Chapter 71 Death

The sound of choking interrupted the peaceful atmosphere of the dining room. Everyone's attention shifted to Aheena, who was clutching her chest and struggling to breathe. The confusion on their faces turned to horror as she began to cough violently, her face contorting with pain.

"Are you alright, sister?" the man sitting beside her asked, looking concerned.

Before she could answer, Aheena started to vomit blood all over the table, her body writhing in agony. The guests watched in disbelief as the blood pooled on the table and spilled onto the floor.

Erwin was frozen in shock, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the horrifying scene unfold before him. Blood gushed out of her mouth like a shower, drenching the person sitting across from her in crimson. The metallic scent filled his nose, as he was suddenly surrounded by the overwhelming sensation of being covered in blood.

"Ahhhhh ahhhh." He let out a scream of horror and disgust, his voice filled with agony, as he felt the sticky liquid on his face.

Her brother, who was sitting next to her, tried to comfort her but was unable to get close as she convulsed in agony. Fear and desperation etched on his face as he watched his sister suffer. The sound of Aheena's choking and convulsions filled the room, punctuated by the retching and gagging of some of the guests.

"Oh my God, what's happening?" one of the guests cried out in horror.

The guests looked on in horror as Duke tried to comfort Aheena, who was still convulsing and vomiting blood. In the chaos, some of the other guests began to gag and retch at the sight and smell of the blood pooling on the table.

"Get her some help, someone!" another voice shouted.

Erwin could feel the bile rising in his throat as he watched Aheena's blood mix with the food on the table. He was about to enjoy the delicious spread of dishes only moments ago, but now it was all covered in her blood. The once inviting aromas of the food now made him feel sick.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed him and pulled away from the crowd.

The sound of Duke's urgent commands cut through the chaos. "Call the healer! Move, move, move!"

The sound of footsteps pounded on the floor as the servants rushed to do Duke's bidding.

"Is she going to be alright?" Aheena's brother asked, his voice shaking with fear.

"I don't know," Duke replied, his voice heavy with concern.

As the healer finally arrived, the guests had to turn away from the gruesome scene, unable to bear the sight and smell of the blood-soaked food. Several of them ran out of the room, unable to contain their own vomiting.

Even before the healer could lay a hand on her, she let out a piercing scream. Her body started to bloat, and her stomach swelled up and suddenly, there was a loud "Boom!" followed by a splattering sound.

The healer stumbled back in shock, covered in bits of flesh and blood. He had never seen anything like this before. The room fell silent except for the sound of the healer's labored breathing and the sickening squelch of the body fluids pooling on the ground.

Aheena's brother was horrified to witness the gruesome aftermath of his sister's stomach exploding. As he saw the contents of her stomach and intestines forcefully expelled from her body, he let out a loud and anguished cry. "Who did this to my sister?" breaking the eerie silence that had settled over the room.

Duke's worry was etched on his face as he tried to calm Aheena's brother down. His brow furrowed as he realized the gravity of the situation and the need to find out who was responsible for Aheena's death.

Filled with grief and anger, Aheena's brother turned to Duke and demanded answers. "Tell me what happened to my sister!" he exclaimed. Pointing to the dish that lay overturned on the table, Aheena's brother asked Duke. "Who made this dish?"

Duke was stunned as he looked at the overturned dish in front of him, and his mind raced as he tried to make sense of what had happened. He suddenly realized with a sinking feeling that the dish was meant for him.

The realization hit Duke like a ton of bricks. He felt his heart sink as he realized that the dish, That had caused Aheena's death was intended for him.

"I...I don't know," Duke stammered, unable to meet Aheena's brother's accusing gaze. "I didn't order this dish, I swear."

The guests looked at Duke with suspicion and disbelief, unsure of what to make of his words. Some of them were already whispering among themselves, speculating about Duke's involvement in Aheena's death.

