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Chapter 345: At A Crossroads

Author: Sunara
last update Last Updated: 2025-08-25 00:19:41

With the back of his hand the physician touched the cheek—dry and fever-warm; no sweat beaded on the skin. He brushed a linen swab along the tongue and held it to his nose: a faint orchid perfume, edged with a metallic bitterness. The royal physician said, “Lady Lark died of poisoning. She was very likely slain by the poison-orchid.”

Poison-orchid is a toxin refined from the poison-orchid flower. In Drakeland it is not rare, and the wealthy often use it for things best kept out of sight.

Poisoned? Miranda’s brows knit as her thoughts raced.

Just now the queen had said that Lady Lark must have been harmed by someone; and now, after the royal physician’s diagnosis, indeed Lady Lark had died by poison. Such second sight was truly… At the report, more than a few glances—intentional or otherwise—slid toward the queen. Lady Liudmila only smiled faintly.

The queen knew perfectly well that her earlier words had aroused suspicion. She was about to explain herself when someone cut in.

“I heard
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  • Revenge of the Betrayed: The Domineering Duke Falls for Me   Chapter 353: Vital Information

    Reginald? How could he appear at such a moment? And what could his presence possibly have to do with Lady Lark’s death?Miranda narrowed her eyes, and—together with the bewildered courtiers—turned toward the great doors.Twilight was settling; the light dimmed, casting a somber pall across the hall. Yet when Reginald entered, clad in the last rays of the sun, it was as though the dusk itself had parted. The brilliance of his presence outshone even the gilded splendor of the chamber, and those assembled could not help but draw breath at the sight of him.With such striking beauty, no wonder that once… Lady Liudmila shook her head with a quiet sigh.As he stepped into the royal apartments, Reginald’s eyes at once found Miranda. Seeing her face serene and composed, he allowed himself a fleeting measure of relief. Then, with a sweep of his gaze across the company, he cast back his cloak and bowed.“Your Majesty,” he said gravely, “word has reached me of Lady Lark’s sudden death. Forgive m

  • Revenge of the Betrayed: The Domineering Duke Falls for Me   Chapter 352

    Miranda fixed her gaze on the Queen and said coolly,“Your Majesty, surely you don’t mean to suggest that even the scullery maids have long since been bribed by me, and are now all speaking in concert to cover up my lies?”Of course, that was impossible. If Miranda had been able to buy off the entire kitchen staff, she could have easily ordered them to tamper with Lady Lark’s meals long ago, sparing herself the risk of acting directly and falling under suspicion as she had now.Lady Liudmila mused aloud,“If Miss Miranda never had the chance to meddle, then this toxin of the black orchid…”“The dessert, from the moment it was brought out until Lady Lark partook of it, was under my eyes the whole time. I can vouch for that. But once Lady Lark had finished, it was this maid who cleared the dish away. From the moment she carried off the remains until now—what may have happened in between, I cannot say.”Miranda’s words were measured, but the implication was clear enough to everyone: the

  • Revenge of the Betrayed: The Domineering Duke Falls for Me   Chapter 351: Testimony

    The Queen Dowager’s expression grew sharper, her gaze hardening as she fixed it heavily upon the Queen, silently waiting for her reply.“Hmph. This servant may once have been Mother’s trusted attendant, but ever since Miss Miranda entered the palace, he has followed you constantly, showing you the utmost deference and obedience. No doubt you have long since bought him over to your side. A few words, a nod here and there, to help you cover a lie—such things are hardly difficult! How could such a man possibly prove your innocence?”The Queen hesitated between dragging the Queen Dowager down with her or striking only at the eunuch. In the end, she chose to distance herself from the Queen Dowager for now—better to deal with Miranda first.“Your Majesty, you should take care with your words,” Miranda replied coolly, her eyes gleaming with a cutting light. “He is the Queen Dowager’s most trusted servant. What right or power could I possibly have to bribe one who belongs to Her Majesty the Q

  • Revenge of the Betrayed: The Domineering Duke Falls for Me   Chapter 350: The Queen Dowager’s Shifted Stance

    The Queen Dowager understood very clearly: she herself knew how to place the greater good above personal feelings. If necessary, she was willing to sacrifice Miranda in order to preserve the Queen’s position. But would the Queen, in turn, ever do the same for her? She recalled how, only moments ago, she had considered the Queen’s interests first, weighing how best to shield her should their scheme collapse. And yet, the Queen had responded with relentless aggression, pressing harder and harder, even to the point of dragging the Queen Dowager herself into suspicion.At that moment, the Queen Dowager had her answer: if matters truly came to this, the Queen would never feel gratitude for her sacrifice of Miranda. On the contrary, she would scorn the Queen Dowager as weak and ineffectual, unable even to protect her own ward. Worse still, the Queen would seize upon Miranda’s downfall as the very lever with which to topple the Queen Dowager herself.If preserving the Queen came at the price

  • Revenge of the Betrayed: The Domineering Duke Falls for Me   Chapter 349

    Miranda remained composed, still as an ice carving, and said coolly:“After Lady Lark had taken a few bites, she felt tired and took a nap. I then instructed the maids to collect what remained of the desserts. Yet now, hours later, this tray of confections is still here—untouched, unwashed, and unremoved. Why is that so? Is it that Lady Lark’s attendants have grown so careless, so slothful, that they neglected even this most basic duty? Or is it rather that someone anticipated today’s events long beforehand, and purposefully ensured that this plate of leftovers would remain, to be presented now as incriminating evidence?”Her calm words landed like pebbles cast into a still pond, rippling through the hall. The assembled nobles began to exchange uneasy glances, the realization dawning upon them that something about the situation was, indeed, amiss.Indeed—desserts served at noon should long since have been cleared away. Why would they still be here? Could this be a deliberate trap?The

  • Revenge of the Betrayed: The Domineering Duke Falls for Me   Chapter 348: The Evidence Appears Conclusive

    Hearing the maid’s words, Miranda instantly understood, though she only sneered inwardly, a flicker of cold clarity flashing across her eyes. On the surface, however, she wore an expression of wounded anger, biting her lip as she said,“I have no quarrel with you—why would you slander me? It was Lady Lark who invited me today to make pastries with her. I hesitated at first, since I’m hardly skilled in the kitchen, but she insisted on teaching me herself, which is why I entered the kitchens at all. Besides, before the meal, the desserts were tested by a servant. Where is that person now? Why do you not mention him? And now you twist everything into this?”As she spoke, she raised her sleeve to hide her tears, appearing for all the world the picture of aggrieved innocence and fragile dignity.Both sides clung stubbornly to their own accounts, neither yielding an inch. The noble ladies present, led by Lady Liudmila, glanced back and forth between them, exchanging uneasy looks, seemingly

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