Chapter 108 Poison She could hear Andra's strength amidst hundreds of noises...

What kind of person is Princess Eleanor of Norlana?

At least at this point in time, most people in China would give evaluations such as "an unparalleled genius", "a messenger blessed by the gods", and "unfortunately too kind and weak".

But Ophelia felt that her sister was filled with an indescribable evil beneath her radiant exterior.

"What? She came to visit me?"

The dreaded repeated failures in the shadows flooded Ophelia's mind, and when she heard the servant's report, she instinctively frowned, and the pen in her hand hovered in mid-air.

Her palace was rather shabby compared to Eleanor's Marigold Palace.

Not only is it smaller in size and narrower in structure, but the furnishings inside also lack any sense of wealth or preciousness, consisting only of some old antiques and clumsy furniture that are barely usable.

Such a place is not suitable for entertaining distinguished guests, especially a beloved uninvited guest like Eleanor.

The attendant explained with a forced smile, "Princess Eleanor said she has something very important she would like to discuss with Your Highness."

What important thing could she possibly have to do?

Ophelia chuckled.

Others may not know, but can't she see it clearly?

This princess was the youngest, but the most cunning. Eleanor approached a bunch of "investors" with the money-making business, but none of them ever spoke a word more than a few words to her.

They put on a good show of concern for Dasha's health—but in reality, they were just using Dasha as an excuse to find a way to remove the toxins from their mother.

All of this was for one reason: to support Myrcella's rise to power.

This exceptionally intelligent younger sister clearly wanted to make a name for herself. Whatever she wanted to do, the person on the throne was naturally more convenient for her blood-related sister than her blood-related sister.

She blocked the other person's way; the two were enemies, not friends.

Ophelia knew she couldn't comprehend the methods of these "Apocalypse's" angels, and she was constantly worried about being assassinated by Eleanor's men.

If that's the case, why bother meeting?

She slammed down her pen, carefully examining the scroll she had only half-finished, and without turning her head, ordered, "Tell Eleanor I'm sick, but don't let my illness upset her..."

Before she could finish speaking, she heard a soft laugh.

Ophelia's hair stood on end.

Her servants didn't even announce Eleanor's arrival?! This guy—just how much has he been meddling in...!

"Sister, you look very energetic. I wonder what illness you have?"

call......

Ophelia took a deep breath, straightened her back, and turned around.

Her gaze swept past the cowering servant and was drawn to the intruder.

Eleanor had been going to and from school from time to time for the past four years, so Ophelia naturally had a vague impression of her.

It was a slender figure, like a bubble that might vanish at any moment.

At first, Eleanor always used a cane, and at least two servants would protect her from all sides as she walked, afraid that the little princess might accidentally fall somewhere.

But Eleanor is very different today.

She changed into a gorgeous dress, the jewel-encrusted skirt flaring out on both sides like a butterfly spreading its wings, shimmering with eerie yet beautiful light.

Ophelia paused for a moment before remembering what she was going to say. She stood up to greet her. "It's nothing, just a little weak. But it's your outfit today, sister..."

"Of course I'm here to attend my sister's dinner party."

Eleanor spoke with conviction, but Ophelia gritted her teeth and said with a stiff face, "I'm sorry, but the banquet today is canceled because I'm not feeling well."

Eleanor would be better off not bringing it up, because it makes her angry.

Originally, she was quite popular as the second princess, after all, Dasha was obese and Mysera was eccentric, and neither of them liked socializing.

But ever since Eleanor appeared, fewer and fewer customers have come.

Unlike Eleanor, Ophelia didn't have a wealth of property, so she had to pay out of her own pocket to make the banquet more attractive, which cost her a lot of money!

“It’s canceled, that’s even better~” Eleanor tiptoed and pressed her sister’s shoulder, whispering in her ear, “Please dismiss the others, I have something important to discuss with you.”

Just as Ophelia was about to refuse, she heard her say softly, "It's related to Mysella. A few days ago, I sent her overseas, not to Enlin."

"..."

Ophelia's brain went blank: What's going on?

Everyone knows that Princess Eleanor seduced Crown Prince Myrcella into coming to Enlin.

On the one hand, it helps her manage her fiefdom, and on the other hand, it also helps her develop her management skills.

After all, Eva has many years left to live on the surface, and Eleanor dared to do this because Ophelia believed she had enough confidence in her so-called medical team.

What kind of operation is it to send it overseas? If others spread this around, it will only harm Mysella and do her no good!

"Sister, are you really not going to let me finish?"

The girl's voice was like a devil's whisper: "I know very well that Mysera is not fit to be the queen of Norlana. Some things cannot be said in front of others..."

Did she break ties with Myrcella?

Ophelia couldn't believe such a good thing could happen, but she couldn't figure out what Eleanor could use as an excuse to cover up.

Even if it's mostly a lie, we can't miss such a great opportunity!

She immediately clapped her hands, and a rustling sound came from behind her, followed by silence.

