Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 124: Poisoned 4

I was lost in thought, wondering how to smoothly deal with this situation.

Suddenly, a ticklish feeling struck me.

When I looked around, everyone’s gaze was fixed on me.

Well, considering I burst into laughter in a serious situation, it was no wonder everyone was staring.

Just when I felt awkward, Hua Eun’s voice reached my ears as if to help me out.

“What’s wrong? Wei So-ryong? What’s the matter?”

“Just a moment.”

While the stares were burning into me, I quickly whispered into Hua Eun’s ear to confirm whether my suspicions were right.

There could be a chance that—just maybe—it wasn’t true.

‘Please, I hope I’m wrong…’

It would be incredibly awkward to tell Eun-bong, “You applied lipstick made with cinnabar, and now Earth Dragon is poisoned because you did it too frequently!”

[Hua Eun, um… What do you call that substance women apply to their lips? Is it… lipstick?]

[Applying something to your lips? Out of the blue?]

[It’s important… enough for this.]

Asking out of the blue about lip application clearly seemed to bewilder Hua Eun, who blinked in disbelief.

After nodding awkwardly, she replied.

[I don’t know why it’s important, but… Yes, it is lipstick.]

It felt like the name I knew was indeed the right one.

Quickly, I inquired about the ingredients.

[Then, do they use cinnabar to make lipstick?]

[Lipsticks are usually made from safflower. They process it to remove the yellow and leave only the red.]

‘Huh? That can’t be right? Then, why is Earth Dragon poisoned?’

Just as I started to think my guess was wrong, Hua Eun continued explaining.

[What’s made from cinnabar is not lipstick; it’s called danzi. It’s more expensive and only women from noble houses or the court use it.]

‘Damn it. This is almost certain now.’

This was becoming increasingly definitive.

I confirmed the situation and realized I couldn’t go on being a laughing psychopath while someone was in serious pain, so I turned to Zhuge Hu.

I decided to proceed quietly.

“Elder Zhuge, it seems Earth Dragon’s condition is worsening, so could you ask everyone to step back? I may have, um… found out who caused this. Let’s discuss it quietly…”

“What!? You’ve discovered who it is!?”

“You found out!?”

When I mentioned that I identified the one responsible for causing the, uh, incident, surprised gasps filled the room.

I wanted to handle this discreetly, but the reaction was completely unexpected.

“Who is it! Tell us right now! If the culprit is trying to escape, worry not! I’ve made sure no one can slip past the Martial Forest Alliance!”

“No, that’s not it…”

I only intended to protect someone’s social honor who might end up married into their family, yet they seemed to be taking it the wrong way.

The military officer, Elder Zhuge, seized the moment to continue gravely.

“Ah! Is it because of the identity or position of the person you want to mention? Do you fear it might cause discomfort with their faction? Worry not about that, either.

It seems you don’t know much about the Martial Forest, do you? You belong to the Four Heavenly Houses. And now, aren’t you part of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace?

Plus, anyone who dares poison my nephew—our Zhuge Clan will stand in your defense, so speak freely! Besides, the Alliance Leader is watching over you, so what is there to fear?”

“Indeed. Junior Hero, don’t worry and speak up. Our Moon Shadow Palace will stand with the Zhuge Clan behind you.”

“No, that’s really not what it is…”

Elder Zhuge kept listing powerful forces that would support me, but even my awkward expression couldn’t disguise how uncomfortable I felt, leading Hua Eun to insist I shouldn’t concern myself.

“Wei So-ryong, while being cautious is wise, this action could also be seen as disrespectful. Elder Zhuge has surely surrounded you with trustworthy individuals, so you shouldn’t worry about that. Right?”

Hua Eun, the innocent white blank canvas, had no clue about these matters of the heart.

Even when I asked about lipstick and danzi, she seemed oblivious.

Could anyone have guessed that my heart raced whenever I held her hand? Let alone, that we might have shared a kiss?

“Correct. Poison Flower.”

“Indeed, Young Lady.”

“Indeed, Junior Hero, most of the people here are either from the Zhuge Clan or have benefited from Elder Zhuge’s favors, so you needn’t worry.”

“That’s right, Junior Hero. Speak without fear.”

‘No, Eun-bong is going to be publicly executed socially!’

I finally spoke up after considering for a while, and the situation was spiraling out of control with people urging me to confess.

“Uh, is it really okay?”

“Of course. Speak quickly.”

“Hurry and tell us, Junior Hero.”

‘Whatever, they seem to be fine with it…’

Before saying anything, I asked Eun-bong one last question.

“Alright, before saying anything, may I ask if you happen to have the danzi you apply on your lips with you?”

“Danzi? Yes, I do have it, but… why do you ask?”

“Could you show it to me for a moment?”

“Before the culprit?…”

“It’s very important!”

It seems she thought I was just sidestepping the issue. Shouting at the suddenly hesitant Sword Phoenix, Eun-bong flinched and pulled out a small decorated box from her clothes.

-Clack.

It was dazzlingly red and vibrant.

It was the color I had seen on Eun-bong’s lips. I handed it to Hua Eun, silently pleading for her to check how much cinnabar was in it.

[Could you see how much cinnabar is in here?]

[?]

A question mark hovered over Hua Eun’s head, her expression saying she didn’t understand why I was asking her to check.

Quietly, I pointed to the danzi and then to Hua Eun’s lips, whispering softly into her ear.

[Kiss.]

[!]

The question mark above Hua Eun’s head transformed instantly into an exclamation point of surprise.

Her eyes widened as if she was readying her martial energy, her skin flushed from the nape of her neck to the tips of her hair.

No matter how pure and innocent Hua Eun was, she seemed to have realized the implication.

