Since he had saved my life and was also revealed to be Valerie’s biological father, I had been feeling a sense of closeness to Carl in my heart, so his sharp tone felt quite unfamiliar.

“I thought you said you didn’t consider me the culprit…”

“How I think of the suspect is a separate matter.”

“Suspect?”

I was displeased by his attitude, treating me as if I were truly a criminal.

“A person who is under internal investigation, although the charges have not been clearly proven. We call that a suspect. The Count’s alibi has not been clearly established, so you’re still a suspect.”

There was a chill in the air. If I were truly a lying criminal, it seemed like my feet would go numb from this man’s sharp words and I would immediately confess.

Where was the man who had even risked his life to save me? Why was he making such a scary face? A strange sense of betrayal slowly rose within me.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Count.”

“…It’s nothing.”

I felt silly for feeling hurt by his slightly cold treatment after looking at me for a while. But don’t Carl and I have a child together? A lovely child named Valerie who looks just like him.

I don’t have Celeste’s memories, so let’s assume that, but Carl should have all his memories, so I couldn’t understand why he was treating me, Celeste, so coldly.

I wondered how he would react if he knew he was the child’s father. Would he be so shocked that he would collapse?

Now that the child’s relationship had been confirmed, I couldn’t just keep it covered up.

“Uwaa…”

The child’s babbling broke the momentary silence. Both Carl’s gaze and mine naturally turned to Valerie, who was lying asleep in the middle of the bed.

Although I had brought her to the capital with me since she was clearly my child, or rather Celeste’s child, I was still at a loss as to what to do next.

I couldn’t even gauge how a woman raising a child alone would be perceived in this era. The perception of single mothers isn’t very positive even in modern times, so how much worse would it be in this era?

Of course, Celeste wasn’t really alone, despite being called a single mother. With numerous servants to attend to her and vast wealth… If she could endure the eyes of the world, it might not be such a difficult thing.

Ah, would it be a bit hard for Valerie to grow up without a father?

But if I were to tell the child’s father, “This is our child, so let’s take responsibility together!”…

As I was thinking, my eyes met Carl’s.

“Why are you staring at me again?”

“What do you mean, how am I looking at you…”

An awkward silence. Carl, who seemed to have something to say when he came to see me, for some reason closed his mouth and became lost in thought. Feeling awkward being left alone with him in the quiet space, I needlessly tidied Valerie’s blanket as she slept soundly.

“I’m asking because we need to sort things out to some extent before arriving at the capital.”

“Pardon?”

“To be exact, it’s been two months. Since the Duke of Swabia died.”

“Ah…”

“Did you know that the Duke of Swabia was found dead in his residence?”

“Oh, no. I had no idea until I heard it from you.”

“Are you claiming that you know nothing about the Duke of Swabia’s death?”

“Yes. Of course.”

It was unpleasant to be questioned about a crime I didn’t even commit. I was also quite upset by his attitude of interrogating me as if he had already half-decided I was the culprit.

“I’ve been here for almost half a year, and I have no reason to be involved with the Duke of Swabia.”

“Are you saying you have no relationship with the Duke at all?”

“No, of course not. I understand why you suspect me, but I’m not such a greedy, bad person.”

“Why do you think I consider the Count a greedy, bad person?”

“Isn’t that right? You came all the way here suspecting that I coveted the Swabian Ducal Family’s wealth and did something, didn’t you?”

The quiet atmosphere couldn’t last long. It had to stop due to the sound of something spilling, something falling over, and Valerie’s following wails that could shake the house.

“That’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Suspecting that you coveted the Swabian Ducal Family’s wealth and did something. Those words sound like you knew in advance that a vast fortune would come to you when the Duke died.”

I was flustered. Come to think of it, that’s right. Celeste’s relationship with the Duke of Swabia was only revealed to the world after the Duke’s death, so if Celeste were truly innocent, she shouldn’t have known this fact.

But I had given off the nuance of knowing in advance, so I couldn’t help but be placed under suspicion.

“Ah… I made a mistake.”

“What do you mean?”

I unknowingly muttered to myself.

“No, it’s nothing. Anyway. It’s truly unfortunate and heartbreaking that the Duke passed away.”

It might sound strange to express sympathy for the death of someone I’ve never even met, but I was sincere.

In any case, the Duke, who shared at least some blood with Celeste and died at a young age, didn’t feel completely distant like a stranger.

“It has nothing to do with me. I don’t know how many times I’ve said it.”

But while it’s unfortunate, it’s still unfortunate, and while it’s unfair, it’s still unfair.

I had tried so hard since I possessed this body to avoid dying unjustly and absurdly like in the original work, so I couldn’t return to the predestined path of death like this.

Didn’t I give up all the luxurious lifestyle and enjoyable social activities in the capital and hide in the countryside for fear of getting involved in the Duke of Swabia’s death while dawdling in the capital?

If the reward for enduring the boredom of 6 months of rural life is ultimately walking the path of predestined death, who would accept that?

“I can clearly tell you this one thing. Interrogating me will only be a waste of time.”

Carl ran his hand through his hair. He seemed frustrated, his hand movement quite rough.

“Actually, the situation has changed a bit.”

“Pardon? The situation has changed?”

“My mission was to arrest and escort the culprit who assassinated the Duke of Swabia on imperial orders. But the validity of the mission has disintegrated.”

“The validity of the mission, you mean…”

Carl hesitated to answer. I had never seen him look so hesitant before. What on earth was he trying to say?

“Because the person who gave me the mission suddenly passed away.”

“The person who gave you the mission?”

Why are people suddenly dying like this? Goosebumps started to rise on my shoulders.

By the way, Carl clearly said he was acting under imperial orders. But if the person who gave the mission died…

“That’s right. His Majesty the Emperor has passed away.”

“What?”

I almost jumped up from my seat. The Emperor died? Why? When?

“The Emperor, no, His Majesty the Emperor passed away? But why is it so quiet? When the sun of a nation has passed away, how can it be so quiet…”

“That news is still top secret.”

My head was spinning. I had no idea what was going on.

“Only a very small number of people within the imperial palace know that His Majesty the Emperor has passed away.”

“How can that be? Is that something that can be hidden even if you try to hide it?”

…As I asked that, I was reminded anew that this place is very different from the modern world where the entire nation carries the civilized device called a smartphone.

In this world where magic and sorcery are slightly more trusted than science, if they want to hide something, there would be no secrets that couldn’t be hidden.

“…I guess it can be hidden after all.”

“We didn’t hide it. We just kept silent for a moment to prevent confusion from spreading before figuring out the truth of the incident.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Hiding something and not telling yet are clearly different.”

“…Sounds like wordplay.”

As I muttered, I sensed something suspicious in Carl’s words. If the news of the Emperor’s death is top secret,

“Why are you telling me?”

What was the reason for revealing that secret to a criminal who had to be arrested by imperial order? And why today when yesterday you kept your mouth shut and said nothing?

“I’ll be honest. There are many suspicious points about unconditionally treating you as the culprit.”

Who was the person who said in an ice-cold voice that they would escort the suspect to the capital? And now, in a matter of seconds, this man who says I don’t seem to be the culprit, I really couldn’t understand him.

When did the Emperor die in the original work? I stared at the man for a moment, trying to recall.

“But it’s also true that you’re currently the most likely suspect.”

So what are you going to do about it?

“Papa.”

The conversation ended there. Because Valerie, whom I thought was fast asleep, woke up.