Chapter 70: Chapter 70: A sense of dread
"My Lord, are you unharmed?"One of the knights ran to her side, his sword dripping crimson.
Bennett didn’t glance at him. Her gray eyes were fixed on the black-robed man sprawled on the ground, blood pooling beneath his lifeless body.
"I’m fine," she said coldly.
With a sharp motion, she sheathed her blade and mounted her horse in one fluid move."Let’s go."
Hearing her command. The knights obeyed without question as Bennett spurred her horse forward, galloping toward Blacknight territory.
As they crossed into Blacknight territory, Bennett yanked the reins, slowing her horse to a trot. Her brows furrowed as her eyes swept across the land.
The roads were cracked and uneven, and some houses stood in disrepair with broken shutters and sagging roofs. Dust lingered in the air.
Her jaw tightened."How the hell has that bastard been managing the command? This place..." She clenched her fists around the reins. "It’s nothing like before."
Her gaze fell on a squad of knights standing in the middle of the road. The knights behind her instinctively unsheathed their swords, ready for a fight.
Bennett lifted her hand, signaling them to stop, then turned her eyes toward the squad’s leader.
"Tristan," she said calmly, her voice carrying authority. "How have you been?"
The man immediately knelt on one knee, his squad following suit in perfect unison.
"My lord," Tristan said with a firm voice, head bowed. "We welcome you back. I’ve been doing fine."
Bennett’s expression softened slightly."How’s Alia? Where is she?"
Tristan blinked, then rose to his feet."My lord, the lady is doing very well."
Bennett dismounted her horse with a smooth motion, walked over to him, and placed a firm hand on his shoulder."Thank you for protecting her while I was away."
"It’s my honor, my lord," Tristan replied with pride in his voice. "Our family has been loyal to the Darknight bloodline for generations."
"Hmm, let’s go. I want to meet my sister," Bennett said, walking past Tristan toward the Blacknight estate.
Meanwhile...
"What do you mean he’s here? Didn’t I tell you to send assassins?" Drohan’s fist slammed against the table, his face twisted with rage as he glared at the man with glasses.
"Sir, we sent them, b-but..." the man stammered, trembling under the weight of his gaze.
"But what, huh?!" Drohan roared, delivering a brutal slap across the man’s face. The sound echoed in the room as the man staggered, clutching his cheek.
Drohan took a deep breath, struggling to contain his fury.
Knock, knock.
Drohan’s head snapped toward the door at the sound."What is it?" he barked.
"S-Sir... the young master has returned."
A vein throbbed on Drohan’s forehead."...Okay. I’m coming."
As the messenger retreated, a dark smirk crept across Drohan’s face. He slowly turned toward the man with glasses.
"Go and do exactly as I ordered. I want to see him begging at my feet."
The man gave a stiff nod, but as he turned to leave, his eyes glimmered with hidden resentment.
"Don’t blame me, bug. It’s your mistake for coming back alive. Hahaha..." Drohan’s laughter echoed in the room.
Meanwhile, Bennett entered the Blacknight estate. She ignored the bowing maids and butlers, her boots clicking against the marble floor as she strode straight upstairs.
In her hand, a small vial of shimmering green potion gleamed softly under the light.
Her steps quickened. Taking a deep breath, Bennett forced a stiff smile onto her lips and knocked gently on the door.
"Dear sister... may I come in?"
"Brother— cough..." A startled voice came from inside, followed by a fit of coughing. Bennett’s expression darkened with concern.
The door opened, revealing a young woman around twenty, dressed in plain white clothes. Her face was pale, but her eyes lit up with joy.
"Bennett, you’re back!" she cried, rushing forward and throwing her arms around Bennett in a tight embrace.
Bennett froze for a moment, then slowly hugged her back.
"How have you been, sister?" Bennett asked softly.
Alia stepped back, hiding her hands behind her back with a bright smile."Good! Come inside."
Bennett nodded and walked in, settling onto the sofa. Her sharp eyes scanned the room carefully, searching for any sign of mistreatment.
"Don’t worry," Alia said reassuringly as she arranged a tea set on the table. "Sir Tristan was here to keep an eye on Drohan, so he didn’t dare do anything to me."
Bennett’s expression eased slightly as Alia began pouring tea.
