Vivienne laid me down on the couch.
"Take him to his room," she said to a maid standing nearby. Then she stood, brushing invisible dust from her dress, and walked away without a backward glance.
I lay there. My breathing came in short, shallow gasps.
Then—
Heavy footsteps came and big hands seized the front of my tunic, yanking me upright.
"Tell me."
Aldric's face filled my vision, grey eyes blazing with cold fury. His grip on my collar tightened, cutting off my air.
"Did you steal with that bitch too?"
I gasped for air, my hands instinctively grabbing at his wrists. "Don't... don't call her that—"
Crack!
His open palm connected with my cheek. My head snapped to the side, and I tasted copper on my tongue.
"You dare talk back to me?" Aldric's voice rose, echoing off the walls. "You worthless piece of—"
He shoved me backward.
Thud!
I hit the couch hard. Pain all over my body.
Aldric loomed over me, his face twisted with disgust.
"Just like your mother," he spat. "Weak. Pathetic. A waste of space and resources." He straightened his doublet. "Put this trash back in his room. I don't want to see his face."
He turned on his heel and strode away, his boots clicking sharply against the stone floor.
The entrance hall fell silent except for my ragged breathing.
A maid approached, young, maybe seventeen, with mousy brown hair and a pinched expression. She reached down to help me up, her movements perfunctory.
"No," I managed, my voice hoarse.
She paused.
I pushed myself up on trembling arms, stumbled toward where Vivienne had crushed the vial. And there, scattered among the glass were the petals.
Most had been ground to dust under Vivienne's heel, nothing but powder and broken fragments. But a few had escaped, blown aside by the impact or missed by her boot.
I knelt carefully, my hands shaking as I picked through the glass.
One petal. Mostly intact, only slightly torn at the edge. The silver veins still visible.
Another. Smaller, but whole.
Three more fragments, larger pieces that might still be usable.
Behind me, I could hear whispers. Multiple servants had gathered to watch, drawn by the commotion.
"He stole from the lord?"
"Just like that maid, probably planned it together..."
"Always knew he was trouble."
"He's such a disgrace to the family."
At least pretend I'm here, fuckers.
Well, there wasn't any need to pretend though, what could I possible do to them? Even these servants had more power than me.
Ignoring them, I carefully gathered the salvaged petals, cupping them in my palm like they were made of glass themselves.
"Young master." The maid's voice was cold, professional. "You need to return to your room now."
I nodded.
She moved to my side, her hand gripping my elbow with barely concealed distaste. Her fingers pressed harder than necessary, digging into my arm as she hauled me to my feet.
I stumbled, my legs refusing to cooperate properly. Another maid appeared on my other side. Together, they guided me toward the stairs.
Or rather, they dragged me.
Their grips were harsh, no gentleness in the way they handled me.
I could feel their eyes on me. Not just the two helping me, but all the servants watching from below.
Judgment. Disgust. Satisfaction, maybe, at seeing the family embarrassment finally exposed.
No one looked concerned. No one looked sympathetic.
Finally, mercifully, we reached my door.
The older maid pushed it open with her foot.
"Inside," she said flatly.
I stumbled over the threshold, barely catching myself on the bedpost.
The younger maid made a sound of disgust in the back of her throat, like touching me had contaminated her somehow.
Thud!
The door slammed shut behind me.
For a moment, I just stood there, swaying on my feet.
Then my legs gave out completely.
I slid down against the door, my back pressed against the rough wood.
"Shit," I whispered. "Shit. Shit. Shit."
I pushed myself up from the floor, using the door for support. The crushed moonflower petals sat in my palm, fragile and precious.
I stumbled to the bed and carefully set them on the nightstand, then reached under my pillow for the box of purification tablets.
Still there. Thank god.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the two components.
The afternoon light gradually faded from my window, before finally disappearing entirely.
I waited.
The manor settled into its evening routine. Then, slowly, silence.
The servants finished their work and retreated to their quarters. The family ate dinner, I could hear Victor's loud voice echoing from the dining hall, Cedric's whining complaints, Vivienne's measured responses.
