.

She made a shushing gesture and spoke in a very low voice.

"This is Flame Dew Fragrance."

"It was arranged personally by Her Majesty the Empress; this must not be made public!"

The manager, however, turned pale.

"Flame Dew Fragrance can make people excited," he said anxiously.

Although its effect was limited, there were four or five hundred guests present tonight, all of whom were dignitaries and celebrities in the empire.

If this group gets carried away, who knows what the consequences will be?

"Everything will be arranged by Her Majesty the Empress!" The maid's tone suddenly turned stern. "Are you going against Her Majesty's wishes?"

"

The steward, his throat tightening under the pressure, could only swallow hard and force himself to say, "Then—may I personally present this matter to Her Majesty the Empress?"

After a moment's thought, the maid realized that this matter was indeed not insignificant.

The person in charge is being quite careful in confirming this, which shows they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

The two then went together to the Empress's palace.

Shortly afterward, the steward returned, his forehead still covered in cold sweat.

Queen Xi'er listened to only two sentences from him before giving him a mild reprimand.

The manager and the toxicologist exchanged a wry smile.

Tonight's banquet is unlikely to be peaceful.

****

As night fell, the decorations in the banquet hall entered their final stage.

Beautiful tablecloths were laid out one by one, and the exquisite magic lamps around the room were inspected and their crystals replaced one by one.

Bright yet soft light shone down, illuminating the hall in a magnificent manner.

Several servants responsible for carrying firewood finally filled all the fireplace fireboxes and wood storage areas.

The fire blazed fiercely, gradually releasing the oily aroma from the wood, which then dissipated into the air.

Even the most busy managers felt their fatigue lessened after smelling it.

"There's still half an hour before the banquet starts. Close all the windows and start raising the temperature."

He gave instructions to the crowd.

Too early, and the hall will be too stuffy when the guests arrive.

It's too late, then it won't be warm enough.

The maids quickly closed the windows, keeping out the autumn rain and cold wind.

The servants who were carrying firewood exchanged glances and silently withdrew.

Ten minutes later, inside the Crown Prince's residence.

A servant approached Meiwu'er and whispered a few words in his ear.

"What's wrong?"

Xialike was standing in front of the mirror changing his dress. His face was covered with a thick layer of white powder by the makeup artist, who then carefully repainted his colors. He was completely exhausted from all the work.

He hated this aesthetic, but tonight's banquet was centered around the two of them, so their "makeup" couldn't be taken lightly.

"The camphor wood is all in place," Meiwu'er whispered in his report. "The banquet hall windows have also been closed on time."

"Perfect timing, just in time."

Xialike let out a soft breath.

These unremarkable firewood have all been replaced with camphor trees.

Although they look the same, the smells they produce can dull the body.

Because it also slows down intestinal motility, camphor is occasionally used as an antidiarrheal medication.

However, if too much is consumed, it can cause slowed blood flow to the body, and if the amount continues to increase, it can lead to coma.

These are the tools they'll use to disrupt the banquet tonight!

****

As I stepped outside, a gust of cold wind blew in my face.

Xialike picked up the cloak and draped it over Chloe's shoulders.

"Can we succeed tonight?"

Chloe whispered.

The whole plan was still too rushed.

Time is short, preparations are limited, and there are too many variables.

Even with a successful grasp of the situation, the outlook remains worrying.

Xialike countered, "After knowing this, is it possible for you to choose to do nothing?"

Chloe shook her head.

Of course not.

The two walked out of the door side by side and headed towards the carriage parked outside.

That's right.

Xialike spoke calmly.

Since we're not going to stand idly by, let's take it one step at a time.

"I originally planned to let you leave, but now you've given up and accepted the status quo, haven't you?"

Xialike had suggested that Chloe leave first, so he could carry out the plan alone.

Chloe refused on the spot.

She tilted her head and rested it on Xialike's shoulder.

The two of them waited quietly at the door for a while.

A richly decorated carriage pulled up and stopped alongside their vehicle.

Janet got out of the car with a smile on her face, looking cheerful.

"Royal brother, royal sister-in-law, you are so loving!"

The sound of Death Knell followed behind her.

"This is Miss Lingna," Janet introduced.

Death Knell lifted her skirt and bowed respectfully.

Meiwu'er's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively became alert, taking a half-step forward to block her way.

However, after carefully examining her, he found nothing amiss with Miss Lingna.

