The Poisoned Truth

“Mr. Barton… why did you assume I was referring to Vera when I spoke of a maid?”

Rachel’s icy voice, like a massive stone cast into still waters, shattered the deathly silence within the inner chamber.

Ruby, like the most loyal of hounds, positioned herself before Rachel, her dagger glinting with a frigid light, wary of Barton’s every subtle movement.

Vera’s complexion had paled, though she couldn’t quite grasp the sudden, precipitous turn of events.

Nevertheless, she remained steadfastly by Rachel’s side, silently guarding her.

As for Naiya, still clutching the hem of Rachel’s cloak behind her, her small body trembled like a leaf caught in the wind.

Her visible right eye fixated intently on Barton, and deep within its pupil, beyond the fear, flickered an indescribable, almost instinctive repulsion.

Siena, momentarily stunned, finally comprehended the situation.

Her gaze darted between Rachel and Barton, a note of incredulity lacing her voice.

“Lady Lockwood? What… what precisely do you mean by this?”

“What do I mean?” Rachel retorted, a cold smile gracing her lips. “My meaning is this: the Mr. Barton standing before us now is not the man himself, but someone else entirely, masquerading as him!”

A fresh wave of commotion rippled through the room.

Siena’s eyes, filled with doubt and surprise, scrutinized Barton’s face.

Instinctively, she wished to defend him, yet the memory of Barton’s unusually agile movements from moments ago suddenly resurfaced, leaving her speechless.

Barton, abruptly confronted with such an accusation, displayed a fleeting, almost imperceptible flicker of stiffness and unease across his features.

He drew a deep breath, a wry smile appearing on his face.

“Lady Lockwood, that jest is surely beyond the pale.”

Barton spoke, spreading his hands in a gesture of feigned innocence.

“You saved my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Yet, to utter such words without a shred of evidence leaves me utterly bewildered. Could it be that I have inadvertently offended you, causing you displeasure?”

“Without a shred of evidence?” Rachel’s tone remained calm. “Then tell me, why did you assume Vera was my maid?”

Upon hearing Rachel’s words, a smile touched Barton’s lips, tinged with a hint of resignation, as if to imply the question itself was preposterous.

“My Lady, you yourself said…”

“‘Have the maid hand the item to you, Mr. Barton,’ correct?”

Rachel cut Barton off.

“However, I merely uttered the word ‘maid’ without specifying which individual was the maid. Yet, you, Mr. Barton, deliberately approached Vera.”

Barton’s expression subtly shifted.

He was about to offer a rebuttal, but Rachel gave him no such opportunity, her pace of speech quickening as she continued.

“Prior to this, you were held captive by the black-robed man in that wooden shack, never having seen Vera.

Naturally, you couldn’t have witnessed her in a maid’s uniform.

After your rescue, you had only seen Ruby and me.

Likewise, no one within the merchant guild, including Miss Siena, had ever seen Vera or Naiya; they too had only encountered Ruby and me.

Therefore, it’s impossible that anyone could have informed you that ‘Rachel Lockwood is accompanied by two maids.’”

“Yet, the moment I mentioned ‘maid,’ you instinctively gravitated towards Vera.

The only plausible explanation for this is that you have, at some point, seen Vera in a maid’s uniform, by my side.”

“The true Mr. Barton would naturally be unaware of these facts, and neither would anyone within the merchant guild.

This leaves only one remaining possibility: the black-robed man who clashed with Ruby and Vera the night before last.”

Siena unconsciously glanced at Barton, the questions in her eyes deepening.

Rachel’s analysis certainly held merit.

When Rachel had appeared before Siena yesterday, she had been accompanied solely by Ruby.

Until today, no one, including Siena, had been aware of Vera’s or Naiya’s existence.

Yet, Barton had confidently identified Vera as the “maid” Rachel spoke of, which was undeniably suspicious.

Not only Siena, but other merchant guild members present also began to show signs of doubt in their eyes.

Nevertheless, Barton, the focus of all attention, appeared remarkably composed, even managing a smile.

“My Lady, I believe this is merely a misunderstanding, that you are overthinking the matter,” Barton stated. “Miss Ruby is absent, and you are accompanied by only these two ladies.

Thus, by all reasonable deduction, the maid you spoke of could only be Miss Vera.

I simply made a logical inference.”

“A logical inference? That certainly sounds plausible.”

