She was a sister who would cry bitterly even for a rabbit that died after living with her for a week.

Moreover.

‘It’s been a while. Since sister smiled so happily.’

So he concluded to confine Etricia in the mansion from the reception room and prevent her escape.

It was also an excellent method to discover the other party’s purpose, motive, and even if there was someone behind it.

As all range of action was within his domain, she wouldn’t even think of threatening his sister.

Edmond cleared his thoughts as he turned his back to the floor-to-ceiling window.

“Tail, I’ll give you command of the subjugation unit, so when you return, investigate sister’s past whereabouts. Rail, you stay as the butler and take charge of surveillance in the mansion.”

Rail’s eyes widened.

Rail had diligently learned the handling of institutional affairs and butler duties for 9 years while protecting Lilien. It seems it was for today.

“Yes, master.”

The twins who had been growling at each other, grabbing each other’s collars, let go as if pushing each other away and prostrated themselves.

As Edmond nodded slightly, they stepped back and melted into the darkness.

He looked down again at the bright floor-to-ceiling window that made his eyes sting.

Below the window, Etricia was smiling. Clearly, like a blue sky without a trace of worry.

Not knowing that a gaze sharp as an ax blade was falling on her head.

[This is the timeline separator]

I looked around the newly assigned bedroom.

Intricate and luxurious wallpaper, cute statuettes, and a canopy bed.

I could tell without being told. It was a space stained with young Lilien’s time.

My gaze that had been wandering in the air settled on the man standing before me.

“I am Rail. From today, I will serve as the butler of the Mifidian mansion and attend to the Countess.”

The man with long navy blue hair falling like a waterfall smiled unnecessarily.

“I look forward to working with you, Butler Rail.”

“The honor is mine to be able to serve you.”

Rail slowly raised his waist and watched me through the monocle fitted in his sunken eye socket. I smiled at the blatant exploration and vigilance, thinking.

‘At this rate, I won’t even be able to escape at night.’

“Rail, could you please withdraw now? I’d like to rest.”

“Certainly. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

Rail bowed neatly and disappeared, closing the bedroom door.

Phew, only then did I sigh and lean back on the backrest.

I’m certain that the butler assigned overnight is Edmond’s limb for surveillance purposes.

At this point, I had a reasonable suspicion that he might have detained me because of the assassination request.

‘But that can’t be.’

The guild master’s memory should have been erased. Moreover, Lilien is alive.

Even for Edmond, would it be possible to trace the process without results, and in such a short time at that?

But…

‘Who are you?’

I was overwhelmed with anxiety at the memory of dawn when he suddenly pointed a knife at me.

‘…Ugh, just in case, let’s periodically check the guild master’s life and death through the guild monthly magazine.’

The death of the guild master would mean that the assassination request had been exposed.

After furiously racking my brains from various angles, I reached one conclusion.

‘The overprotective younger brother wants to check if I’m a safe person for Lilien.’

Look how he rushed back, even moving up his return schedule, at the news of a stranger staying in the mansion.

Moreover, I was a volatile person who declared divorce after the mansion burned down in just one night.

Even because of Lilien’s terrible acquaintances, it was understandable to view me with a narrow perspective.

If so, the best course of action for now was to act like the tongue in one’s mouth to someone who adores his sister, while dreaming of escaping the tiger’s den.

‘Oh my, really? You’re staying at the mansion?’

It bothered me a little how happy Lilien was during breakfast when she heard I was staying at the mansion.

After organizing roughly what I shouldn’t do from now on, I even felt a sense of superiority, as if I were in an advantageous position.

I smiled languidly and stared at the table. I picked up the quill pen deeply immersed in the inkwell placed there and pulled the high-quality Western paper up to my chest.

These were tools I had instructed the maid to bring before Rail came to greet me.

‘I should return to the original plan.’

I had to write a letter to send to the Emperor.

I moved the quill pen quickly, making the peacock feather vibrate.

The content was roughly as follows:

[ It’s been a while. How is Your Majesty’s health? I’m an unworthy child who couldn’t even ask after you for fear of incurring the dislike of my mother-in-law, Lady Antra Dien. ]

Thus, I directly appealed about the atrocities of my in-laws, and

[ If I may speak shamelessly, recently my late father visited me in a dream… ]

Thus, I mentioned the manipulation of the will using the method of… unable to leave this world due to an unjust death… which was commonly used in my previous life.

[ I don’t want to live with that person anymore. ]

Thus, I conveyed the news of my decision to divorce.

The Emperor would clearly see through my shallow methods, but he would welcome even that. He would pretend to be fooled, as it was news he had been waiting for in his heart.

Then I planned to find the will kept in the VIP rental safe under the name of Count Vuel and send it to the Emperor.

Unfortunately, Devon would have thought at the time that it would be enough to find and manipulate only the will hidden in the mansion by his father and then destroy it.

However, my father showed foresight by writing two wills during his lifetime, keeping them in a rental safe, and telling me about it.

Looking at it this way, he indeed seems to have been the head of a huge business. It was very fortunate for me as it made investigation possible.

Handwriting analysis of the will is a special and elaborate magic that can only be done at the Emperor’s direct magic tower.