With a bashful expression, she lowered her head and started prodding the box with a trembling hand using a silver needle she pulled from her sleeve.

After a moment, still unable to meet my gaze, she slightly nodded.

It appeared there was a high concentration of cinnabar.

“Haah…”

After taking a deep breath, I addressed everyone waiting expectantly for my answer.

“Well then, I’ll explain about the two who have committed wrongdoing in this matter.”

“Two!?”

“You mean there are two of them!?”

“Surely they couldn’t have done this alone!”

‘No, come on, would anyone kiss alone?’

Once again, people were making hilariously wild assumptions while I faced the actual situation.

Grasping the red ointment tightly, I prepared to reveal to everyone.

“Eun-bong.”

“Yes, Junior Hero. Please go ahead.”

Oblivious that she was being named as a culprit, Eun-bong replied as if I was just calling her casually.

“And Earth Dragon.”

“““?”””

The question mark that had floated above Hua Eun’s head earlier now filled the minds of everyone in the room.

And a moment later.

When Eun-bong realized what I meant, she shouted in disbelief.

“Are you saying I helped Earth Dragon willingly!?“

‘No, that’s not it!’

At least, that was limited to Eun-bong, as the others still wore confused expressions, while Elder Zhuge’s reaction was different.

Being a military officer, on some level, he sought out deeper meanings rather than taking things at face value, but with his romantic faculties nearly dead, he was clearly struggling to comprehend how this series of events had unfolded.

“Wei So-ryong, you must have a reason for this; explain it clearly. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Understood. Eun-bong, please calm down and listen.”

As I steadied the trembling Eun-bong, I began explaining.

“Originally, the substance that poisoned Earth Dragon, mercury, is made from burning cinnabar. When burned, it produces toxic fumes that, if inhaled, can lead to poisoning and could be fatal. Thus, those who produce mercury must be incredibly cautious…

The problem is there are cases where poisoning can occur without directly ingesting the mercury or inhaling its smoke.”

“Poisoning occurs without directly consuming it or inhaling the smoke?”

“Yes, sir. It happens when one ingests the cinnabar itself. Although it’s less toxic than mercury, prolonged consumption can still lead to poisoning.”

“Then, our Yong-cheon ingested cinnabar and got poisoned because of the mercury mixed in it, is that correct?”

“Exactly, sir.”

Elder Zhuge, being sharp-witted, wasn’t merely doling out orders without thought.

He began pondering about things I hadn’t even mentioned yet.

“Then where would our Yong-cheon have consistently gotten the cinnabar? Given your mention of Eun-bong and Yong-cheon, it must imply that there’s some mutual mistake or…”

While he considered this with a serious expression, I brought out the danzi made from cinnabar, previously entrusted to Hua Eun, showing it to Elder Zhuge.

“The lipsticks women apply on their lips are typically made from safflower, but this danzi is made from cinnabar.”

Once I spoke this, the swift-witted in the room began connecting the dots.

“Oh!”

“Ha-ha!”

“Ahem!”

“What, what is happening?”

“Did everyone finally catch on?”

There were still some, especially the older gentlemen, who remained clueless, staring blankly as they processed the information.

Among them was Elder Zhuge, who seemed to have been placed in a state of disbelief.

“So, you’re saying that someone got poisoned by consuming danzi? But why on earth would they have used it so frequently…?”

At this point, I knew it was time to drop the definitive hint to them.

Realizing it was obvious yet still in disbelief, I looked at the flustered Eun-bong and uttered that crucial phrase.

“Kiss!”

Instantly, the remaining question marks transformed into exclamations as waves of exclamations filled the air.

“““Ah…!”””

The corners of the men’s mouths couldn’t help but rise in suppressed laughter, while the ears of the servant girls and Hua Eun turned bright red.

And Eun-bong, the party concerned, was so mortified that she collapsed onto the chest of the collapsed Earth Dragon, unable to lift her face as she pounded on his chest.

-Thud. Thud.

It seemed the blame for this incident lay heavily on Eun-bong, more than on Earth Dragon.

Just when I thought we had reached a conclusion…

Elder Zhuge’s confused voice echoed through the room.

This was something to be comprehended through the heart, yet being a military man, he was determined to grasp it with his intellect.

“Wait, I understand what you’re saying, but didn’t you just say that cinnabar is not easy to get poisoned from? Just how frequently…?”

He seemed to grasp the cause but was still struggling with how frequently someone had to kiss to become poisoned.

Everyone’s gazes shifted toward the back of Eun-bong’s head.

Then, Hua Eun directed a shy inquiry towards Eun-bong.

“Um, to treat someone, we need to examine how frequently they’ve been exposed to the poison, thus…”

“Oh, oh! So, there is a way to treat this!?”

“Yes, I think if we bring the grandfather and let him suck out the mercury… then it should be precise…”

As she posed the death sentence of a question, Eun-bong trembled in shame, and lifting her gaze with vacant eyes, her lips barely formed a response.

“E-every day…”

Each morning and evening.

But who is our Hua Eun? Isn’t she directly descended from the Four Heavenly Houses?

Hua Eun gripped Eun-bong’s shoulders and shook her head.

‘Is she implying that’s impossible? That at that rate, one wouldn’t get poisoned?’

Then, Eun-bong burst into tears and cried out.

“E-every moment! Huhhh…!”

Every moment, as in spontaneously based on the situation was what it meant.

And so, if they merely locked eyes, it appeared they went straight for it.

-Thud! Thud!

Just as Eun-bong wept, her fists slammed hard into Earth Dragon’s chest.

‘Well, it seems like we’ve saved one person, and yet one is doomed. No, saving him might also lead to disaster…’

Thus ended the incident of the poisoning of the Martial Forest Alliance’s soldier’s nephew.