Chapter 23

Using enhancers to temporarily become A-rank.

That wasn’t impossible. After all, chugging enough of them could bump up your system rank.

Of course, there was no system window here—it was all about looking like you had a powerful aura.

But that guy had shown up as A-rank the first time I saw him?

So how long had he been popping those pills? There had to have been side effects, and the potency would’ve worn off eventually.

While I was still dazed, things moved right along.

“With this, I declare the Porleng House succession rite concluded.”

Sir Esna approached and stood before Kikal and me.

—Clang!

The sword slipped from Kikal’s hand.

His face was blank.

The face of someone who couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Which made sense.

A guy without the skill to see through Afterimage wouldn’t have caught what happened in that split second.

Reviewing the match to spot his mistakes required opponents on a similar level.

With this much of a gap, all he was left with was the fact that he’d lost in an instant. There was nothing for Kikal to gain from this bout.

Ah, maybe a bit of self-loathing for losing even after doping up?

“From this moment, the heir to House Porleng shall be Lady Senia de Porleng. The heir is granted the right to participate in the swordsmanship tournament hosted by His Majesty.”

Sir Esna announced in a stiff voice.

With those words, Kikal’s position as heir effectively vanished.

Kikal gaped vacantly.

Not my problem, of course.

“The formal appointment ceremony will take place tonight. You’ve done well.”

Sir Esna turned on her heel. The knights’ murmurs grew louder.

“Lady Senia, really?”

“What kind of training did she…”

The knights’ eyes turned to me. I spotted Viscount Porleng and his wife approaching, their gazes flicking between Kikal and me.

“Congratulations, Senia.”

As people closed in, Kikal swallowed a sour expression and forced the words out.

I gave him a genuine smile.

“Thank you.”

No pain from side effects?

His little tantrum earlier probably had him on the verge of screaming at the slightest touch by now.

And an A-rank faked with enhancers, no less.

Spilling that truth now would make for a hilarious look on his face, but sadly, I had business to attend to.

I was House Porleng’s heir now.

No reason to hide Kikal’s poisoned soup anymore.

“I’ll head in for some rest, then. It was a great match after so long.”

I extended a hand to Kikal.

Truth be told, I didn’t even want to help him up, but noble etiquette demanded it—what could I do?

—Thud!

“Hey.”

Well, now.

I nearly let it slip aloud.

Kikal shoved my arm away with his shoulder and stood on his own.

“I’m fine. No need for pity.”

He brushed off everyone offering support and stormed away.

Embarrassed, are we? Ashamed? Yeah?

As he left, the murmurs intensified.

“Congratulations, Lady Senia!”

“Your swordplay dazzles even more than before!”

The knights cheered, while the servants looked confused.

Especially those who’d cozied up to Kikal, expecting him to be the heir—they seemed particularly unsettled.

Tough luck for them. This was just the prelude to the storm hitting House Porleng today.

That night, Knight Esna officiated the heir appointment ceremony on the emperor’s behalf.

Kikal claimed he was sick and skipped it—big surprise.

Enhancer side effects must’ve knocked him flat.

What a pathetic bastard.

After the simple ceremony wrapped up, I returned to my room.

“I’ll have a light dinner here.”

I cut off my hyper maid, who was gushing congratulations at ear-splitting volume.

“Ah, but the master said to join the celebratory banquet for the appointment!”

I waved her off.

“Thank you, but tell them I’m tired.”

Imagining Kikal alone at the center of the “celebration”—more like a funeral—I almost wanted to go.

But I had work tonight.

The maid nodded at my words.

“Got it! Special menu just for today—I’ll make it super tasty!”

She bounced out excitedly.

I waited until the door clicked shut behind her, then quietly stood.

Kikal wasn’t my only enemy in this house.

Shin Jae-heon had said as much.

‘It’s a rare and sneaky poison. Even ranks as S-rank sometimes. No way a mere house heir gets it secretly on his own.’

‘Someone inside must’ve helped. Someone higher up than Kikal de Porleng. Like the family head… or his wife.’

Someone inside had to have helped.

I tailed the hyper maid discreetly.

Luckily, with succession cleanup buzzing around, even my E-rank stats made it easy to follow her.

“Tonight, chicken soup with salad dressing~”

She skipped down to the kitchen without a care.

No clue she was being followed.

—Click.

