Leni remembered how Rose had treated her kindly even when she was a maid during Rose’s stay at the Iolls Mansion, so she went to find her.

However, the Rose she met again was a slightly different woman from the Rose that Leni remembered.

She was sensitive, irritable, and showed no interest in a mere maid.

Leni felt that something was wrong after meeting Rose, but she recklessly entrusted her body to her upon hearing that she would be accepted.

It was clear that no matter where she went with this body, there would be no place that would accept her.

Leni, who had been quietly living as a maid, forgotten by Rose, was now standing in front of Rose.

Unable to answer, Leni nodded her head towards Rose.

At this, the maid standing next to her flared up at the ill-mannered behavior.

“How dare you nod your head in front of the young lady!”

“It’s alright. She can’t speak, so she has to express herself like that, doesn’t she?”

Contrary to her worried words, Rose’s playful expression cruelly dug into Leni’s heart.

“Since you can’t speak, well then. Put down the box and try writing. Your fingers aren’t broken too, are they?”

Leni bit her lips at the sight of Rose crossing her arms and tilting her head.

Then, she carefully put the box on the floor, took the paper and quill pen handed by the maid, and began writing.

When Leni held out the paper with the writing, the maid received it and politely presented it to Rose.

[I saw Olli switching the box in the room and brought it out.]

“Olli?”

“She was the maid who shared a room with Leni. I tried to catch her, but I lost her.”

“Tsk.”

The maid who answered Rose’s question shrugged her shoulders in tension as Rose clicked her tongue, seeming displeased.

“Pick up both boxes.”

At Rose’s words, Leni grabbed the box, and the maid hurriedly put down the paper and grabbed the box given by Olli.

Rose examined the boxes held by Leni and the maid.

The two boxes were identical in shape, as if they had been stamped out.

“Open them.”

As the two boxes were opened, Rose clicked her tongue again.

“Tsk.”

From the black velvet wrapping the herbs to every corner, the two herbs were exactly the same without a single difference.

The placement, appearance, and even the direction of the leaves were indistinguishable.

“Which one did you say the maid named Olli brought?”

“It’s the one I’m holding.”

When the maid spoke, Rose, staring at the mugwort in the box, ordered.

“Close that box and go out to bring the herbalist you’ve prepared.”

“Yes, young lady.”

The maid quickly closed the box, placed it in one spot, and hurried out of the room.

Rose looked at Leni, who was still holding the box, and said,

“What do you want? Money? A job?”

Leni opened her mouth, wanting to answer, but no sound came out.

“Ah, right. You can’t speak. Put down the box while it’s open and write it on the paper.”

Leni carefully put down the box and picked up the paper the maid had thrown, writing on the empty space.

[I want both money and a job. I also wish for the ruin of Viscount Kerenik, who made me like this.]

Rose read the paper handed by Leni and burst into laughter.

“You’re so greedy.”

At Rose’s words, Leni bowed her head deeply, feeling tense and wondering if she had asked for too much.

However, the words that followed were a little unexpected.

“Alright, I quite like it. That’s how it should be.”

When Leni raised her head to look at Rose, the eyes that resembled a meadow and were fresh were now dyed with sticky greed and glimmered.

“Shouldn’t one take what one desires?”

Rose’s eyes flashed towards the mugwort as she stroked her forearm, where scars were clearly visible without gloves.

“Good. We have the same goal anyway.”

Leni’s eyes trembled.

Leni wanted to say something, her heart full, but she was distressed by the sound that wouldn’t come out.

The moment she hurriedly tried to write something on the paper, the maid entered with an herbalist.

“I brought him.”

Rose nodded towards the box with her chin.

Then, the herbalist looked at the two boxes and first examined the open box.

“This is indeed mugwort. The shape and aroma are perfect. It seems to have been harvested in a very textbook manner.”

“Check that one too.”

When Rose pointed to the closed box, the herbalist opened it and examined the herb inside.

The herbalist was startled.

He couldn’t help but be surprised by the appearance that seemed to have been directly transplanted from the mugwort he had just seen.

“This is…”

The herbalist repeatedly looked at the leaves and came closer to wave his hand over the herb to check the aroma.

“Even the subtle aroma is similar. Oh my.”

The herbalist alternated between the two boxes with a confused face, comparing them dozens of times.

“It’s a really sophisticatedly made fake. I almost couldn’t tell the difference myself.”

“Which one is the fake?”

“The box I opened and checked is the fake.”

At the herbalist’s words, Rose asked the maid.

“You said the one you were holding was the one that maid named Olli or whatever handed over?”

“That’s correct, young lady.”

