Tanya felt a slight relief that the one she loved was not Heliam， otherwise, he would have been hurt beyond repair. She raised her chin, meeting Heliam's gaze, and suddenly knelt, her forehead touching the ground. "Vivienne implores Your Majesty to grant me some time to investigate this matter." Heliam's eyes darkened, his thoughts drifting over Tanya's defiant expression, which bore a hint of Francois's demeanor—cold and detached. "I permit it," he replied, gesturing dismissively, while Evelyn's eyes flashed with concern, wary that Tanya might catch on to something.

"Firstly, I have never touched the bouquets that sister Evelyn mentioned. I appreciate her goodwill, but those bouquets have been returned in full. Now, if sister Evelyn claims that there was a problem with the bouquet she sent me, can I assume that it was she who intended to harm me, ultimately harming herself instead?" Tanya's tone was forceful. Heliam's brow furrowed deeply, and Evelyn's icy glare seemed to shoot daggers at Tanya.

"Secondly, Evelyn's claims lack evidence. There were many hands involved in the bouquet's journey， who knows who could have poisoned it? If she wishes to pin the blame on me, I, though not one to fuss over trivial matters, refuse to bear such baseless accusations." She turned her gaze, fixing her last words on Evelyn. "Thirdly, if the flowers from Lotus Palace have issues, rather than contacting me for verification after the incident, sister Evelyn rushed to inform His Majesty and painted me as the scheming villain. Truly, sister Evelyn plays her cards well." Tanya's anger was palpable.

These points alone could condemn Evelyn for "spreading rumors." Tanya's gaze shifted back to Evelyn, who, though initially surprised, now wore a mocking smile. Tanya understood that these arguments were far from sufficient to bring Evelyn down. A cold smile played at the corners of her mouth as the chilly breeze tousled her hair outside the study.

Her face, small yet breathtaking, framed by perfect lips and bright eyes, held a crucial point: Heliam. "Your Majesty, you must stand by me," Tanya said, tears glistening in her eyes, filled with uncountable grievances. Heliam glanced up slightly, and as Evelyn feigned weakness to gain sympathy, the unreasonable tyrant Heliam would surely be swayed.

Despite Evelyn's capabilities, she could not withstand Tanya's deep-seated affection. Heliam, lost in thought, found himself stunned by Tanya's words. "It is my fault， I delayed that promise," he finally murmured, the words tasting bitter. Evelyn's expression shifted, her voice lowered. "Your Majesty… Evelyn is unwell…" Heliam's demeanor changed, his brows knitting tightly.

"Your Majesty, Sir Alexander requests an audience," Eunuch Belmont interjected, bowing slightly. "He claims to have important information regarding this matter." Heliam raised an eyebrow, "Let him in." At the mention of Alexander's name, Tanya's eyes sparkled with interest, a smile gracing her lips—a change noticed by Evelyn.

"Your servant Alexander pays respects to Your Majesty." Alexander's cool voice entered from the back, accompanied by a faint breeze. As he turned, clad in silver armor, his tall figure and starry eyes met Tanya's for a moment before he averted his gaze, as if the very ground he walked on came alive.

With a calm yet distant tone, Alexander stated, "Recently, while traveling from Lotus Palace to Fragrance Hall, I encountered a suspicious individual." The mention of these places captured everyone's attention. "Bring her here," Heliam commanded.

Alexander gestured, and soon two guards entered, dragging a girl in green toward the center of the hall. It was her! Evelyn's expression changed, yet she maintained her composure. "I wonder why Sir Alexander has brought my maid here." Alexander feigned ignorance, not even lifting his eyes. "Ah, your maid."

"I have seen this maid traveling between Lotus Palace and Fragrance Hall frequently. Hearing of the matter in the study, I became suspicious," he continued. "Upon inquiry, I noticed her fingers were stained black. The physician confirmed it was due to close contact with poison." Alexander's words drew a sharp rebuke from Evelyn. "Nonsense!" she exclaimed, breaking free from Heliam's embrace.

