Hidden genius: Black belly snake

"Did you have to be this cruel and heartless?" Isabella shouted, agitated, and angry.

"Bella, calm down." Charlotte hurried forward and tried to hold back the elf, who was almost about to strangle Tang Yue.

Tang Yue, as well, shuffled back and tried to explain. "I am sorry. I absolutely have nothing to do with this."

"Yue, please. Not now." Charlotte turned back and angrily snapped at Tang Yue, making her look as if she was the culprit.

"Sister, look what she did?" Isabella sobbed uncontrollably, taking comfort in Charlotte's arms.

"But I did not do anything." Tang Yue hurriedly explained again. 

More than anything, she didn't want the small pup to be harmed in the process of their tongues wagging.

They seemed much more focused on pointing fingers at her rather than treating the injured pup.

Tang Yue shook her head. 

"I didn't do anything, but I can definitely provide an antidote to a variety of poisons." She calmly suggested, not giving in to the frenzy surrounding her.

However, her good intentions were not quite well conveyed.

"Isn't that just great? Haven't you already done enough?" Isabella barked back.

"Why would I let the life of my precious pup in the hands of a nobody like you??"

"Aren't you a damn cripple? How can you even provide any help?" Isabella sobbed and blabbered incoherently.

As soon as she said that, Charlotte loudly gasped, as if some great realization had dawned on her.

"Yue, please tell me did you really poison the pup?" Charlotte grabbed Tang Yue's hands and asked.

"If you didn't, then how could someone like you be pre-prepared with a remedy?"

"Even none of us standing here, including her majesty, were confident enough to openly suggest providing an antidote."

"Then how come you were?" 

Charlotte thoroughly enunciated all her words and made sure that they were registered well with the crowd, loud and clear.

Isabella's eyes flew wide open, as she also quickly realized this possibility.

Almost everyone had the same reaction and started whispering among themselves.

Tang Yue definitely looked very guilty in the light of things.

Okay. This is not going well. 

Tang Yue sighed and opened her mouth to explain again when the Empress lifted her hand and silenced the ruckus.

The commotion quieted down instantly and everyone stopped gossiping, curiously looking towards the Empress to see how she will react.

Freya, to be honest, had more of an irate look on her face than anything else.

She just wanted to spend some peaceful time with the consorts and talk to Charlotte about what had happened, but somehow things ended up like this.

From the beginning, she partly blamed or at least suspected Tang Yue for what happened with Charlotte and her having to step down from her queen consort position, and now the spirit beast had further managed to prove exactly how calculative and manipulative she was.

Just like Charlotte had clearly stated, Freya also believed that the snake had most probably poisoned the beast.

It was a crude and devious ploy to create some trouble and then later step in as a savior to help out and win everyone's favor.

How idiotic?! Did she think that they were all fools?

Empress Freya gazed at Tang Yue with her cold unforgiving eyes and calmly spoke. "Get the royal physician to come here. Quick."

"I… your majesty." 

Tang Yue tried to explain, but she was instantly silenced by the Empress. "There is no need for anyone to say anything more."

Tang Yue could only bow her head and stand silently, waiting for the rest of the drama to unfold.

Maybe I should have just ignored this damned invitation altogether?

They can't possibly sentence me to death for something like this right?

She inwardly cursed her bad luck.

Her emerald eyes ever so often flickered to gaze at the beautiful elf, standing beside Isabella and consoling the grieving maiden.

The frown on Charlotte's lips clearly did not travel to her eyes, which seemed to be full of mirth rather than sadness. She was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Tang Yue silently chuckled with her head still bent down. 

Every dog has its day! Now that things have progressed to this extent, she could only wait and watch as to what will happen.

She absolutely had no say whatsoever and even if she did say something, it will probably be misconstrued. 

Soon, the royal physician rushed over, especially so, because it was the Empress who had sent for him.

"Your highness" Old man Nueve bowed and greeted the Empress. 

He was a Cauldron Lord alchemist, with his position above that of a Master alchemist and below that of a Grandmaster alchemist.

More importantly, old eld Nueve also specialized in treating illness and ailments.

"Sorry to disturb you, Lord Nueve. Please attend to the wolf pup here." 

The Empress clapped her hands and asked the maids to bring the injured cub over.

"We had an unfortunate incident here." 

She further explained, casting an ominous glance directed at Tang Yue.

"I will immediately get started, your majesty." Old eld Nueve quickly started inspecting the small cub.

Normally, this was way beneath his skill level, but when the Empress calls for him, he had to oblige.

Moreover, he took one look at the high-profile women standing around the Empress and came to the conclusion that something major was happening at the moment.

Without minding the crowd around him, Nueve calmly sat down and started observing the pup thoroughly, from top to bottom.

He lifted its paws, looked under its nails, checked its tongue, and even took a glance at the eyelids of the poor thing.

Luckily, as opposed to the dire expressions on the women's faces, the situation itself was not that bad. 

The pup was clearly poisoned, but it was not a rare or unknown toxin.

And the cub, as well, was doing quite good, even under the effect of the poison.

Though the beast's breathing was labored, it's physical characteristics were remarkable, and was resisting the poison very well.