Chapter 74: What the Body Hides
The air in the King's chambers was stale with incense and fear. The curtains had been drawn to shut out the morning sun, casting the room in a soft, suffocating gloom.
The royal physician stood at the foot of the bed, fingers trembling slightly as he removed his gloves. His expression was pale, unreadable—but his eyes betrayed the weight of what he was about to say.
Valerie stood tall, though her hands were clenched behind her back. Odi hovered nearby, her arms crossed tightly as if holding herself together.
"Well?" Valerie asked.
The physician cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze. "Your Highness… it's poison."
The silence cracked like ice.
Odi gasped. Valerie took a step forward, voice sharp. "You're sure?"
He nodded once, gravely. "There's no fever. No infection. His blood is thinned. His organs are slowing. These are not the signs of illness—they are signs of careful, slow poison. Administered over time. Subtle. Intelligent."