Aheena's brother clenched his fists in anger as he glared at Duke. "You expect me to believe that?" he spat out. "Just tell me, why did you do that? Before I kill you." All the Ayrothian's unsheeted their weapons ready to cover everything in blood.

Duke felt his blood run cold as he realized the gravity of the accusations that were being hurled at him. He knew that he had to defend himself, but his mind was racing with confusion.

"I swear, I had nothing to do with this," Duke insisted, his voice shaking with emotion. "My chef... It was him who made this dish personally."

"Someone get Biagio here." Duke continued, trying to prove his innocence.

"Lord Seth, please calm down. I will find who caused your sister's death. This dish was meant for me, so they were targeting me, not lady Aheena." Duke tried to calm him down.

Aheena's brother was unconvinced. He continued to glare at Duke with suspicion and anger, his eyes burning with the intensity of his emotions. "If we found it was all your plan to trick us. You have to face the wrath of our king. She was the king's aide. So make sure you find who is responsible for my sister."

The other guests watched in silence, unsure of what to make of the situation. Some of them were still recovering from the shock of Aheena's sudden death, while others were already starting to distance themselves from Duke, unsure of whether they wanted to be associated with him.

The healer spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "My lord," he said, addressing Duke. "I have examined the remains of the dish that caused Lady Aheena's death, and I can tell you that it was laced with a deadly poison, Auricorruption."

Duke felt a sense of relief wash over him as he heard the healer's words. At last, he had some evidence that could help him clear his name.

"Do you know who could have done this?" Duke asked, turning to the healer.

The healer shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my lord. The poison used is a rare and potent one, and it could have been obtained by anyone with enough money and connections."

Then he looked at all the guests present at the party. They all have something in common: money and connections. And everyone present has some reason to kill him. Some even had tried to assassinate him before. "No one is allowed to leave the castle until we found the kill." Duke announced and the gourd begin to block all entrance of the castle.

"Lord Seth, we didn't trick you, to prove that you can take Prince into your custody…..Huh. where is he?" Richard tried the fuming Aryothian's calming down by giving them what had they came here for, but that thing was not here anymore.

"Where that little shit run away? Search the castle for him and his maid." Duke ordered, and some guard left in a hurry.

Then suddenly a guard rushed in, breathing heavily and said. "My grace, Biagio is not in the kitchen. He had runaway with some other cooking staff."

"What?" hearing the news Duke's face colored faded and the suddenly another guard came. "Your grace we have found some dead bodies in the abandoned part of the castle. They all belong to kitchen staff."

"Argghhh What is happening here?" Duke shouted in rage. Then he looks around, his face worried. "Where is my kids? My wife?"

*********

A child was lost in thought, gazing upon the vast wilderness under the starry night sky. Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence, asking, "Isn't it beautiful?"

The child turned, taken aback, to see a woman with pink hair emerging from the darkness. "Who are you?" the child asked.

"I'm just a guest of your father's," the woman replied. "This night it's so beautiful, right?"

The child blurted out, "Not as beautiful as you," and immediately blushed, realizing what he had said.

The woman's lips curved into an amused smile. "Oh, how adorable."

Embarrassed, the child added, "No, your smile is even more adorable than me."

The woman's smile widened, but the child couldn't help but feel a little creeped out by her reaction.

"I'm glad you think so," the woman said, still smiling.

The child shuffled his feet, feeling even more awkward now. He didn't know how to respond to this woman, who seemed to be enjoying his compliments a little too much.

"Wanna see something more beautiful?" the woman said, showing him her deep cleavage.

The child hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. He didn't want to be rude, but he also felt uneasy about the situation. However, his curiosity got the better of him, and he nodded.

"Then let's go somewhere where only you can see it." The woman took his hand and led him deeper into the uninhabited part of the castle.

"Where are we going?" As they walked, the child felt his heart racing with excitement and a hint of fear. He had never ventured into this part of the castle before, and he didn't know what to expect. The woman seemed to sense his unease and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

The woman remained silent and continued to smile at him.