It was a shocking statement that surprised everyone.

Knowing who had poisoned the food.

Even the previously calm Duchess couldn’t hide her trembling eyes.

However, Leriana quickly regained her composure and returned to her usual elegant self.

Wearing the mask of an ordinary mother worried about her son who witnessed the culprit and angry at the perpetrator, she looked down at her son with shining teal eyes.

‘If only those eye colors were different.’

The mysterious teal eyes that resembled the former Duke and Dietrich exactly.

Although it was a characteristic of those who inherited the blood of the Delgado family, Leriana did not like it at all.

No, in fact, she liked the teal eyes Yurian had.

After all, it proved he was a descendant of the great Delgado family.

But Dietrich also had the same teal eyes as her son.

She hated that fact to death.

Teal eyes slightly clearer and brighter than Yurian’s.

When those eyes looked at her straight as if they knew everything, it felt like her spine was tingling.

That gaze filled with unwavering determination was detestable.

But now.

Yurian had that same look in his eyes. Looking straight at her without avoiding her gaze.

Irritation suddenly surged, but Leriana wasn’t stupid enough to ruin the reputation she had built up in an instant.

“Oh my, Yurian. Tell me right away. Who on earth did this to you?”

Yurian looked down at the orange-haired maid kneeling right in front of him.

The maid froze when she met his teal gaze looking at her.

His emotionless gaze contained an undeniable unspoken pressure.

Who the culprit was no longer mattered.

Yurian pointed his finger at the maid.

“That maid did it.”

As soon as Yurian finished speaking, silence fell.

Although everyone had suspected she was the most likely culprit, no one expected the crime to be revealed in this way.

“Aah! No! I really didn’t do it!”

The maid, pushed to the edge of a cliff, screamed in resistance.

While the maid in front kept shouting “I didn’t do it!”, Yurian continued speaking calmly without even blinking.

“While my tutor and I were having a lesson, that maid prepared the peach pie. Thinking we couldn’t see her, I saw her sprinkle something on the pie just before bringing the fork and napkin. I thought it was just the sugar powder I like. I didn’t know it was poison meant to kill me.”

With those words, the maid looked at Yurian in disbelief.

Her expression showed she couldn’t believe the young master she trusted would lie.

Tears fell from the maid’s eyes as she stared at him with a bewildered expression.

However, Yurian was surprisingly calm as he explained the situation clearly.

As if telling someone else’s story.

The atmosphere had completely sunk.

Even the knight who was about to go out to bring Heidi stood with his mouth gaping.

The Duchess bit the inside of her mouth slightly as she looked around at the seemingly concluded situation.

‘I didn’t expect Yurian to step up here.’

Leriana carefully observed Yurian, who was staring at the maid with an expressionless face.

Yurian had always been a docile and gentle child.

A good son who pitied his mother left alone after losing his father early.

He was a child who obediently followed when told he had to study without rest to catch up to Dietrich, who was outstanding in all aspects.

He was also clever enough to pretend not to see anything to avoid getting involved in complicated and troublesome matters.

But now, that cold gaze looking at the maid was the spitting image of someone Leriana despised terribly.

Leriana unconsciously stepped back from Yurian.

To see Dietrich in Yurian.

It was the first time her beloved son looked unfamiliar.

Why did Yurian suddenly come forward saying he saw the culprit?

Until the maid left open the possibility that the culprit could be the chief chef, Yurian had quietly observed the situation.

As if he had nothing to do with this situation.

However, when ordered to bring in the maid named Heidi, Yurian immediately stood up as if forgetting he wasn’t feeling well.

Then he turned the situation around surprisingly coldly and carefully.

The tutor who ate the poison together was already dead, and Yurian was the only witness who saw who brought the poisoned pie.

Cleverly, Yurian took full advantage of this point.

Since the victim directly witnessed the culprit, it couldn’t be refuted without other evidence.

Using his far superior status and intelligence to overpower the other party so they couldn’t even refute.

It was a truly noble demeanor.

‘Act like a noble.’

That was what Leriana always urged Yurian to do.

It was only natural to live like a noble since he was born one.

Just now, Yurian had overwhelmed people arrogantly and oppressively, befitting the next head of the Delgado family that controls the empire.

Normally, Leriana would have praised Yurian generously.

However, she couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

‘Heidi.’

