Though it was as weak as a baby bird tugging at its mother’s wing with its beak, it was enough to stop Herald. When he turned his head, he saw Lily with her eyes wide open like a rabbit.

Grabbing him first and then being surprised like that. Herald asked with a chuckle.

“Do you have something to say?”

“……”

Lily couldn’t say anything and bit the inside of her lip tightly. Grabbing him was an impulsive action stemming from not wanting to let him go. That’s why she was surprised, and the returned question was troublesome.

What should I answer? Since she couldn’t tell the truth, Lily rolled her eyes looking for a suitable excuse.

“Well, I……”

Knock knock−

Just as Lily, who had finally found an excuse, opened her mouth, a knock was heard. Lily turned to look at the door, startled enough for her fine hair to stand on end. Her pupils, enlarged beyond their limit, trembled anxiously.

“Excuse me for a moment, young lady.”

“Wa-wait…!”

I have to hide him! Lily turned to look at Herald, almost shouting her reply.

“…Huh?”

The man who had been laughing in front of her just a moment ago had vanished without a trace. Instead, seeing the window wide open, it seems he went out through it in that brief moment.

While relieved by this fact, Lily looked at the open window, regretting not being able to say a proper goodbye. As if trying to comfort her, the curtains fluttered lightly in the wind.

Knock knock−

“Young lady?”

“…Come in.”

Turning around with a small sigh, there was no trace of regret on Lily’s face. She looked at the maid with an expressionless face as if nothing had happened.

“What is it?”

“Ah, I heard a strange sound as I was passing by. I was worried if something might have happened to you, young lady……”

“Nothing happened, so don’t worry and go.”

After sending away the maid who still seemed dubious despite being told nothing had happened, Lily looked out the window. Hoping Herald might still be nearby, she thoroughly scanned the surroundings but he was nowhere to be seen.

Unlike his large build, his quick actions really were like a black panther. It was also amazing how he climbed up to the second floor in one breath.

“How did he climb up?”

As Lily was curiously examining below the window, she discovered a paper wedged in the window frame and picked it up. It was a note with Megan’s house address written on it. Herald must have left it behind as he left.

“……”

Seeing the note reminded her of Megan, who seemed gruff on the outside but was actually kinder than anyone else. She thought they would be able to meet again, but to hear that she died. And that she was murdered. Lily’s expression darkened as she touched the note. It felt suffocating, as if a huge boulder was pressing down on her chest.

“Haah.”

Turning around with a deep sigh, Lily crumpled the note and placed it on the candlestick base. When she lit it on fire, the note, smaller than her palm, quickly turned to black ashes.

“Rest in peace.”

Lily sprinkled the ashes of the burned note outside the window, sincerely praying for Megan’s soul to rest in peace.

Herald said Megan’s death might not be related to Fredrick, but Lily didn’t think so. She was certain that even if there wasn’t a direct connection, it had some influence.

Maybe Fredrick knows who killed Mrs. Megan.

She wanted to ask Fredrick, but she couldn’t since he wasn’t coming home. When will he return? For almost the first time since getting married, Lily waited for Fredrick to come back soon.

Fredrick returned on Sunday, late in the evening. Thinking he wouldn’t come back today either and about to go to bed, Lily put on a shawl and left the bedroom as soon as she heard Fredrick had returned.

On the first floor, in the central hall, Samantha was already out. Brian was either already asleep or out for a night drink, as he wasn’t visible.

Seeing Lily, Samantha first opened her eyes wide in surprise, then soon smiled contentedly.

“Now that it’s time to have a child, you’re becoming mature too.”

“……”

What does that have to do with this? Lily didn’t understand, but not wanting to waste energy unnecessarily, she just let it go. It was enough of a headache just thinking about how to get the information she wanted from Fredrick.

“Welcome back, master.”

As the door opened, Fredrick entered, receiving the welcome of the servants. His appearance was as natural as flowing water. Who would think that this person was once a commoner? Lily, watching Fredrick with some curiosity, startled when their eyes met and grasped the inside of her sleeve.

“I didn’t expect even my wife to be out here.”

At the remark that seemed to ask what she was up to, Lily was a bit flustered but answered calmly as if nothing was wrong.

“There’s something I wanted to ask about father’s memorial service. Since I don’t know when you’ll go out again, I need to ask now.”