The instant she entered the kitchen, her posture straightened. The bouncy energy vanished.

Oh.

I admired silently.

The hyper maid heading into the kitchen looked like a completely different person—chillingly so.

—Bubble bubble.

She stirred the simmering soup a few times, then ladled it into a bowl.

Not the maid I knew.

She scanned the kitchen sharply. The guilty always check their surroundings right before acting.

Knowing that, I’d hidden behind the rice sacks ahead of time.

A few seconds later, peeking out, I saw her pull something from her maid uniform pocket.

A folded paper with white powder inside.

—Sss…

As she tilted it to dump into the soup,

I rose from behind the sacks.

“Stop right there.”

She startled and tried to dodge, but I activated Afterimage behind her.

“Eek!”

The maid froze at the sword’s afterimage grazing her neck.

I snatched the paper from her hand.

“Gasp.”

Her face paled upon seeing me.

She couldn’t even breathe.

I held my sword to her throat while pretending to pat her pockets, pulling the silver rod from my dungeon inventory.

A gift from my E-rank promotion—my inventory had expanded to a whopping three slots!

Touching!

—Prod.

Stabbing the soup produced immediate results.

The silver rod turned pitch black alongside the system window. It was the one Hunter Soyeri had infused with Joo Yian’s skill last time we met.

“I knew it was suspicious having some nameless maid stuck to me.”

I laid the rod across the soup bowl and turned to her.

Still no name above her head.

If she’d been one of Senia’s regular attendants, Senia would’ve known her name.

It would’ve shown up like with Knight Millisha.

But this maid had nothing.

At first, I thought Senia just ignored servants, but some maids did have names pop up, so that wasn’t it.

Why attach a stranger to her precious daughter? Someone pulling strings?

Time to dig into it.

“I’ve known for a while you were poisoning my soup.”

I pocketed—actually, inventoried—the paper from her hand.

She rolled her eyes, then bolted.

Where do you think you’re going?

“Don’t even think about running.”

—Snap! I grabbed her wrist.

“Ugh…”

She floundered, no backup to call.

Obviously. Snitching meant death.

But the house dynamic had shifted. I started coaxing her gently.

“Tell me who gave you the poison. Think about who the heir is now.”

“…!”

Her eyes widened. Slow on the uptake, huh?

Quickly realizing the power shift, she prostrated herself.

“M-Master Kikal ordered it. He gave me the poison.”

“I see.”

Of course. I beckoned her.

“Say that again somewhere else.”

Even after I released her wrist, she didn’t dare flee.

I dragged her straight to Viscount Porleng and his wife’s quarters.

Time to reveal someone had tried to sabotage the succession with dirty tricks.

And see if the viscount couple was in on it.

“Are you there?”

“Senia?”

A surprised voice came from inside.

The viscountess opened the door herself.

“I heard you were resting—what brings you here? Come in.”

She smiled warmly.

Then her eyes widened briefly upon spotting the maid behind me as I entered.

A split-second change, but I caught it. That wasn’t how you look at a mere servant.

Hmm, definitely something fishy.

“Who’s this?”

“My attendant maid.”

Weird to bring her? Yeah? I smiled sweetly.

Ah, maybe because she wasn’t hyper today?

“R-Right, of course.”

The viscountess led us inside.

—Click.

The door shut.

Viscount Porleng sat at the table with tea, like the viscountess.

“Welcome. What brings you…?”

He startled at the maid too.

Oh, the fishiness filled the room.

I faced the couple and spoke.

“Ever since I woke up, Brother Kikal’s been paying me a lot of attention.”

Thanks a bunch, Kikal! I smiled gratefully and continued.

“So I’ve been keeping an eye on him too.”

They exchanged glances. I pointed at the maid.

“I just caught this maid trying to put this in my dinner.”

I pulled out the paper with the white powder.

Their expressions turned grave.

Not surprise—resigned. They already knew.

“That’s…”

Sure enough, they trailed off. No “What’s that?”

Oh, what a household!

“Looks like you already know what it is.”

You knew Kikal was tampering with my food?

The viscount’s face hardened gradually.

The welcoming smile vanished, replaced by a stranger’s glare.

Finally, Viscount Porleng spoke.

“…It’s a poison that won’t threaten your life.”

“Pardon?”

So, drink up without worry?

I nearly lost it from sheer absurdity, almost triggering a penalty.