“Not many nobles are used to being publicly criticized or condemned in front of others. Peon was a bit used to it, but that was because the one criticizing him was the master of the empire, so he couldn’t rebel and there was no one to stop it.

But Kaella’s case was different. It was not uncommon for the head maid or butler to dare to admonish and teach her. There were even times when a mere knight would taunt her. The Grand Duchess, who had everything taken away and had nothing left, was so ridiculous like that.

“Your Highness seems to only care about spending money, but it would be best to first equip yourself with the qualities of a mistress.”

Such words used to spurt out at every turn even normally.

“That wicked bitch! How dare she try to sell us out!”

She even heard such words when she was confined in the tower. Kaella heard all sorts of curses she had never heard before.

They were curses that shocked her greatly the first time she heard them, curses that she couldn’t even properly describe. So she was used to it. She was used to the absurd things in this absurd place. That’s why Kaella wasn’t very surprised.

But just because she was used to it didn’t mean it was okay.

Silence flowed for a moment. Kaella did not make excuses or refute, and Peon only quietly looked at the butler without turning his gaze to Kaella.

“How is this situation unfolding?” Count Renard, who was quick-witted and quick to act, thought someone should refute here and kept examining the faces of the Grand Duke and Duchess. But he couldn’t rashly step out unless the Grand Duke allowed it.

“…Is this all?”

The Grand Duke stared at the butler for a long time and then repeated the same question again.

“Nothing more to present?”

“Yes… that is all.”

The butler hesitated for a moment before lifting his chin and speaking. He, too, had crossed a point of no return.

“Nothing more?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Peon rose from his seat after checking one more time.

“Bi. A moment.”

At Peon’s words, Kaella had no choice but to quietly stand up as well. Taking Bi separately, the butler was confident of his victory.

If he had wanted to refute right away because he didn’t believe the butler’s words, the rebuttals would have poured out here, but taking the Grand Duchess separately meant he was going to interrogate her.

In front of the butler who was trying not to smile with the corners of his mouth twitching, Peon, who only picked up the crystal bottle, disappeared to the back with Kaella. Letting Kaella inside, he tightly closed the door.

“Bi.”

Calling her, he thought it strange that Kaella was keeping her mouth shut. The butler who was spouting nonsense was also strange. Everything was strange. Lussenford was a truly strange and grotesque place.

“…First of all, I apologize for this unsavory incident occurring. I asked you to come here because if I had questioned Bi in front of the subordinates, it would have seemed like an interrogation.”

And the one ruling this grotesque place was the strangest of all. Kaella stared blankly at the overly polite Peon before finally opening her mouth.

“Yes. Ask your questions.”

Even as she answered, she thought all of this was futile. Why do an interrogation? Just give her the punishment you want and be done with it. The conclusion to all of this was already set anyway.

So she let the butler prattle on. She had sufficiently refuted and argued for the past 4 years. She had done it until blood came out of her throat from the tediousness.

No matter how much any logical rebuttal demolished that argument, it would not be able to break the land’s desire to bring Kaella down. So this was just something that was decided, a fate Kaella had to accept.

She did not think it would be different this time. No matter how much the current Peon differed from the Peon she knew, what was going to happen would happen anyway. The head maid had been like that, and now the butler was like that.

She looked at Peon, the Peon who she thought might be a completely different person this time, and felt a deep fatigue.

“Where do I even start?”

Kaella knew exactly how all of this would proceed and end. Those who have experienced it are used to it.

“He’ll start with confirmation.”

It looked quite perfect on the outside. There was physical evidence, and the fact that the evidence was definitive was confirmed by none other than the Grand Duchess’s attending physician, so it was natural for the suspicion to fall on the Grand Duchess.

Whether Kaella was falsely accused or not, whether the hastily put together flaws were visible or not, in Lussenford, if the people of Lussenford said it was so, then it was so.

“Is the substance in this bottle really poison? Is this yours? Things like that.”

“This bottle, it is indeed yours?”

See. The cautious manner of asking was meaningless. In the end, the core of the question was the same. Kaella nodded.

“Yes. It is indeed mine. I specially ordered it and brought it from Ostein.”

