“They asked why I had come here.”

It was a sharp question from the servants.

In their eyes, Clea was still considered one of the lowest ranked people in the duke’s household.

A useful tool that Grit could use as much as he wanted.

Such a tool was meant to be managed rather than followed, and even that was done minimally.

But suddenly, this well-managed tool left the mansion on its own.

That alone was irritating, but since then the family had been on a downward path, so they couldn’t help but be displeased.

On the surface, there was no reason for her, who seemed to be living happily, to visit this place. So they were extremely wary as they watched Hayden.

Even if they didn’t know Hayden, his attire indicated that he was a high-ranking priest.

“I’ve come to inspect this place.”

“Inspect? We haven’t heard anything about this.”

“What a strange response. You say you were supposed to hear about an inspection in advance?”

The person who had been speaking to Hayden blushed at his pointed remark.

Inspections by the clergy are conducted without notice. Typically, no one is informed beforehand to prevent the concealment of evidence.

Of course, since clergy are also human, they sometimes give advance notice to high-ranking families, but no one openly talks about it.

It was very natural for a high-ranking priest to visit a noble house.

When they came like this, they shouldn’t be blocked but should be let in and allowed to look around.

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t enter now?”

“That’s not it, but…”

“Then please let me in.”

Hayden always maintained a gentle expression.

However, there was a viper-like aspect to his face.

He gave off an aura of approaching while hiding sharp fangs that would never heal once they bit.

The servants felt repulsed by this, but still, they had no valid reason to refuse his inspection.

For them, the best they could do was to at least not let Clea into the mansion.

“Then how about you enter alone? The person accompanying you, sir, seems to have nothing to do with this matter.”

Clea didn’t react at all to the words that were clearly aimed at her.

She quietly looked at Hayden.

Depending on his answer here, it would be determined whether she could enter or not.

And when she heard Hayden’s answer, a smile escaped her lips.

“This person is the knight who will protect me.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me correctly. You heard it right.”

In contrast to Clea’s reaction, the servants’ expressions hardened.

It was as if they found the preposterous answer ridiculous.

Their gazes turned towards Clea.

Clea didn’t avoid their gaze but met it head-on.

It wasn’t the weak and bothersome gaze from before, but that was the only thing that had changed.

They found it absurd that Hayden introduced her as a knight, given that she was thin and showed no signs of muscle.

“If you put a sword in this person’s hand, they could defeat any knight. That’s why I’ve chosen this person as my guard.”

The servants had many things they wanted to argue about.

But since he had already explained it that way, it would be strange to object further.

Moreover, it wasn’t good to keep a priest waiting for so long.

The reputation of the Odoi family had already fallen as low as it could, but they didn’t want it to fall any further.

With reluctant expressions, they stepped aside.

“Please come in. We’ll inform the duke.”

As they finally entered, Clea quietly asked Hayden.

“A knight, you say?”

“Yes. Since I’ve used my power and even sold the name of God for your sake, shouldn’t you protect me from now on?”

Clea snorted at Hayden’s answer.

“I don’t think I ever asked you to sell God’s name. But since you helped, I suppose I should protect you as you say.”

“Then should I first extend my hand?”

He seemed to be referring to the custom of a knight kissing the back of the hand when making a vow. She looked at him with an expression that found his ill-mannered joke absurd.

“I’m sorry, but I already have someone precious to me, so I can’t do that.”

“Oh my, I didn’t expect that either.”

When she politely refused, he showed a somewhat disappointed look and answered playfully.

“So. Now that we’re inside, what are you going to do?”

Hayden got to the point.

Fortunately, there were few people around the reception room where they had arrived.

There were watchful eyes, but it was difficult to eavesdrop on the whispered conversation between the two.

Clea looked around and said.

“I need to erase the traces of me that still remain here.”

“Traces, you say?”

This was essentially the purpose of her visit here.

The reason she was called family was because she had once lived here.

