Saying that, Irene did not look as furious as she had been before. Her gaze seemed to contain contempt or remorse, or even felt pity for her… the very eyes that Charlotte hated the most.

“That, what…”

The moment she tried to ask, “What does that mean? Why do you guys think of me like that?” while grabbing Irene’s shoulder tightly—

“Miss Irene!”

—The door to the tea room opened loudly, and the silver-haired maid, who had run out a while ago, entered with the others.

“I brought the doctor and the First Master!”

Behind Louise, who said that, a strange man was walking with wide strides. He has platinum hair and blue eyes. The very man who said he could not spare a single minute of his time for her because he had a busy schedule…

“What are you doing?”

Ahibalt’s cool voice brought Charlotte to her senses.

“That, that…”

“Do I have to say it twice?”

It was then that she recognized the anger in Ahibald’s voice — a warning to stay away immediately. At the blatant pressure, Charlotte unknowingly let go of her hand and took a few steps back. It was around that time that his gaze shifted as well.

“Are you okay, Irene?”

“I’m fine. Rather than me, the Youngest Master…”

“Is he in a very bad condition?”

“The doctor needs to check him out first. However, from what I’ve looked at, there doesn’t seem to be any signs at the moment except for the loss of consciousness. There’s no reaction to the poison.”

The situation was even more terrifying because the cause was unknown. The doctor, who opened his medical bag, hurriedly approached Rodion.

“I’ll start with an examination first and we can move him later. Irene, help me with the examination.”

“What, what can I do?”

“Louise, please tell the other employees to prepare a bed. It’d be quickest to tell Mrs. Beckins.”

The next moment, she asked Talia to get extra bedding, Hobbs to pick up his night duty, and the chef to cook stew for patients for the time being. Irene gave instructions without hesitation before closing her mouth.

Seeing that, Charlotte realized vaguely why Henrietta told her to find out about her… Why was it that only a maid could become a person of interest…

…Irene, she was the ruler of this beautiful and cruel mansion.

Before that realization, Charlotte suddenly remembered what Henrietta had once said to her.

“The Lavrenti mansion seems to be held by three brothers, led by Ahibalt. Although if you stay in the mansion for a while, you’ll find out that they really only own it.”

‘There is someone else who moves the mansion,’ Henrietta added.

At the time, Charlotte thought that she was referring to herself. But, now that she thought about it, did Henrietta really need to say something like that…?

‘…No, if she had been in power in the first place, she would not have any reason to have me go to and from Lavrenti.’

When her thoughts reached that point, Irene’s sharp voice suddenly pierced her.

“Young Master, that guest was drinking tea with Young Master Rodion until he collapsed.”

“I’ll have to look into it first.. Detain her.”

A command without any emotion followed.

Feeling a strong grip on her, Charlotte was engulfed in dismay. At the same time, Henrietta’s voice from last night echoed in her head.

“I like dull people.”

She could now understand what it really meant now without difficulty.

‘…Ah, I have been used.’

A hollow laugh broke out from Charlotte’s mouth. It was because she had a gut feeling that none of the three women in Lichpen would save her.

゚· : * ✧ * :· ゚

At that time, in Lichpen.

“Oh, look at the dust. Edith, don’t you clean up here?”

“If you came here to nag, why don’t you go back?”

“If you ask the children, they’ll clean it up quickly but it’s because you never ask them.”

Henrietta was in Edith’s lab. Even inside her home, she was dressed in splendor from her head to her toes, stuck out in this cluttered lab. It was even more so because the owner of this laboratory was dressed in a shabby outfit as if she had stayed up all night.

After taking a sip of a mysterious black liquid, Edith opened her mouth without glancing back at Henrietta.

“It’s because I’m not used to it. An outsider might come in and touch something wrong.”

“Then, I’ll give them a reasonable punishment.”

“Even if you punish the employee, will my research that was blown away come back?”