Rachel nodded, but her gaze grew even colder.

“Then, Mr. Barton, answer me this: why, in your inference, did you subconsciously disregard Naiya, who is also by my side?”

Her eyes suddenly sharpened, as if capable of piercing through one’s very soul.

“Vera might appear to be a maid, but does Naiya not? Neither of them wears a maid’s uniform, yet Naiya clearly looks more humble.

Why, then, did your gaze automatically dismiss her as a possible maid? It’s as if you already knew, beforehand, that she could never be my maid.”

Rachel’s voice abruptly rose in volume.

“Naiya was brought back by me the night before last, from beside the corpse of that s*ave trader.

She is indeed not my maid; in fact, she shares little connection with me.”

“In theory, only three individuals know of this: myself, Vera, and Ruby.

If anyone else could possibly be aware, it would only be the black-robed man who was also present at the scene that night!”

“Mr. Barton, if you truly were, as you claim, imprisoned in that wooden shack until your rescue yesterday, then you would naturally be entirely ignorant of these facts.

In that case, in your eyes, both Naiya and Vera should be unfamiliar strangers of unknown identity.

If so, you could not possibly know which ‘maid’ I was referring to, nor could you have presciently approached Vera, confident that she would hand you the Dragon Stone.”

“Alternatively, if you were, as you claim, relying on inference to deduce that the person accompanying me at this moment was the maid I spoke of, then similarly, you would be unable to ascertain whether I meant Vera or Naiya, or even both.

Consequently, you would have no way of knowing which maid I meant when I said ‘have the maid hand you the Dragon Stone,’ and thus, you could not have approached Vera in advance.”

“That you could perform all of this indicates only one thing: you already knew Vera was my maid and Naiya was not.

Therefore, when I mentioned ‘maid,’ you subconsciously assumed I was referring to Vera.”

“And aside from myself, Vera, Ruby, and Naiya, the only individual who could possibly know both these facts simultaneously is that black-robed man!”

“Which, of course, means you, Mr. Barton, as you stand here now!”

As Rachel’s words settled, an immediate, profound silence descended upon the room.

Siena subtly placed her hand on her hip, simultaneously signaling her subordinates with her eyes to seal off the area.

She had almost entirely accepted Rachel’s account, her gaze fixed on the Barton before her, brimming with suspicion.

At this point, Barton’s face had turned ashen.

He could no longer maintain his earlier composure, and deep within his eyes, a flicker of panic and malevolence—of being utterly seen through—surfaced.

He opened his mouth, as if to offer a final, desperate rebuttal, but his voice emerged dry and hoarse.

“This… this is merely speculation! Baseless! You…”

“Baseless?”

Rachel cut him off coldly, a serene confidence, indicative of complete control, gracing her features.

“Of course, I wouldn’t declare you an imposter based solely on this.

Ultimately, it was merely a test.

What truly confirmed you were a fraud was another matter entirely.”

“Ruby?”

Ruby, who had remained silent for so long, finally stepped forward.

She cast a glance at Barton, her tone exceptionally cold.

“Last night, following Lady Rachel’s instructions, I secretly returned to the wooden shack in the withered forest and meticulously examined the ‘black-robed man’s’ corpse.”

All eyes instantly converged on Ruby.

“I had previously engaged that black-robed man in combat and inflicted a wound upon his shoulder.”

Ruby’s voice was frigid, devoid of emotion.

“And indeed, upon that corpse, I found a wound precisely on the shoulder.”

“However, Lady Rachel’s orders to me were not merely to check for a wound on the shoulder, but rather to ascertain if there were any other wounds on the ‘black-robed man’s’ corpse, beyond that one!”

Barton’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

He remained silent, yet his gaze grew even darker.

Ruby continued.

“Upon that corpse, apart from the shoulder wound and the fatal chest injury, there were numerous contusions.

Particularly on the chest, arms, and calves, large areas of fresh bruising and abrasions were evident.

These wounds were recent, likely appearing on the body only within the last few days.”

“This becomes rather intriguing.”

Rachel seamlessly picked up where Ruby left off.

“Why would a killer, capable of commanding monsters and possessing such agile skills, bear such fresh, characteristic marks of torture upon their body?

The only logical explanation is that the corpse was not that of the black-robed man at all, but rather Mr. Barton himself, who had been subjected to the black-robed man’s torture throughout this period!”

