From the beginning, he knew the boy’s lineage and real name, and even some woman related to him.

‘Although I don’t know what the relationship between Walter and Edith is—.’

What Elizabeth could be certain of at this point was one thing.

Walter knew Edith.

And he had known her for a very long time.

Now that she knew such a secret, whether or not Edith was of the Lexion lineage was irrelevant. She needed to keep her close.

Because if Edith was a woman of great significance to Walter, she could be used to capture the runaway Walter.

“Aizen, go to Edith’s room in the east wing of the mansion and bring her to me immediately.”

“Understood.”

Aizen immediately left Elizabeth’s room.

Around the same time, Edith was rummaging through Sophia’s room, located in the east wing of the mansion just like her own bedroom.

Although the magician called through Isazel was on his way, she didn’t know exactly when he would arrive. Hence, she felt like grasping at straws as she decided to rummage through the room.

‘The owner of the room will be going to the monastery tomorrow, anyway.’

She couldn’t outright say she was going to rummage through Sophia’s room, so she had casually mentioned it to Anne and Marie.

“There’s a peculiar flower in the Portrion mansion that doesn’t wither even in winter. Did you both know?”

“Yes, it’s not exactly a flower but a plant with red leaves that look like a flower. It looks quite beautiful.”

“Especially because flowers rarely bloom in winter. It looks really attractive amidst the barren branches.”

“Really? Then I’ll have to go see it to lift my spirits.”

Only Vivian knew that she was rummaging through Sophia’s room for an escape.

If someone noticed her room was empty, Anne and Marie, who were organizing the dressing room, would casually mention something, allowing her to search Sophia’s room with ease.

‘Now, where did you hide the spell to break my restraint?’

There was no guarantee Sophia had hidden the spell to break her restraint in her own room, and with no clues at the moment, searching was virtually impossible.

But after getting paper cuts from flipping through bookshelves and drawers without finding anything, she felt drained.

‘I need to take a short break.’

Afraid that pulling a chair would make a noise, Edith sat on the bed and took a moment to catch her breath.

She hadn’t been feeling well these past few days, possibly due to the cold weather. Even after ample rest, she felt slightly feverish at times and a little nauseous.

Of course, it was natural to feel this way after using Elick Berry and immediately using Sedik Tree Sap.

Or else…

Just as Edith was about to check her own pulse, a suspicious conversation reached her ears.

“Do you know where Miss Edith might be?”
Edith and Sophia’s bedrooms were quite far apart even on the same floor, but the dressing room where Anne and Marie were tidying up and the study where Sophia was searching were separated by a single wall.

“Man? Who is it?”

The voice was unfamiliar to Edith. Anne and Marie in her room also seemed to find the uninvited guest strange.

“Who are you?”

“If you have something to ask, you should have sent a bell maid to the lady’s room.”

“Ah, my apologies. My name is Paul, I’ve just started working here on Lady Elizabeth’s recommendation.”

“……!”

Edith froze for a moment. As soon as she heard that he had come in on Elizabeth’s recommendation, she realized it was a voice she had heard before.

“It’s the man who planned to kill Elizabeth and Walter.”

Although he seemed to be disguising his identity by using a pseudonym, a very slight accent was detectable.

Fortunately, Anne and Marie replied that, according to what Edith had casually mentioned, they had gone out for a moment to see a flower that blooms in winter.

A moment later, a group of servants heading toward the edge of the garden appeared at the window. There were as many as ten of them.

“Did they discover my secret meetings with Walter?”

Although she didn’t know the exact reason, it was clear that Elizabeth and her party were looking for her.

If her binding magic had been lifted, she would have made a nocturnal escape, but that was impossible for her now.

She started to shudder as she thought about the method they intended to use to kill Walter. She missed Walter, who had always appeared before her when needed.

“What should I do…….”

Biting her lip in anxiety, Edith soon remembered an important fact.

“There was an entrance leading to a secret passage in Sophia’s room, for sure.”