The Death Knell secretly sneered at Meiwu'er's actions.

Unless a Legendary powerhouse from this plane gets close, it's impossible to see through her strength.

As Destiny- level being from Eden, her understanding and control of energy naturally surpasses that of the extraordinary beings from the Taya Plane.

The Death Knell ignored Meiwu'er and fixed its gaze on Chloe.

A few days ago, when she heard that this Feather Race woman was about to become the Crown Princess of the Star Empire, she thought it was just a rumor circulating among the common people.

Unexpectedly, it really happened.

This person was also a key target for elimination in the Book of Doomsday.

Death Knell was overjoyed; the trip had been fruitful, and her visit to the palace had not been in vain.

However, after being reprimanded by the High Priest, Death Knell abandoned the idea of "stabbing him once and running away."

"We cannot act openly!"

At that time, the demon warned her in an extremely stern tone.

"We might succeed once, or even ten times, and then we'll attract attention and be drowned by the sheer number of people in the Taya Plane!"

"Don't let your willfulness cause the great task entrusted to us by God to fail!"

The Death Knell isn't stupid.

She just wasn't used to it.

In Eden, she was a sharp "knife".

Obey God's command and act accordingly.

Now, asking her to rely on thought and planning feels quite unfamiliar.

****

"Welcome, Miss Lingna."

Chloe spoke gently.

The butler brought over an elegant lunchbox, which, when opened, revealed fragrant Pea cakes inside.

Xialike and Chloe each took a piece and ate it casually.

The larger and more formal the ball, the more glamorous and respectable it appears on the surface.

In reality, it's far less comfortable than a private get-together.

Moreover, the two of them were nominally the "focus" tonight.

Wow, it's lime flavored!

Janet smelled the aroma, clapped her hands happily, and reached out to take a piece.

She also thoughtfully took one for Death Knell and handed it to her.

"Miss Lingna, please have something to eat first," she explained with a smile. "Once we're in the banquet hall, young, unmarried girls like us can't eat too much."

"If you take food too often, people will start gossiping behind your back."

No matter where you are, there's no shortage of gossipy women, and these women often have a lot of cliques.

Death Knell reached out and took it, bowing her head to thank him, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

When Janet picked up the pastry, she clearly had something secretly stuck to it!

Without batting an eye, the Death Knell took a quick sniff and immediately recognized it as a potent hallucinogenic drug.

What is this wretched native princess trying to do?

Death Knell couldn't understand it, but she wasn't particularly surprised either.

Those who are nominated as high-value "converts" in the Book of Doomsday cannot possibly be of high moral character.

Or rather, Janet's invitation was something she wasn't plotting; otherwise, she would be unworthy of her future identity Traitor to another dimension.

With a slight Death Knell her grip, the pastry "accidentally" fell to the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Death Knell quickly apologized in a low voice, but then took a piece from the box herself.

If Janet were to get her a second piece and then poison it, the situation would be incredibly awkward!

Should we turn against each other then?

Or should we fall out?

The Death Knell naturally joined everyone in eating the pastries.

There were no problems this time.

The first taste was a familiar pastry flavor, nothing unusual, and no strange medicinal smell.

"You bastard Janet, I'll settle the score with you later!"

The Death Knell made a mark in his heart.

****

Janet sighed inwardly as her plan fell through.

We'll have to find another opportunity.

Anyway, this country bumpkin will have the same effect if we just get her drunk a few more glasses of wine when we get to the banquet hall.

Tonight's guests are all dignitaries, and a senior drug tester is on duty at the banquet.

She couldn't hide psychedelic drugs on her person.

Janet found a moment to throw away the small medicine bag from her sleeve.

If this thing is discovered at a banquet, there's no way to clear my name, not even if I jumped into the Yellow River.

The journey is not far.

The two carriages soon arrived at the palace where the banquet was being held.

When Chloe, dressed in that long, slender, dark blue gown, gracefully entered the hall, a murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

According to rumors, this future crown princess is extremely beautiful by both Feather Race and human standards.

Seeing it with my own eyes, I realized the rumors weren't exaggerated.

Chloe had snow-white skin and frost-gray feathery hair that reached her waist, with strands of hair possessing a color and luster that human hair did not have, making her almost dreamlike.

Casimir sat in a high chair, taking in the entire scene, his heart pounding with jealousy.

No – it shouldn't stem from a family-based stance, but rather from political hostility!

