Lucius Earhart
– What did you say? – Sandir's voice broke the silence.
Alea slowly lifted her gaze to the elder. Her expression remained calm, almost indifferent. With her eyes half-closed and a slight playfulness in her voice, she repeated:
– As I said, Theo used a narcotic derived from a red stone.
Her words, affirming Aurora's and my own suspicions, hung in the air like stone. For a moment, I froze, unable to think. Until now, our theories had been just hypotheses, based on circumstantial evidence. But now, with the Circle Knight's confirmation, they had become undeniable fact.
Using such a substance, as Sandir had rightly pointed out, was tantamount to treason against the family. And the penalty for treason was immediate execution. However, we all knew that as foolish and envious as Theo could be, he would never betray the family. Still, the violation was so severe that it couldn't be ignored.
