Chapter 2 - The Queen’s Temptation & The First Scheme

Claudius left with his confidants, his footsteps light with relief. The sound faded away, and Hamlet's foolish smile vanished instantly, replaced by a calm and sharp gaze.He clenched his fists, feeling the surging strength in his limbs—the effect of the basic physical fitness enhancement was immediate. The haze of weakness from the original owner's grief was gone, replaced by the vitality of a modern young man.[Ding! New Task Released: Test Queen Gertrude's attitude, find clues about the old king's sudden death, and reward:初级 poison detection ability (can identify common poisons in the Middle Ages).]The system's voice echoed, and Hamlet's eyes narrowed. Gertrude—his mother, the woman who remarried his uncle only a month after his father's death.In the original work, she was weak and greedy for power, but did she know the truth about the old king's murder? Was she an accomplice or a pawn?"Prince Hamlet? Are you alright?" A soft but hesitant voice came from the door. It was Gertrude, dressed in a luxurious velvet dress, her face filled with a complicated mix of guilt and concern.Hamlet quickly adjusted his expression, his eyes becoming scattered again, and he muttered to himself, holding his head: "Father's ghost is crying... the poison is in the wine... the throne is covered with blood..."Gertrude stepped forward, her body trembling slightly. She reached out to touch Hamlet's shoulder, but he suddenly dodged, screaming: "Don't touch me! You're covered in the smell of sin! The ghost told me, you drank the same wine as him!"The queen's face turned pale instantly, and her hand froze in mid-air. A flash of panic crossed her eyes—so fast that it almost escaped notice, but it was clearly captured by Hamlet, who was pretending to be crazy.She knew. Or at least, she suspected.Hamlet's heart sank slightly, but he did not stop his performance. He sat on the ground, drawing circles with his fingers, and whispered: "The snake bit the king... the snake wears a crown... the queen kissed the snake..."Gertrude stumbled back, her face as white as paper. She glanced at the door nervously, as if afraid someone would hear. After a long while, she forced a smile and said softly: "My child, you're tired. I'll send someone to bring you some food and wine."When she turned to leave, Hamlet noticed a faint purple stain on the cuff of her dress—a color he knew well from modern history books, the residue of a rare poison in the Middle Ages, which was colorless when dissolved in wine but would leave purple traces when dried.[Ding! Host has found clues about the old king's death and tested the queen's attitude!][Reward: Primary poison detection ability activated!]A warm current flowed through his mind, and Hamlet suddenly felt that he could clearly distinguish the faint toxic odors in the air—even the trace of poison on Gertrude's cuff was clearly perceptible.He watched Gertrude's back disappear at the door, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.Claudius, Gertrude... You thought you could hide the truth forever?The food and wine that Gertrude sent would surely be tested by Claudius' men. But this was just the beginning.He needed to use his madness to gain more time, gather more clues, and use the system to strengthen himself.Soon, a servant brought a tray with bread, meat and a goblet of red wine. Hamlet smelled it lightly—sure enough, there was a trace of a sedative in the wine, meant to make him more "crazy" and easier to control.He picked up the goblet, pretended to be reckless, and spilled half of the wine on his clothes, then took a small sip casually, pretending to be drowsy.The servant shook his head in disdain and turned to leave.As soon as the door closed, Hamlet spit out the wine in his mouth and wiped his mouth with a cloth.[Ding! Host avoided the sedative trap, gained 10 system points (can be exchanged for props/abilities).]Hamlet's eyes lit up. System points—another way to become stronger.He looked out the window at the darkening sky. The Danish court was like a den of snakes and scorpions, but he was no longer the tragic prince who hesitated and collapsed.Tomorrow, he would continue to play the madman, get close to Claudius' confidants, and find more evidence of the old king's murder.The game of revenge had just begun.