The two men stepped forward to greet her, and she forced a perfunctory smile.

Then, Casimir gave a look to the steward beside him.

The drumbeats begin.

The bands on both sides, who were waiting in ambush, immediately played an opening piece.

The guests put down their conversations and gathered around the steps.

Amidst the music, a particularly lively timbre caught Casimir's attention.

She understands music.

Casimir looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it was an older musician.

"This harpist is quite good."

"He's newly hired," the manager explained in a low voice.

He was immediately awestruck by the old musician and placed high hopes on him, which indeed pleased the Empress.

****

The guests gathered and formed a large circle below the steps.

The music stopped.

Casimir stood up, his demeanor graceful, with a dignified smile on his face.

"Distinguished courtiers and honored guests, good evening."

On this beautiful autumn night, we gather together.

Outside the window, raindrops pattered against the glass.

Let's welcome the newlyweds together.

She didn't even glance at Xialike and Chloe.

"A wedding unlike any other, filled with song, dance, and celebration!"

Casimir raised his glass, and the guests below responded by raising their glasses in return.

Everyone seemed oblivious to the Empress's ambiguous and suggestive wording.

As usual, congratulations were extended to Xialike and Chloe, and the atmosphere was pleasant and harmonious.

This is a basic quality of a politician.

Casimir raised his hand to signal, and the band resumed playing.

Magnificent and cheerful music flowed through the hall.

"Go, dance more, and socialize more with the nobles."

Casimir looked at the two of them with the demeanor of an elder.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The two responded and stepped back hand in hand.

Casimir took a soft breath.

The air was filled with the fragrant scent of wood and the faint aroma of incense.

She watched Chloe walk onto the dance floor, raised her glass, and her eyes were gleaming.

Enjoy it.

"You'll be crying later!"

****

Lakeside villa, underground laboratory.

Lorenzo has been in a good mood lately.

Yu Yao suddenly became incredibly cooperative, greatly accelerating the progress of improving the "Formless Poison".

After the new version of "Phantom Poison" was used, the troll test subjects' resistance was greatly reduced.

With just a few simple poisons, these tall, strong trolls would collapse to the ground.

Less air intake, more air output.

"The effect has been significantly improved."

Lorenzo was very satisfied.

He could almost picture his army's iron hooves trampling across enemy soil, leaving behind a trail of beautiful corpses.

The "Formless Poison" used for this test was prepared by him personally.

In this way, the possibility of researchers becoming arrogant and complacent due to their technical expertise is eliminated.

Even if a researcher were to have an "accident," it wouldn't necessarily lead to a break in the development of the technology.

This emperor went to great lengths for the sake of the imperial cause and the preservation of scholarship.

However, there is still one flaw.

Lorenzo picked up the medicine bottle.

A layer of white frost had formed on the outside of the bottle, and it felt cold to the touch.

"The new drug needs to be stored at low temperatures, this won't work!"

His tone was stern.

If it were a regular medication, this wouldn't be considered a defect.

However, the "formless poison" will need to be released in the future on a scale of hundreds or thousands of tons in countless residential areas with a combined population of tens of millions.

At this scale, an additional cold chain requirement can cause efficiency to drop exponentially!

"Solve this problem!" Lorenzo said without room for argument.

"Yes!" Saimusi replied.

Lorenzo didn't press the issue further, after all, crucial progress had already been made.

"Hurry up, let's continue this research tonight!"

He dropped the order and turned to leave.

After stepping out of the villa, a palace attendant approached and reminded him, "Your Majesty, the Empress's ball has been going on for quite some time."

Lorenzo remembered this.

He had instructed his servants beforehand to remind him.

Given the nature of Casimir and Grand Duke Flint's faction, even a fool would know they wouldn't behave themselves at Chloe's first public appearance.

I'm not sure what the specific design is.

But it will definitely happen.

"Go to the banquet hall as planned, and make a brief appearance."

Lorenzo gave the order.

Chloe is someone he supports.

Bullying Chloe is a slap in the face to him.

The group headed towards the banquet hall on the other side of the palace.

****

Inside the laboratory, Saimusi put the vials back in their place.

He suddenly raised one hand, and with the other hand cast Illumination to carefully examine his palm.

Sure enough, under the light, a faint black tinge appeared on his palm.

Moreover, the darkness was slowly deepening.

Saimusi initiated a toxin identification process.

