206 YOU DON'T HAVE MY HEAR

Meanwhile, Raigon went to Lady Wiktoria's residence to find out how the Queen had arsenic poisoning during her birthday party.

As he entered their gates, he did not go straight inside their mansion. He decided to snoop around, looking for anything suspicious that could lead him to the culprit. 

As he was doing so, one of the servants noticed him. 

"I thought I saw Lady Wiktoria here." Raigon scratched his head and gave her one of his magnetic smiles. 

"Oh, I doubt it, my lord." She answered confidently. Though she addressed him wrongly since he was in disguise again. 

"Lady Wiktoria has been sulking in her room all day without eating or drinking at all ever since - " She immediately clamped her mouth. 

"No, it's all right. Please continue. That is actually the reason why I'm here." He prodded on. 

He felt bad for her since they have been good friends even before he was born. It's just tragic that the incident took place in her territory. 

He recalled even visiting here when they were young and having a get-together with their family.

'Is it possible that a good friend of their family could turn into their enemy?'

"Lady Thana!" The servant stuttered, disturbing Raigon from his contemplation. 

The servant quickly scurried away as she beheld her master. Lady Thana bowed down to him. 

"This is a pleasant surprise. Or maybe not pleasant, since I know the purpose of your visit. Would you like to come with me for a few minutes?"

Then she stretched her hand as a request for him to accompany her. 

Raigon's expression turned pinched as his lips pressed into a white slash.

"Forgive me, milady. But I have other things to attend to aside from this. Maybe next time."

A smile curved up Lady Thana's lips as she put back her extended hand to her other palm. She straightened her shoulders making her look more elegant than she already is.

"Do you want to know what happened to the Queen during the party, your Highness? Because I don't think my mother, Lady Wiktoria, can face you right now."

She uttered in a steady, lower-pitched voice. 

Raigon gave her an incredulous look. He was used to her being the 'yes lady' to the royal family. This was the first time that he saw her insistent side.

Since his heart was bent on knowing his mother's assassin, he succumbed to the demand of Lady Thana.

"A few minutes." He raised up a finger, which made Lady Thana chuckle in a reserved manner.

Lady Thana went to their sugarcane farm which is just near Lim's residence. The farmers who noticed that the Lady of the Manor was in their vicinity, immediately smiled, stood up and bowed to her. 

Lady Thana gave them back a warm smile. Then, she lifted her hand in a dignified manner, signifying that they could continue on what they're doing and don't mind them.

They didn't recognize the Crown Prince as only a few people like the royal family or the people who work in close proximity with them could identify them.

"Did you know how deep the sugarcane's root can go under the ground?" She asked Raigon as she clasped her hands behind her back.

Tresses of her hair were being played by the carefree wind, making her a sight to behold by anyone who would glance at her. But not for Raigon. 

"A meter?" He shrugged half-heartedly.

She found him cute as she responded to him with a knowing smile. 

"The maximum rooting depth appears to be between 4.25 meters and 4.7 meters or even up to 6 meters. And it is little influenced by rainfed or irrigated conditions."

Raigon nodded in a feign excitement of his new knowledge. But Lady Thana continued on with her motive in mind.

"Like the sugarcane, Terra may have been a simple rich land to some. But for us who have been here for centuries, we know that it is not true."

She glanced at the sun which was about to set at the far distance, cascading a beautiful pink hue in the sky.

"From our forefathers to our generation now, the sun has always set and risen on us, even without outside help, whether economically or relationship-wise…"

She gave Raigon a side glance making sure that he understands what she meant before continuing.

"And that is the reason why we experienced a tranquil environment for years. If we suddenly change that equilibrium, that's the beginning of things getting out of hand."

Raigon clears his throat as he understands what Lady Thana is mentioning. He didn't want to blame his relationship with Zoe for what's happening. 

But the disastrous situations could be a bad omen from above for deviating from the sworn duty of their ancestors to protect their land from trespassers, even though he knew that Zoe is doing nothing wrong. 

"And as with the Queen?" He folded his hands and stood stiffly. 

He didn't want to prolong this conversation and proved to Lady Thana that she was the rightful wife of the next king.

There was nothing wrong with her. Except that she does not have his heart.

Lady Thana gave him a tepid smile and started walking away to the storage house.

Raigon followed her. And as he did so, Lady Thana started to tell about what happened to the Queen.

"Since it was Mother's birthday, different officials and high ranking people delivered different delicacies to her as homage for her undying support to the citizens of Terra, both for the rich and ordinary people alike."

She paused and pondered, wondering whether she would continue on her story. But she proceeded on.

"When they delivered it, there was a separate cake for the King, Queen and Lady Wiktoria. They must have been aware of the close relationship of our families. It just so happened that it was the Queen who first ate it."

"What clan gave her the food with arsenic?" He stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes on her.

Lady Thana took in a deep breath before she uttered. "It was from the Hou's clan."

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Tradition is not the worship of ashes

But the preservation of fire.