Uhm??
Okay, first, about Edwin. How is Rachel treating him like shit? It was even explained why she's making the siblings, not just Edwin, consume small amounts of poison. It's to build up immunity to poison in case the other consorts or some people try to assassinate Edwin and his sister by using poison. It's to increase their chances of survivability inside the palace. They aren't safe there, just look back to when Edwin was sick, the doctor, who is under the pocket of the 2nd consort (duke crowner's sister), tried to give Edwin a medicine that could kill Edwin in his condition instead of a medicine that could cure him.
Second, about Duke Crowner. I don't think there was ever any mention of Duke Crowner becoming the knight's captain while paying a price. Even Rachel acknowledged that he is recognized as a hero of the kingdom and talented with the sword (wait, can't remember if they're in a kingdom or an empire, but you get it.). So, Duke Crowner is eligible enough to become the knight's captain due to his deeds as a knights. And making Edwin pay for it? I don't get it, sorry. I mean, your statement of how duke radcliffe is making Edwin pay for it. Because I'm assuming Edwin wasn't even born yet when he became the Knight's captain, him being Knight's captain doesn't really have anything to do with Edwin. As I said earlier, he was talented enough to be the Knight's captain. He was just pissed that Edwin turned down his offer to train him himself. So by making Edwin pay a price, it's making Edwin run as much as the other knights, and he was sure that Edwin will fail since Edwin seems frail, right? But Edwin succeeded so he really can't do anything about it now unless he wanna go back on his own words.
Third, using other noble houses to keep each noble houses at bay is probably because of politics. Imagine being the king yet the noble house of your son is the one in actual power? So just having Duke Crowner by the King's side is enough to keep House Radcliffe in check. Or probably more like House Radcliffe and House Crowner are keeping each other in check.
(Do correct me if I forgot some details.)
There's a reason why I didn't say 'by making him consume poison' but instead something like while he was experiencing the side effects of the poison. I don't know how to make it any clearer that I wasn't talking about the act of feeding him the poison in the first place. In other words I don't understand how it wasn't clear I was talking about her acting as if a small child experiencing pain is supposed to power through it and answer all of her questions, while she watches him suffer completely coldheartedly (meaning not even her thoughts indicate that she is concerned about the pain he's feeling) albeit briefly?
No, I was talking about the king paying a price to make Duke Crowner the captain of the Gloria knights as the king himself said in the chapter with him and Crowner talking about Edwin and Adrian. My question was why did the King ignore (again) Edwin and his sister because of something he'd either done or wanted to happen?
D-did the king make Duke Crowner the leader of the Gloria knights by paying a price while also making that the fault of Edwin? (The fact that he ignores both of them just because he lacks the power to overtake Radcliffe unless he has the backing of Crowner is b.s.) And if so I have to ask whose fault is it that he needs the power of Crowner to keep House Radcliffe at bay, in the first place? And the FL wasn't listening when Crowner agreed when the king said he didn't want his nephew to be king? If not why did she assume and if she did why is she accusing someone of something they're not doing? And she says she doesn't want to raise Edwin in the ways of the killer but then doesn't mind treating him like shit while he's experiencing a severe reaction to poison? Wtf?