"Whether Alexander is speaking nonsense or not, sister Evelyn knows in her heart. Yet your vehement reaction indicates you may be hiding something, perhaps diverting the blame onto me," Tanya said, her tone calm and measured.

Evelyn, unable to maintain her facade, insisted, "I was reckless. Daisy is my trusted maid, and I believed in her character."

"Daisy… if she wants to survive, she must reveal who sent her," Tanya murmured, audible only to Alexander, who chuckled softly in response.

"Evelyn, what do you mean by this? I simply refused your bouquet, and now you come here to accuse me of being the villain who harmed you. As for Daisy, the evidence is clear, yet you still choose to believe in her." Tanya feigned innocence, successfully flushing Evelyn's cheeks red with anger.

"Evelyn means no harm," she replied, bowing her head and closing her eyes, deliberately avoiding even Heliam's gaze. She understood that this battle was lost.

Finally, Heliam spoke, his cold tone shattering the tension. "Since the matter has been clarified, there's no need for further discussion. Take this maid away and execute her according to the law."

Tanya narrowed her eyes, so casually placing the blame on a maid was nothing short of a travesty. Daisy, frightened, shrank back, looking to Evelyn with pleading eyes, repeatedly bowing her head as if pecking like a chick. Despair flooded her gaze, while Evelyn's eyes turned icy.

"I… I have…" Daisy stammered, trembling like a leaf. Tanya raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue, but before Daisy could speak, Evelyn suddenly drew a guard's knife and plunged it straight into Daisy's heart.

With one swift strike, blood stained Evelyn's sleeves, and Daisy collapsed, lifeless. Evelyn trembled violently, the bright red blood pooling around her feet, a stark contrast to her pale dress. She turned to Heliam, bowing deeply, her forehead touching the ground. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty… I killed Daisy with my own hands, please forgive me…"

Evelyn's voice shook, fear apparent in her demeanor. Heliam, visibly disgusted by the bloodshed, turned his head away. "Enough, enough," he muttered, rising from his seat. Eunuch Belmont quickly followed suit as Heliam approached Tanya's side. "Last time, I failed to keep my promise to you, but I won't disappoint you now."

He added, "Eunuch Belmont, arrange for Fragrance Hall tonight." Eunuch Belmont nodded softly, and Heliam placed a gentle kiss on Tanya's forehead.

Tanya managed a strained smile as she watched him leave. "Sister, you handle crises so adeptly, I can’t help but admire you," Evelyn said as she propped herself up from the ground, her eyes clear and calculating.

Her gaze now held a hint of jealousy, contrasting sharply with her previous timidity. "Sister Evelyn, your acting skills are impressive, I must admit I’m truly impressed." Tanya retorted bluntly, prompting Evelyn to huff disdainfully as she exited the hall.

Once Verdant had taken his leave, only Alexander and Tanya remained, along with Daisy's lifeless body. Tanya wore a smile, deliberately ignoring the pool of blood at her feet.

"Do you know how dangerous that was?" Alexander spun her around, fury radiating from him like a wild lion.

Tanya was momentarily taken aback but then her smile deepened. "I know."

Alexander froze, taken aback by her calm demeanor. The laughter in her eyes made her all the more enchanting, her hair swaying gently with the breeze.

"That's good to hear." Alexander awkwardly averted his gaze, scrutinizing her face. He then bent down and pulled a handkerchief from Daisy's sleeve, walking over to Tanya.

With a well-proportioned build, Alexander towered over Tanya, who stood a head shorter despite her model-like stature. He took her hand, roughly wiping her forehead with the handkerchief.

Tanya turned her head away.

"Don't move," he growled lowly, clearly displeased with her evasion.

"That’s dirty, just wipe it yourself," he said, indicating her forehead and placing the handkerchief back in her palm.

Before leaving, Tanya posed one last question. "About the poison on Daisy’s hands…" She found it hard to believe that Evelyn would be foolish enough to allow her maid to poison her daily.

Alexander’s expression darkened as he turned his head slightly, his profile resembling that of a painting. "Leave these matters to me."