The Debt Of Fate-Chapter 314: Fight back

Ernest received the palace gift before noon. He was surprised that the king responded so quickly.

Two royal guards arrived at his residence, carrying a wooden chest marked with the royal seal. A palace steward followed behind them, his face stiff and unreadable.

"General Ernest," his gaze was respectful. Everything was done with care and formality, as though nothing serious had happened the night before.

"Steward Gray," Ernest also returned the courtesy.

Steward Gray immediately gestured with his hand to the guards, who obeyed and placed the chest before Ernest and opened it.

Inside were expensive tonics, fine silk cloth, and warming stones meant for recovery. A letter lay on top, sealed with the king’s mark.

Ernest opened it and read in silence.

The letter explained the palace’s conclusion. The herb used in the garden had been added by mistake. A cook, unaware of its effect on a pregnant woman, had used it to keep the guests warm. There was no ill intent. The matter had been resolved.

Ernest read the words again.

An accident.

His fingers tightened around the paper.

He had heard Anastasia cry out in pain. He had seen her pale face and trembling body. No careless mistake could cause such harm. No royal cook would use a strong herb without knowing its purpose.

No matter how ignorant a royal cook was, they would know to speak to a physician before using a herb in the royal palace.

He folded the letter neatly.

"The king is kind to send such gifts," the steward said. "His Majesty hopes this will ease your concerns."

Ernest lifted his eyes. "Please thank His Majesty for his thoughtfulness."

His voice was calm.

The steward bowed, clearly relieved, and left with the guards.

Once they were gone, the room grew quiet.

Ernest turned toward the inner chamber, where Anastasia lay resting. She had just fallen asleep. The physicians had warned him—she needed peace, not anger, not questions.

He swallowed everything he wanted to say.

To question the royal family was impossible at the moment. Even if he knew the truth, he had no power to challenge it.

Still, he did not believe the king’s words.

Not even for a moment.

Someone in the palace had meant to harm her.

Ernest had his guesses: the queen, Lady Dorothy, or Duchess Anita. Only these three women had the reasons and means to hurt Anastasia within the royal palace.

The crown may have closed the matter, but for Ernest, it was far from over.

Royal Palace

Dorothy’s courtyard was in chaos.

A porcelain cup shattered against the stone path, scattering white fragments across the ground. A maid flinched and quickly lowered her head as Dorothy paced back and forth, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

"Three months," Dorothy hissed. "Three months for something I did not do."

Her chest rose and fell sharply. Anger burned through her, hot and suffocating.

She had knelt. She had explained herself. She had spoken the truth. Yet in the end, she was still the one being punished.

Confined. Watched. Silenced.

All while the real culprit stood untouched.

"This is injustice," she muttered, her voice trembling. "Pure injustice."

She stopped abruptly and laughed, a sharp, bitter sound.

"So this is how it is," she said coldly. "If you wear the crown, you can poison someone and walk away clean."

The image of Queen Elizabeth kneeling flashed through her mind. The tears. The words. The perfect act.

Dorothy’s hands tightened. All those noblewomen were snakes. She could not help but remember her grandmother’s warning.

She knew then that the queen had done it.

Elizabeth had wanted Anastasia harmed—using one stone to kill two birds. She must have been jealous of Anastasia’s pregnancy, so she acted and placed the blame neatly on Dorothy’s shoulders. After all, who was more convenient than the king’s troublesome mistress who knew herbs?

Dorothy turned sharply.

"Lina," she called.

One maid stepped forward at once. She was older than the others, quiet, sharp-eyed—the kind of woman who listened more than she spoke.

"You have served me since I stepped into the palace," Dorothy said, lowering her voice. "Do you trust me?"

Lina knelt. "With my life, my lady."

"Good," Dorothy said. "Because I need you to do something dangerous."

She moved closer and spoke in a whisper.

"You will leave the palace quietly. You will go to Lord Ernest."

