“You seem particularly proud to show me that you can come in and out of this place, even though you say you can’t,” Hazel scoffed, a hint of mockery in her voice. “At least I didn’t beg you to come along, right?”
“Miss Hazel!” Elena exclaimed, exasperation lacing her voice.
“Come on, Cura,” Hazel prodded, her amusement evident.
Cura hesitated, her body trembling with barely suppressed nervousness. Elena scanned the area, spotting the leather gloves Serin used for his work lying on a nearby bench.
“Cura, wait!” Elena called out, rushing towards them. She snatched the gloves before Cura could touch anything.
“What are you doing?” Hazel questioned, a frown creasing her brow.
“Those gloves are essential,” Elena explained. “The poison here spreads on contact, and Cura has no immunity. It could be fatal.”
“Do we really need those cumbersome things just to test the danger?” Hazel scoffed, her amusement replaced by irritation.
“It’s a matter of life and death,” Elena retorted, her voice laced with anger. Tension crackled in the air, her veins throbbed with barely contained rage.
“How dare you raise your voice at me?” Hazel roared.
“Cura’s life is at stake! If she’s harmed, His Grace will not take it lightly,” Elena countered.
Hazel’s jaw clenched tight as she spat out the next words, “Are you threatening me?”
“It’s simply a fact,” Elena explained. “Cura is Sir Serin’s younger sister.”
Hazel scoffed. “A fact? Who cares if something so insignificant dies? I’m the House Blade’s beloved, the Duke’s handpicked fiancée chosen by the Emperor himself. You can’t touch me.”
Elena started to retort, but Hazel cut her off with a dismissive wave. “Ugh, this is dull!” She pivoted towards Carmen.
Without warning, Carmen, who had been silent, reached for Cura’s arm.
“Ack! Let go! Miss Elena!” Cura screamed, her terrified eyes meeting Elena’s. The usual sparkle in them had vanished, replaced by pure fear.
“Quiet! Why are you so slow, Carmen?” Hazel snapped, annoyance growing as Cura resisted.
Impatient, Hazel strode towards them and shoved Cura backwards with a ruthless shove.
Everything unfolded in slow motion. The scene before Elena burned into her memory with unnerving clarity: Cura and Carmen losing their balance, both tumbling towards Vanaichi.
A pained cry escaped Cura’s lips. Carmen, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief, whipped around to face Hazel. How could the woman she devoted herself to just push her into the poison?
Elena’s body reacted before her mind could catch up. One moment she was frozen, the next she was moving.
“Cura!” Elena screamed, shoving Hazel aside with surprising force. She lunged for Cura, grabbing her arm and pulling her back with a desperate yank. Their bodies collided, sending them sprawling backward in a cloud of dust.
Elena landed with a painful thud, the impact radiating from her shoulders to her back. She forced a groan out of her clenched teeth.
“Are you alright?” she gasped, peering down at Cura’s tear-streaked face.
Cura could only manage a shaky nod. Elena gripped her shoulders, helping her up and brushing her frantically. Relief washed over Elena as she saw no signs of the poison spreading – at least not yet.
But that moment was shattered by a new scream. It ripped through the air, sending a jolt of terror through Elena.
She whirled around, her gaze landing on Hazel. The woman stood frozen, her face drained of color yet strangely contemplative. Her eyes were fixed on something beyond them.
Following Hazel’s gaze, Elena’s blood ran cold. Carmen lay crumpled beneath the Vanaichi tree, her body unmoving. But it was the blossoming panic on Carmen’s face that truly sent a spike of dread through Elena.
Carmen screamed, a desperate, choked sound. She clawed at the ground, struggling to rise, but her efforts were in vain.
A horrifying sight met Elena’s eyes. Patches of dark red marred Carmen’s skin – cheeks, ears, neck, hands – a terrifying display of the poison’s rapid spread. Vanaichi flowers, dislodged by Carmen’s fall, lay scattered around her like fallen petals.
“What… what do we do?” Cura stammered, her voice cracking with fear. Tears streamed down her face, mirroring Elena’s own welling panic.
Elena felt a tremor run through her own body. Never had she witnessed the Vanaichi poison spread with such horrifying speed. The sheer virulence chilled her to the bone.
Only now did Elena understand the raw fear that had contorted Serin, Cura, and Kennard’s faces when she had reached for the Vanaichi flowers with her bare hands.
Carmen’s screams tore through the tense silence. “Help me! Save me!”
Without hesitation, Elena scrambled to her feet and grabbed Carmen’s arm. But Carmen was limp, unresponsive to Elena’s touch.
No other option presented itself. Elena carefully wrapped her arms around Carmen’s torso, lowering her gently from the Vanaichi tree. In the process, Elena’s own bare skin brushed and scraped against the poisonous flowers and stems. A searing pain erupted across her exposed flesh, but Elena held on, ignoring the agony.
