The Culprit is Inside the Mansion
It’s absurd to think that a passing thief, who has reached the zenith of ascension, harbored indiscriminate rage towards couples and played a trick. Therefore, the letter-killer must be one of those scurrying around inside the mansion.
And the thod to catch this culprit is quite simple. All we have to do is ask Neriel who she entrusted with delivering the letters.
Once we pinpoint that person, we can trace everything back and reveal the truth neatly. It’s not complicated at all.
After removing the one who interfered, a little couple's therapy should solve everything.
So.
"Neriel, please open the door. Neriel?"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
All that’s left is to open this firmly closed door.
I must have called for Neriel at the door for about an hour. But she remained silent without any response.
If I focus my magical energy on my ears, I can hear the rustling of blankets and shallow breathing. She’s not out of the room. She’s just ignoring my calls, her heart wounded.
I understand. She must be scared.
After all, it’s like her husband's mistress has co knocking at the door. Whether I apologize or confidently confront her, it will only deepen the wounds in her heart.
Perhaps she needs ti to calm down.
Let’s give her a mont to think alone. And when she feels better, I’ll co back and explain everything.
I slowly moved away from Neriel’s door...
Go.
Run, jump, and deliver a dropkick to the door.
Bang-!! Thud-thud!
The door hinges shattered, and the door rolled across the floor.
Forget about giving her ti to think.
I’ve read enough romance fantasies to know that if you hesitate and let misunderstandings pile up in the na of considering soone’s wounded heart, the snowball effect will end up burning down the entire village.
A small fire should be extinguished while it’s still small.
Neriel, who was curled up under the blanket, was startled by the sudden door breach and raised her voice.
"W-What, what is this?!"
"See, it would have been better if you had just opened the door when I asked nicely."
I dusted off my hands with a relieved expression.
Neriel, initially stunned, gradually beca filled with anger. Maybe she thought I had finally crossed the line by barging into her room.
"You ignored ! Don’t you know that ans 'do not enter'?! How far do you intend to humiliate ?!"
Ordinary language expressions do not work on soone filled with anger and sadness. Besides, this situation is quite unique.
If I say, "I'm just friends with Daisy," she’ll likely respond with, "Don’t lie!" or, "So I’m worse than a friend?!"
No matter how many reasons I give to prove that Daisy and Heart are just friends, she won’t believe at all.
So, what do I do?
I need to present shocking evidence that will instantly evaporate her anger and sadness, while also supporting my claim. Fortunately, I have just the ans.
I looked at her seriously and began to speak.
"Neriel."
"Stop, just stop. Whether it’s an excuse or an apology... I don’t want to hear a word from you...!"
"I’m married and have a daughter."
"⋯⋯What?"
Good, she’s shaken.
Without missing a beat, I quickly moved to sit beside Neriel. Then, I pulled out a sowhat old-looking photo album (painstakingly made an hour ago) from my coat.
I took out a magic-photo.
In the photo, you could see the image of Evil God-chan, my true self, and Heart. The three of us were posing happily with a V-sign. I created it with illusion magic.
Pointing at the photo with my finger, I explained.
"This is my dear one, and this is the little life I created."
"⋯⋯Oh, uh-huh."
"Recently, our daughter has been going through puberty, so she’s been quite rebellious. And my husband just teases her all the ti... Look at that. Isn’t our daughter cute?"
"Ah, yes... But really...?"
I don’t lie. I speak with sincerity.
After portraying the image of soone who deeply loves their family, the mood finally relaxed. Neriel softened considerably.
After all, it would be strange for a woman who loves her family this much to suddenly have an affair with the Northern Duke.
At this point, I added more explanation.
"Daisy and I are just friends. We t five years ago."
"⋯⋯Five years ago, and Heart... Could it be that you’re the famous ‘Heart’ from that ti, the woman of fantasy...?"
"Yes. I used to sell stories, and I was close to Daisy, but nothing more. I had soone I cherished."
"I heard rumors about soone who retired to find true love... So that’s who this is. The one who looks like a crow."
My past reputation added credibility. The baseless rumors that I retired to find love had sohow co in handy.
"I ca to the North to seek Daisy’s help. My husband is very ill... He’s only about a thirtieth as strong as he used to be."
"⋯⋯That’s oddly specific."
"There’s an excellent healer I know of..."
Now, I made it clear that I’m not a romantic interest. I didn’t co to seduce the Duke; I ca to care for my ailing husband, and Daisy is kind because we’re friends.
Neriel’s expression filled with guilt.
"I’m sorry, Heart."
"It was an understandable misunderstanding. In fact, I’m the one who should apologize. I should have explained everything before it ca to this."
Now for the next step.
I didn’t want to see Neriel in such a dampened state. She had shown kindness to , so I should give her the strength she needs.
The biggest reason for her sadness was that her efforts were in vain.
She had worked so hard, but Daisy hadn’t noticed. However, there’s a reason her efforts went unrewarded.
I got straight to the point.
"Neriel, soone has been intercepting your letters. When I asked Daisy, he said he never received a single one."
"What?! That... That can’t be..."
"Who did you entrust to deliver the letters?"
"I gave them to Sophie. But... she assured they were delivered..."
A likely suspect, Sophie.
It’s astonishing how easy it is to rember a person’s na. I ntally jotted down Sophie’s na on the whiteboard in my mind.
