CHAPTER 15
We were seated on the dinner table were candlelight’s are. There are many dishes that they served to us but it’s only consisted of sea foods.
Sebastian is talking about something I don’t have interest on which is, his achievements during his term being a boss.
I don’t have any appetite so I didn’t eat anything on the table and I have a bad feeling about those dishes. It might because I’m pregnant I’m feeling that way.
“Why are you not talking, ladies?”
“Tell us, directly what you want!”
“Now, now, my dear Scarlet. Calm down! The party has just started”
“Alena, Why aren’t you eating?”
“I’m very sorry, I don’t have my appetite”
“Let me eat that for you”
Scarlet grabbed my plates and exchanged it with an empty plate. I was watching her, scoop the shrimp. It looks delicious, my mouth began to watery.
I decided to get a little amount of the dishes when, Scarlet lose her consciousness.
“Scarlet!!”
I immediately grabbed her head which had fallen down the floor. I keep tapping her shoulder to wake up.
“M.. milady, I.. I felt dizzy”
“What have you done!!!” I shouted at Sebastian.
I saw his concerned eyes for a moment. Amelia harshly grabbed his coat. All of the people stopped dancing and eating to looked at us. The music also, stopped.
Sebastian put his hands up in the air to surrender himself.
“Brother, what have you done?”
“I don’t know, all I wanted is to eat dinner with Scarlet. I don't used petty tricks like that"
He brushed the grip of Amelia and told his guards not to let a single person goes out and bring the chef forward.
The captain approached us, telling what happened. Sebastian was the one handling those matters. We laid Scarlet to the sofa. What’s wrong with her? Does this because of the food she intake?
Amelia studied the utensils that Scarlet used. After that, she goes to Chantria to tell it was poisoned.
When, the chef arrived they were interrogating what happened to the kitchen and why they serve poison.
“We cooked it normally just like we always do. We were careful on preparing our dishes”
“Then, eat it”
The chef gulped. He gets a scoop of the shrimp but, nothing happened to him. Thus, this is where Amelia steps up.
“Brother”
“What is it?”
“The foods are okay, they didn’t harm Scarlet but, the utensils were poisoned. Someone wiped it on them before serving it to us”
Sebastian examined the utensils and it’s true. When it submerged to the water, it shows a black color which signifies that it’s poison.
“Do you know any suspicious person who entered the kitchen?”
“Yes, there are newly hired sir, but there are three when they arrived here, it was supposed to be two. I didn’t think so much cause I thought that the management have given me mistake information about those employees”
“Seize them at once”
“Yes, sir”
“Bring a physician now”
Sebastian approached Scarlet but, the Chantria looked at him in a piercing gaze. At first, he was scared. It was just like a snake looking at its foe. He turned his gaze at elsewhere. He now knows, what a lady she is.
He hated the Lady Marcox for snatching away his beloved. He didn’t want them to be apart but, Scarlet choose the Lady over him.
Hatred was born in his heart. He wanted to seek revenge to the Lady. But, in today’s event. He saw that this Lady is more caring and thoughtful than he thought.
A physician run towards Scarlet. He checked up on her. All of us were on the sides waiting for the results.
“Luckily, I have ginger here that can lessen her nauseous feeling but, we need to get the antidote as soon as possible”
The physician pounded the ginger while, I’m walking in circles. I’m impatient right now, I need to save Scarlet as soon as possible.
There’s a big slam to the kitchen door. There’s a three boys who were tied up.
“Sir, these are all the newbies”
I hurriedly run towards them. When I’m in front of them, everyone trembled.
“Who did that?”
Sebastian gulped the moment he saw the eyes of the Lady, she’s threatening them using her eyes. How scary! Everyone there holds their breath, thinking they didn’t want to be an enemy to that lady.
All of them didn’t say a word. I’m starting to get angry. I grabbed the chair to sit in front of them. It’s because I’m tired walking in circles earlier.
“Who did that?”
There’s still no response. I bend my back to see their faces. I’m a few inches away to their faces.
“Did you checked their belongings or checked them personally?”
“No, ma’am”
“Do you want me to do that?”
I raised my eyebrows looking at the guards. That made them in panic, some of them were running hurriedly to check the kitchen and their things. While, there are two men standing in front of me.
“What are you standing for?”
“But, miss, they will be naked in public”
“I don’t care. There’s a person they harm, it’s only a small payback of loosing their dignity, don’t you think?”