A green light circulates between the palms – non-toxic.

He turned his gaze to the layer of white frost that had formed on the outside of the medicine bottle.

"It's just a little bit of silver salt mixed with the frost."

Yu Yao sat to the side, smiling gently.

"Poison must not come near His Majesty."

"Besides, wasn't it your own oversight that you didn't remind His Majesty?"

Silver salts decompose under light, releasing tiny black silver particles.

Furthermore, it adheres to the skin's texture and is extremely difficult to wash off.

If it's daytime, the decomposition process will be completed quickly.

But it was nighttime, and it would take some time before Lorenzo noticed anything amiss under the light.

"I didn't fail to remind you!"

Upon hearing this, Saimusi reacted as if he had been stepped on the tail.

Don't falsely accuse me here!

He angrily grabbed the medicine bottle and continued the experiment.

Yu Yao raised her hand and looked at her palm, which had turned pale again.

She suddenly realized that even though Saimusi had been giving her life-stimulating drugs these past few days, she wouldn't last much longer.

However, she successfully completed the task Chloe entrusted to her.

Yu Yao gently rubbed her abdomen, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Does this mean I died from poisoning?"

"What did you say?" Saimusi asked, turning around.

Those who wield drugs will ultimately perish because of them.

Yu Yao smiled gently.

"These are the words my teacher said when I was studying at the White Tower Medical College."

****

Inside the banquet hall, the ball had been going on for a while.

The Death Knell stood in the corner, his gaze fixed on the long food counter.

The place was filled with a dazzling array of exquisite foods.

The "gravel-scale egg tart" in the very center is served on a carefully polished stone tray, surrounded by decorations that create a delicate desert texture, making it look quite unique.

The Death Knell picked one up.

The filling in the middle is soft and delicate, and the outer tart crust is made by baking egg whites, showing great craftsmanship.

She sniffed it.

Although the difference was extremely subtle, she was still certain that it was indeed griffin protein!

Around them, many nobles took turns eating during the dance.

This is the most popular dish tonight.

Everyone agreed that it tasted much better than the lizard eggs they usually serve.

Death Knell's gaze swept across the entire room, a question surfacing in his mind.

After all this time and everyone has eaten so much, how come no one has started experiencing stomach upset?

Although Jasho said that if medications with a slowing effect on the intestines are taken, the intolerance reaction to lion eggs can be significantly delayed.

But surely not everyone present tonight has taken antidiarrheal medication?

While the Death Knell was still pondering, a slight dizziness washed over her.

Her expression changed, and she immediately began to examine herself.

Oops, I'm poisoned?

again?

Death Knell hurriedly recalled the details of her evening.

Once inside the banquet hall, she spent most of her time huddled in a corner. Janet kept trying to get her to drink, but she only took a few sips.

The princess definitely has ill intentions.

The alcohol is fine.

There was a toxicologist involved, and she wasn't the only one drinking the alcohol.

Janet was just an ordinary pastor; the Death Knell didn't give her the opportunity to spike the drink.

So, pushing back further -

Death Knell's eyes narrowed.

It was the pastry I ate in front of Prince Xialike's residence!

Xialike and Chloe ate two pieces first.

In other words, everything else is problematic!

This crown prince is quite a character.

He even harmed his own sister!

The next step is to determine what kind of poison it is.

Upon Death Knell, the sound of the bell immediately turned extremely ugly.

It's "The Formless Poison" again!

She was absolutely furious.

At that time, those pastries clearly had no strange smell, nor did they contain any unfamiliar substances.

etc.

Death Knell, and he understood where the problem lay.

Because the taste of "Wu Xiang Zhen" was not unfamiliar to her at all!

Nonsense!

She spent a whole week in troll territory eating poisonous Pea!

Death Knell's face turned completely black.

A powerful expert at the Heavenly Destiny level repeatedly falls into the same trap.

If word gets out about this stupid thing, Hairspring and the others will laugh themselves silly!

Death Knell was so angry that her teeth itched. She glared fiercely at Xialike and Chloe, who were dealing with someone on the other side, her eyes practically spitting fire.

However, the "Formless Poison" only weakens her body's resistance and does not cause her discomfort.

She looked up at the bas-relief walls and the magnificent painted ceiling around her.

There must be other channels spreading the poison within this banquet hall!

****

At the same time, Chloe felt increasingly uneasy.

