The order had been given, and now there was no choice. Becker, trembling with fear, cautiously raised his upper body and finally lifted his head to face Cedilloy.

Though it had been a very long time since he last saw the face, Cedilloy was still a remarkably handsome man, with eyes like the bark of an old tree that, compared to when Becker left, still shone brightly and looked intelligent.

Combined with the solemnity created by years of suffering, Becker couldn’t bring himself to look directly at him.

“Apologizing to me, what are you sorry for?” Cedilloy asked, and Becker realized there was no way out of this place. Lowering his head again, Becker spoke with his shoulders hunched.

“Your Grace, please… please forgive me.”

Silence lingered. It was a heavy silence that was hard to bear for Becker, Jemero, and even Cedilloy. It was quiet but felt like a roaring storm.

Cedilloy suddenly felt his hair stand on end, and he had to forcibly suppress it, taking a few breaths before exhaling several times, dividing the breaths.

Facing Becker, who was lying on the floor, Cedilloy turned around and said, “There’s no need for a long speech, and no need for that. Let me ask you the important question first. Becker, why did you run away on the day Verbo and Liria died?”

Old Becker didn’t answer. But rather than voluntarily keeping his mouth shut, it seemed like an invisible hand was choking his throat. His plump face turned pale, and his dry lips were trembling continuously.

Jemero said, “His Grace commands you to answer. Speak.”

His voice was unusually solemn this time. The whip-like sound of Jemero striking Becker’s back made him tremble more and made him more uneasy.

Cedilloy, who turned abruptly toward Becker lying on the floor, said, “Since there’s no time for a long talk, and there’s no need for it, I’ll ask you the important thing. Becker, what did you steal from the duke’s house? Is that why you ran away?”

The confused Becker shook his head vigorously.

“No! No, I’ve never done such a thing even once!”

Cedilloy also knew that he had worked honestly during the long years as a forest keeper. However, his gaze became more severe, and then the second question was asked.

“If it’s not stealing something, then who in the Vaterminster family, someone who could do something like that in my house, made you run away?”

“No, Your Grace! You know that I didn’t do such a thing. I… I…”

“If you didn’t steal anything and didn’t cause harm to the family, then…”

Becker hesitated. Over the past few years, Cedilloy’s appearance hadn’t changed much, but the atmosphere was markedly different. Although he was still a young man, he felt as if he had endured the harsh passage of time like an old man.

The smooth appearance without wrinkles that used to be seen often before Verbo and Liria died seemed to have completely disappeared. Cedilloy, facing the trembling forest keeper, lowered his voice.

“Did you harm Verbo and Liria?”

“Y-Your Grace!”

Becker became as if he would faint immediately, his face looked like he was going to pass out. When Jemero shouted for him to stand up, he seemed to lift his head in flames, but he was almost out of his mind.

“If it’s not that, why did you run away? Did you see something? Is that why you left out of fear? If you don’t speak honestly right here, Becker, tell me your thoughts. I think you’re the mastermind who drowned Verbo and Liria in the lake. The reason must be explained to you slowly, but…”

“No! It wasn’t me. Your Grace, please! It was Jocelyn, the head maid, who harmed those two. It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!”
Cedilloy’s eyes gleamed. He grabbed Becker’s shoulders, forcefully pulled him up, and pushed him towards the place with the sofa. Becker, whimpering, collapsed onto the sofa, curling his messy body.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear, Becker.”

Cedilloy, brushing his disheveled hair, spoke in a cold voice. He shot a fearful look at the trembling Becker, biting his lips to suppress his anger.

“What you saw, what you heard. And everything you know. Tell me all of it. Every single detail.”

The living room was a mess. Not only the living room but also the bedroom was chaotic. Maeyana looked at the shattered vase, scattered fragments, trampled flowers, and the grotesquely hanging curtains with a bewildered expression.

“What on earth happened here?”

Maeyana asked, and when Ventie, Ivy, and Bridget, who were standing with widened eyes, turned to her, Bridget quickly approached.

“Young master, please go back to your room. I will take care of this.”

However, Swan ignored Bridget’s words. He looked around the room with eyes as sharp as Maeyana’s, then sprinted down the corridor.

“Young Master Swan! Where are you going?”

Bridget tried to follow, but chasing the fast-moving ten-year-old was futile. Moreover, at this moment, it was challenging to stand properly due to the shock.

Maeyana looked at Ventie and asked again, “Ventie, what happened here?”

Ventie sighed.