After sending all the employees who were staying in his residence outside, Cedric instructed Meiana to close the door. She immediately closed the door, and at that moment, a deep sigh escaped from Cedric’s lips as he swept his hair back, revealing a shadow of fatigue over his well-defined features.

“Explain what happened.”

“Where should I start, Your Grace?”

Cedric turned to Meiana with a stern expression. Retrieving a letter from the pocket of his jacket, Cedric held it up in front of her as if to show it to her. Then, he shook it once and let it fall onto the table. It made a thud sound as it landed.

“Explain everything written in this letter. From the beginning to the end, so that I can understand.”

Unlike her usual self, Meiana did not appear flustered or fearful even when facing Cedric, who seemed agitated.

As Cedric instructed, Meiana, too, retrieved something from a separate pocket inside her gown. And when she put it down on the table, it made an even louder noise than when Cedric slammed the letter.

“What’s this?”

Cedric, looking at the elongated brown bottle, asked with a rough breath.

Meiana, hands folded in front of her, looked at the bottle with a cold gaze. Then, she raised her head directly toward Cedric.

“It’s poison that almost harmed Lady. Fortunately, she is unharmed, but instead, the head chef collapsed.”

“Who brought this into the house?”

“It was a maid named Greta. She used to be in charge of the east wing with me. I don’t know if you are aware, Your Grace.”

Cedric replied, cutting off her words.

“I’m not sure. Anyway, are you saying that this maid brought poison?”

“Yes, that’s correct. And she put it in Lady’s meal.”

“Where is this maid now?”

“Jocelyn, the housekeeper, locked her in the storage room, and she fled along with a servant guarding the front.”

“This is unbelievable.”

Meiana chuckled, turning her gaze obliquely. It was not an attitude suitable for a noblewoman and an employer like Cedric, but the issue was not important to both Cedric and Meiana.

Observing her closely, Cedric wiped his face with his palm.

“How did you know about this? That the maid Greta had poison.”

“I would say it was partly intuition.”

This time, Cedric chuckled.

“Intuition?”

He asked. When Meiana did not answer immediately, an awkward silence filled the space between the two.

“You said intuition?”
“Yes, Your Grace. Sometimes, such things happen to people. It’s when terrible and ominous events are about to unfold. Something unpleasant, something absolutely unacceptable, is about to happen like a looming wave… At times like that, people reflexively feel uneasy, like animals sensing an earthquake. I felt the same way. Since I realized that Greta wasn’t as gentle and innocent as she appeared.”

Cedric said, raising his hand.

“Fine, let’s leave it at that. So, what about Jocelyn, the housekeeper? The letter clearly stated that Jocelyn was involved in the maid’s attempt to harm Arianthe.”

“Yes, that’s correct. And it’s true.”

Cedric chuckled again at Meiana’s response.

“Is that your intuition again?”

“Intuition and circumstantial evidence. Before Your Grace left for the capital, Jocelyn, the housekeeper, didn’t show up all day due to an illness. Do you remember? On that day, Greta secretly left the mansion without anyone noticing, and she returned when the afternoon was almost over. According to Bridget, Greta’s roommate, Greta undoubtedly went to Negrion.”

Cedric frowned.

“Negrion?”

Meiana, nodding, continued.

“I haven’t been there myself, but Bridget and Venti explained it to me. They said there are many herbalists selling suspicious tinctures and unverified remedies. Even if Greta knew about such places from the beginning, I don’t think she would be capable of making such a decision on her own to cause such a big incident.”

“Nevertheless, linking Jocelyn to this is a stretch.”

“Your Grace might be right. Housekeeper Jocelyn may have nothing to do with this incident. However, Your Grace, circumstantial evidence is not something you can infer from just one or two events that happened overnight. Jocelyn, the housekeeper, is undoubtedly trying to harm Lady. A few days ago, due to a push from her, Lady fell. According to Bridget, Greta’s roommate, on that day, Jocelyn didn’t show up all day because of her illness.”

Meiana heard this story from Venti. When she heard it, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Arianthe, not Ariante. She should have bitten by an alligator or a snake, and moreover, one with fatal poison.

Finally, a shocking expression surfaced on Cedric’s face. However, Meiana had no intention of giving him any time to be surprised.

“I would like to know why Your Grace hasn’t fired Housekeeper Jocelyn.”

It was quite a challenging tone. Cedric stared at Meiana in silence. She continued speaking.