The fireplaces around the hall were burning brightly, and the scent of camphor wood, continuously heated, filled the entire hall.

Logically, after so long, everyone in the hall should be sluggish, drowsy, and lethargic from the fumes.

But looking around, everyone seemed perfectly normal.

The music continues to play, and the dancing continues.

Apart from that Miss Lingna, who was glaring in this direction for some inexplicable reason.

She responded with a polite smile.

But the other person's expression worsened.

This is completely baffling.

At that moment, Stacy, dressed in a red dress, stepped into the hall, her forehead even glistening with a thin layer of sweat.

After entering, she looked around the room, located Chloe's position, and walked quickly towards her.

This action attracted a lot of attention.

What's even more eye-catching is that she also has a rather large bag slung across her body.

The other women, even if they carried bags, wore delicate little lace handbags, nothing like her rustic, uncouth demeanor.

"I brought the medicine the teacher prescribed."

Stacy came to Chloe's side and whispered.

"Thank you for your hard work," Chloe replied softly.

"What's going on?" Stacy frowned and glanced around. "Twilight Camphor—it seems like it's not working at all?"

Chloe also had a furrowed brow.

"Was the wrong type of wood used?"

Both in smell and appearance, the twilight camphor is extremely similar to ordinary camphor wood.

Stacy shook her head.

She personally participated in this matter, repeatedly confirming everything to ensure that the selection of materials was foolproof.

"Is the problem with the servants?"

Chloe turned to look at Xialike as he approached.

Xialike also shook his head.

He had already infiltrated the entire palace from multiple angles.

If something goes wrong during the execution, it's impossible for the person in charge to be completely unaware.

"The effects of Twilight Camphor are inherently mild," Stacy explained in a low voice. "If someone takes stimulants, such as Flame Dew, it can counteract the effects."

"It can't be—" Chloe murmured, "That everyone here is on performance-enhancing drugs, can it?"

A commotion suddenly arose at the doorway.

Emperor Lorenzo has arrived.

The guests in the hall stopped what they were doing and bowed to the emperor in greeting.

All three felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

Tonight's target has finally arrived.

The problem is, if things don't go wrong at this banquet, how will they proceed with their act?

****

On the throne atop the steps, the empress was equally filled with doubt.

The surrounding guests remained calm; even their boisterous behavior was within normal limits.

She looked up and glanced around.

The incense sticks he had arranged to be burned were all still curling up, releasing wisps of incense dust.

What went wrong?

This batch of incense was specially selected by Casimir.

It can be a stimulant, serving as a kind of aphrodisiac, and is not particularly harmful.

However, this differs for the Feather Race.

For Chloe, the stimulating effect of this stuff would be magnified many times over.

Normally, the future crown princess should have lost her composure and embarrassed herself in the banquet hall by now.

Those guests whose interest was piqued by Yan Luxiang would, under the guidance of her people, harass, humiliate, and kick her when she was down.

She would then feign "upholding justice" and forbid her from leaving.

Just imagining such a scene is delightful.

But right now, there's no sign of anything happening in the hall.

The burning incense flames looked fake.

Casimir put down the gravel-scaled egg tart in his hand, tapped the armrest of his chair with his finger, and the steward beside him immediately bent down.

"Do you have a death wish?!"

She gritted her teeth and whispered a rebuke.

"You even dared to change the incense I arranged?"

The steward's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot, but he held back, not daring to make a fuss and attract attention.

"I would never dare!" he hurriedly protested, "These incense sticks are absolutely untouched!"

He quickly called over the drug inspector who had been inspecting the goods with him.

The poison expert also testified that the two strictly followed the Empress's instructions without the slightest disobedience.

Even the drug testers present were all told not to meddle!

"That's strange then." A cold glint flashed in Casimir's eyes. "Could it be that these Flame Dew Incense are fake?"

How dare a spice merchant guild so audacious as to mock the Empress of the Empire?

With just one word from her, she could teach them a lesson that would leave them with heads rolling in tomorrow!

"If someone has taken sedatives, they can become immune to the effects of Flame Dew," the toxicologist explained, forcing a smile. "Ingredients like griffin eggs can have a neutralizing effect."

"You mean""

Casimir turned and glared at the drug examiner, his eyes practically murderous.

"Has everyone here taken tranquilizers?"

She felt that her intelligence had been greatly insulted.

The personal maidservant hurried forward.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has arrived!"

