"I hope you did not mind having this tea. It is one of the rarest chrysanthemum tea, my father had specially brewed for us!"
Surprised and elated that the duke had personally brewed the tea, they looked forward to drinking it as their smiles grew.
"What are you saying my lady! It is our honor to have this tea." they all nodded as they picked up the cups readily with a desire to drink it in one gulp.
Even if the tea would be cold and tasteless, it would be worth bragging that the duke had personally brewed the tea for them. Who would ask the details like whom it was served before reaching them.
As the cups poured for the family were shifted to others were unheard of.
Though they found it strange at the start, they were happy to oblige now. But just as the cup reached their lips, they heard the sound of something falling and turned to look at the other side.
When they find Edward narrowing their eyes at him with a big frown on his face.
Edward, who was stunned by the change of events, finally came to his senses when he saw them drinking tea.
What kind of nobles they were that they picked up the cups served to others. Evangeline was a fool but how could they react that way? He let go of the last cup in his hands that shattered into pieces bringing the attention of all of them.
"Wait! I have served tea to all of you with so much emotion. How can you pass them to strangers? I will brew more for them but this tea should be drunk by you."' he shook his head vehemently hoping that his allies would take the hint.
An ugly look filled all of their faces when they realized which father Evan was talking about but it was already too late.
They had already taken the cup to their lips and the son of the baron had already taken a sip.
How could they return the cups now! And he did not understand why everyone was making such a fuss about tea!
"That.. we have already tasted the tea. So, it did not matter who it was for. We can not return it now." he said with a frown as he wanted to end the matter of tea and then concentrate on the matter they were here for.
He was the second son of the baron so he knew he was not going to get the title. If he could blackmail enough to the duke and asked for his second daughter's hands then his life would be settled.
He knew that the duke had the power to grant him a small title and a lot of wealth as his vassal family.
Even the thought of it was making him elated, he could not wait for this dream to come true. He gazed at the girl who was sitting there elegantly. She was looking so perfect and beautiful as if she had come straight out of a fairy tale.
He couldn't help but drool at the thought that she could be hers. Lost in his thoughts, he drank the strange tasted tea in a single gulp and then stared at others as if saying finish it and then start the discussion they were there for. He could not wait anymore.
Others who had taken only a sip or two felt that the taste of the tea was quite strange. They were still looking at the cup with confusion when they felt there was something strange with the man.
His face had turned ashen and if he had seen a ghost. What had happened?
Could there be something in the tea? No! Edward is not a fool to mix something in the tea so blatantly. His plans had been better.
"Come on, finish the tea. We are not here to waste our time on tea but to use this opportunity to help his highness." shouted Mustaf as he rubbed his chest.
He felt heaviness and a strange pain in his chest as if someone was clutching his heart.
Others turned to look at him as how brazen he had become. What if the duke would throw them out due to the insult he was doing when they all turned silent and their eyes widened.
They all stared at him with shock filled eyes and he frowned but was shocked when he noticed blood started to come out of his nose and mouth.
"This.. this!" he stood up abruptly looking at the sheer amount of blood that was coming from his mouth and the chair he was sitting on fell down.
All of them looked at him with horror when he vomit so much blood that the whole white carpet started to turn red.
"Call the physician. Someone call the physician.." he tried to shout but his head started to turn heavy and his body started to give up and he ended up falling on the ground.
But it brought everyone back to their senses.
"Theodore, call the physician right now!" shouted William and most of the maids ran to call the physicians.
"Bring some warm water and a towel." ordered Eli and a maid ran to bring them too.
While others were standing there confused and shocked, unable to understand what just happened when Mathews head snapped back to Edward.
He vomited a handful of blood too and felt the pain in his chest but it was not as bad as Mustaf.
"This.. how can you both have the same illness at the same time. Perhaps you both have this illness from before or you have eaten something that has affected you this way!" asked Evan as she picked up the glass of water from the table and passed it to Matthews who was sitting beside him.
Everyone turned to look at Matthews with confusion whose face turned red with rage!
"This.. this is all your doing!!"
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