Last night, there was no mention of the nursing home incident in the report Dillon gave to Herald about Lily’s whereabouts before he returned to the Maximilian Duchy.

There were usually two cases when Dillon didn’t report to Herald. Either it was such a trivial matter that it wasn’t worth reporting, or Herald had told him that he didn’t need to report it.

However, what Lily experienced at the nursing home didn’t fall into either category. Yet, there was only one reason Dillon remained silent and didn’t report it, no matter how much he thought about it.

Dillon Lamperth was the culprit who terrified Lily. That’s why he must have been unable to report it to Herald.

“The coachman who claimed to be a witness, you asked him to say that, didn’t you?”

Dillon nodded silently. Judging by his actions, he seemed to have given up, but that wasn’t the case. His eyes looking at his superior were indifferent.

Anyone could see that his attitude made it clear he wasn’t acknowledging his fault. Herald laughed as if in amusement and brought the wooden sword a little closer to his neck.

It was a practice sword, so it couldn’t cut a person, but it could injure the bones. Especially the neck bones, which could easily break with just a slightly hard strike, and it was a vital point that could also affect one’s life.

Even in a situation where a sword was being pressed against such a spot, Dillon didn’t bat an eye. Not because he wasn’t afraid of being hit, but because he knew very well that Herald would never strike him. Breaking the wooden sword must have been in place of that.

After quietly holding Dillon’s gaze as if having a staring contest, Herald lowered the wooden sword with a chuckle.

“I always feel this way, but you know me too well to an unlucky degree.”

Dillon patted the dust off his bottom as he stood up and replied somewhat sulkily.

“You’re the same way, Commander. You already know full well why I did that to the Viscountess, and that’s why you’re ending it like this, right?”

Instead of answering, Herald tilted the corner of his lips obliquely and thrust the blunt wooden sword deep into Dillon’s shadow. Dillon frowned as if he had been stabbed and took a step back.

“In case you don’t know, I’m telling you that I faithfully carried out your orders, Commander. The order to stop the Viscountess from going out no matter what, by any means necessary.”

“I know. The plan was to scare her a bit so that she would be reluctant to go out.”

Herald answered indifferently and dragged the wooden sword stuck in the ground. Dust rose up like a white fog.

It was even more creepy because the part Herald dragged happened to be the neck. Belatedly, goosebumps rose all over Dillon’s body as he remembered when that wooden sword touched his neck. He touched his neck, trembling slightly. Only after confirming that his neck was still attached did his pounding heart calm down.

“It’s admirable that you tried your best to carry out my orders… but that doesn’t mean you can disobey other orders.”

His heart started pounding again for nothing. Dillon rapidly rolled his eyes, trying to think of which order he had disobeyed, but no matter how much he wracked his brain, he couldn’t think of anything. When Dillon failed to grasp it, Herald readily gave him the answer.

“I ordered you to protect Liliana Benjamin. But instead, you threatened the very person you were supposed to protect. Even if I told you to stop her from going out by any means necessary, that goes against the order to protect her.”

Finally realizing what he had done wrong, Dillon bowed deeply and apologized.

“I’m sorry, Commander.”

“It’s fine as long as you realize it was wrong now. More importantly, investigate Damon Dolphin.”

Herald picked up the wooden sword he had stuck deep in the ground and rested it on his shoulder.

“Find out if this guy has any connection to the Second Prince, what he has been doing for the past two years, his family relations, and if any of his family members are associated with the Second Prince.”

To avoid making a mistake this time, Dillon engraved all of Herald’s orders in his mind before asking a question he was curious about.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that family name or personal name before… Do you happen to know what he does?”

“Up until two years ago, he was an investigator belonging to the capital’s public order office. He went abroad due to unavoidable circumstances and returned last night.”

“Ah, I see…”

“And two years ago, he was also the first investigator to be in charge of the Benjamin Viscount residence fire incident.”

Upon hearing the additional information, Dillon paused to think for a moment, then frowned and asked Herald.

“If my memory serves me right, the investigator in charge of that case was someone else…?”

“You’re right. In the end, it was Kennedy Stacy’s fiancé who was in charge of that case. However, the initial investigation was conducted by Damon Dolphin. That man confirmed it with Lily, so there’s no mistake.”

Viscountess Benjamin or just Lily. Dillon felt uncomfortable with Herald calling her name so familiarly, but he didn’t show it.

