Page 81 of The Villainess Chose Naps Over Death Flags

Carol felt her face heating with embarrassment, but Caspian's expression remained calm.

"Your sister has been making significant efforts to change her behavior," Caspian said. "I've been trying to support those efforts."

"By letting her spend nearly ten thousand gold crowns redecorating?" Bea asked, though her tone was more curious than accusatory.

"The estate is her home," Caspian said simply. "She should make it comfortable."

"And the Dreamweaver cub?" Jasper pressed.

"She bonded with it. Familiar bonds shouldn't be broken."

"The shadow wolf puppy?"

"It was orphaned and needed care."

Jasper leaned forward slightly. "You're being very accommodating to a wife who—and forgive me for being blunt—trapped you into marriage and made your life miserable for two months."

"Jasper!" Carol said again, mortified.

"She tried to poison me four weeks ago," Caspian said calmly.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees.

Carol wanted to die. Just sink through the floor and cease to exist.

"She WHAT?" Jasper's voice rose, and small flames flickered to life on the tablecloth near his plate.

"Jasper, your fire," Bea said quickly.

Jasper looked down, saw the flames, and immediately extinguished them with a muttered apology. But his eyes were blazing when he turned back to Carol. "You tried to poison him?"

"I didn't—that wasn't—" Carol floundered. "I mean, technically yes, but I've apologized extensively and I'm very different now—"

"The wine tasted odd that night," Caspian continued, completely unperturbed. "But I have a high tolerance for most poisons. It was mildly unpleasant at worst."

"You drank poisoned wine?" Bea asked, sounding stunned.

"I wasn't certain it was poisoned at the time," Caspian said. "I suspected, but didn't want to make a scene."

"So you just... drank it anyway?" Jasper asked.

"It seemed simpler than confronting her at dinner."

Carol buried her face in her hands. "Can we please talk about literally anything else?"

"I think we should absolutely talk about this," Jasper said, though the protective anger in his voice had shifted slightly toward bewildered concern. "Caroline, you tried to poison your husband?"

"I was a different person then," Carol said miserably. "I was angry and miserable and making terrible decisions. I'm not that person anymore."

"She's been apologizing to the staff," Caspian added. "Learning estate management. Being kind to everyone. The change has been... significant."

"But you're still suspicious of her," Bea said, watching Caspian carefully.

Caspian was quiet for a moment. "I was," he admitted. "Initially, yes. People don't change overnight, and the transformation was dramatic."

"And now?" Bea asked.

Caspian's green eyes shifted to Carol. "Now I'm... less suspicious."