‘The duke consulted with me on almost all matters, but occasionally, if there was something he had to keep secret even from me, he would send a letter to Duke Klein.’

This means that Duke Klein also knows about the death of the princess and my father. I continued my train of thought. There’s no way those two would have directly dirtied their hands… Did they have someone else carry out the deed?

Who on earth could that person be?

Just as I was mentally going through the close associates of Duke Yusten and Duke Klein one by one, the duke called out to me loudly.

“…Christine!”

“Yes, yes?”

I replied in confusion. The duke clicked his tongue and said,

“What on earth are you thinking about so intently? You didn’t even respond when I called you.”

“…I was pondering if there was a way to increase the estate’s income. The princess’s engagement falling through is a problem in itself, but our family suffered great financial losses because of it. We need to find a way to make up for it somehow, or it might cause significant issues in managing the mansion and estate in the future.”

“…Tsk, that’s true. It’s fortunate that you were able to recover even half of it; otherwise, we would have been in dire straits. Thank you, Christine. I really can’t do without you.”

“It’s nothing, Uncle.”

I responded to the duke’s praise with a shy smile. The duke patted my shoulder lightly and continued speaking.

“You know well that I trust and rely on you, Christine. Next time, make sure this doesn’t happen again. Plan more thoroughly.”

“I will, Uncle. You can count on me.”

“Good. You must be tired, so go and rest now. I’ll tell the butler to bring you some ointment for your injured shoulder.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll take my leave.”

With those words, I left the duke’s office.

‘I need to properly investigate the close associates of the two dukes right away.’

I thought as I crossed the dark corridor.

* * *

As Christine’s footsteps faded away, the door of the library adjacent to the duke’s office slowly opened, and Danae emerged. She glared sharply at the end of the corridor where Christine had passed and muttered softly.

“…That damned girl. Why does Father think my sister is so great that he won’t believe a word I say?”

Pretentious girl. Detestable Christine Sapiel Yusten.

Why does everyone believe and follow that girl’s words instead of mine? Why do they like that girl more than pretty me? Danae was unbearably angry about this.

‘The cold glances I catch glimpses of, and the way she pretends to speak softly while subtly mocking me. Her suspicious behavior, and the sudden change in the duke’s attitude! All of it is suspicious, so why won’t they believe me!’

Danae nervously bit her tender fingertips. These days, it was rare for her fingertips to heal completely. Bright red blood seeped from the torn skin, staining Danae’s lips red.

‘How can I make Father or Lenny believe me more than that girl?’

She pondered and pondered, forgetting even the pain in her fingertips.

‘Father doesn’t fully believe that girl’s words because he loves her like his own daughter. It’s because she still has value to be used.’

Then, if Christine Yusten’s value diminishes? Her father would immediately discard her. How could she make that girl useless? As she was thinking, a rather good idea occurred to Danae.

‘Directly interfering with the princess is dangerous… Should I try to render that man, Duke Haven, powerless?’

It doesn’t need to be for a long time. Just until her father and Leonard’s father completely gain the upper hand in this power struggle. Just until then, she needs to make him unable to exert his power.

As it happens, Danae knew a way to render him powerless.

‘Great! If I do that, Father, Lenny, and Father will be so pleased! They’ll praise me for coming up with such a brilliant plan! And then they’ll throw out that useless girl miserably!’

A wicked smile spread across Danae’s beautiful face.

She giggled as she imagined Christine being pathetically expelled and herself smugly laughing at her. After fully savoring the base joy produced by this imagination, she left the library and entered the duke’s office.

She spoke to the duke, who was leaning tiredly in his chair, gazing out the window.

“I have something to tell you, Father.”

“…Have you already decided to apologize to me? If not, get out.”

The duke replied gruffly without even glancing at her. Danae said,

“It’s about something a hundred times more important than that, Father. I’ve thought of a good way to trouble Duke Haven.”

“…What?”

Seemingly intrigued by her words, the duke slowly turned his head towards Danae. Danae continued speaking with an alluring smile.

“Lend me your ear for a moment, Father.”