She readily admitted it. The answerer was very relaxed. She had been very quiet and calm from the moment Peon first declared the expansion yesterday until now. Rather, it was the questioner who seemed anxious.

“I see. …May I ask what’s inside it?”

“It’s poison.”

This time, too, a kind answer came right away. There was not a shred of hesitation or excuse.

“It’s a good poison made by finely refining perfura and carradine.”

It’s a very expensive and precious poison. So instead of causing stomachache, vomiting, or diarrhea when ingested, it stops the heart without any pain, but she did not say that.

It was a testimony that would help prove her innocence, but Kaella would not be judged innocent. So it was useless.

There was no point in saying it. Her throat would only hurt. She had claimed her innocence and argued logically to the point of her throat bleeding every day for the past 4 years, only to end up being confined.

Peon did not say anything for a long time at her unhesitating confession. Was he in shock? No, rather than that, he seemed to be contemplating what to say.

“Did you put this on the dressing table?”

“No. I separately ordered Thomas Townsend’s as a hardcover edition. In a format that could hold a buckle. As soon as I received the book, I cut out the entire paper in a rectangle, put the poison inside, and then put it in the very bottom compartment of my book box.”

It was a very kind and detailed statement. A classic where a philosopher and theologian discussed death – Peon opened his mouth and then closed it again. Thump thump, the pulse at his temples beat wildly. It’s the sound a sinner fears. Peon lifted his head.

The Grand Duchess facing him was like a pretty, lifeless porcelain doll with no expression at all. Like a doll, she waited meekly for what he would say without any sign of life and without even blinking. No, rather than lacking liveliness, it seemed she lacked a soul.

“…Do you have anything you want to say?”

You argued logically. You refuted that ridiculous argument point by point and saw through the loopholes enough to expose them. You’re so good with words. But why are you keeping quiet?

The questioning eyes were full of desperation. It was a plea to please say something.

“Not particularly.”

A dry answer fell, saying she did not feel the need to do so. The head of the man, which had never bowed no matter how forcefully it was pushed down, bowed so easily.

“When did you know?”

“About what?”

Asking “about what?” and Kaella immediately thought she shouldn’t have. What’s there to ask again about? It’s an obvious story anyway. Anyway, they lived as husband and wife for 4 years, and she had always watched his complexion, mood, tone, and actions, so she knew well what he was asking.

“…That we, returned, regressed.”

How amusing. Honestly, even though they lived as husband and wife, they couldn’t even be called a married couple in formality. They were just strangers.

But still, she knows. It’s probably something only Kaella knows unilaterally.

How well does that man know her? If he knew her well, he wouldn’t need to tremble like that.

She laughed slightly. They had already sufficiently explored each other, and the clues were scattered everywhere, so there was no need to deny it or be surprised anew. Just admitting it frankly was enough.

“Ah, so you call that regression. I didn’t know.”

She simply divided it into before she died and after she died. Kaella now looked out the window where spring had fully arrived.

While people were preoccupied with the unwelcome guest and war, spring, which had seemed so far away, had completely taken over Lussenford at some point. It was a good day. A much better day than the chilling and damp early winter.

“Ah, you asked when I knew. Sorry about that. As you know, I’m slow so I didn’t realize quickly.”

Is that something to be sorry about? The man’s heart plummeted again at the woman who preemptively attacked and disparaged herself in a powerless voice before being attacked.

“When you mentioned the expansion yesterday, I became certain. You were informing me at a level that I should have realized.”

Isn’t that important. Strangely, it was very important to Peon whose voice trembled. It’s saying she had noticed even before she was sure.

“All along… did you know and endure it?”

It must have been disgusting. It must have been definitely disgusting and so unpleasant. But the woman who was quietly brought here did not resist or refuse even once and endured him.

It hurt looking at the woman, whose damaged self-esteem was more terrifying than the restraints and brainwashing placed on him, calmly accepting and acknowledging it herself. I’m stupid. I’m an idiot. I’m a useless person.

Peon lost his words facing the self-esteem that had completely crumbled to a level where the retribution he could pay was too small in comparison. Even his life was too trivial.

