~Chapter 102~
“Ruby?”
Damien’s gaze went straight to my glass, noticing I hadn’t joined the toast with the others.
I whispered quickly, watching his face harden.
“My drink looks different from the others.”
At first, I almost missed it.
But when I lifted my glass for the toast, I saw it clearly—my wine was darker than everyone else’s.
And at the bottom, something was sinking.
Not the kind of sediment you’d ever find in normal wine.
“Don’t drink it.”
Damien grabbed my wrist firmly.
“It looks like poison.”
Since childhood, Damien had been forced to study not just curses but poisons as well. His expression turned grim.
I stared at the glass, thinking hard—
Who placed this drink here? Who slipped in the poison?
I clenched the glass tightly.
And then—
“Ruby!”
I raised it to my lips.
Damien, horrified, snatched it away—
But it was too late. My lips had already touched the wine.
“Cough…!”
My throat began to itch.
The itch turned to pain, like claws scraping inside me, until the taste of iron flooded my mouth.
“Cough! Cough!”
Blood burst out.
Gasps and screams erupted all around.
“Call a doctor!”
No one knew if it was from my old illness or from the wine.
“Was it the wine?”
“Don’t drink the wine, everyone!”
I spat more blood. My vision spun, and Damien scooped me into his arms, rushing out of the hall.
At the entrance, the staff blocked him.
“We’ll take her to the infirmary. Was it after drinking the wine?”
“Yes. Hurry—give her the antidote!”
“We’ll run tests first, then administer it right away.”
They placed me on a stretcher and carried me into the infirmary.
“Only staff can remain inside during treatment, Your Grace.”
“…I can’t stay with her?”
“Please understand. It’s medical protocol.”
Damien bit his lip, but nodded.
Inside, the physician administered first aid.
But he couldn’t identify the poison immediately—he said tests were needed.
“Please wait until then.”
I watched him leave.
My vision grew hazy, my eyelids heavy… until I sank into darkness.
Meanwhile
The doctor never returned.
He was locked inside the room where he’d gone to test the poison.
Not long after I collapsed, the infirmary walls began to ripple and distort.
A glowing blue ring appeared—then a hand reached through.
“Damn it, Leonie.”
The one stepping out was none other than Leonard, the prince locked away in the underground prison by order of the Emperor.
“Always making things harder. Rotten luck.”
Cursing, Leonard emerged from the portal, followed by two loyal henchmen.
He had been moved to a prison much farther away thanks to Leonie’s tricks.
So, to reach the Academy infirmary, he had burned an enormous amount of mana to open a forbidden, temporary portal.
“Bring her. I’ll keep the portal open.”
“Yes, sir.”
He knew this portal would leave no trace.
And since he was locked away in prison, his alibi would be perfect. No one would believe he had left.
‘Once I feed all her fear into the curse…’
He grinned darkly. That power would all become his.
The poisoned wine hadn’t been lethal, only enough to make me cough blood and collapse.
He wanted me alive—so he could harvest fresh terror.
The henchmen crept toward me.
The young duchess, sold off to the so-called Mad Grand Duke, lay pale on the bed, lips stained red with blood.
She didn’t even twitch.
“…Take her.”
They reached out to grab me.
And then—
Grip.
“…?”
A ghostly white hand clamped onto their wrists.
Glowing red eyes snapped open.
“What—ugh!”
Knives flashed.
“Guh…!”
The henchmen fell dead on the spot.
Leonard stared at their corpses in shock.
“…What…?”
He couldn’t even follow what had just happened.
Then—he saw two familiar figures.
“Ruby, are you all right?”
“Yes, no problem.”
I wiped the blood from my lips as I rose calmly. Damien draped his black cloak over my shoulders.
Together, we stood so composed it was hard to believe two corpses lay at our feet.
“You… how are you here?!”
Leonard’s face twisted red with rage.
But Damien said nothing—he only drew his dagger and aimed it at him.
Leonard’s eyes bulged.
“You drank poison! You even spat blood! Why are you still fine?!”
I spoke softly.
“Because I never drank it.”
Leonard’s teeth ground together.
“…So that’s how you want to play it.”
Golden light flared from his hands.
“Ruby!”
He unleashed a golden beam toward me.
Damien swept me up and leapt aside.
The beam pierced the wall where I’d been, leaving a gaping hole.
“Let’s see how long you can dodge!”
Both his hands burned with golden flames.
He no longer cared who got hurt—he only wanted the Maledictus couple dead.
I slowly lifted my right hand.
Pointing a finger at Leonard, I whispered:
“Ruhi, bite.”
A black lump shot out from my sleeve.
Leonard sneered.
“A curse? Against royalty? Don’t make me laugh. Damien’s curses can’t harm me—”
But then—
A massive shadow loomed over him.
“…Huh?”
The tiny chick-sized curse had grown enormous, filling the ceiling.
Rows of razor-sharp teeth lined its gaping mouth.
Cold sweat trickled down Leonard’s back.
‘No… it can’t be. Damien’s curse can’t touch me—’
And then—
“Aaaaaaaghhh!!”
The beast’s fangs tore straight through him.
