"I agree. I say go for it."

Hendrix raised his hand calmly, then gestured toward Juno, signaling for her to take Florian's food. Florian looked at him in disbelief.

"What?" Hendrix asked, meeting his gaze without hesitation. "If she, along with Lord Edrick, is certain there's no poison, and certain no one here would ever harm you, then she should be allowed to prove it."

Scarlett lifted her hand halfway. "I may not have much authority here," she said lightly, "but I agree."

Athena nodded beside her, lips pressed together in quiet agreement.

Even Lancelot gave a short nod.

Florian's chest tightened.

He leaned closer to Lancelot and whispered, "But what if she dies?"

Lancelot didn't hesitate. "Then that would be her choice."

Before Florian could react, Lancelot picked up the bowl of Frumpkin Flower soup along with the spoon and walked over to Juno, placing both into her hands.

Cindy, who stood just beside her, stiffened instantly.

"Ms. Juno…" she whispered, eyes wide with worry.

Juno didn't look at her.

She accepted the bowl with steady hands, her movements composed, almost graceful.

Florian's gaze flicked toward Eldrick.

He was watching.

Expression unreadable.

'Why doesn't he look worried at all?' Florian thought. 'Not even a little.'

Even if Eldrick and Juno were confident they hadn't poisoned the food, how could they be so sure about everyone else?

And Florian knew one thing for certain.

His body wouldn't react like this without a reason.

Juno wrote on her notepad calmly and, sure enough, showed it to Florian. "Please watch closely, Your Highness."

She scooped a spoonful of soup, blew gently over it as steam rose, then lifted it to her lips.

The room held its breath.

Juno tasted it.

She paused.

Florian's heart lurched.

Then she looked at him.

Juno hums, she hums a bit, and slightly nods her head.

She scooped another spoonful and took a second sip.

Florian's fingers curled tightly against his palm.

Juno places the spoon down and starts jotting down in her notebook. Florian could see a faint "It tastes..." but he couldn't see the rest.

'It tastes… what?'

"Really good, Your Highness," Juno finished, eyes widening slightly. "This is my first time tasting a meal like this."

Lancelot frowned. "You're fine?"

Juno nodded, opening her arms as if showing that she was okay.

Eldrick clasped his hands together with visible relief. "You see?" he said gently. "I told you, Prince Florian. I would never dare harm you. Nor would anyone under my roof."

Florian tried not to frown.

But it didn't make sense.

He knew what he felt.

And if the soup truly was fine, then why did his stomach still churn like this?

"Our apologies," Lancelot said stiffly. "Given recent events, we must prioritize His Highness' safety."

"I understand," Eldrick replied with a sigh. "But I cannot deny that I feel… offended. To be suspected of murdering a member of the royal family."

His gaze softened, but there was something strained beneath it. "I may have chosen to step away from high society, but to be treated like a common criminal still stings."

"N-No, that's not—" Florian spoke quickly, lifting his head. "This is my fault."

All eyes turned to him.

"I've been on edge," he admitted. "And for some reason… I really did feel sick just looking at the food."

He pressed a hand lightly to his stomach again.

'I still do,' he thought.

The silence that followed was heavier than before.

"Perhaps you simply didn't like how the dish was prepared," Eldrick said after a moment, his tone careful but wounded. "It was made by a different chef than the one you are accustomed to."

He let out a quiet sigh, fingers folding together again. "Or perhaps you are simply uncomfortable in my estate. It is a far cry from what you're used to."

His gaze softened, but the hurt lingered. "Still… I cannot deny that I am quite hurt, Your Highness."

Florian's chest tightened.

He felt awful.

Truly awful.

'I didn't mean it like that,' he thought, regret pooling heavily in his stomach. 'I wasn't accusing him of anything. I wasn't trying to.'

He hadn't even managed to learn anything yet. Not about Eldrick.

Not about why Elara had sent him here. Not about Farah.

And now, instead of gathering answers, he had offended their host.

That was dangerous.

He could feel it in the room.

Some of the maids had begun to frown, their eyes flicking toward him with clear displeasure, as if they, too, had taken offense.

'I need to fix this,' Florian thought, his lips pressing into a thin line. 'Before this gets worse.'

Before he could speak—

"E-Excuse me, Lord Eldrick."

Cindy's voice cut through the tension.

The room stilled.

Florian looked at her in surprise. Eldrick turned. Even Juno's eyes widened sharply.

Juno narrows her eyes at Cindy, as if displeased that she dared to speak up.

Cindy swallowed, clearly nervous, but she took a step forward anyway.

"Forgive me for interrupting," she said quickly, bowing her head. "But His Highness has been feeling unwell since arriving."

Florian blinked.

'She's stepping in,' he realized.

Eldrick's gaze shifted back to him, concern replacing offense. "Have you?" he asked.

"Uh…" Florian hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."

"That's why he was late," Cindy continued, her words tumbling out but sincere. "He overslept from exhaustion. I think he's still disoriented, and he genuinely felt off about the food because he isn't feeling well."

She glanced at Florian and offered him a small, reassuring smile.

'She really is helping me,' Florian thought, warmth blooming unexpectedly in his chest.

Lancelot's brows furrowed. "You've been feeling unwell?" he asked Florian sharply. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well…" Florian started, then trailed off.

Eldrick looked troubled now, his earlier warmth replaced with genuine concern.

"If that is the case, Prince Florian, then we can have the kitchen prepare something else. Something light." He paused. "Or we can summon a physician at once."

Florian nodded, relief easing some of the tightness in his chest. "Thank you," he said softly. "I would appreciate that."

"Of course, Your Highness," Eldrick replied. "I'm glad we could clear up this misunderstanding."

He straightened slightly. "For now, you should rest in your room."

"Oh, there's no need for me to—" Florian began.

"I insist," Eldrick said firmly, then turned his attention to the two maids. "Juno. Cindy. Please assist Prince Florian back to his room."

Florian's heart sank just a little.

'That's not what I wanted,' he thought. 'I needed to stay here. I needed to observe.'

But pushing back now would only look suspicious.

He forced a grateful smile. "Alright," he said. "Thank you for your concern."

As he stood, he caught Cindy's eye.

She looked relieved; she was also the one who moved first.

She stepped closer to Florian and gently took his arm, careful and surprisingly steady.

Florian let her help him up, his legs feeling a little heavier than they should have.

"Easy," she murmured.

Juno was already waiting beside them, posture straight, eyes alert as she watched the room.

Lancelot stood as well.

"I'll come check on you later," he said quietly, his voice low enough that only Florian could hear. There was no room for argument in it.

Florian nodded. "I'll be fine," he replied, offering a small smile.

Scarlett leaned forward, worry clear on her face. "You'd better rest properly this time," she said, only half joking. "No sneaking around."

Athena nodded beside her. "Please take care, Your Highness. We'll see you later."

Florian smiled at them both. "Thank you. I will."

Hendrix said nothing.

He simply watched Florian.

His gaze followed every movement, sharp and unreadable, as if he were memorizing the way Florian stood, the way he leaned slightly into Cindy's support.

Florian met his eyes for a brief moment.

'Why is he looking at me like that?' he wondered. 'Like he's trying to figure something out.'

Then Hendrix looked away.

Without a word.

Juno inclined her head toward the door as if saying, "This way."

Florian followed, Cindy still lightly supporting him as they left the dining hall behind. The warmth, the voices, the clatter of dishes all faded once the doors closed.

The hallway felt quieter than before.

Colder too.

As they walked, Cindy leaned in just a little, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Your Highness," she said softly, eyes forward, "I… I have a question for you later."

Florian blinked.

'A question?'

"I'll ask it in private..."