“…Then you had no idea before that?”

Did she not know? Does that matter? No, did she really not know? Kaella, who did not think it was very important, looked back at herself upon receiving the question.

“You enjoyed it with your eyes closed.”

Kaella de Chasseur reflected in the window was glaring at her. That her wearing dirty clothes and drinking melted snow was cursing at her.

“You crazy bitch. You have a strong stomach.”

Kaella averted her gaze.

“That’s not important. The result is what’s important.”

Anyway, Peon is the Peon she knew, and Kaella is the Kaella he knew. That was the result.

“All along… did you know and endure me?”

But Peon’s voice, to whom it was very important, trembled. It’s saying she had noticed even before being certain.

“Did you… endure me while knowing?”

It must have been revolting. It must have definitely been revolting and so unpleasant. But the woman who was quietly brought here did not resist or refuse even once and endured him.

Kaella quietly looked at the man who was turning deathly pale.

“Why, why did you do that?”

A panicked voice stammered and asked.

“…Because you were scared of me?”

No matter how much he searched, that was the only answer. To that tiny woman, he was a monster. So, she must have been scared of him. So scared that her body froze and she couldn’t do anything. So the monster devoured Kaella who was suppressing her fear.

Rather than her hating and despising him, her fearing him hurt too much. It stung painfully. It felt like something was poking, hitting, and stabbing his solar plexus.

“What I’m scared of is hunger.”

The dazed violet eyes blankly stared at the noble Ostein lady. What did she say?

“I’m most scared of being hungry and cold.”

But outside, flowers were in full bloom. Finally, spring had fully filled Lussenford. Summer will probably come with it at this rate. It was a good time. Kaella was happy.

“I hate it so terribly.”

The porcelain doll who took her hand out of her pocket exuded hatred for the cold and hunger with her entire body. It could be felt to the point that even though she had no expression, it was apparent.

“It’s easy to be cold and hungry here.”

Kaella looked at the man who had completely crumbled and forgotten how to speak.

“I was curious how Your Highness would react when your eyes were clear.”

“…What?”

What did she say? Peon, who did not properly understand, looked at Kaella again as if to confirm.

“Often your eyes were pitch-black with something. Every time that happened, something bad would happen to me.”

She realized his eyes were different almost right before she died. No one knew, but she could see it.

Peon, whose violet eyes had darkened to black, did not listen to reason and ignored and despised Kaella as if possessed by something.

So she discarded hope relatively quickly as well. There must be some demonic magic in this place, she had to give up thinking that. Because Kaella, who was no saint, could not solve that.

“After dying, ah, you called it regression. After the regression, it happened once the other day.”

Kaella thought of a certain night and then stopped. Then she looked into those violet eyes that were clear without a hint of black malice, those eyes with veins popping.

“I was curious how you would react when your eyes were clear.”

She wanted to see at least once how he, who was popular and kind, would face what he had done with a clear mind.

“So this is how you react.”

Kaella nodded. The remaining curiosity was satisfied, and she had no lingering attachments.

“At first, there were times I hoped this world was a dream and that I would wake up soon. I slapped my cheeks a lot too.”

Right. That’s right. Kaella had unhesitatingly hit her own face. There were times Peon stopped that too. She remembered.

“I guess it was because it was a nightmare.”

Peon held onto his staggering mind and barely looked at Kaella.

She had her fist, which she habitually kept tightly in her pocket, brought up to her mouth. What is that? The panicked mind was significantly slower at deducing the conclusion.

Kaella put down the small bottle she always kept in her pocket. That bottle was now empty. The moment the brain that had been floundering in the swamp he created clicked and reached a conclusion, Peon immediately rushed to Kaella.

“No!”

A ringing sound was heard. It was the same as at the banquet held at the end of winter. Kaella purposely ingested the poison this time as well. Right. She did it on purpose that time too. Wanting to die quickly. Wanting to escape from this cold and hungry place.

“Kaella!”

The poison was already taking effect. It was a good poison indeed; she blankly looked at him and then her head dropped. As his world turned pitch-black, the thing that was hiding opened its eyes.”