Page 66 of Villainess's Redemption
I let out a sigh of relief, but it didn’t last long. As I scanned the room, my eyes landed on a familiar face - the maid I’d noticed earlier but couldn’t quite place. Now, as she approached the Queen with a glass of wine, recognition hit me like a boulder to the chest.
Why the hell are they serving wine at a tea party?
Other maids followed suit, each bearing glasses of wine. My heart began to race, panic rising in my throat like bile. This wasn’t supposed to happen yet, not according to my memories of the past. Because that particular glass of wine was poisoned.
Damn it all to hell. Can I not take a breath today? Changing the future is messier than I thought.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think clearly.Okay, Ilyana, get your shit together. What do you remember?In my past life, Felicia was poisoned on the day of the charity event.They caught the maid, but the poison wasn’t lethal. Yes! The poison wasn’t lethal. The Queen’s healer tended to her quickly, and she recovered within hours. It was more about creating panic than actually killing her.
So, should I just let her drink it? She won’t die anyway. yes, that’s probably for the best. Don’t interfere.
But another voice nagged at me. What if I let her drink it and then Anderic accuses me of poisoning his mother since it happened in my presence? After all, he already didn’t trust me and was suspicious of my every move. I couldn’t let that happen.Drink it yourself, you fool.
Should I? Should I not?
The poison wasn’t lethal, and the healer would be nearby. I should be fine…right?
Should I? Should I not?
As the maid reached the table, my panic kept rising. My mind was a jumbled mess, thinking about all the possibilities. Time slowed down, my heart beating faster with every passing second.
Should I? Should I not?
My body moved before my brain could catch up. I snatched the glass and downed it in one go, the wine burning my throat as it went down. It didn’t taste any different, maybe I miscalculated. Well, what did I even know of poisoning?
With a sigh of relief, I set the glass down, when I noticed every eye in the room was on me, horror etched across their faces. Even my mother looked aghast.
What now?
Then it hit me like a slap to the face. I’d completely forgotten that drinking from the Queen’s glass was a major faux pas.Oops.
I looked at Queen Felicia to gauge her expression, but she was staring at me with amusement dancing in her eyes. Lady Amelia was smiling behind her too. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize-” I began, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand.
“It’s quite alright, dear,” she said, her voice warm and tinged with mirth. “Mistakes happen. There’s plenty of wine to go around, and you looked rather parched. Perhaps you should have some more?”
I managed a weak smile, relief washing over me. No time for embarrassment when I had bigger things to worry about—like, survive being poisoned. But just as I opened my mouth to respond, the door burst open with a resounding bang. Prince Anderic strode in, his golden curls catching the sunlight streaming through the greenhouse windows.
Chapter 18
I watched Prince Anderic storm into the greenhouse, his golden curls disheveled and his eyes blazing with an intensity that made my stomach clench. The warmth I’d glimpsed yesterday was gone, replaced by cold suspicion. My heart ached at the sight. Must be the poison kicking in, I told myself. Who cared what this infuriating man thought of me?
I was right. His gentleness, warmth, and the way he looked at me with concern were all an act. But the question was, what had I done again? He couldn’t have guessed the poisoning this quickly.
In an instant, Queen Felicia’s jovial face twisted in anger. I realized I hadn’t really seen her angry before. She was certainly not someone to be trifled with. Her voice rang out, sharp with indignation. “What is the meaning of this, Anderic? This gathering is only for ladies!”
But Anderic paid her no heed, striding directly toward me.Uh-huh, this definitely has something to do with me.He bent to plant a hasty kiss on his mother’s cheek, murmuring, “My apologies, Mother, but I must borrow Lady Ilyana for a moment.”
Before I could protest, his hand closed around mine, and I found myself being all but dragged from the greenhouse. Everyone gasped and looked on, horrified. The last thing I saw before being dragged away was Lady Seraphina’s narrowed eyes fixed on the hand Anderic held, her smile souring.Oh no, I do not want to go there.
“Anderic, come back right this instant. I’m not done with you…” The queen’s angry scolding faded as we burst into the garden, leaving a wake of scandalized gasps behind us.
I looked around, trying to put together what just happened. It all happened so fast. No, I couldn’t leave now. The royal healer was in the greenhouse near Queen Felicia. The poison hadn’t hit me yet, but I needed to be there when it did. God, I don’t want to die… again.
I cast a desperate glance at Laurel, who trailed behind us. What’s going on? I mouthed to her. She merely shrugged, clearly as bewildered as I was. Her expression was a mix of horror and poorly concealed amusement at the situation I was in. Someone found this situation hilarious at least.
Anderic’s grip on my hand wasn’t painful, but it brooked no argument. Lennox materialized beside us, his perpetual scowl fixed firmly in place. At least he wasn’t prone to mood swings and was firm in his beliefs. He was consistent in his dislike of me, unlike his volatile prince.
“Stay here,” Anderic barked at Laurel and Lennox as he pulled me toward that cursed alcove where we’d hadthatparticular encounter.
