Chapter 16
1160 Words
Geraldine’s Point of View
My eyes lingered on the bowl of soup sitting on the table, then shifted toward Mike. I exhaled deeply, the weight of what I knew pressing down on me.
“How did you find out there was something in there?” I asked calmly. My voice was soft, but it drew everyone’s attention toward me. Their eyes filled with suspicion, as if I was already plotting something dangerous.
“G-Girlie… are you planning something?!” Sister Cooker’s voice trembled with disbelief.
I tilted my head toward her, feigning innocence. “Do you really think I’m planning something, Sister?”
She froze, staring into my eyes, searching for the truth. Silence fell between us, thick and heavy.
“We… we don’t know,” she whispered at last.
I lowered my gaze, then turned back to Mike. His sharp eyes never left me, watching me closely, as though he had already read my every thought.
“Master…”
Before I could react, he suddenly reached for the soup. In one swift motion, he lifted the bowl to his lips and drank it as though it were nothing more than a cup of coffee.
“Master!” Everyone gasped in unison. My own breath caught in my chest as I stared in shock.
I snatched the bowl from his hands and hurled it to the ground. The ceramic shattered loudly, fragments scattering across the floor.
“Why did you drink that?! You knew there was something in it! Are you out of your mind?!” My voice cracked with fury and fear. My lip trembled as I bit it hard, panic bubbling inside me. What was I supposed to do if something terrible happened to him?
“Are you… scolding me?” he asked, almost amused.
“Obviously!” I snapped, glaring at him.
“Even if there’s poison,” he said in a low, stubborn voice, “I can still taste what you cook… and it’s still delicious.”
My mouth fell open. Was he serious? “You’re insane. But why—why would you drink it?”
He didn’t answer. His silence was louder than words. My gaze flicked to the maid who stood nearby, trembling under the weight of my glare.
“M-Master, it was her!” the maid blurted, pointing at me with shaking hands. “That woman poisoned you! I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Shut up!” I barked.
But before anyone else could speak, Mike suddenly collapsed. My heart stopped. His body crumpled, and I caught him in my arms.
“Master!” I cried, clutching him tightly.
My teeth dug into my lower lip. I had no choice. Pressing my lips against his, I poured the antidote into him—the one only I could give. Everyone around us froze in shock.
“Seize that woman!” the guards roared.
Hands tore him from my grasp. They dragged me away as others rushed to help Mike. My chest ached, but I stayed silent. At least… at least I had already given him the antidote.
Years ago, something had been placed in me—something that made my saliva or my blood capable of countering poisons. It was the only reason I dared kiss him.
The guards shoved me into the basement. There were iron bars here, cells meant for enemies, for criminals. They left me there, alone in the dark.
I sat on the cold ground, my thoughts spiraling. That woman—whoever she was—was behind this. She was the one who had locked me earlier in the dirty kitchen. Now she dared to poison the food I cooked.
“What right does she have to taint my food with poison?!” I hissed into the silence. “She can play her games elsewhere, but not with food. Food deserves respect.”
My mind drifted unwillingly back to the moment I kissed him. His lips… they hadn’t changed since the very first time. Soft, warm—like marshmallows melting in my mouth.
I frowned, shaking my head quickly. No. No, I couldn’t be thinking this way. But the memory lingered. Damn it. I was becoming addicted to those lips.
A small smile tugged at my mouth despite myself. “I’ll steal another kiss while he’s asleep,” I muttered, my tone dark, mischievous. “That way, he’ll never know.”
An evil grin crept across my face at the thought.
But my smile faded when I noticed movement in the corner of the cell. The maid stood there, flanked by bodyguards. Her eyes gleamed with malice.
“You know what to do,” she ordered them coldly.
My heart skipped. What now?
---
Third Person’s Point of View
Slowly, Mike’s eyes fluttered open. The blinding white ceiling came into focus. Beside him stood his personal doctor, relief etched into the man’s face.
“Mr. Michael, thank goodness you’re awake,” the doctor said gently.
Mike rubbed his temples, groaning as he looked around. Manang and his trusted chef were there as well, their faces heavy with worry.
“How long have I been asleep?” Mike asked.
“An hour, sir,” the doctor replied.
Mike took a deep breath, scanning his body. Strangely, he felt… nothing. No pain, no weakness.
“What kind of poison was in that soup?” he demanded.
“A minimal dose, sir,” the doctor explained. “It isn’t deadly, but it usually causes allergic reactions—tingling, swelling, discomfort. Those are the normal symptoms.”
“But I didn’t feel anything,” Mike said firmly.
They exchanged startled glances.
“Our tests confirmed that the poison was real. Yet, after checking your body, there are no signs of it at all,” the doctor admitted in disbelief.
Mike’s brows furrowed. The last memory replayed in his head—the warmth of lips pressed against his own. His hand instinctively rose, touching his mouth.
“Did someone… kiss me?” His voice was quiet, suspicious.
The two by his bedside stiffened, their faces flushing with guilt.
“I’m sorry, Master! Everything happened so fast!” one blurted.
His gaze sharpened. “Did you kiss me?”
Both shook their heads frantically.
“No, sir! It wasn’t us! It was Girlie. She kissed you.”
His heart lurched. Confusion flickered in his eyes before they hardened. “Where is she?”
Silence. Then, hesitantly, one of them answered.
“She’s in the punishment room.”
“What?” His eyes widened in shock. The punishment room—the place for traitors, for enemies, where people were broken until they confessed.
Mike pushed himself to his feet, rage burning in his chest. “Why is she there?”
“Because… she poisoned you, Master.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he stormed toward the door, his steps quick and furious.
Because in his heart, he knew—they had it wrong.
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