Karina arrived at the ducal mansion.

As she stepped out of the carriage, Karina was startled.

Jeremiah was waiting in front of the mansion as if he had come out to greet her.

‘No way. Jeremiah wouldn’t have waited for me.’

Karina frowned one eyebrow as she looked at him, then quickly composed her expression.

She tried to ignore him and walk past, but Jeremiah spoke to her.

“Did you meet with people well?”

“…”

He spoke as if he had been waiting for her.

Karina chose appropriate words to answer with a dazed expression.

“Yes.”

It was a short, curt answer that could be perceived as cold.

“…”

An awkward atmosphere settled.

Just then, Mikhail, who had gotten out of the carriage, stood next to Karina.

Jeremiah’s eyebrows curved slightly.

But he soon asked Karina again.

“Have you eaten?”

“…”

Karina couldn’t answer right away this time either.

It wasn’t because she hadn’t eaten.

Karina had joined the others for a meal while Mikhail was sending Selena back.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t easily answer because this situation of Jeremiah showing interest in her was so unfamiliar.

“I ate.”

Still, the answer came more easily than the first question.

Recently, Jeremiah had been coming to her room at mealtimes to check if she was eating, saying he wanted to confirm she was taking her medicine.

It was ridiculous how those few days made it feel somewhat familiar, but.

A faint self-deprecation appeared and quickly disappeared on Karina’s lips.

“I see. Then the medicine…”

“I took the medicine too.”

“I see.”

Though it seemed there was nothing more to say, Jeremiah didn’t leave.

‘Right. This works out well.’

Karina decided to think positively.

In fact, she had been planning to find an opportunity to bring up the subject of Croana poison to Jeremiah.

She planned to show him the ‘letter written by the maid just before she died’ that she had received from Selena, and inform him that the maid had been wrongfully killed.

And along with the conjecture that the culprit who killed the maid was likely the real culprit who killed Genon Young-sik, she planned to demand an investigation into the mastermind.

“Do you remember? That poison the maid Zen mentioned, saying an antidote had to be taken within 3 days.”

Karina opened the conversation.

The following words flowed from Jeremiah’s mouth.

“You’re going to talk about the Croana poison.”

“! You already found out?”

Karina’s eyes widened.

‘In just one day with this kind of information?’

She had thought it wouldn’t take him long to find out about Croana, but Karina was surprised by the information power that was much faster than expected.

“They say it’s a new poison that’s been circulating mainly in the capital. Just as you said.”

The last words were emphasized.

“Really? It was just something I said, but it turned out to be true.”

Karina feigned ignorance.

“Now that you know such a poison exists, reveal the mastermind behind this incident as you said.”

From Jeremiah’s standpoint, he was also responsible for Genon Young-sik being killed inside the ducal prison.

Even if that wasn’t the case, catching and punishing the brazen culprit who dared to cause an incident inside the ducal residence was necessary to uphold the dignity of the ducal family.

Additionally, uncovering the mastermind could also reduce Caroline’s charges, so.

Though their reasons for finding the mastermind were different, their goals were the same.

Karina thought Jeremiah would naturally grant her request.

“Why are you so obsessed with the mastermind behind this case? Do you perhaps suspect someone?”

Karina was naturally suspicious of Revals, who was doing nothing even though Caroline was cornered.

But she couldn’t tell Jeremiah that.

If she did, she’d have to explain why she suspected him, and apart from that, she couldn’t trust Jeremiah.

Karina gave the reason she had thought of in advance.

“The mastermind who killed Genon Young-sik and even the maid might target me next. They were the ones who originally conspired to frame me using Genon Young-sik. I want to eliminate such dangers in advance.”

“As long as I’m here, no one can harm you, the duchess.”

Jeremiah said firmly.

Hearing his words, Karina inwardly scoffed.

On the surface, that would be the case.

On the surface, the duchess was under the protection of the ducal family.

And if Karina, who had married into the ducal family, died or was injured, there would be strong protests and demands for accountability from the Millainer viscounty.

‘Conversely, if it weren’t for such a situation, you’d abandon me without hesitation.’

It was the same with this recent hostage situation.

The fact that she was able to save her life was thanks to Mikhail rescuing her.

‘If Mikhail hadn’t saved me, I might have died there as soon as it was revealed that I had no value as a hostage.’

Karina’s shoulders shuddered once.

Mistaking Karina’s shivering shoulders for being cold, Mikhail quickly intervened.

“Lady Karina. Let’s go to your room quickly since it’s cold. You haven’t fully recovered yet.”

Karina nodded.

“Anyway, please proceed with the reinvestigation as is. Then I’ll be going.”

Mikhail gently wrapped his arm around Karina’s shoulders as she was about to move.

Seeing that, Jeremiah’s eyebrows twitched.

Tak.

Jeremiah immediately brushed Mikhail’s hand off Karina’s shoulder.

Then he supported Karina’s arm as if escorting her.

“…!?”

Karina looked up with surprised eyes, but Jeremiah’s face was expressionless as if nothing had happened.

“Since you haven’t fully recovered yet, I will support you.”

“That,”

“There’s no need for that.”

Mikhail’s words were faster than Karina’s.

‘Huh…?’

Karina opened her mouth to refuse but was momentarily confused by Mikhail’s action of refusing even faster than her.

“I can support her.”

Mikhail supported Karina’s other arm while glaring at Jeremiah with an insolent look.

Jeremiah also frowned unpleasantly and glared at Mikhail.

“I didn’t ask you.”

His voice was as cold as frost.

The rivalry that she thought had recently become familiar broke out again.

‘Why suddenly…? Why here and now?’