“So that’s why you told me to investigate. It’s definitely strange that the name of the investigator who conducted the initial investigation is completely missing from the documents.”

“I heard the reason directly from the person involved.”

“What?”

Dillon’s eyes widened at the absurd statement.

“That man told you the reason himself? Why? Isn’t that Damon Dolphin person on the Second Prince’s side?”

“No. He’s not on the Second Prince’s side.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“He didn’t recognize who I was.”

Although more people recognized Herald when he returned to the capital due to the title conferment ceremony and celebration party, it was limited to high-ranking nobles. Many lower-ranking nobles still didn’t know his face, not to mention commoners.

However, after Herald’s portrait appeared on the front page of the newspaper along with an article about the Princess of the Herta Kingdom visiting the empire for a royal marriage, most of the empire’s citizens, regardless of nobility or commoner status, became able to recognize him.

But Damon Dolphin didn’t recognize Herald at all. He seemed completely unaware of the scandal between him and Lily.

“He must not have seen the newspaper with my portrait since he returned last night. That newspaper was issued two days ago, and the morning edition was the first and last.”

“What about the possibility that the man was lying?”

Herald asked back with a cynical smile.

“What could that man gain by pretending not to know me?”

“…Nothing.”

“So that man has some kind of connection with the Second Prince, but he’s not on his side. Damon Dolphin himself probably doesn’t even know that he’s entangled with the Second Prince.”

Herald tapped the wooden sword on his shoulder and handed it to Dillon as he continued.

“In such cases, there are usually gaps, so try to find those gaps. If you find them, you’ll be able to return to Cardin, Dillon.”

Cardin. The moment he heard that word, Dillon’s eyes, which had been puzzled, glinted with a new light. Compared to the capital, Cardin was a small and insignificant city, but it was still better to be in one’s hometown where they were born and raised.

“Can I return to Cardin now?”

“I told you. If you find those gaps, you’ll be able to return.”

“Ah, you did say that.”

Dillon gripped the wooden sword he received from Herald tightly and shouted in an excited voice.

“Don’t worry! I’ll definitely find them!”

Herald hoped that Dillon would find the gaps, but at the same time, he didn’t.

Because if he really found them, everything would be over.

His connection with Lily would also end that day.

Lily, who had finished washing up and preparing for bed, sat in front of the dressing table and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“I think I’ve gained some weight.”

Well, it made sense since she had been eating well. Lily rubbed her cheeks, which seemed to have plumped up, frowning slightly.

When she was at the Benjamin Viscount residence, Samantha constantly nagged her for being a parasite who only ate without doing anything, so she couldn’t eat properly. She didn’t really have an appetite either. As a result, she often skipped meals.

However, at the Braden Count residence, she diligently ate every meal. The food was also very delicious, and she tried her best to eat everything the servants had prepared with care out of gratitude, so she naturally ended up eating more than usual. So gaining weight was a natural result.

“Starting tomorrow, I should regulate it a bit.”

Because she didn’t want to hear people say she was fat. Especially from that man.

Herald Braden.

Suddenly thinking of that man, Lily’s face was shrouded in darkness deeper than the one in the bedroom. Was that why? Her reflection in the mirror looked even more pathetic, so Lily laughed bitterly and washed her face.

“Pathetic Lily.”

Liliana Benjamin, a foolish girl who had nothing and knew nothing.

What was so good about me that he wanted to help me so much?

Lily didn’t understand Herald, but at the same time, she was grateful. Thanks to him, she was able to pull herself together when her heart was swaying like a reed due to anxiety about the future.

Especially when he took the initiative and said he would definitely find the grave robbers who dug up her father’s tomb, it was a great help.

“I shouldn’t just sit still either, I need to take action.”

Instead of just thinking about it every day, actually move.

If she hesitated and gave up moving forward out of fear for the future, the same thing would only repeat itself. And like stagnant water, she would rot someday.

Rather than that, it was better to try something, whether it turned out good or bad. She was done being foolishly taken advantage of while staying still.

Having made up her mind, Lily pulled the bell rope. Emily, who was resting in the side room, came running with quick steps.

“Is there anything you need, madam?”

“Not something I need right away…”

Even though there was no one else in the bedroom except her and Emily, Lily lowered her voice as much as possible, feeling anxious for some reason, and asked Emily.

“I’m looking for a lawyer to discreetly seek legal advice from… Do you happen to know anyone?”