She used the memorial service as an excuse for now, knowing he wouldn’t answer if she asked about Megan directly.

“Memorial service?”

Samantha interjected, raising her voice sharply.

“What are you talking about? A memorial service? I haven’t heard anything about this?”

Although Fredrick earned the money, Samantha was in charge of the household affairs. It wasn’t just a matter of a few pennies, but a large sum of money, so Lily naturally thought Samantha would have been informed, but she knew nothing about it. Lily looked at Samantha, somewhat bewildered.

“We decided to hold a memorial service for the late Baron Benjamin’s death anniversary this time.”

On the other hand, Fredrick explained calmly.

“We were too busy to observe last year’s anniversary, so we should properly observe this year’s.”

“Why are you taking care of that? It’s someone else’s parents!”

“We’re family now, so from now on, think of me as your mother and serve me respectfully.”

Suddenly recalling what Samantha had said on the day of the wedding, Lily laughed hollowly. It was absurd how she considered them family when she needed them, but immediately cast them aside as strangers when she didn’t.

“As I’ve entered the Benjamin family as a son-in-law, they are my parents as well.”

“……”

Lily’s eyes widened at the unexpected response. Samantha also seemed taken aback, her mouth gaping open. Fredrick didn’t look at Lily, only addressing Samantha as he spoke.

“Then I’ll go up first. I’m a bit tired from working late.”

“O-okay. Go up and rest quickly.”

Samantha nodded, looking somewhat dazed. Fredrick, having passed by both his mother-in-law and wife in turn, stopped halfway up the central staircase and turned to look at Lily, who was standing there blankly.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Ah, no. Let’s go.”

Belatedly coming to her senses, Lily hurriedly followed behind Fredrick. Thinking they would go somewhere like the reception room or study to talk, Lily was surprised when Fredrick entered his bedroom.

What should I do? Should I go in? Lily hesitated for a moment, but soon steeled herself and entered. As the saying goes, to catch a tiger, one must enter the tiger’s den – to uncover the truth, she had to take this level of risk.

Still, to be able to escape at any moment if a dangerous atmosphere was detected, she stood in front of the bedroom door without closing it. She thought Fredrick would say something about this, but surprisingly, he said nothing.

“Have you already made all the plans for the memorial service?”

“Not yet. Before making plans, I wanted to know how much budget we have. That way we can decide how large to make it, which priests to invite, and so on.”

“It doesn’t matter how much money it costs, so you can do as you like. If we’re going to do it, we should do it properly.”

Lily hesitated for a moment at the statement, doubting if this was the same man who had been so meticulous about profit and loss even between spouses, then asked.

“Then can you grant me one more favor?”

Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask about Megan. As if he had decided to be generous today, Fredrick nodded readily this time as well.

“If it’s something I can do.”

“I want to change the caregiver in charge of mother.”

“……”

Fredrick turned to look at Lily, frowning as if she was saying something nonsensical.

“Why do you suddenly want to change the caregiver?”

“It’s not sudden. I’ve been dissatisfied for a while, but I didn’t have a chance to tell you so I kept quiet. I need your permission to change the caregiver since you’re paying the hospital bills.”

“……”

Fredrick stared at her with sharp eyes, as if trying to see through her true intentions.

“You said you’d grant what you could, but can’t you even grant this much of a request?”

Lily asked deliberately provocatively. Fredrick let out a short sigh and then unbuttoned his vest.

“I don’t know what you’re dissatisfied with, but why don’t you observe a bit longer? The caregiver is new, so they’ll need time to adjust too.”

Got him. While inwardly cheering that Fredrick had taken the bait, Lily outwardly smiled faintly and asked.

“How do you know the caregiver is new? I never mentioned that.”

Fredrick stopped in the middle of taking off his vest and looked at Lily. Her heart beat unsteadily and her mouth went dry at his gaze, which had become sharper and more vicious than before. The voice telling her to run away right now echoed in her ears, but Lily stood firm. If she ran away now, everything she had done so far would be for nothing. She absolutely couldn’t run away.

“My name is written in the guardian section, so if the hospital contacted anyone, it would have been me. Or have you perhaps been in contact with the caregiver behind my back? Why?”

“…What are you trying to say?”

It meant if he had something to say, he should say it directly without beating around the bush. Lily also didn’t want to drag this out any longer, so she asked bluntly.

“Do you perhaps know who killed Mrs. Megan?”