Siena let out a short, sharp gasp, and Vera’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Therefore, the true Barton lies in the withered forest.

As for the other Mr. Barton standing here…”

Rachel spoke, turning her gaze to Barton, her expression one of utter certainty.

“As to your true identity, I believe there’s no longer any need to elaborate.”

“You… you’re slandering me! This is nothing but your baseless accusation!”

Barton roared, his voice hoarse and strained, but the underlying fear in his bluster was now impossible to conceal.

“Still unwilling to admit it?”

Rachel tilted her head slightly, revealing a smile that was almost innocent, yet utterly chilling.

“It matters not.

I possess an even simpler and more straightforward method of verifying your identity, and the results will be apparent in just a few days.”

“What do you intend to do!?”

Barton’s face changed, a faint sense of dread stirring within him.

“There’s no need to do anything at all; merely wait a few more days.”

Rachel stated, her tone unruffled.

“As Ruby mentioned earlier, she wounded the black-robed man’s shoulder during their confrontation.

Coincidentally, the dagger Ruby used at that time had been poisoned.”

“!”

Barton flinched, startled, and Ruby, too, paused for a moment before quickly regaining her composure.

Rachel took a step forward, an invisible pressure steadily bearing down upon Barton.

“It is a slow-acting poison.

Had the wound been treated promptly, it could have been entirely removed before its effects manifested.

Unfortunately, in your clever attempt to impersonate Barton, you inflicted so many wounds upon yourself and then confined yourself within that filthy, squalid compartment.”

“With the wounds festering, compounded by the physical weakness from your injuries, the poison’s spread within your body has far exceeded expectations.

Even now, are you not beginning to feel a creeping numbness and stinging deep within the wound, like maggots gnawing?”

Rachel’s words, like a devil’s whisper, struck Barton’s psychological defenses with chilling precision.

He instinctively clutched his left shoulder, his face instantly turning ashen white as paper, fine beads of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

The sensation of itching numbness and stinging that Rachel described seemed to manifest as a terrifying reality!

“No, this can’t be! You’re lying to me…”

Barton mumbled, yet the terror in his eyes was now utterly undisguisable.

“Whether I lie or not, the truth will become clear in a few days.”

Rachel’s voice reverted to its icy composure.

“At that time, if you succumb to the poison, it will prove you are indeed the black-robed man.

If, however, you remain unharmed, it will prove my conjecture was mistaken, and I shall offer you my sincerest apologies.”

“It’s no trouble at all; I merely have to remain here for a few extra days.”

Barton’s psychological defenses finally shattered completely at this moment!

The last vestiges of his disguise – Barton’s, or rather, the black-robed man’s – peeled away entirely!

The gentle, grateful, and indignant expressions of a merchant vanished, replaced instead by twisted malice, frenzied murderous intent, and a hint of desperate madness!

“Hohoho…”

A beast-like chuckle rumbled in his throat.

His body hunched slightly, as if enduring immense pain, yet also like a cornered beast.

“Rachel Lockwood! To think that after all my meticulous planning and long-term scheming… I would fall into your hands before even beginning!”

Ruby instantly shielded Rachel completely, gripping her dagger horizontally, her muscles tensed, ready for combat!

Siena also cried out sharply, “Guards! Seal all exits! Don’t let him escape!”

The guards from outside immediately rushed in, their long staffs and short blades uniformly pointing at “Barton.”

“Escape?”

“Barton” abruptly lifted his head, his face now a mask of sheer ferocity and madness.

“Why should I escape? What does it matter if my life is short? As long as I can… eliminate all of you here, and that meddlesome lord… together…”

His left hand plunged into his robes, pulling out a pigeon-egg-sized, entirely black crystal—precisely the Dragon Stone Rachel had seen before!

“Lord Solax!”

“Barton” let out a fervent, hoarse roar, simultaneously raising the Dragon Stone high.

“Grant me the power to destroy everything! Devour these blasphemers!”

Before the words had even faded!

The pitch-black Dragon Stone in “Barton’s” hand suddenly erupted with a heart-stopping, palpably viscous dark light!

The light twisted and expanded wildly, like a living entity, instantly devouring the already scarce illumination within the room!

A terrifying pressure, cold, tempestuous, and laden with the aura of destruction, descended like a crashing tsunami!