The two guards didn’t budge. I know that I’m harsh right now. I can’t helped it, I need to find the antidote. I don’t know how many minutes can Scarlet lives. As I sit here, the poison is circulating Scarlet’s body.
I grabbed the small knife.
“Sister!”
I used it to torn one of the boys kitchen uniform in front of me. He was now trembling.
“Oh? Are you scared? Why not tell me, what you did in the kitchen?”
I noticed one of them were looking at me with contempt. I had the hunch that he might be the one.
“Hands off to my little brother”
“Oho? The two of you are brothers? Then.. tell me what you did?”
“We didn’t do a crime. We helped the chef in slicing the ingredients, cleaning the kitchen and washed the dishes"
“How about you, young one?”
He stared at me trembling. To scare them further, I played the knife on my fingers.
“I didn’t do anything, miss. I was at the frozen room, preparing the sea foods to be cooked”
“Then, that means?”
“We didn’t do anything. Please, believe us”
In front of me, there are three young boys. I think they were only, eight to ten years old.
It’s a little bit odd. Why are these children here? Is this the newly hired? Isn’t this a little too suspicious?
“Sebastian, does this ship allows a young worker?”
“As far as I know, it’s prohibited”
“I see”
I turned my gaze towards them. If they were only telling the truth. I approached them one by one, to touched their pockets and I felt a small bottle in one of them. As soon as I see it, it’s the poison.
“Why do you have this?”
“I.. I don’t know miss, I didn’t know that it was my pocket. I didn’t know. Please believe me, miss”
I raised my eyebrow and glanced at the chef. He turned his gaze to the other side it’s as if, he’s afraid locking eyes with me.
“I didn’t tell you, what’s this. What are you pleading me for?”
His faced turned pale. He looks at the chef who now, bowing his head. I know, he was asking for help. He turned around looking at me while crying.
“Please, spare my brother. He’s innocent”
“B..brother”
“Arrest the chef now!”
I commanded the guard and they hurriedly run towards him. The chef was in panicked, he tried to escape but the entrance and exit was blocked by the guards.
Sebastian commanded them to search his entire body. To their disappointment, there’s nothing they found. The chef laughed at me.
“You’re accusing me something that I didn’t do. You’re going to the jail, lady”
“No, I’m not”
I approached him and grab his neck. There’s a necklace in it. I pinched it hard to open, that’s where I saw the antidote. It’s a very small bottle but it’s enough for a one person.
“Put him in jail and make sure he’s not going to escape”
“Yes sir”
“Those three kids, take them away”
“Yes, sir”
I hurriedly goes back to Scarlet who now, have a hard time in breathing. I opened her mouth and pour the antidote. I’m praying that I’m on time.
After a couple of minutes, Scarlet’s breathing back to normal and that the physician told us, she need a rest.
Sebastian carried her like a princess and gone to our room. Of course, Amelia accompanied them. I have something I'd like to do.
In the basement of the ship. There’s a cell that’s located there. I saw the three little boys detained in one of the cell and the other is the chef. They were crouching down and crying.
“Will you tell me what happened now?”
“M..miss, my brother didn’t do anything. Please spare him”
“Tell me first, what happened”
“The three of us is a beggar roaming around the capital. The chef told us he have a nice offer that keeps us feed. We go with him, to save ourselves from hunger but, he told us we have to poisoned a lady”
“And, that’s you, miss”
“We have to do that to survive, or else, the chef will abandoned us and throw us away in the middle of the sea”
“We were afraid, miss”
“I beg if you, just spare my little brother. He’s only eight years old. I beg of you, lady”
“I’ll think about it”
“M..miss, please”
I walked away while he was holding the iron bars crying. I wanted to set them free but, I need to settle this first.
********
“Did you find something?”
“Yes, your highness”
“What is it?”
“The Lady Marcox was kidnapped on the day you’re supposed to meet”
“I already know that”
“There’s more, your highness”
“Spill it out”
“On that same time, Lady Leabeth had also gone missing. We didn’t know her whereabouts. Actually, she’s the adopted daughter of Marquis Leabeth not the younger one”
“So, you mean?”
“I think she have something to do what happened to you, your highness”
“Investigate it further, don’t let a single information slip to your hands”
“Yes, your highness”
“I don’t want to receive another failure”
“Yes, your highness”
“And, Before you go. who’s the father?”