Chapter 327
At Duke’s estate.
“Anthony, how are you feeling today? Are you doing alright?” asked Sophie, who came to see Anthony again,
She sat by his bedside, her voice soft and full of concern as she asked, worry etched on her face.
On the bed, Anthony’s face was pale, and his energy was drained. But when he saw Sophir, he managed to pull out a faint smile. “I feel a little better than yesterday. If it weren’t for your medicine, Sophie, I’m afraid I would have been dead by now.”
“Don’t say things like that, Anthony. You’re strong and will get through this. If only my medicine were better, you wouldn’t be in this state. It’s all my fault…
Sophie lowered her head, guilt washing over her face.
Anthony shook his head slightly, unwilling to let her blame herself. “No, it’s not your fault. In fact, I owe my life to your medicine. Just being alive is already a blessing.
He forced another smile, though it barely masked the turmoil inside.
He said so, but the truth was far more painful than he let on.
What Anthony hated most was being seen as a useless cripple.
He had always been frail but was never truly disabled.
Yet now, Anthony found himself living the reality he had always feared–becoming the “cripple” people whispered about
Sitting on the bed, he lowered his gaze to his legs hidden beneath the blanket.
He had no feeling in his legs, as if they weren’t even part of his body.
The day Anthony woke up, the terror had gripped him, flooding every nerve with panic.
Even now,
that fear hadn’t subsided.
However, Anthony couldn’t bring himself to voice it. He refused to show weakness in front of Sophie.
Otherwise, he’d truly feel like a worthless man.
Anthony feared seeing pity or disdain in others‘ eyes, and he especially dreaded seeing that in Sophie’s gaze.
Yet, to his surprise, Sophie hadn’t shown a shred of disgust. Over the past few days, she had visited him daily, offering comfort and encouragement.
“Don’t worry, Anthony, Spphie said with unwavering determination. “I’ll find a way to heal your legs. They say the Sage of Medicine and the Sage of Poison are the best in Bortenland. If one can’t do it, we’ll go to both. Someone out there has to be able to fix your legs!”
Anthony’s chest tightened at her words, his emotions surging
“Sophie”
Sure enough, Sophie is the best. Not only has she saved my life, but now she is willing to go to such lengths to help me recover, thought Anthony
Anthony’s voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes glistening Sophie, you saved me. You’re my greatest benefactor. No matter what happens in the future, I’ll always protect you!”
Sophie’s smile was warm and genuine. “You’re my brother. Anthony, and you’ve always been good to me. Helping you is the least I can ild, Isn’t that what family is for?”
Anthony’s heart swelled with gratitude. “It’s because you’re kind–hearted that you’d do this. If it were Eliza, she wouldn’t have even bothered to save me.
At the mention of Eliza, Anthony’s expression darkened.
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Chapter 327
I was poisoned this time. There’s a good chance she took advantage of my vulnerable situation.
Sophie hesitated, her gaze flickering. “Anthony, you think Eliza poisoned you?”
Anthony nodded. His face clouded as he said. “In Hasen City, Eliza’s the only one who hates me and knows how to use poison. It has to be her. She wanted me dead, but I guess I was lucky enough to survive.”
“Really? Would Eliza go that far?” Sophie asked softly, pretending to be innocent.
Upon hearing Sophie’s words, Anthony looked at her face and stared into her eyes momentarily.
Sophie faltered, feeling a sudden, inexplicable guilt under his gaze.
“Why’s he staring at me like that? Wait, has Anthony figured something out?‘ thought Sophie.
Sophie’s heart tightened, and she swallowed nervously.
However, Anthony’s lips curved into a cryptic smile. “Sophie, you don’t need to be so guarded around me. I know everything. Just drop the act and be yourself.”
Sophie felt speechless.
“What does he think he knows? thought Sophie again.
Sophie’s expression grew even more strained than Anthony’s moments ago.
Luckily, after studying Sophie for a while, Anthony shook his head and said, “Never mind. If you want to keep pretending, that’s fine. I don’t mind.”
Not wanting to linger on the topic, Sophie quickly shifted gears, “By the way, Anthony, do you still have that pot of flowers I gave you earlier?”
Anthony nodded. “Yeah. I put it in the secret chamber. Why?”
“I just learned that flowers might have medicinal properties that could help your legs. I want to conduct some research on it. I don’t have any left, so I was hoping to swap it back. I’ll bring you two even better ones later. What do you think?” Sophie spoke with an air of sincerity. Her demeanor was so natural that it left no room for suspicion.
As expected, Anthony didn’t think much of it and nodded. “Sure, go ahead and take it from the secret chamber. After all, you were the one who gave it to me. Whatever flowers you bring, I’ll always like them”
And just like that, Sophie effortlessly retrieved the altered Bloodshade Blossom.
It would have taken at least two more months to continue using the flower to weaken Anthony’s body.
However, when Anthony! suddenly collapsed from poisoning, Sophie seized the opportunity with a ready–made toxin. Not only did she become Anthony’s “savior, but she also managed to push her poisoning plan forward by two months.
Thanks to the “poison countering poison” effect, Anthony had now survived his first brush with death, and her toxin had successfully taken root in his body.
Even if he was just a crippled pawn now, Anthony was still the easiest one to manipulate in the Duke’s estate.
Of course, Matthew was just as easy to control.
However, since Sophie had poisoned him once before, the same method wouldn’t work as effectively on Matthew. That’s why she decided to use the flower instead.
She didn’t have many altered Bloodshade Blossoms, and they were notoriously difficult to cultivate. She only had two pots at that
ingment.
One pot was hidden among Benedict’s collection, while the other was kept with Anthony.
Now that Anthony no longer needed it, this pot could be repurposed for Matthew.
Sophie retrieved the flower from Anthony’s secret chamber. She didn’t want to linger near the altered Bloodshade Blossom for too long. so she quickly said, “Alright, Anthony. I’ll head back to studying the flower. If I discover anything useful. I’ll let you know right away!”
Chapter 327
Upon seeing Sophie’s eagerness. Anthony assumed she was genuinely concerned about his recovery. His smile softened, filled with
warmth.
“Alright. Go ahead. Just make sure to rest while you’re at it. There’s no rush for my l
Yes. Don’t worry. Anthony. I’ll take care of myself”
Then, Sophie hurriedly left Anthony’s courtyard and made her way straight toward Matthew’s residence.
AD
