Chapter 201: Welma
Welma stood behind a pillar, gripping the tray as she watched the drama unfold. She had whispered that Rose shouldn’t take the drink, but she doubted Rose had heard. She wished she could do more, but her life might well be at stake here.
She made sure a maid saw her get the wine, but simultaneously, she had to be mindful of the servants on the crown prince’s side. It was such a huge mess. However, no one could say she didn’t hand the drink to Rose. Rose not drinking it was therefore not her fault, but if she was stupid and drank it, providence would say she had tried to stop Rose. She left a warning—though unclear, it should have been more than enough to stop anyone from drinking it.
Welma had expected Rose to toss the drink at some point when Rose thought no one was looking. That was why she had quickly hidden behind one of the pillars in the ballroom to watch. However, nothing prepared her for the series of events that followed.
Welma wanted to smack something. She had seen it clearly enough. The lord had drunk a decent amount of the virgin wine. Welma felt her eyes water as she realized she was going to be killed, and it wasn’t even her fault.
She sneaked away from the pillar as soon as the lord staggered off after spilling the rest of the drink onto Rose’s dress. She needed to get to the podium and inform the ladies of what had just transpired.
Welma moved closer to the wall so she could quickly get to them without bumping into anyone. She was still a maid, which meant she could easily be assigned a task. She doubted the lord had much longer before the symptoms of what he took started to show.
Welma felt her stomach knot, and she increased her steps. Unfortunately, the closer she got to the Queen, the harder it was to get across. The noblewomen and men were in a state of uproar as the crown prince danced around.
Welma didn’t care to see who it was and managed to break through without getting into trouble. The empty tray she held made it seem as though she were heading to get more wine for the guests.
When Welma got closer to the Queen, one of the ladies-in-waiting noticed her approach, but she was quick to turn her gaze away. Welma felt genuine fear, but she told herself there was no reason to panic. When she was close enough, they would speak to her. After all, she had been given instructions to inform them as soon as the task was done.
Welma reached the podium, and the closest guard gave her an odd look. She half expected him to chase her off, but he quickly looked away, and Welma immediately interpreted that to mean she could pass.