“We sisters really shouldn’t have shared our private conversations with others.”

Ophelia softened her expression, took her arm, and led her through the curtains to another reception room further back.

The furnishings here are completely different from those in the main hall. Even a single flower and bird ornament is exquisitely crafted, vividly depicting a hummingbird sipping nectar.

Eleanor gracefully took her seat, staring unceremoniously at the kettle, and only thanked Ophelia sweetly after she personally poured her a cup of hot water.

Ophelia sat down beside her, one hand resting on the edge of the table.

"My dear sister, I heard you prefer flower tea. Would you like me to send someone to get some?"

Perhaps because Eleanor herself said she didn't want to be disturbed, there was nothing here except hot water.

“No need.” Eleanor smiled and looked up to examine Ophelia in this life.

Fragments of memory pierce through time, break through the maze, and sketch out many similar phantoms before our eyes.

With her innate ability to never forget, Eleanor realized how much she had neglected her sister and how many crucial clues she had overlooked.

She was once the King of Norlana, a mediocre King of Norlana.

While there's likely a lot of exaggeration in Andra's account of her humiliation and torture, it's not entirely baseless.

Why did Andra kill Ophelia?

Ophelia was not the kind of person willing to sacrifice herself for her country; the only reason she might have done so was because she had an irreconcilable blood feud with Andra.

This has nothing to do with the grudges of the previous generation. Andra could not avenge Eva. In her first life, she only cared about one person so much that she was willing to give up the hearts of the people in the newly conquered land.

"Eleanor, I will not allow anyone to offend you."

She could recall how many times Andra had said similar things without even closing her eyes.

This is not funny, it's even a little scary.

Because every time she says that, someone always pays a bloody price.

Eleanor in her first life also complained about shameless nobles, untrustworthy allies, and ministers who made glaring mistakes. She also loudly rebuked a defiant queen and educated a somewhat clumsy princess...

She thought it was nothing, but Andra remembered everything.

"Andra, you don't need to do this..."

"Hmm? It's nothing, he's not a big deal. Come on, cheer up."

......

"You're crazy! It was just a little argument!"

"Huh? It has nothing to do with me! She insisted on dancing herself."

In the original timeline, Eleanor only vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

She didn't have a good memory and had to manage many things every day, so she simply chose not to pursue the matter.

She neither pursued the personal offenses committed against her nor investigated any potential problems with Andra, ignoring them all.

Ophelia has been in Norlana all along. What could she possibly do to Eleanor that would deeply enrage Andra?

...poisoning.

Eleanor held the hot water in her hands and gently licked it.

A tingling, burning sensation spread across the tip of her tongue, startling Ophelia who nervously raised her hand. "Hey, watch out, it's hot!"

Her current worries are real, as is her hatred in her second life. Just how many times has Ophelia reached out her hand to test the waters?

Eleanor put down her cup and said softly, "Don't worry, I will never let Myrcella become the Queen of Norlana in my lifetime. I want to ask you a question."

"Please speak." Hearing her promise, Ophelia couldn't help but lean closer, carefully examining her sister's amber eyes.

"Sister, what do you think you are most passionate about and talented at?"

Eleanor gently blocked her escape route. "There is no one who is good at nothing, and if there is, she is not fit to be the King of Norlana."

Ophelia clenched her fingers. Was this a test? For a princess to ask a queen what it meant to be a king? How arrogant! But the intelligent have their privileges.

She thought for a moment and then poured hot water into the other empty cup as well.

“I am very good with numbers, no less so than your scholars. I am also more patient and willing to listen to the people’s demands than Dasha and Mysera.”

Eleanor looked over with her bright eyes. "Really? But I think my sister's paintings and poems are the best."

"...those are just pastimes in my spare time."

Ophelia suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if a thorn was sticking out at her. Her face darkened abruptly. "If you came here only to mock me for not being worthy of being king, then please leave!"

Heh, since it's just the two of them here, she's not afraid to say anything harsh!

Her confident gaze wavered as her sister stood up.

Eleanor took two steps to her side, placed her hands on the edge of the table, and asked softly, "Alright, then I have one last question. Sister, would you poison someone who threatens your throne? Or... a political enemy related by blood?"

“...Nonsense!” Ophelia trembled, her expression saying it all.

So that's how it is; that's when the killing intent arose.

However, in the first life, this murderous intent will come a little later.

Eleanor sighed; she actually had some clues about the poison her mother had been given.

No matter how you treat it, some of the poison will remain.

This is of course because the original poison is missing, and they don't know how to neutralize it. There is another possibility.

Could Eva... and the toxin that caused Eleanor to weaken her the most in the first life, have both received "treatment"?

“Ophelia, I think I understand.”

She called her sister by her full name. “When you and your mother administer certain poisons, you first give them to the victim, and then administer an antidote over a period of time. As a result, only a little bit of residual poison and a damaged body remain in the victim’s body.”

"...What are you talking about?"

