Ma is a white powder made from a plant fruit that contains narcotic properties.
In small amounts, it's unlikely to cause hallucinations, but when mixed with alcohol, its effects become stronger.
Although technically toxic, it mainly affects the mind. It causes almost no harm to the body and can be metabolized quickly as long as it isn't consumed in large quantities.
Elara had inherited the Xia family business in her previous life. After expanding the family's group beyond what it originally was, more and more competitors and enemies appeared in all kinds of industries. Many couldn't stand that her family held all the power, so she had to find time to train herself in many forms of self-protection.
One of those skills was poison recognition.
As she started attending more social events and banquets, she feared getting ambushed or drugged in some dark corner. So she received professional training in a special department, learning to identify various poisons and narcotic plants with her sight, smell, and taste.
As soon as she tasted the wine and noticed the mixed-in flavor, she immediately knew that the powder in that jade box wasn't poison at all. Lord Gregory had used a fake substance to test her reaction.
This body had never tasted such a so-called miracle drug. Lord Gregory used a fake one to test her because the "original owner" wouldn't have known the difference. And the way he forced her to drink just now was only to see how she would respond. If she had really refused to drink it, that would have made him suspicious.
But being too clever often leads to mistakes. Lord Gregory never expected that the Elara standing here now had a different soul inside and happened to be very familiar with poisons. She instantly recognized the fake narcotic in the wine and correctly guessed what he was trying to do. This also confirmed for her that he couldn't make a real move on her yet, at least not openly.
After hearing Elara's explanation, System 92 finally realized that all the earlier "danger" had been part of her performance and planning. It let out a huge sigh of relief. Thinking back to how panicked it had acted, the glow it gave off even turned slightly red from embarrassment. It made up its mind that it shouldn't overreact anymore. Its master had already planned everything. If it caused trouble because it panicked, that would be a real problem.
System 92 calmed down and watched as Elara followed Imani into the back hall. It couldn't help asking:
[Master, what are you going to do about the body inspection?]
Elara laughed to herself and gave Imani a cold look ahead. [You'll see in a moment.]
Inside the back hall.
The guards closed the door and stepped out, remaining on guard outside.
Only Elara and Imani were left inside.
Imani turned around. His pale and delicate face flushed slightly. He kept sneaking glances at Elara, clearly hesitating to speak, with a shy and hopeful look.
Honestly, Imani was indeed a beauty. If he hadn't been sent by Lord Gregory, if his surname wasn't Gregory, Elara might have appreciated his looks for a moment.
But sadly, this beauty was a trap coated in poison.
"Your, Your Highness… should I, um, help you undress?"
He had been burning under Elara's intense gaze the whole way here and couldn't hide the excitement in his heart.
Before entering the palace today, he was terrified. He'd heard the infamous princess was cruel and terrifying, someone who could silence crying children with her presence. But thinking of the endless riches and power awaiting him and how Lord Gregory stood behind him, he figured even if she were violent, she wouldn't dare do anything to him.
What he didn't expect was that the so-called vicious princess turned out to be such a beautiful and noble young lady.
He had secretly peeked and listened outside earlier. Although the princess acted a bit wild, it was only because the elder had asked for something outrageous.
She was a noble lady, soon to be his future wife. How could she let her body be exposed in public like that? That would be letting those men inside and outside take advantage of her. The elder was clearly out of line.
Even so, when faced with such difficult demands, the princess didn't get angry. She handled it cleverly. Her methods might have been extreme, but Imani, who grew up in the Gregory household where no one dared go against Lord Gregory, was shocked to see someone make him suffer a minor loss.
She spoke clearly and remained calm. Even when facing Lord Gregory, her aura never faltered. She was elegant and composed, completely different from the mindless person in the rumors. In fact, everything about her fit Imani's fantasy of a perfect future wife.
Now that he had finally met Elara face-to-face and saw how her beauty far surpassed his imagination, joy surged through his chest and replaced all his fears. It felt like winning a massive bet in a high-stakes gamble.
Imani was a bit taller than Elara. Standing in front of her, his fair fingers carefully reached for her collar, but as soon as he touched the ribbon, his hand was caught by a smaller, paler one.
"Don't rush."
Elara looked at him with narrowed eyes. Seeing how his face turned redder, her tone became even more playful. "Pretty one, although I also want to enjoy you right now, there's a price to pay if you want to take off my clothes."
They were very close. Elara's breath brushed against his cheek as she spoke, making Imani's face even redder. He got flustered and couldn't look her in the eye. His ears were already bright red.
"W-what price…"
Elara leaned even closer, smiling more seductively. He turned his gaze away, but his ear turned even redder.
"You'll know once we're back in my residence and you're in my bed."
Back in the princess's bed… He knew that with the Gregory family's backing, once he entered her residence, he would be favored. But did this mean she would favor him tonight?
His heart pounded wildly. He couldn't hide the glee on his face. System 92 sighed quietly in Elara's mind.
Did this man really think he would be favored tonight? How could a spy sent by Lord Gregory look so innocent? Did he not know how the princess usually "favored" men? Why would he show this kind of expression?
Or was he just a good actor?
System 92 mumbled these suspicions to Elara, but she replied: [Doesn't matter. Whether he's truly innocent or faking, once he enters my residence, he'll play by my rules.]
That tone told System 92 everything was under control. It relaxed and kept watching as Elara, still smiling, said to Imani:
"Pretty one, not so fast. Lord Gregory is still waiting outside. We need to finish his order first."
"He said he wants to check my body. I assume he means there are special marks somewhere that can prove my identity, right?"
"I already said I'd rather save the fun of undressing for tonight in bed with you. So, just tell me which parts I need to show you. Once we're done, I'll take you home. Sound good?"
Imani had already been mesmerized by her presence and seductive tone. All he could think of now was how he'd perform tonight and earn the princess's exclusive favor, enjoying both her love and the life of luxury.
So just two seconds later, he agreed and spilled all the places Lord Gregory told him to check.
"Yes, yes, Your Highness. I need to see the back of your right thigh, your upper back, and the back of your neck…"
He nervously reached out and lifted Elara's robe to examine her skin. Her skin was smooth and pale. Her long legs looked beautiful and delicate. His ears burned red and his eyes were filled with growing amazement as he carefully checked each spot.
After that, while Elara couldn't see, he quietly pulled out a small pair of scissors hidden in his sleeve. Without touching her, he quickly snipped a few strands of her hair and put them into a scented pouch.
He moved carefully and skillfully, clearly trained for this. A normal person wouldn't have noticed anything.
But from the moment he stepped behind her, System 92 had been narrating everything to Elara in real time.
[Master, there really is a very tiny crescent-shaped birthmark on the back of this body's thigh. You can't notice it unless you look closely. Also, from the way he moved, it looks like Lord Gregory might have used some kind of drug to make her body easier to identify.]
Elara didn't say anything as she listened to the live report.
After collecting her hair, Imani waited for the powder inside the pouch to react. Once it changed to the expected color, he put it away and carefully spoke to her: