Delphine curled up on the sofa in the library.

Even with the fireplace filled to the brim with firewood, the thin blanket on the sofa was insufficient to ward off the cold.

The snowstorm at its peak violently shook the windows.

Delphine hugged her knees tightly and buried her face in them.

Despite being indoors, it felt as if the snow outside was piling up on her shoulders.

Lonely and cold.

Delphine stared blankly at the orange flames burning in the fireplace, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Is it because of this cold?

She was reminded of the little girl from the fairy tale her mother used to tell her.

The one who lit matches to feel warmth just before freezing to death.

With one match, warm food appeared.

With another match, her kind mother.

And with the last match, she saw the figure of an angel, wasn’t it?

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

As she was nodding off, someone’s scream was heard.

Was she still in a nightmare?

Delphine thought hazily, not fully awake yet.

“My lady! My lady!”

At that moment, someone roughly knocked on the library door.

Delphine opened her eyes in a daze.

When did I close my eyes?

As she was thinking absent-mindedly, the door flung open without her permission.

“My lady! My lady! You must wake up!”

It was one of her faithful maids. Her face was pale blue.

As Delphine raised her head with shadowed eyes, the maid cried out almost like a scream.

“The, the guest… is dead!”

[This is the timeline separator]

Cally was dead.

Delphine stared blankly at the corpse of the woman who bore a resemblance to her.

The place where she, no, the corpse was found was next to the well.

Two servants who had gone out in the morning to break the ice, blowing on their hands to keep warm, had discovered it, they said.

She was perfectly dressed, even wearing an overcoat.

But in this weather, no one could last even half an hour outside.

Was there anyone in this empire who didn’t know that?

In the hall where everyone had gathered, Delphine stared vacantly at the corpse.

She looked as if she were merely sleeping.

Except that she looked like a doll, too white and too still.

“Um, my lady.”

It was then.

Wilson, who had been calming the servants, approached Delphine and spoke hesitantly.

“Well… it might seem inappropriate to say this when someone has died, but…”

“What is it?”

“Shouldn’t we check that woman’s pockets?”

It seemed they had already discussed this among themselves.

The servants nodded quickly, as if agreeing with Wilson’s words.

“Her pockets?”

“Yes. She suddenly came here, and then tried to escape in this weather… I wonder if she was trying to steal something.”

“My lady, is anything missing from your belongings? That woman’s eyes looked a bit suspicious.”

“From my belongings? Well, I’d have to check, but…”

She had spent the night in the library, and most of her valuables were in her private chambers.

“If you’ll allow it, my lady, may I search her pockets?”

“Is that alright? It’s still searching a corpse. We could wait until the police arrive.”

“In this weather, calling the police would be unreasonable.”

“That’s right, my lady. We don’t know when the snowstorm will stop, and it’s better than staying uncomfortable with suspicion.”

The servants murmured in agreement.

With no visible injuries and due to the freezing weather, Cally’s body looked very clean, as if she were just sleeping.

After a moment’s hesitation, Delphine decided she should take action to reassure the servants.

“Alright then, just search her pockets.”

“Yes, my lady.”

As soon as permission was granted, two of the bolder servants stepped forward and checked her coat pockets and even inside her dress.

“…My lady!”

One of the servants who had risen stood up and extended his hand towards Delphine.

On his palm, a ruby necklace glittered brightly.

It was the necklace she had worn all day yesterday.

“As expected!”

“I knew something was suspicious from the start.”

“What kind of crazy person would visit someone else’s mansion in this weather? Not without some purpose…”

“What’s going on!”

With perfect timing, Glyn Glasscock appeared, flinging open the door of the guest room.

His neatly arranged golden hair was now disheveled.

“I fell asleep late yesterday and forgot… Huh? Why is everyone like this?”

Everyone gathered in the hall was looking at ‘the crazy person who visited someone else’s mansion in this weather’ with peculiar expressions.

“My lady?”

Instead of answering, Delphine silently pointed at the floor.

More precisely, at the corpse lying like a doll on the floor.

All the while, she didn’t forget to keenly observe his expression.

Glyn Glasscock’s eyes widened as he discovered Cally’s body.

While he looked very surprised, Delphine felt something unsettling about it.

It seemed somewhat theatrical.

Is that the expression of someone surprised to find a corpse?

Or… is he surprised that the corpse was discovered too early?

“This, this is… No, that’s… Isn’t that Miss Cally?”

At that moment, the mansion’s main door opened.

Beyond it stood Ioan, against a backdrop of swirling snow.

Pure white snowflakes poured into the mansion.

Ioan closed the massive door that was being pushed by the strong wind with an effortless motion.

At his appearance, the sound of everyone in the hall swallowing dry saliva could be heard.

Even the servants were already well aware of the rumors about ‘Ioan Pryde’ that had spread throughout the capital.

After closing the door, he turned around.

The first place his gaze landed was on Glyn Glasscock.

Delphine immediately noticed that his way of looking at Glyn Glasscock had changed.

If before it had been a gaze mixed with impetuousness and jealousy, now it was infinitely calm and cold.

That seemed even more chilling.

Like a predator concealing its presence before a hunt.

“Put the corpse back outside the mansion. If left in the warm interior, decomposition might begin.”

He gave the order in a calm tone.

He pointed to two servants with sturdy builds to move the body.

“Yes, master.”

“After that, everyone gather in the dining room. …You too.”

After coldly singling out Glyn Glasscock, he turned towards Delphine.

His expressionless face changed instantly.

“Your face is too pale, my lady. Did you sleep properly?”

While the body was being removed, he was worrying about her sleep.

“……I’m fine.”

“A warm cup of tea will make you feel better, my lady.”

Ignoring Delphine’s bewildered expression, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her to the dining room.

This time, Delphine quietly followed his direction without any resistance.

[This is the timeline separator]

Once the servants who removed the body and the cook who brought tea returned, everyone in the mansion gathered in the dining room.

There were a total of 17 people present.

Delphine, Ioan, and Glyn.

Wilson and Delphine’s four loyal maids.

And nine servants including the cook.

Due to the blizzard, all commuting servants had been sent home, so there were fewer people than usual.

The servants remaining here were all residents of the mansion, relatively well-educated with confirmed status and loyalty.

……Among them is a murderer.

“It might not necessarily be murder.”

Glasscock cautiously opened his mouth.

The servants each added their thoughts.

“That’s right. That foolish woman…… I apologize, master. But don’t you think she might have died while trying to escape after stealing something?”

“There were no external injuries, so she clearly just froze to death.”

“……But who would go out in this weather dressed like that? Even someone out of their mind wouldn’t.”

The maid who made the last comment glanced at Glasscock.

Delphine noticed that all the other servants were also glancing at him.

“Besides, she didn’t even manage to get far and died right next to the mansion.”

“Well, about that. Look at the weather. When it snows at night, you can’t even see an inch in front of you.”

“Malcolm is right. Even when the two of us went to break the ice on the well this morning, we almost got lost.”

“That’s right. We couldn’t see anything in front of us…… We’re familiar with the mansion grounds, but she wasn’t, so she must have wandered around here and frozen to death.”

Everyone’s words made sense.

But no one had solid evidence.

Ioan, who had been quietly observing the situation, finally spoke.

“From now on, until the blizzard stops, everyone will move in pairs.”

At this reasonable order, all the servants nodded and glanced at Glasscock.

“The same goes for you. Betty and Malcolm, would you mind guarding Lord Glasscock?”

“Yes, master.”

Only then did the anxious servants visibly relax.

“I will take charge of guarding the lady. ……Is there anything else to add?”

When Ioan spoke, everyone held their breath for a moment, even though his tone was very calm.

His demeanor today was noticeably different.

A mood like a lion prowling quietly, watching its prey.

Ioan skillfully brushed off the frightened looks of the people and commanded.

“……Then dismissed.”

Ioan extended his hand to Delphine with a face still tinged with coolness.

“My lady. Let’s go up to your chambers together. You need to rest.”

Though his tone was gentle, unlike before, there seemed to be no room for negotiation.

Delphine looked at Glasscock one last time before silently following him.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ioan threw more firewood into the fireplace in the lady’s chambers.

Delphine sat on the bed, watching his strangely calm profile.

There was something he hadn’t said in front of the servants.

She hadn’t been in the room where the ruby necklace was kept yesterday.

The one who had guarded that room alone all night was Ioan.

Moreover, the shape of his lips as he muttered while watching Cally who had rushed to the reception room yesterday.

It seemed he had clearly said he would kill her……

Delphine hesitated, but finally opened her lips.