Chapter 979

The poison worms remained in the incense burner, attracted to the bloody scent of the medicine. They would feed on the aroma until they died. The expelled worms wouldn't live much longer.

"They're in the incense burner," Sebastian replied. "You can take it to Her Highness."

The small, disturbing worms prompted Javier to hesitate before reaching for the burner. He finally asked, "Can these worms re-enter the human body?"

Seeing his reluctance, Winona stepped forward, lifted the incense burner, carefully removed the lid, and presented it to Lisandra.

The sight of the worms made Lisandra nauseous. Fighting the urge to vomit, she felt faint and flushed with heat. Her anger surged. She closed her eyes, regaining her composure with more difficulty than she cared to admit.

Sebastian offered no further assistance, simply stating, "Within an hour, the poisonous worms will die. Once expelled, they cannot re-enter the body."

"Thank you," Lisandra said quietly.

Carissa nodded subtly and left with the others.

Leroy's temper flared. "Who is responsible for the poisoning?" he demanded, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Confess, or I begin my investigation."

Lisandra placed a hand on her chest, breathing shallowly. With a resigned sigh, she gestured for him to leave. "Uncle Leroy, please go outside with everyone. Penny, Yuna, and Yasmine—stay."

"Lisandra, don't be foolish," Leroy protested. "We'll find out who did this. Whoever dared to harm you must be insane!"

"Please go. I need to speak with them privately," Lisandra said, raising her hand. "Aria, show them out."

Aria guided the group out. Leroy's gaze lingered on Aria, then shifted to Penny, his suspicion palpable. Her proximity to Lisandra made her the most likely suspect.

Chapter 979 (continued)

"Ask what you need. If you don't get answers, I'll handle the questioning," Leroy said before leaving.

Alone, Lisandra instructed Aria to light two more lanterns. The flickering flames cast a dim glow on her increasingly pale face. Her earlier color faded, replaced by weariness that deepened the shadows under her eyes.

Lisandra sat up in bed, fighting to maintain her composure. Aria placed a pillow behind her back. She exhaled slowly, trying to steady her breath, suppressing the dizziness and headache, and forcing herself not to think of the worms.

Her gaze sharpened as she fixed it on Penny. "Penny, why did you do it?"

Yuna and Yasmine exchanged a look. While they had considered Penny's involvement, it seemed impossible. Penny's loyalty to Lisandra had never been questioned.

Yasmine, known for her fiery temper, was furious. "Ms. Durham, what are you up to? Her Highness has treated you so well! Why would you want to kill her?!" she yelled.

Penny's face went ashen; she fell to her knees, weeping. "Your Highness, I'm guilty, but I never intended to kill you! I'm willing to die, but I beg you—no matter what happens during the negotiations, please ensure Starhaven agrees to the 3,000,000 bushels of grain and lets us take Dominic with us."

Lisandra looked at her coldly. "Take Dominic with us? Didn't I tell you he's only part of our negotiating strategy? I never intended to take him. Only Aurora."

"No, you can't do that!" Penny cried, crawling forward. "Your Highness, you must take Dominic back to Westhaven! You must!"

Lisandra felt a cold certainty settle in her chest. Edmund must have begun deploying troops to the border after her departure. Anger and frustration surged, her blood boiling, her throat tightening. She tasted blood and could no longer hold it back. A splash of blood sprayed from her lips.

Chapter 979 (continued)

"Your Highness!"

Yuna and Yasmine rushed to steady Lisandra. Aria fetched a handkerchief to wipe away the blood. The sight of the bloodstained cloth deepened their worry.

"You fool!" Yasmine slapped Penny hard, sending her sprawling. "Her Highness came here, struggling with her illness, to prevent war. If you push for war, it will bring internal strife! Will you only be satisfied after you've reduced the world to ruins?!"

Chapter 980

The passage is now much cleaner, with improved sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. I've also removed redundant phrasing and made the narrative flow more smoothly.