“Kill Walter?”
Edith stopped in her tracks, frozen on the spot.
Had she entered the secret passage a bit earlier to eavesdrop on Elizabeth and Aizen’s conversation, she might have grasped the context.
However, having only heard the latter part, she couldn’t even guess why they wanted to kill Walter.
Unaware that Edith was listening, Aizen continued speaking from beyond the wall.
“The count has cast a confinement spell to keep that man from escaping the mansion.”
“Yep. I’ve searched the count’s office multiple times but couldn’t find the spell’s release parchment.”
Elizabeth also openly confessed her actions.
To Edith, who was already burdened by the talk of killing Walter, Elizabeth’s attitude came as another shock.
“It’s unfortunate but unavoidable. It would’ve been profitable if we’d figured out his lineage and sold him.”
“But there’s no way now. If only the count had found the spell’s release parchment, we could have kidnapped him alive.”
“Now that the count is dead, we’ll deal with Walter as soon as the funeral is over and people have left. Have you secured the assassins to bring?”
Listening to Aizen and Elizabeth’s conversation, Edith covered her mouth to suppress any escaping breaths.
The more she heard, the more information she gathered. The man named Aizen was actually the captain of a secret assassination squad based in the capital, a revelation that scared her.
But what terrified her more was the two were fully prepared to ensure Walter’s death.
“I’m planning to disguise around 40 assassination agents as laborers.”
“We must deal with everyone who might help Walter. If we leave someone skilled alive, there will certainly be repercussions.”
The two discussed in detail which poison to use, how to kill him, and how to dispose of the body.
Once the body was buried in Portrion, they’d cut off the wrist for identity confirmation and take it to the capital, which made Edith’s face go pale.
Aizen agreed with her plans in a regretful tone.
“If I’d known things would be easier with the count’s death, I’d have moved up the attack and killed Nicholas Portrion.”
“…!”
Edith questioned her own ears.
What was even more shocking was Elizabeth agreeing without any sign of surprise.
‘Did Elizabeth know who attacked the count when I was kidnapped?’
Up until she eavesdropped, Edith had suspected that Sophia and the butler might have conspired to kill the count.
However, the mastermind was someone else entirely, and it seemed the capital’s forces were deeply involved.
Feeling dizzy for a moment, Edith lightly touched the wall. Bricks crumbled with a sound, falling to the ground.
She quickly pulled back her hand and stood straight, but a sharp voice came from beyond the wall.
“Elizabeth, did you hear a noise just now?”
“What noise? Must’ve been the wind.”
Suppressing her breath, Edith took one step at a time.
Although the passage was made of brick, Aizen couldn’t break through, but it was best to confirm what she needed and leave quickly.
Her body was stiff from extreme tension, but she moved forward without making a sound.
Reaching the end of the long secret passage, she saw a cylindrical wooden box neatly placed on a luxurious shelf.
‘This symbol engraved on the lock, it’s definitely…’
She took the wooden box and checked the mansion’s secret passage map she had taken from her sketchbook.
Moving stealthily, she managed to reach the room of the now masterless mansion.
Hearing no sounds from within, Edith emerged from the secret passage and examined the vicinity of the count’s desk.
His relics, which should have originally been placed in the chapel, were neatly arranged on the cushion.
“This is it.”
She picked up a ring. Besides the crest of Portrion engraved on it, it was the ring he had worn until the moment he died.
When she fit the embossed pattern of the ring into the locking mechanism of the wooden box, a clicking sound was heard.
“……!”
The contents were unmistakably documents that appeared to be drafted by a wizard.
Untarnished high-quality parchment. Wizards’ language written in ink tinged with gold.
Seeing the neither too large nor too small boyish fingerprint in the middle of the parchment, Edith was certain.
That this was the spell that could release the binding magic he had cast on Walter.
Edith returned the ring to its original place and resealed the secret passage leading to the library, then entered the room.
Vivian, who had been tidying the immaculate bedroom out of concern for her absence, had no choice but to be alarmed.
“Milady? Good heavens, what happened?”
Due to cobwebs and dust, Edith’s dress and hair were a total mess.
More pitiable were the tears brimming in her large eyes and her tightly clenched jaw.
“Vivian. Thank you for waiting. You can go in now.”
“But……”
Vivian wanted to prepare a bath for Edith, attend to her, and hear what had happened.
However, her complex expression seemed to indicate she needed time alone.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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