It was puzzling, but she thought there was no point in arguing about it.

“Let’s stop. I want to go to my room quickly and rest.”

Karina avoided both their touches and wrapped her own arms around herself.

Honestly, she wanted to take Mikhail’s side since they were close, but there were many eyes watching.

She didn’t want Mikhail to hear unnecessary things and become the subject of gossip because of her.

Moreover, now that she knew his feelings, she didn’t want to make him misunderstand.

There was no need to even mention Jeremiah.

“If you’re going to fight, do it when I’m not around.”

Annoyed, Karina left the two behind and went up to her room alone.

The two men followed her.

Karina turned around and spoke before closing her door.

“I’m tired today so I’m going to bed early. Both of you are banned from entering my room.”

With a sharp sound, the door closed.

“…”

“…”

It was the moment when Jeremiah and Mikhail, who had followed Karina, were shut out without being able to say a word.

The sky tinged orange with the setting sun was visible.

The day was already drawing to a close.

The carriage that had been running nonstop for a while came to a halt.

“Everyone get out!”

A man with a fierce expression and a plump woman made all the children who were riding in the carriage get out.

Dino was mixed in with them.

As soon as he got out, Dino looked for Philip first.

Dino ran over in one step when he saw Philip being held in the plump woman’s arms.

“Philip!”

Philip was rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up.

As soon as the woman put Philip down, Dino quickly hugged him.

He didn’t forget to be wary of the woman, afraid Philip might be taken away again.

The woman, who sneered as if it was ridiculous, said.

“Don’t worry. I won’t take him. This child is too young to be of much use. A child about your age is just right. If you behave well, I’ll give you bread and candy.”

“I don’t need it. Please send us back.”

“If you do the work well as told, there’s no reason we can’t send you back.”

“Really?”

Dino’s eyes widened with a small hope.

The plump woman smiled, raising the corners of her mouth, and sent Dino and Philip to where the other children were gathered.

The place where Dino and the children were taken was a stone mountain surrounded by hard rocks on all sides.

And they entered a dark passage that was dug under that stone mountain.

After going inside for a while, a large cavern appeared.

Passages connected here and there were centered around the cavern.

And the children entered one of those passages.

The deeper they went, the narrower the passage became.

After going in some distance, the man with the fierce expression who had escorted the children opened his mouth.

“From now on, you just need to bring out the stones from inside there.”

Dino looked at the front that the man pointed to with his fingertip.

There was an extremely narrow hole that looked only about half the size of the path they had come through.

It seemed only children with small bodies like him could barely go back and forth, while adults obviously couldn’t enter.

“Now, start right away.”

The man instructed threateningly.

“They still haven’t come back?”

“No…”

Dino and Philip hadn’t returned even by late evening.

“This won’t do. I’ll go out and look for them.”

Aiden quickly left the orphanage.

“Brother, I’ll go too.”

“We’ll look too.”

Naina and the other kids followed, but Aiden shook his head.

“It’s dark out. What if you guys get lost too if you go out? Dino and Philip might come back on their own, so you guys stay and watch the house well.”

“Okay.”

Aiden ran straight to Uncle Robeto’s workshop.

But all he heard there was that they had already finished their errand and gone back.

Aiden left the workshop without any results.

‘Where on earth are they?’

Then suddenly yesterday’s events came to mind.

‘I warned them so much, surely they didn’t go to receive food again?’

Aiden shook his head, saying it couldn’t be.

But the suspicion wouldn’t go away.

Aiden went around asking various merchants in the area.

“I heard food was being distributed to children.”

“Ah, you mean the volunteer work being done on Lambert Street?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s it, it’s already over. Come back tomorrow. It seemed like they were continuing for a few days over there.”

“No. I’m not asking because I want to receive it, but because I’m looking for children who received bread.”

Aiden described Dino and Philip’s appearances.

“Well, I see so many children that I can’t tell who’s who even if you describe them like that.”

“Ah…”

“For now, try going to where the stall was set up.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Aiden went to the place the merchant told him about.

But there was nothing left at that place.

Aiden searched the surroundings thoroughly.

And he found a street child with a paper bag in a nearby alley.

“Have you seen children who received bread around here? There are two of them, one is about this tall with brown hair…”

As Aiden was explaining earnestly, the street child said.

“Ah, you mean those kids who always pass by that road over there holding hands with the younger brother?”

Aiden’s expression brightened at the child’s words, who seemed to know Dino and Philip.

“That’s right. Did you see where they went?”

“I did see, but…”

The street child hesitated and trailed off.

“It’s okay, just tell me exactly what you saw.”

At Aiden’s request, the child pointed somewhere with his finger.

“They said they were going to help clean up the stall and went to that big carriage that was parked in the second alley over there.”

“Big carriage?”

“It was a huge cargo carriage surrounded by black cloth, and they left riding that carriage. But those children probably won’t come back.”

“What…?”

Shocked by those words, Aiden urged the street child to explain in more detail.

“They were distributing food to street children like us, and later said they would provide a place to stay and took them away. I couldn’t get on the carriage at that time because they said I was groaning from a cold.”

The street child told Aiden what he had seen while staying here.

“There are two carriages that take children. The children who ride the carriage covered with green cloth all come back, but none of the children who ride the carriage covered with black cloth come back.”

“…!”

Children who had guardians or adults looking after them were put on the green carriage, while orphans or children wandering the streets without protectors were put on the black carriage, either voluntarily or forcibly.

And the children who got on the black carriage didn’t come back even after several days.

As he listened to the child’s words, Aiden’s expression grew paler.

Aiden immediately ran to the flower shop.