Lina’s eyes widened. "My lady—" Lina understood that her fate and that of Dorothy were tied together, so she did not want to make any mistakes.

"You will not accuse openly," Dorothy cut in. "That would only bring trouble. You will tell him the truth of the findings and the fact that the king has already punished me, but I am not guilty."

She paused, her voice turning sharp.

"And remind him of this—no cook would dare use such a herb without permission. Especially not at a royal gathering. Moreover, as a mistress, I do not hold much power to command a royal cook to act without being exposed. I would never be stupid enough to do that. Moreover, my personal maid would not get the chance to poison the entire tea."

Lina nodded slowly, understanding settling in her eyes.

"You want him to see the truth himself."

"Yes," Dorothy said firmly. "Ernest is not a fool. He nearly lost his wife and children. He will question what the palace wants him to accept."

She looked toward the palace walls beyond her courtyard, her gaze dark.

"If the king refuses to hear me," she said quietly, "then the truth will find another path out."

Lina bowed deeply. "I will not fail you."

As the maid rose and slipped away, Dorothy finally sank onto the stone bench behind her. Her anger had not faded—but it had sharpened.

The queen thought this was over.

She was wrong.

Dorothy suddenly missed the time when the queen was Anastasia. She never plotted against her at every turn. At least she had lived a comfortable life then.

Lina left the palace before dusk, her steps careful, her head lowered beneath a plain cloak. She did not go openly. She did not ask for permission. By the time night fell, she was already at Ernest’s residence.

She was brought in through a side entrance.

Ernest was waiting.

He stood near the window, his expression calm but guarded. When Lina knelt before him, he studied her closely, already aware that a visit like this could not be without reason.

"My lord," Lina said softly, keeping her head bowed. "I come on Lady Dorothy’s behalf."

Ernest did not interrupt her.

"She has already been punished," Lina continued. "The king has decided the matter, yet she swears before heaven that she is not guilty." She deliberately did not mention the punishment. After all, for a man who almost lost his wife and child, no punishment would seem enough.

Ernest’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"The palace says it was a mistake," he replied. "A cook’s carelessness." He raised his brows as if in doubt.

Lina lifted her head just enough to meet his gaze.

"My lord, Lady Dorothy is not here to accuse anyone. She knows such words would only bring danger. But she asked me to tell you the truth of what was found." Lina took a deep breath and explained everything that happened during the investigation.

Ernest listened with a neutral expression, but his hands were already clenched into fists.

"Lady Dorothy is a mistress," Lina continued, seeing that Ernest had no reaction. She was worried that he would believe the findings of the investigation. "She holds no real power. She cannot command a royal cook. She cannot give orders without being exposed. And she would never be foolish enough to try."

Her voice hardened slightly.

"Moreover, her personal maid could not have poisoned the entire tea supply. She would not have had the chance. The garden was watched. The servants moved under supervision."

Ernest’s hand slowly loosened from his tightened fist. "Why should I believe you and your lady’s nonsense? For all I know, she might have tried to harm my wife and child."

Lina felt her body covered in cold sweat, but she continued to speak. "Lady Dorothy only asks that you think carefully, my lord. No cook would dare use such a herb without permission. Especially not at a royal gathering. The morning herb is not ordinary. It is measured, controlled. Its use is known only to those with authority."

She paused.

"My lady has lost much already. If she were guilty, she would not dare send me here."

The room was quiet for a long moment.

Ernest turned away, his gaze drifting toward the inner chambers where Anastasia slept.

He remembered the pain. The fear. The physicians’ words.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low.

"You may go."

Lina bowed deeply, her heart pounding, and withdrew without another word. She had served in the palace for so long and knew when to stop. Dorothy did not want Ernest to believe her. She only wanted him to doubt and investigate the incident himself. Ernest might be a general, but he had handled the entire security of the royal city for two months. He had enough connections to investigate something that happened in the palace.