Chapter 343: The Accusation

Esme sent someone to fetch Hattie and Hazel. The two arrived quickly, stepping into the room and immediately bowing to Allan. He recognized them—they had once served Oliver. Knowing they came from a family of loyal retainers, he addressed them sternly. “I will ask you a question, and you must answer truthfully. Do not conceal anything.”

“Yes, my lord,” they responded in unison, bowing once more.

“Did Lady Isolde order either of you to poison Cristina?” Allan asked.

The question stunned them. They looked up in shock before shaking their heads simultaneously. “Absolutely not.”

Cristina scoffed. “Deny it all you want. Someone overheard you speaking in the plum garden this morning.”

Hazel blinked, confused. “And?”

“Did you or did you not say, ‘What a pity she didn’t die’ and ‘Tomorrow, we’ll increase the dose’?” Cristina demanded through gritted teeth.

Hattie and Hazel exchanged a glance before nodding. “Yes, we did say that.”

Hazel clarified, “But we were talking about poisoning rats—not people.”

“What an absurd lie!” Madilyn sneered. “Shameless, the both of you. Even now, you continue making excuses. You must have planned this ahead of time. Allan, you are wise—you won’t fall for such nonsense, will you?”

Hattie’s voice rose in frustration. “Why would we lie? If you don’t believe us, search Ningser Pavilion! The poison is still there, right by the wall where we left it.”

Cristina’s lips curled in disdain. “Oh, please. Who would believe such a ridiculous excuse?”

Isolde, now fully composed, said, “Why wouldn’t they? Your maid overheard them, and they’ve given a perfectly reasonable explanation. Do you have any other evidence? Because if all you have are eavesdropped words taken out of context, then this accusation is nothing but a joke.”

The murmurs in the hall grew louder. Isolde had a point—without solid proof, how could a mere conversation be used as evidence?

Madilyn snapped, “A joke? The only joke here is how you think you can talk your way out of this! The facts are right in front of us. How convenient that you were just ‘poisoning rats’ while my daughter was poisoned? What if you first poisoned her and then used the leftover poison for your so-called ‘rats’ to cover your tracks?”

Hattie shot back, “If that’s the case, then test the grain we used for the rats. Even if someone ate the entire pile, it wouldn’t be enough to kill a person! We bought only a small amount. You can verify this if you want.”

Cristina snapped, “What grain? You used arsenic! The physician already confirmed it.”

“Arsenic? Where would we even get arsenic? Since when do rat poisons require arsenic?” Hazel argued.

Agnes spoke, “I saw those maids sneaking out. I was curious, so I asked Dr. Harriet Rojas about it. He told me she had just purchased arsenic for medicinal purposes.”

Agnes’ head snapped up. “Lies! Do you want me to slap you for slandering me? When your lies fail, you try to drag me into this?”

Hattie immediately stepped back, her voice small. “I only said what I saw with my own eyes.”

“Your own eyes? More like you’re just covering for your mistress!” Agnes’ face twisted in fury.

Isolde, unbothered, remarked coolly, “Why are you so agitated? If you’re innocent, it’s easy to confirm. Arsenic is a controlled substance—every purchase must be recorded for inspection. If your maid truly bought arsenic, the records will prove it. That has nothing to do with me.”

Allan gestured for Ryker. “Go to the apothecary. Check the records and find out who purchased the arsenic.”

“Yes, my lord.” Ryker bowed and swiftly departed.

Agnes, however, remained composed. She had already bribed the physician to erase the record. Later, she would send someone to another apothecary to buy arsenic and backdate the purchase to cover their tracks.

Seeing Ryker leave, Oliver spoke up. “Since Isolde has yet to complete the coffee ceremony, let’s continue while we wait.”

Allan considered it, then nodded. “Very well.”

Madilyn scoffed. “You’d still drink coffee offered by a murderer? Aren’t you afraid of cursing yourselves?”

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to Allan. If this truly involved a poisoning case, it was no small matter. The Valen family was a noble house—they could not afford to shelter a criminal.

Oliver remained unfazed. “Has she been convicted? Regardless of what happens, Isolde is my wife. Her serving coffee to her elders has nothing to do with Cristina’s poisoning.”

Pablo waved a hand. “Let’s proceed.” He trusted Isolde completely. If this was going to happen eventually, they might as well get it over with now.

Since Pablo had spoken, no one objected further. However, as Isolde went through the motions of serving coffee, the elders’ expressions were tense. Many mimicked Heidi—accepting the cup but not drinking from it, merely offering a gift in return.

By the time the ceremony was complete, Ryker had returned, leading Dr. Harriet into the room.

“My lord,” Ryker reported, “Dr. Harriet confirmed that a maid did indeed purchase arsenic last night. I took the liberty of bringing him here so he could identify the person himself.”

Agnes’ heart lurched. She had already paid him off! Why was he here? All he needed to do was deny it ever happened!

Dr. Harriet stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “Greetings, Lord Allan, Lord Pablo, esteemed elders.”

Madilyn narrowed her eyes. “Look around. Was it them?” She pointed at Hattie and Hazel.

Harriet turned, glancing at the two women before shaking his head. “These two did visit the shop last night, but they only bought rat poison—not arsenic.”

Madilyn stiffened. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” Harriet replied. “In fact, the person who purchased arsenic is standing outside. I saw them just now when I arrived.”

Madilyn’s voice turned sharp. “Who?”

Harriet stepped out, scanning the crowd before pointing at a nervous-looking maid—Mell, one of Agnes’ attendants.

“Her,” he announced.

Mell’s face drained of color. “You… Harriet, what nonsense are you spouting? I never—”

Harriet remained firm. “Mell, is it? Last night, you came to my shop and purchased one tael of arsenic. You claimed it was for medicinal use—to treat a festering wound on your mistress. Why are you denying it now?”

“I didn’t…” Mell stammered, but before she could finish, Oliver grabbed her by the collar and tossed her into the center of the room.

“If you have something to say, say it here,” Oliver said coldly.

Mell collapsed to her knees, her eyes darting wildly as she desperately sought Agnes’ help. “My lady, please… I didn’t…”