Chapter 252: Lewis’s True Face
There is one person in the dining room who looks at Emperor Durand not with worry, but with shock instead.
"How is that possible? Didn’t he say that this poison can’t be detected by any means? Did that bastard lie?" he thought.
Lewis, the third prince, although his expression shows a slight hint of panic for the emperor, actually feels turmoil and panic for another reason. To think that the poison can be detected, and now the emperor wants to interrogate the cooks himself. However, after a few seconds, he calms his mind and maintains positive thoughts.
"Well, whatever. I already know I can’t trust those bastards entirely, so I’ll go with my own plan this time. Even if Father wants to check the cooks, he won’t find anything. I’ve already taken care of it."
Not long after, all the cooks of the imperial palace were brought to the dining room—there were 50 of them. As they were confused about why the emperor wanted to inspect them, one of the imperial guards moved forward and reported to Emperor Durand.
"This is all of them, Your Majesty. No one has left the imperial palace in the last two hours, and we have ensured that no one was missed."
"Good. You may leave," the emperor responded, which was met with a bow before the imperial guard left the dining room.
Emperor Durand looked at each of the cooks’ faces. Some appeared confused, some gazed at him with admiration, and others seemed panicked, worried that they might have done something wrong. However, he noticed one person who kept his head lowered, hiding his expression. For now, Emperor Durand chose to ignore him and addressed the group.
"You are the cooks chosen by our family, entrusted with the honor of serving the imperial household. I trust that you are already aware of this," he began.
"As your top superior, I also place my trust in you. Your position is vital to the imperial family, and I believe you all understand the significance of your responsibilities."
"However, I cannot hide my disappointment. I cannot put into words how betrayed I feel by those I trusted," Emperor Durand said, sweeping his gaze over all the cooks.