No one brought me food.
No one checked on me.
I waited until the voices faded. Until the footsteps stopped. Until the manor fell into that deep, heavy silence that only came well after midnight.
Then I moved.
Gathered the moonflower fragments and tucked them carefully into my tunic pocket. The box of purification tablets went into the other pocket.
I moved to the door and opened it.
The hallway was dark, lit only by a single lamp at the far end.
I slipped out, leaving the door slightly ajar behind me. Each step sent jolts of pain through my weakened legs, but I kept moving.
The kitchen was on the ground floor, in the back of the manor. During the day it would be bustling with activity, but now...
I paused at the bottom of the stairs, listening.
Silence.
The kitchen door was unlocked.
I pushed it open slowly, wincing at the faint creak of hinges.
Moonlight streamed through the high windows, painting everything in silver and shadow.
I moved to the work table first, my programmer brain kicked in, organizing the steps I needed to take.
Step one- Prepare the moonflower.
I pulled the crushed petals from my pocket and laid them out on the table. I needed hot water.
The kettle still sat near the hearth where Agnes had used it this morning. I filled it from the water pitcher and hung it over the glowing embers that remained in the fireplace.
While waiting for it to heat, I found a ceramic cup and carefully placed the moonflower fragments inside.
Please work. Please.
Hissss!
The kettle began to steam.
I removed it from the heat using a thick cloth to protect my hands and poured the hot water over the petals.
Immediately, the water began to change color. I covered the cup with a small plate to trap the heat.
Fifteen minutes. That's what the book said.
While I waited, I turned to the purification tablets.
I opened the box, revealing small compressed discs of blackish-grey material. They looked like charcoal but felt harder, denser.
[Item: Water Purification Tablets]
[Composition: Activated charcoal + mineral salts]
I pulled out two tablets and placed them on the table. Then I found a mortar and pestle.
The tablets broke apart under the pestle, crumbling into fine black powder. After a few minutes, I had a small pile of activated charcoal powder.
I found another cup and mixed the powder with water from the pitcher, stirring until it formed a thick, black liquid that looked absolutely disgusting.
But the system confirmed it:
I raised the cup to my lips and took a sip.
The taste was bitter and earthy, but the honey cut through enough to make it tolerable. Warmth spread down my throat and into my stomach.
I kept drinking. Steady, measured sips until the cup was empty.
[Processing...]
[Toxin Flush: Initiated]
A strange tingling sensation spread through my body, starting in my stomach and radiating outward.
Not painful, but... intense. Like something was actively moving through my bloodstream.
I set down the empty cup and immediately reached for the charcoal.
This one looked worse. Smelled worse. And when I brought it to my lips.
Oh god!
I forced myself to swallow. Then again. And again.
[Toxin Binding: Active]
[New poison absorption: BLOCKED]
The moment I finished, the tingling in my body intensified.
Then it became burning.
"Ah!"
I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles going white. The sensation was everywhere now—in my veins, my organs, my bones. Like my body was fighting a war against itself.
[Antidote: Processing]
[Flushing accumulated toxins...]
[Binding active poisons...]
My stomach cramped violently. Sweat broke out across my forehead. My vision blurred at the edges.
I sank to my knees beside the table, gasping.
This is normal. This is supposed to happen. The toxins are being purged.
Then—
[Ding!]
[Toxin Buildup: 89% → 71% → 58% → 42%]
The numbers kept dropping, scrolling past faster than I could read them.
The burning sensation began to fade.
[Toxin Buildup: 42% → 31% → 23% → 18% → 12%]
[StatusEffect.Poison - UPDATED]
[Damage: 8HP/hr → 2HP/hr]
[Toxin Buildup: 12% - STABLE]
I stayed kneeling there for a long moment, just breathing.
In. Out. In. Out.
I pushed myself up slowly, using the table for support. I could stand without immediately wanting to collapse.
Small victory. Huge difference.
[Ding!]
A new notification materialized in my vision.
[Main Quest: Survive the Poison (Completed)]
[Rewards Granted: +150 EXP | Poison Resistance |???]