Eventually, Edith turned her sharp eyes to Henrietta. Meanwhile, the person who started this was smiling as though she did not know anything.

At the sly appearance, Edith had an annoyed look on her face.

“…There’s no point for me to say anymore. As you said, why did you come to a place where there’s nothing but dust?”

“I sent Charlotte to Lavrenti.”

At her words, Edith’s eyebrows narrowed before returning to normal as she opened her mouth. “She’s not going to come back easily.”

“Oh, yes. That’s why I brought her from the beginning. Though this time, Edith is responsible.”

“…Me? Why?”

“Didn’t you give Charlotte the drug? You’re not going to deny it, are you?”

“Of course, I gave it to her. According to you, is that because I made it?”

“Yes. How could you give poison to such an ambitious child?”

Henrietta giggled with her elegant voice. She noticed early on that Charlotte kept fiddling with a suspicious bottle. Needless to say, she could easily tell without having to ask where she suddenly got it.

So, she decided to use Charlotte.

“She was the child I brought in to attach to Ahibalt at first, but when things go like this, I don’t have to use Charlotte anymore.”

“What happened?”

“Don’t you know yet? Edith, do you remember that child?”

“What child? Is it too difficult for nobles to speak straightforwardly, or are they going to get a cold sore?

“You’re so quick-tempered. The chambermaid.”

Henrietta sat slightly on the clean sofa and smiled before continuing her words, “The child who plays well with our children, Irene.”

“…Ah.”

‘…That variable.’

Edith slowly raised an eyebrow. Even though she was not good at remembering people unless it was a research subject, she remembered the existence of the maid, Irene. She just really could not remember her name.

‘Her name was Irene.’

The reason she remembered the maid was simple. It was because she kept creating variables by talking to Rodion, whom she had controlled the variables the best.

‘And, there was something a little strange.’

It was a coincidence that things ended up like this. As she quietly looked back at her memories, Edith nodded her head.

“I remember that she gave me quite a headache. Yes, I remember.”

“They said she’s dating my son.”

“That’s kind of surprising.”

“Isn’t that right? I was surprised, too.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure my son has a crush on her, although I don’t know what she’s like. Edith, you know she was rather special.”

“She’s unique.”

“Nobody knows that they’ve got to attack her in order to get Lavrenti Mansion.”

‘…At least, it is between us.’

Henrietta added a smile and rested her chin on her crossed legs. Looking at her concealed face that did not show any intentions, Edith suddenly reflected on her past.

…Irene Casimere

A maid with strangely sharp eyes, who had been working at the mansion since she was young…

She remembered the first day she saw the maid.

゚· : * ✧ * :· ゚

One afternoon, after administering a quantitative dose of medication to Rodion, who was only staying in the room as usual, she went back to the lab.

“Wait… It’s not this drug.”

It was not until she arrived at the lab that Edith realized she had made a very rudimentary mistake. Normally, she was given two drugs that had to be administered in different doses.

Since Rodion’s body was so malformed, he would not have any serious health problems even if he took the wrong drug. However, this would cause other problems… There was a possibility that he would become too assimilated with Elios.

Rodion was greatly influenced by Elios because his personality was not yet properly established. These drugs played a role in preventing his personality from being assimilated into Elios and leaning too far to one side.

Simply put, it meant to prevent him from going berserk.

So, if the drugs were not properly administered, it would be like a time bomb.

‘Not yet…!’

As soon as she realized that, Edith ran to Rodion.

‘…If there is a chance of him going berserk, there is no other answer than to kill.’

Rodion was the masterpiece of her lifetime that she had created. He should not be broken this way. With that thought, Edith hurriedly opened his door. Contrary to her expectations, nothing in the room was broken.

Just a bowl of soup rolling around.

“It’s all right, Young Master. It’s okay.”

And, there was only one young maid, who was holding her masterpiece in her arms and constantly repeating that it was all right.



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