"Neriel, let’s go see this Sophie. I think she has sothing we need to hear."
"But Sophie is a servant I brought from my family. She’s loyal to ... It must be a misunderstanding..."
"If it’s a misunderstanding, then all the more reason to clear it up. Let’s go."
"...I’ll change and co out. Um... Heart, could you help with my dress?"
Of course.
We Confronted the Servant Sophie
When we questioned Sophie, she initially insisted she had delivered the letters properly. But when I ntioned that I had asked Daisy directly, her face turned pale, and she confessed.
"⋯⋯Emma said she’d deliver the letters instead. So..."
"Wait a minute, Sophie. Emma is the maid of the first wife, isn’t she? And you just... handed over my letters?"
"I-I’m sorry, my lady! But I had no choice. If I didn’t listen to her, Emma would have tornted ...!"
So she subcontracted the task.
Neriel, seeing Sophie trembling in fear, seed to feel sympathy and softened. It looked like she was about to forgive the servant who had wronged her.
But I’m different. How can I forgive this?
"That ans you sold out your mistress."
"Th-that’s..."
"Neriel may forgive you because she’s kind, but I won’t. You saw how the Duke was kind to at the entrance, right? If you act like this again, I’ll make sure the Duke knows your na."
"Hii, hiiik...!"
I gave a firm warning and let her go. I used the Duke’s na for effect, but if this happens again, I won’t even bother going to him.
I’ll break her head with a picture fra.
Neriel looked at with a strange expression, then quietly thanked . It seed she was happy that I had gotten angry on her behalf.
"Now, we know our next destination. Follow , Neriel."
"...Are we going to confront Emma?"
"No. We’re going to the first wife’s room."
"What?"
Why waste ti on small fry? It’s easier, faster, and clearer to go directly to the head.
If we settle things directly, they won’t bother us again by using servants to carry out sneaky sabotage.
"...But, Heart, the first wife is quite formidable. It could be dangerous to approach her recklessly."
"What kind of person is she?"
"The first wife is the head of the Alchemist Guild. I’ve heard she’s close to the royal family and frequently interacts with them..."
An alchemist.
A guild leader with ties to the royal family. Certainly, she holds a much higher status than Neriel, who is just the daughter of a minor noble in the North.
But who am I?
"I also have royal backing. The first princess, the second prince, and the third prince."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
Neriel looked puzzled, as if unsure what she had just heard. Logically, it sounded like a boast, but I said it so confidently that it seed like it could be true.
I took Neriel’s hand and marched forward.
"Let’s go. Tell more about the first wife as we walk, Neriel."
"...Yes."
Arte Loffelman
The head of the Alchemist Guild, married to the Northern Duke Elbillion Julius five years ago. They have a son and a daughter. The son is the first in line for succession, while the daughter was sent to a monastery to concentrate power.
"...Wait a minute, Neriel. Doesn’t the tiline seem odd? I saw the young lady, and she didn’t look like she could be only five."
"I don’t know the details, but I heard so sort of magic was involved..."
Although many in the Duke’s household found their birth and rapid growth suspicious,
Daisy publicly acknowledged them as his bloodline, and doubts were quickly put to rest.
An alchemist with royal connections. Accelerated growth.
For so reason, I thought of the Head of the Knights, Kim Lulu.
While listening to Neriel’s explanation, we eventually arrived at Arte Loffelman’s room. Neriel was trembling with nervousness, so I lightly patted her shoulder to give her courage.
In front of the door stood a maid with a stern expression, who frowned when she saw us and spoke first.
"The mistress is busy. Please leave."
This was her attitude even before we stated our purpose. Patience, one.
I stepped forward, pushing Neriel behind , and made a polite request to the maid.
"⋯⋯Neriel Bruneu, the second wife of the Duke, wishes to see Arte Loffelman, the first wife. Please go inside and convey this ssage."
"I said the mistress is busy. It’s not appropriate to visit so suddenly; don’t you know that?"
"Just go in and ask, please."
"Yes, I will. But not right now. She said not to let anyone in today. Co back another ti."
That’s a lie.
I read it from the maid’s eyes. The claim that no one was to be let in was fabricated. A re servant was making up orders from her master to turn us away.
She was treating us like trash.
Patience, two.
"Then tell us when she’ll have ti, and we’ll co back."
"Who knows? Maybe the day after tomorrow, she might have so ti... If you keep visiting, you might eventually catch her."
Patience, three.
"Are you really telling the second wife of the Duke to keep coming back until she manages to et the first wife? Instead of saying you’ll inform her when there’s a free mont?"
"She’s very busy. Anyway, you can’t go in today, so you should leave..."
Crack!
I took the picture fra off the wall and smashed it over the rude maid’s head. She collapsed, unconscious. It felt incredibly satisfying.
Sotis, you have to use force when words don’t work.
"Phew... That felt so good. Shall we go in?"
"...Um, Heart, why are you still holding the fra?"
"What if the first wife is also rude? It could be a problem."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Now that I’ve stepped in, the genre of this mansion is no longer a romance fantasy but a thriller. For those who don’t listen to reason, I’ll give them a gift of a picture fra. Whether they’re the first wife, a servant, or a knight.
Even if it’s the Northern Duke himself!
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