“How about spinach cookies for our little lady? It will make you really strong.”

“Me too, me too!”

Children reached out to Adel competitively. Amidst the chaos, Adel never lost her kindness.

“Can I try some too?”

When she lifted her head at the familiar voice, April, with a bright face, was smiling. Behind her was Sayra, like a shadow.

April said she had something important to discuss, so the three of them came out into the courtyard of the cathedral. The courtyard, surrounded by a three-story building, was bathed in the gentle spring sunlight.

“On that day, you must have felt terrible because of me, right?”

That day? Ah, she must be talking about the incident when they were summoned in front of the noble ladies recently, making them a subject of ridicule.

“I’d be lying if I said no. However, I didn’t get as hurt as Her Majesty might have wanted. I have built up some resilience.”

“Instead, I apologize. Your mother might resent Miss Adel because of me.”

Adel didn’t expect April to come and apologize like this.

“It’s okay. I can handle my share of it.”

Then, April glanced at Sayra, who was standing aside, and asked quietly.

“But… about the Marquess… nothing really happened, right? Oh, don’t misunderstand. I just want to make sure.”

Was she here to ask about that?

“There was something, but it wasn’t what Her Highness was worried about.”

April seemed relieved. There had been rumors circulating for a while that Adel and Stone had an illicit relationship.

Adel felt sorry for April. She seemed like an ignorant younger sister, not knowing the ways of the world.

“Have you set a wedding date by any chance?”

“We’re thinking of doing it before the end of spring. He said the sooner, the better.”

“He said…?” When Adel mentioned him, April’s face blushed.

It was clear that she was deeply in love with Stone.

Of course, it would be a piece of cake for the cunning him to captivate the uneasy heart of the princess.

“Don’t rush the wedding too much. It’s the person you’ll spend your entire life with, so wouldn’t it be better to get to know each other more slowly?”

It was a cautious advice for April.

Kristine didn’t know how long it would take to find evidence of Stone’s crimes and arrest him. If they held the wedding before that, everything would become more complicated.

Of course, the one who would be most affected by this was April.

“Don’t be fooled by those words, Your Highness!”

Suddenly, Sayra was right behind them. Sticking close to April, she began to undermine Adel.

“Miss Adel wishes more than anyone else for this marriage to go wrong. You know, if you two get married, it will shake the position of Viscount Osvald. You’re aware of that.”

Adel was astonished.

In her heart, she wanted to tell everything to April about how terrible Stone Oswald was.

But such words wouldn’t be heard by someone deeply in love. It would only make her even more disliked.

However, she couldn’t just let Sayra blabber on as she pleased.

“Well, whether the viscount’s position will be shaken or strengthened, we’ll have to wait and see. Who can understand Her Majesty’s intentions?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why, curious?”

Amidst the tense confrontation between Adel and Sayra, April looked embarrassed. In fact, she hated political discussions the most.

“Well then, you two continue your discussion. I need to see my grandmother.”

“What does Her Majesty mean…?”

As April disappeared as if running away, Sayra asked.

“Who do you think is the culprit behind the incidents happening in Greenhill now?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“What if there were similar incidents in the Orbis Kingdom over the past eight years?”

Sayra, who was momentarily silent, became furious.

“Are you crazy? What nonsense are you talking about now!”

But Adel asked again with a cold face.

“Do you know what’s in your house’s basement?”

“There’s something, of course. It’s the residence of the esteemed lady of the basement.”

“And there’s a cemetery.”

“Yeah, so what!”

“There was a passage connected to Oswald’s cemetery below where I stayed. Just thinking that my room was below a graveyard was horrifying enough. So I couldn’t muster the courage to go downstairs.”

“I can’t bear to hear any more. If you want to lament about that time, tell it to the esteemed Vice Viscount. I’m busy, so I’ll take my leave.”

It was when Sayra was about to turn away, irritated.

“But on the day your father passed away, you went to the cemetery.”

Sayra’s steps came to a halt.

Adel dredged up the memories of that day. A memory she didn’t want to recall.

“I saw improperly handled skeletons. I don’t know if they were animal bones or human bones… there must have been dozens.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

Sayra’s voice trembled thinly.

“I was too shocked at the time to think of anything. But these past few days, it seemed too strange. If Oswald was a person, he wouldn’t have discarded them like that. The servants weren’t buried there, and if they were animals, it’s strange to gather them separately.”

After hearing Kristine’s story, Adel carefully considered whether there could be a clue that Stone was the culprit. And then, that incident came to her mind. At that time, she just thought it was horrible and ran away.

“…What does that have to do with the current case?”

“It means there might have been sacrificed individuals just like now eight years ago.”

Sayra jumped up as if she had been set on fire.

“Stop talking nonsense! It’s a well-known fact that Silver Wolf is the culprit! If you harbor ill intentions toward our family, don’t think you’ll get away with it!”

As Sayra shouted, people turned to look at her.

Facing such Sayra, Adel spoke firmly.

“The culprit is a monster who wants to blame Silver Wolf for the crimes. It’s not the other way around.”

“No, I think the culprit is a monster who wants to blame Silver Wolf for the crimes. And that monster is right next to you.”

“…!”

For a moment, Sayra flinched, then soon erupted in anger.

“Shut up with your nonsense! Even if you are the viscount’s fiancee, if you insult our family, we’ll officially complain through the noble society!”

Despite Sayra’s threat, Adel stood her ground.

“Think about it, Sayra. That monster will become increasingly dangerous. Before it devours you and your family… there may be a way for you to save Oswald.”

“Me saving Oswald? What are you talking about?”

“Then, goodbye.”
Adel turned away without saying anything.

Then, she faced Isabelle standing in the corridor next to the atrium.

Could she have overheard our conversation?

“You’re here. April is waiting for Sayra.”

Nothing could be read from Isabelle’s gracefully smiling face.

“Oh my, get a hold of yourself. We’re supposed to go together to ‘Chanel’s House’ to see the dresses. They say new spring items have arrived.”

Sayra, with an expression of being alive, quickly fled.

“I’ll head back now.”

Isabelle, who had heard the conversation, grabbed Adel.

“I’d like to have a brief chat.”

Indeed, she must have heard the conversation.