The group looked up at the same time, and Lorenzo walked in with a gloomy expression from the entrance of the hall.

****

As soon as Lorenzo stepped into the banquet hall, he was greeted by a cacophony of scents filling the room.

Upon closer inspection, the strongest scent is the mixture of various expensive perfumes worn by the powerful and wealthy.

They crowded together, vying for attention and showing off their beauty.

Secondly, there was the pervasive aroma of incense throughout the venue.

Lorenzo didn't even bother to think about it.

Based solely on his exceptional intuition, he guessed that there was something wrong with these incense sticks.

He gave a sharp look, and the drug examiner beside him immediately stepped forward to examine him.

"Your Majesty, it is Flame Dew Fragrance."

Over the years, Lorenzo has devoted himself to the study of toxicology and pharmacology, and he is well aware of the characteristics of these common drugs.

He immediately guessed most of the details:

Casimir wanted to use Flame Dew to make Chloe look utterly humiliated in front of everyone!

Lorenzo's face turned pale.

He had initially thought that Casimir would only make things difficult for him, and that it would just be a show of force.

But I never expected them to be so vicious.

Casimir had already come to greet him.

"His Majesty."

She approached Lorenzo, adopting an extremely humble posture.

"I was merely testing my future daughter-in-law, please forgive me, Your Majesty." Her tone was gentle, clearly yielding. "I guarantee the Flint Family will cooperate fully with the wedding ceremony, how about that?"

She had to accept the consequences of her bet; she could only blame herself for not completing her plan and disposing of the evidence before Lorenzo arrived.

Lorenzo's eyes flickered slightly.

That condition isn't impossible.

After all, Grand Duke Flint is still alive, and it would be extremely unwise to publicly break with this "imperial patron" over this matter.

Thinking of this, Lorenzo's anger subsided.

"Stop burning the incense." He decided to handle it gently.

Upon hearing the tone of his voice, Casimir was immediately delighted.

"Put away the incense; His Majesty doesn't like the smell!"

She gave the order.

"Yes!"

The servants responded in unison and removed the incense.

****

On a distant blue planet, among a group called "programmers," the following saying circulates:

It's a bug, a bug.

But when a group of bugs can work together, then you should never touch it!

As the Flame Dew Fragrance faded, the previously suppressed Smoothness effect of the Twilight Camphor finally emerged.

The guests present first felt a slight dizziness, accompanied by a sense of drowsiness, as if an invisible fog had clouded their consciousness.

It's not just the camphor tree at dusk.

With the Flame Dew link severed, the Lion Egg's calming effect becomes useless and participates in the stacking effect.

It produces an effect where one plus one is greater than two.

Many guests experienced a worsening of their symptoms, appearing dazed and unsteady on their feet.

Lorenzo, who sat next to the Queen on the steps, noticed it immediately.

He was about to order someone to investigate.

Janet, who was fawning over him, suddenly swayed.

"Father, I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground!

Due to the effects of the "Formless Poison," the princess's defenses were completely neutralized.

The drug's effects had no buffering effect on her.

The surrounding maids immediately let out a scream.

The attending imperial physician immediately stepped forward and examined the patient with a grave expression.

The guests also gathered around.

"Your Majesty, Her Highness the Princess—she appears to have been poisoned!"

A royal physician raised his head and reported solemnly.

Upon hearing this, the powerful and influential people around, who were already feeling unwell, immediately panicked.

They all started shouting and clamoring, vying to have the imperial physician examine them.

The scene suddenly descended into chaos.

Several nobles, who were already timid and frail, were so frightened by the surrounding atmosphere of panic that their faces turned pale, and they actually fainted.

"All of you, calm down!"

Seeing the panic escalating, Lorenzo shouted.

The guests, however, thought to themselves: Of course His Majesty isn't worried.

The emperor was immediately protected by several layers of shields against the poison from the holy guards.

Lorenzo glanced around and realized that the problem was most likely in the air.

Open the windows! Ventilate the room!

He gave the order sternly.

The guards immediately attacked in unison, unleashing a sweeping burst of energy.

A series of loud bangs shook the dozens of tall windows around the banquet hall open.

A crisp, clear autumn wind howled into the hall, like a bucket of cold water being poured over one's head, instantly invigorating many people.

The air in the hall was quickly dispersed and renewed, and the scent of camphor trees was swiftly carried away by the strong wind.

This also led to the griffin egg's effect finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!