Kapitel 20: Auntie Ela Makes a Desperate Move
The rest of the banquet passed peacefully. The guests came over to congratulate Solis and Noir politely, and no one tried to shake hands with them or touch them in any way. After all, the consequences of that had been adequately demonstrated.
Auntie Ela and Jovis approached them again after some time. This time, they had a couple servants trailing behind them with several large baskets.
"Congratulations on your engagement, Solis and Noir," Auntie Ela said softly. "I wish you a happy relationship and many years of togetherness."
"Thank you, Auntie Ela," Noir said politely.
"I got you some small gifts," she said, indicating the baskets behind her.
Solis frowned. "I specifically said 'no gifts' on the invitation," he said. "Please take them back."
Auntie Ela froze. "But…these are things from the farms," she said. "You've liked these for years, Solis…"
"Mother, I already said no gifts," Solis said firmly. "And, as I've said several times before, there is no need to send me things from your farms again."
"Why are you doing this?" Auntie Ela cried. "You won't even accept these anymore?"
"No," Solis said curtly.
"Why?" she insisted.
"Because I don't want him to, Auntie Ela," Noir spoke up. "I dare not let Solis eat anything from your farms anymore. As to the reason for this…you should be clearer about that than anyone else."
"How dare you?! Are you accusing me of poisoning Solis?!" Auntie Ela cried shrilly. "Everyone in the family eats the products from my farms! How can you slander me like this?"
"Oh?" Noir said. "Then I must say I'm in awe of Auntie Ela's bloodline that can naturally repel such a powerful neurotoxin. Unfortunately, Solis doesn't share your blood, so the neurotoxin is deadly for him. It took me a lot of time and effort to remove the residual effects of five years' worth of neurotoxins from his body, and I don't want to have to do that again. Isn't it much more efficient to prevent his intake of the neurotoxin?"
Auntie Ela turned as white as a sheet, while Jovis's eyes narrowed speculatively.
"You…you can't prove it," Auntie Ela muttered.
Noir sighed. "Of course I can," he said. "Do you want me to demonstrate right now?"
"Mother, let's go," Jovis said quietly, pulling her arm.
But Solis's stepmother didn't let him take her away. She wrenched her arm from Jovis's grasp and approached Noir.
"Prove it if you can," she challenged, a cold light in her eyes. Gone was the gentle and delicate persona she had cultivated over the years. "And if you are able to, I will do whatever you want me to do." A cunning look appeared on her face. "However, if you are unable to, you will leave Solis right away."
"No," Solis said bluntly before Noir could respond.
Noir tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Auntie Ela," he said mildly. "Aren't you proving your guilt by yourself by putting forth such a condition? Do you think people are idiots? I cured Solis, so you want to separate us so that you can poison him again and bring him under your control again? Or worse, kill him?"
"Mother, let's go back," Jovis urged.
Auntie Ela ignored her son and glared at Noir. "Empty words and empty threats! It is clearly you who is driving a wedge between Solis and his family!" she shouted. "I raised him with my own hands, and he was always an obedient child!"
"Yes, he was obedient until he saw your true face," Noir said. "That wasn't recent. That was when he went overseas. If it hadn't been for the inheritance of Chaos Demon forced upon him by his late father, he wouldn't have had to deal with you again – he'd simply have sent you a large amount of money every month like he does now. However, even though Solis was wary of you, he never imagined that you were the one secretly poisoning him or that it was the neurotoxin which made his nerves fail him at the critical moment during the car crash. Do you know, when I first discovered the neurotoxin in the mushrooms, we wanted to visit your mushroom farm…to confirm whether it was only Solis being poisoned or all of you…? And yet, you stopped us at the gate and hurled such abuse at us that we had no choice but to leave. Still, I was able to confirm that the culprit was you…so it wasn't a wasted trip."
Everyone seemed surprised by that.
"How vicious," Teacher Artemis muttered. "I always knew you were power-hungry and greedy, Ela…but this…"
"You are accusing me without proof." The woman stood proud and cold and stubborn.
Noir sighed again. He looked at Solis. "Should I?" he asked.
"Go ahead," Solis said calmly. "There is no point in keeping up the pretence of a family relationship anymore."
"Indeed," Teacher Artemis said. "For the years that she raised you, however duplicitous it was, you have already returned the favour manifold. There is no need for you to put up with anymore of this, Solis." She turned to Noir. "Solis is under your care now, lad. You better do right by him."
Noir nodded. He gave Solis a comforting pat on his arm and walked to the servants holding the baskets.
He examined the produce carefully and picked out a couple of mushrooms and a stalk of celery. His face darkened with anger.
"You really wanted to kill Solis this time, didn't you?" he murmured angrily. "Even adding something as cruel as this…"
Then he walked to the salad counter and picked up a sprig of mint leaves and a couple of slices of tomato.
"Can someone bring me a pair of knives and two glasses of water?" Noir asked. "And is it possible to get some live fish or chicken?"
A hotel staff immediately brought over the required items.
"Do we have any poison experts or medical professional with a working knowledge of toxins in the gathering?" Noir asked Solis.
"We do," Solis said.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
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