Danae covered her mouth with her hand and whispered in a voice barely audible to the duke’s ear.

As her words continued, the duke’s awkwardly stiff expression slowly relaxed. When Danae finally finished speaking and pulled away, the duke smiled slyly and said to her,

“That’s quite a good plan. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Does that mean you’ll follow my plan, Father?”

Danae asked with a bright smile. The duke nodded and replied,

“Yes. Write a letter to Princess Consort Meradith right away.”

“You’ve made a wise decision, Father.”

Danae answered. She stared at Duke Yusten, who was calling for the butler in a loud voice, and thought to herself.

‘There’s no need for women better than me in this world. The same goes for men who aren’t interested in me.’

She resolved to use this opportunity to put both of them in a difficult situation simultaneously.

* * *

That night.

After leaving the duke’s office, I had Annie bring me parchment and a quill pen. After sending her away, I wrote down the names of Duke Yusten and Duke Klein’s current close associates and those who would side with them in the future on the blank parchment. Then I crossed out the names of the associates whose roles for the two dukes I was aware of, one by one.

Soon, only five names remained on the parchment. I tapped the parchment with these names written on it with the tip of the quill pen and thought.

‘Who among these people has the ability to take the lives of royalty and nobility without being detected by anyone? …If I only knew how the two of them were killed, I could easily find out.’

I furrowed my brow as I recalled the records left by the royal investigator regarding my father’s death.

‘No poison was detected in the blood, and there were no traces of being cut by a sword or attacked with assassination tools. Even the royal magician couldn’t find any traces of curse magic.’

If it wasn’t a sword, magic, or poison, then what on earth took my father’s life?

I pondered and pondered, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find a clear answer. I roughly pushed back my fallen hair and grumbled.

“…How did they manage to do this so perfectly? It’s not like they borrowed the power of a god!”

At that moment, a thought suddenly struck me.

‘…The power of a god. Come to think of it, I’ve heard before. Curses or protection magic cast by high-level magicians of 8th circle or above are difficult to detect with the abilities of magicians of lower circles. That’s why before the existence of the ‘Tower of Magicians’ with the 9th circle Archmage Erzed and his disciples became known to the world, people mistook the magic used by high-level magicians for ‘the power of gods’!’

I opened my eyes wide in surprise at the fact I had recalled. Quickly lowering my gaze, I fixed my eyes on one of the five names that hadn’t been crossed out. I quietly recited that name.

“…Sorcerer Emlyn.”

Why had I forgotten his name? I tried to recall his appearance from my previous life but soon shook my head.

“No, this person is a white magician. He has powers completely opposite to the black magicians who deal with curses, corpses, and death.”

I was back to square one again. Disappointed by this fact, I let out a big sigh. Then, suddenly remembering one more thing, I murmured absently.

“Although a white magician can’t use black magic, they can find someone who has used such magic.”

I had used that method before to catch someone who had cursed the duke.

So if the deaths of the princess and my father were related to magic, he should be able to find out.

I smiled contentedly, as if I had never been disappointed.

‘This works out well. He was one of the people I was planning to bring to my side later, just like Viscount Miles.’

So first, I needed to get Emlyn to side with the princess and the duke. After that, it wouldn’t be too late to gradually uncover the secrets surrounding the deaths of the princess and my father and collect evidence.

Having made that decision, I tore up the parchment I had been scribbling on without hesitation. After throwing it all into the burning fireplace, I lay down on the bed. Perhaps because it was getting quite late, I kept feeling drowsy.

I fell into a deep sleep, thinking that I should discuss this matter with the duke the next time I meet him.

* * *

It’s dark.

I was trapped in darkness so thick I couldn’t see an inch in front of me.

‘Where am I?’

I tried to reach out my hand, tried to move my legs, but my body wouldn’t move at all, as if it were tightly bound by something.

‘Is anyone there?’

I tried to scream loudly, but not even a whisper escaped. It felt like I had become a ghost. I was afraid and terrified that I might be trapped forever in this terrible darkness.

Just then, I heard the laughter of a stranger near my ear.