"So, how was Maine? I heard..." Her golden eyes lit up with excitement. "...you even received the blessing of Goddess Solara!"
"Um..." Bennett hesitated for a moment, noticing that spark in her sister’s eyes. "Yeah. I have..."
"Hehe, that’s amazing! Thank the Goddess." Alia clasped her hands together and prayed earnestly.
Bennett raised an eyebrow, watching her."You’re a believer of Goddess Solara?"
"Huh?" Alia blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, of course! I believe in her because she blessed you. Now we don’t have to be afraid of Drohan anymore."
Bennett sighed, reaching out to pat her sister’s head gently.
’Afraid of that man? If it weren’t for poison and those restrictions, I would have killed that fat bastard already.’
"Hey, I’m the big sister here." Alia pouted, leaning forward to ruffle Bennett’s hair.
Bennett squinted one eye and smirked."Oh? But with that small body of yours, you look more like the little sister to me."
"Hmph! I’m big! Now drink your tea before it gets cold."
Bennett chuckled softly and lifted the cup, taking a slow sip.
Thud. Bang.
The sharp crash of porcelain shattering on the floor echoed through the room. Bennett’s head jerked up—
"Huh...?"
Her eyes widened in horror. Alia lay sprawled on the ground, blood spilling from her mouth, staining her pale white clothes crimson.
"Alia!" Bennett’s heart lurched, her breath catching as her vision flickered between disbelief and fury.
"BUTLER! Call the physician immediately!"
Bennett dropped to her knees, her voice thundering through the room. She gently lifted Alia’s head onto her lap, panic flashing in her gray eyes.
With trembling hands, she pulled a vial of potion from her pocket, uncorked it, and carefully poured the liquid down Alia’s throat.
"Please... wake up. Wake up!" Her voice cracked as she rubbed her sister’s cold hands desperately, her heart pounding in her ears.
"Why... why isn’t this working?" Bennett stared at the empty vial in her hand, then at Alia’s pale, motionless face. Not even a flicker of life.
"Miss, the physician is here!" the butler’s voice rang from the doorway.
"Bring him in!" Bennett barked. She gently placed Alia on the bed and turned away, forcing her hands to stop trembling.
Her eyes swept across the tea table. The neatly arranged set now looked sinister to her eyes. She leaned closer, scanning every detail, then froze.
This...
Her fingers closed around the shattered cup Alia had been drinking from. Lifting it to the light, her gaze locked on a faint, nearly invisible tint of purple swirling at the bottom.
"...Poison." The word left her lips like a curse, her fury burning so hot her hands trembled. The porcelain cracked under her tightening grip.
"Drohan..." Bennett’s voice dripped with venom as her eyes flicked back to Alia, now being treated by the physician. Her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white.
She turned sharply and stormed out of the room. Standing outside was Tristan.
"Tristan," Bennett said, her voice cold as steel. "Go. Drag that bastard to the dungeon. I don’t care what it takes. I’ll kill him myself and rip away his pride of being head."
Tristan’s eyes hardened. He gave a sharp nod, unsheathing his sword with a metallic hiss."Yes, my lord."
Without another word, he strode away, the sound of his boots echoing in the hallway.
"My lord... I-I can’t treat her. She’s beyond saving," the physician said quietly as he stepped out, his voice heavy with defeat.
Bennett froze. The strength drained from her body like water slipping through fingers.
"No..." She stumbled back into the room and dropped to her knees beside Alia’s bed, clutching her sister’s cold hand."No... no, no..." Her voice trembled, raw with desperation.
Then her eyes suddenly blazed with resolve."Butler!" she shouted. "Ready the carriage for the palace—immediately!"
’I can save her... If the royal head physician treats her, I can still save her.’
Bennett scooped Alia into her arms and bolted out of the mansion."Quick! To the palace!" she commanded.
She gently laid her sister inside the carriage and climbed in beside her, clutching Alia’s hand as the wheels thundered against the ground. Every second felt like a lifetime.
When the carriage screeched to a halt before the imperial palace, Bennett flung the door open and jumped out, Alia cradled tightly in her arms. She sprinted toward the grand gates.
"Stop right there! Do you have an appointment with His Majesty?" a guard barked, lowering his spear to block her path.