"In this way, it will be difficult for her to analyze the current situation to find the antidote, and it will also be easy for her to fake the death as being caused by organ failure, since it is organ failure in itself."

...Is this also part of the apocalypse?!

Ophelia's teeth began to chatter; she instinctively sensed that something extremely dangerous was about to happen.

"You, you stay away!" She decisively stepped back, lifting a chair to block Eleanor's approach, even though the other was just a little princess who couldn't walk properly.

"Okay, I won't come over."

Eleanor nodded and said softly, "I just hope you can hurry up, sister, otherwise it will be more troublesome."

“What…” Ophelia looked over suspiciously, holding the chair, her pupils instantly contracting.

Because Eleanor had somehow acquired a small silver bottle in her hand, and its style and pattern... it should have been hidden in a secret room in her mansion!

"No—" Who is trying to harm me?

Ophelia's head was exploding with a thunderous roar as she pounced on Eleanor like a tiger.

It's too late.

Before she even touched the bottle, Eleanor had already tilted her head back without hesitation and gulped down a large mouthful.

"Cough cough cough, hurry up, take out the antidote...."

Eleanor clutched her burning throat, her upper body folded up, but her face twisted into a gleeful smile.

"Are you crazy?!" Ophelia's hands were ice-cold, and dozens of thoughts were clashing in her mind.

Should we give her the antidote? Give it to her quickly! No, if we give it to her here, it'll cause a lot of trouble later, and it'll leave evidence against us!

But if we don't give it to her, Eleanor will die, and if she dies, that will be a real problem.

Will my mother forgive me? Will she be willing to cover for me...?

She is too young to have accumulated similar experience.

What should I do? Damn it, damn it—!

In the midst of her chaotic and congested thoughts, a malicious idea seized her mind.

Since Eleanor didn't bring anyone with her, how about... we stage a murder scene? A dead princess is probably no match for a living queen, right? Dead people are useless!

Eleanor's smile faded as she looked into her fierce eyes.

Why, why, Ophelia, do you always choose the wrong option?

"Cough cough cough, sister, you'd better give me the antidote obediently, cough cough."

Because... there's a very, very troublesome person waiting outside.

She could hear Andra's strong heartbeat amidst hundreds of noises.

"Ah!" Eleanor craned her neck and took a deep breath, then let out a piercing scream, like a nightingale's dying cry. "Ah—it hurts—!!"

"?!" Ophelia's killing intent suddenly froze, as if her entire brain had been submerged in a bowl of rotten bean soup.

She pounced on Eleanor, pinning her screaming sister down, but for a moment she didn't know whether to fight back or beg her not to die, so she could only hold her sister by the collar, trembling all over.

"Hmph... It's no use. No, no one will come. These are all... my people."

Ophelia stammered, trying to convince herself: "Even if they... were... bribed by you, whoever sees you die will... they can only listen to me!"

Eleanor looked at her terrified eyes and gently shook her head.

It wasn't a plea or a provocation, but only deep compassion.

boom!

The heavy door panel flew up, and the metal latch clattered and fell to the ground.

Ophelia turned around abruptly and saw a pair of golden-red flames burning fiercely, rapidly approaching!

Whoosh—the force of the punch arrived in an instant.

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Author's Note: This chapter solves two mysteries in one go: one is why Eva's poison is so difficult to cure, and the other is the misunderstanding between Andra and Eleanor in the original timeline.

Eleanor received information that Andra had brutally murdered her sister Ophelia and displayed her body publicly. Furthermore, there was a great deal of embellishment mixed in with the truth.

On one hand, there was the problem of poor information transmission, and on the other hand, it was Andra's instruction that she did not want Eleanor to know that her sister had died so tragically and that Eleanor was directly responsible for it.

In short, the fact that Ophelia poisoned Eleanor, causing Eleanor to weaken continuously in the initial timeline, was confirmed after Andra's siege. (Noble: I have big news! Please don't kill me!! - This person was ultimately killed by the enraged Andra; the sword was too fast.)

Upon learning this news, Andra was nearly driven mad with anger. She cruelly "interrogated" Ophelia, demanding the antidote, only to learn from Ophelia that "the antidote had been given to her sister in the first place." (Ophelia was also "aggrieved," as she had only intended to poison Andra-Eleanor to the point of infertility, but Andra had given all the fun and delicious food to Eleanor, which terrified her so much that she immediately and secretly gave her the antidote, but it was too late.)

Finally, in a fit of rage, Andra had Ophelia tortured to death and then spread slightly better, more respectable news to cover up the truth, not wanting Eleanor to be hurt any further.

Speaking of which, I can now respond to the "toxic person" who used a secondary account (claiming to be an alias) to take my words out of context, post them online, and attempted to incite cyberbullying, directly causing my old ailment to relapse. Of course, I believe she definitely won't see this and has no remorse whatsoever.

“You don’t need to worry about Ophelia being humiliated; she was just tortured.” (Ophelia: [splitting])