Yurian reacted to the name ‘Heidi’. As if trying to protect Heidi, he directly stepped up to defend her.

‘Does Yurian know Heidi? What kind of relationship do they have?’

If that dirty maid of unknown origin had reached out even to her son.

For a moment, anger overtook reason. Her head turned white and her face flushed.

Seeing Leriana like this, people took it as her finally unable to contain her anger at the revealed culprit.

The knight who had been quietly observing and the maid beside her slowly stepped back.

There was nothing good about getting involved in this situation, as it might bring unnecessary trouble.

Moreover, this maid in front of them might soon die.

It seemed like something big was about to happen, as they had never seen the Duchess reveal her emotions so openly before.

Sure enough.

The Duchess, who had lowered her head to cool her reddened face, slowly took a breath.

“Yurian. Is what you said true?”

“It’s the absolute truth, Mother.”

“You didn’t see wrong? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Despite the continued questioning, Yurian’s answer didn’t waver.

“I see.”

Now she turned her gaze to the maid who was still screaming.

It was time to cut off the tail.

Although she was furious that using Heidi to frame Dietrich had failed.

‘If I drag this on any longer, I might arouse suspicion.’

If the case grew larger, saying they must catch the one who dared try to poison the young lord of the Delgado ducal family, it would be disadvantageous for her.

If that chef testified that the Duchess’s maid told him to make the peach pie, the situation could quickly turn around.

Leriana calmly asked the maid.

“What’s your name?”

The maid, whose voice had become completely hoarse from screaming so much in that short time, answered.

“Lizzy, ma’am.”

“Lizzy.”

After softly repeating Lizzy’s name, she smiled brightly.

At her bright smile, as kind and beautiful as always, characteristic of Leriana, hope flickered on the maid’s face.

The hope that the benevolent and wise Duchess might save her.

It was a very small and feeble hope, but worth expecting because of the merciful Duchess.

If it were Young Lord Dietrich, her head would have flown off long ago, but the Duchess would be different.

Everyone in this room thought so.

However, a refreshing voice shattered the maid’s hope.

“Take this maid away and punish her.”

“Pu-punishment, what kind of punishment do you mean?”

The knight who had stepped back stuttered at the unexpected words.

The Duchess kindly answered while stroking Yurian’s golden hair.

“How about cutting out her tongue first? She’s guilty of lying to me. Ah, and pluck out all that bothersome hair too. If she’s still noisy after that, it would be best to deal with her quietly then.”

“…Y-yes!”

The knight’s response came out late at the horrifying answer that contrasted with her gentle smile.

No, the knight was relieved he could even respond.

The Duchess’s sentence was cruel just to hear. The maid beside him quickly opened the door wide after reading the mood.

“This can’t be! Please spare me! Please, save me!”

The maid’s desperate final scream faded away with the knight.

When the screams could no longer be heard at all, the Duchess placed her hand on Yurian’s shoulder as he stared blankly into space without any reaction or words.

“Yurian. We just caught the culprit thanks to your testimony. Thank you so much.”

“…Yes.”

“That maid who tried to kill you will never see the light of day after today.”

Yurian smiled as he felt the grip on his shoulder gradually tightening.

“It’s all thanks to you, Mother!”

Leriana stared at Yurian silently for a long time before patting the shoulder she had been holding.

“You must have been shocked. Rest more. I won’t disturb you.”

Then she left the room.

Only after hearing the click-clack of footsteps completely fade away did Yurian collapse onto the floor.

The child clenched his teeth to stop the tears that kept falling while clasping his trembling hands together.

But it was beyond his power to calm his pounding heart.

“Hic, sob…”

His head buzzed with guilt for deceiving his mother and regret for the maid who was dragged away wailing until her ears split.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

This was unavoidable.

It was an inevitable choice for Mother not to get into trouble and for Heidi to be safe.

Yurian told himself with his eyes tightly shut.

‘So I just need to stay quiet.’

If I just pretend not to know about this incident, no one will get hurt.

The strange powder sprinkled on the pie, and the tutor who collapsed convulsing after hurriedly eating the pie.

The image of the maid crying in resentment was still vivid.

But Yurian decided to forget it all.

Blaming himself for overhearing his mother’s order to take the poisoned peaches to the kitchen, when he had gone to find her hoping to be praised for successfully completing his daily routine.