“When did that maid start working here?”

“She’s been working for quite some time. As far as I know, this is her 5th year.”

Rose fell into thought for a moment, then frowned deeply at the sight of the three people looking at her, and drove them all out.

“Everyone, leave.”

The herbalist and the maid quietly bowed their heads, but Leni rolled her eyes, not knowing what to do with her anxiety.

Seeing Leni’s appearance, Rose ordered the maid in an irritated voice.

“That maid, move her to the 2nd floor starting today.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. Understood.”

The maid answered with a dumbfounded face, and Leni quietly followed the maid out.

When all three people left, only Rose and the two boxes were left alone in the room.

Rose slowly stroked her arm, where the scars had faded slightly, and glared at the boxes.

“Ha.”

Rose was lost in thought.

Who on earth had tried to play a trick on the box she received from Connie?

Was it Erina who had taken everything from her, or was it Viscount Kerenik who was clinging to Erina’s side?

Whoever it was, it was clear that she didn’t like it.

Rose picked up the sharp knife placed on the bedside table and slashed the black velvet of the box containing the fake mugwort.

Rose deliberately slashed the surroundings cruelly while maintaining the appearance of the mugwort.

“How dare you interfere with my plan?”

Rose, who had been constantly cutting the velvet with the knife, suddenly stabbed down towards the middle leaf of the fake mugwort.

The middle leaf of the fake mugwort was cruelly torn apart.

“What should I do, Erina?”

Rose pulled out the knife she had stabbed down.

“Even if you interfere like this, it seems that your death will remain unchanged.”

A bright smile settled on Rose’s face.

Although she only uttered words, Rose’s whole body trembled like crazy as she imagined the ecstatic sight just by thinking about it.

“Look forward to it. I will make sure to succeed, just to show you.”

Rose roughly closed the box containing the fake mugwort, lifted the knife, and strongly stabbed the center of the box.

Rose’s lips reflected on the blade twisted grotesquely.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Count!”

Erina, who was finishing the preparations for the tea party, was startled by Terik, who suddenly rushed in.

Seeing Terik, who was usually unshakable in any situation, shouting and entering, it was clear that something serious had happened.

Bertrel must have sensed it too, as he quickly left his seat.

“Viscount Semul, what’s the matter?”

“It seems the maid has failed.”

“Don’t tell me she was caught?”

“It seems so. In the last contact, after the words ‘discovered,’ ‘Leni,’ and ‘failed to retrieve,’ there was no further contact.”

Erina unwittingly frowned at Terik’s words.

Not only was she caught, but she also failed to retrieve the fake mugwort.

It was certain that Rose would have quickly realized and noticed that it was Erina’s doing.

The only fortunate thing was that Connie had thoroughly excluded herself and proceeded with the work in order not to arouse suspicion.

“Wait, did you say the word ‘Leni’ was mentioned in the contact?”

“Yes. It seems to be a person’s name, but we’ll have to verify who it is.”

Erina became lost in thought due to someone’s name unexpectedly included in the last contact.

Strangely, it was a name that Erina felt she had heard somewhere before.

“But since the name Leni is quite common, it might take some time.”

Then, suddenly, Erina thought of a maid who had pitied her at the Iolls Mansion and tried to stick with her.

That maid’s name was also Leni.

Although she seemed to be a completely unrelated person, Erina’s inexplicable intuition kept making her think of that maid.

“Could you look into Leni, the maid who used to work at the Iolls Mansion? It shouldn’t be difficult since she was a maid who stayed there even before I stayed at the Iolls Mansion.”

“Understood. I will verify it right away.”

“Since the mugwort plan has failed, let’s cleanly wash our hands of it. Make sure to erase the evidence cleanly.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“We will proceed with the tea party as planned.”

“I apologize, Count.”

Terik bowed his head and apologized to Erina.

In the first place, Terik had recommended the tea party with the intention of holding it after the successful completion of the mugwort plan.

However, with the front part going awry, the meaning of the painstakingly prepared tea party was at risk of disappearing.

“It’s alright, Viscount Semul. It’s a rumor I was planning to unleash someday. Now might be the right timing.”

Erina’s words were not empty ones.

She had been waiting for the right timing to make it clear that Rose was an adulteress in order to reduce her standing.

With witnesses coming forward about Rose and Peiron’s secret meetings, now might be the most appropriate timing.

“Has the whereabouts of the maid who was at the Asila Count’s residence been confirmed?”

“We are searching every possible way. As soon as we find her, we will bring her.”

As Terik answered and left, Erina called Bertrel to prepare for the tea party more perfectly.