Since it cannot be privately requested unless one is of the imperial family, it was faster to ask the Emperor.

‘Perfect.’

I finished the task I had been postponing and smiled contentedly as I put the letter in the high-quality paper.

Eventually, I left the bedroom and entrusted the letter to Rail, who was busy with the handover.

“You must be busy, but I have a request.”

Rail, who was taking the letter without a word, flinched at the recipient written on it.

I, who keenly noticed the change in Rail’s expression, opened my eyes coyly.

‘It’s understandable to be surprised. To dare send a direct message to the Emperor.’

A moment later, Rail, who had cleverly erased his surprised look, smiled faintly and put it in his breast pocket, saying he understood.

I narrowed my eyes and watched Rail.

‘Surely that letter will pass through Edmond’s hands.’

That’s why I wrote the letter even more pitifully to evoke sympathy. There was nothing in it that would be troublesome for him to see, so I hoped he would see it and lower his guard.

‘I hope the master of the mansion sees the letter and relaxes his sharp gaze a bit.’

I quietly watched Rail’s back as he climbed the stairs and headed to my bedroom.

[This is the timeline separator]

I glanced at the Mifidian siblings sitting side by side in front of me and glumly stuffed bread into my mouth. I couldn’t tell if the moist and soft bread that tore along the grain was going down my nose or my mouth.

‘…Now you’re eating so naturally.’

It was already the second day since I entered the tiger’s den. On the first day, I filled my stomach with digestive medicine due to the lavish guest treatment, but I didn’t expect this to continue on the second day.

‘Well, this was surveillance.’

Lilien, who was busy pulling salad, homemade jam, and croissants in front of me, smiled brightly when our eyes met.

“Does the food suit your taste, Lady Countess?”

I swallowed the fermented lump that wouldn’t go down as if my throat was blocked with a cork.

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

Lilien smiled widely as if she was truly happy.

Across from me, Edmond, who was moving his silver cutlery, glanced at me and then continued his habitual actions.

“It seems Lady Countess Vuel is uncomfortable with my presence.”

Cough, I almost choked on the bread. I gulped down some water and wiped my mouth with a napkin while smiling.

“Oh my, how could that be? Dining with Count Mifidian is a time that would make the imperial ladies envious.”

Ha, a sneer flashed across Edmond’s lips for a moment before disappearing. It was a mockery as if to say, “As if.”

I observed Edmond’s meal. He consumed his food with movements as precise as if measured with a square, without any unnecessary actions.

Judging by his unemotional chewing motions, he didn’t seem to be enjoying the taste. It was closer to consciously ingesting nutrients.

Well, even I who think that way don’t know what food I’m eating.

As I was chewing the meat like rubber with disinterest, the colorful foods that brightly filled the table felt like a burden on my stomach today.

Lilien hesitated as she tore the bread into several pieces, then brushed off her hands covered in bread crumbs with a determined air.

“Lady Countess. May I ask about your schedule for today? I’ll be attending a pastry class and won’t return until late afternoon…”

Lilien lowered her eyebrows with an apologetic look and smiled blandly.

“Ah, don’t worry about me. I have an appointment with a lawyer today.”

“A lawyer?”

Yes, a lawyer.

I smiled sweetly.

I needed a lawyer who would advise me on all the divorce proceedings and handle the documents from now on.

That would be Rain Burton. She becomes famous for her brilliant activities in the latter half of the original work.

Edmond’s revenge killing of Etricia, when he was about to inherit the title, was at least a predictable result of the succession being revoked.

But it was Rain Burton who acquitted Edmond despite the Emperor’s anger.

The empire was more chaotic than ever at that time.

Some argued that murder should not be rationalized even for a hero, while others argued that it was a justified action against an enemy.

The people set aside their own affairs and gathered in small groups to debate the pros and cons.

Meanwhile, some high-ranking nobles personally raised their hands to object, saying that a precedent of acquittal for noble murder should not be set.

But Rain Burton stubbornly insisted on acquittal despite the resentment of the privileged who would become her main clients.

This was because the nobles who had raised their voices were mostly people likely to have incurred someone’s grudge.

Over time, she compiled and widely publicized the nobles’ past actions in periodicals. She made the nobles’ arguments be misinterpreted and exaggerated as empathy projecting their future selves.

The people, who had been divided in opinion, unanimously spat at the nobles, calling them detestable, and eventually came to protest with torches.

So even the Emperor had to accept the acquittal verdict while grinding his teeth.

‘It was quite a clever method.’

The brief description of Rain Burton disparaged her as a crow obsessed with shiny things, a slave to capitalism.

Then there would be no client more eager to snatch her up than me. Am I not a member of the nouveau riche family that owns the famous Lebron mine?

It was Antra who provoked me when I was planning to divorce by mutual agreement and deal with them moderately. Shouldn’t I receive a value equivalent to the mansion reconstruction cost?

I raised the corners of my mouth and smiled wickedly.

“…What are you thinking to make such an expression?”

Oops, we were in the middle of a meal. Edmond was watching me with a displeased expression from across the table. I gently smiled while cupping my cheek at his gaze that seemed to be scrutinizing a high-level magical beast.