If even the traces of her life here were completely erased, who could mention family ties to her like Hayden did?

If even the smallest traces were completely wiped away.

“If the present time is light, then the past can be considered darkness.”

Light and darkness.

The time after meeting Admund was light.

And the time spent before meeting Admund was truly darkness itself.

* * *

“Who did you say has come?”

“Diocesan Bishop Hayden and Clea have arrived.”

Grit frowned as soon as he heard the names of the visitors from the butler.

Seeing the master’s expression, the butler naturally thought that he would order Clea to be driven out.

After all, they had fulfilled their obligation by letting Hayden in.

But different words came out of Grit’s mouth.

“Well, that saves me the trouble of having to look for them.”

The moment he heard those words, a dangerous thought crossed the butler’s mind.

The butler hurriedly said.

“If anything happens here, everyone will suspect you, sir, given the circumstances.”

If by any chance something were to happen to Clea here, it was clear as day that all responsibility would fall on Grit.

“I’m well aware of that much.”

The butler was puzzled by Grit’s unchanged attitude despite hearing his words.

“Do you have some plan, sir?”

Unlike Steve, Grit was at least known to be able to see the bigger picture.

He asked again while rechecking the letter with the family seal on his desk.

“Do you know who has an even more terrible relationship with Clea than I do?”

A person whose relationship with Clea was notoriously worse than Grit’s.

The butler immediately thought of one person.

“Wouldn’t that be Lady Aria Hersher?”

“Yes, and that Lady Aria Hersher has just requested to visit our mansion.”

The butler covered his mouth with both hands at Grit’s words.

It was truly unbelievable.

If God really existed and had given them this opportunity, it couldn’t have been better.

Grit thought.

‘If we say Aria Hersher did it impulsively, that would be enough.’

He had to eliminate Clea by any means necessary.

For the sake of Steve, who would succeed him in the future, there couldn’t be anyone who knew the secret.

It was possible that the family could be passed on to Clea, who was a more legitimate heir, but he thought that was the most terrible thing that could happen.

‘You should never have been born in the first place.’

When the duchess was pregnant, Grit had prayed until the end for a miscarriage.

Because Steve couldn’t succeed the family over a child born to the legal wife.

So Grit did everything he could to cause a miscarriage.

He put drugs in the duchess’s food, or changed the temperature in her room to be cold.

But in the end, she gave birth to the child.

“I regret not cutting off the source of trouble earlier.”

“Sir.”

“You’d do well to remember too. The person you must be loyal to until the end is Steve.”

The duchess who gave birth to Clea had pleaded for Clea’s future.

She said she would die in Clea’s place, so please let Clea live to the end and have happy days.

At that time, Grit was pleased with that condition.

He thought that a young child without any guardian wouldn’t be able to do anything when grown up.

In fact, until Clea entered the academy, Grit was satisfied.

Grit had only kept Clea alive, but hadn’t given her anything.

Perhaps because of this, Clea kept showing reckless behavior in her desire to be acknowledged, and eventually broke down.

He had been reassured that if time just kept passing like this, Steve would be able to smoothly succeed the family.

However, the problem started after she entered the academy.

“What will you do about the diocesan bishop?”

“They’re not likely to keep wandering around together. They probably have separate reasons for visiting in the first place.”

Grit ordered to let them be and then rummaged through his desk drawer.

He smiled as he held up a vial containing red powder.

“I hope the lady arrives soon. Only then will I be able to sleep soundly.”

“If you wait just a little longer, sir, you’ll be able to achieve everything you want.”

Grit was convinced.

That this current situation would all turn out well.

But there are always variables, so he thought of one thing.

“Is Steve still holed up in his room?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“That’s rather fortunate. We don’t know what might happen if they were to meet face to face.”

Steve had been quietly staying in his room since the day he asked about his birth.

Grit found him pathetic.

He should be shaking it off and finishing his preparations to succeed the duke’s family as soon as possible, but instead he was wasting time.