“But, Leah, because what you said makes sense, I’ll always be careful. It hasn’t been long since I got to know Cedric, so I’ll always be cautious.”

Celly laughed, and I couldn’t help but laugh along with her.

Yes, everyone is different. There can be good outcomes like this.

You walk a different path from me.

I needed to escape from the sadness and pain I had experienced. This disillusionment was a trauma I had to endure.

“That’s right, Celly. Your words are right. …I hope you’ll be happy.”

Different from me.

The future had already changed. I was here, and Celly, who had never met me before, was holding my hand now.

So maybe Cedric would change this time, even if he had acted that way in a previous life.

“Yeah!”

Celly shook my hand vigorously. She was grateful for my concern and said that if she went out later, she would buy me a small gift. We walked together.

And that afternoon.

Celly fell from the second floor.

As soon as I heard the news about Celly, I was shocked and rushed to her room.

Fortunately, she fell from the relatively low southern annex’s second floor and landed on a pile of hay that had been delivered, so she didn’t suffer major injuries. She was still unconscious, so we couldn’t figure out why she fell. However, she was expected to regain consciousness soon.

“Why did this suddenly…”

We had been chatting happily just that morning.

When I saw Celly lying on the bed with a pale complexion, my heart raced irregularly.

“Could she have fallen while cleaning the window?”

“Perhaps. I can’t imagine anyone trying to kill Celly by making her fall from the second floor inside this castle.”

“Still, it’s fortunate that she wasn’t seriously injured.”

The conversations between the servants were hushed and barely audible. But none of their conversations really registered in my ears.

The doctor and the butler, who had been talking for a while, left the room.

“Who was the first to find Celly?”

“Um, me.”

In response to the butler’s question, a young maid hesitantly raised her hand and stepped forward.

“I was passing by and found her falling onto the hay pile, so I immediately called for help.”

“Were there no other people around?”
“Yes? Yes… I was surprised, so I looked up, and the second-floor window was open, and there was no one.”

“Anyone who saw or met Celly today, please let me know when and where.”

“Yes.”

“First, report to the Duke and then wait separately.”

After exchanging a few more words with the doctor, the butler hurriedly left. As soon as the butler left, the doctor also closed Celly’s door, completely hiding her face behind it.

My vision became blurry. Strangely, my heart had been pounding anxiously as if it would burst since a while ago.

The anxiety and discomfort I had just barely put to sleep resurfaced. I turned to look at the maids.

“…Has Celly ever fallen while cleaning the windows or almost fallen before?”

The maids, who had been talking among themselves, stopped speaking and looked hesitant, their lips frozen in place.

“No?”

“It doesn’t seem like Celly…”

“Celly is usually good at her job…”

Their answers were all the same.

As soon as I heard their answers, I turned away. It felt as if my insides were boiling, as if I had tried to swallow scorching lava.

I didn’t know where I was going, but I walked quickly. My breath was trapped at the tip of my throat. Despite the cold wind blowing hard against my face, my passionate unease didn’t dissipate.

There was no hesitation in my steps. A cold breath spread like a haze.

Following what I had read in Ronan’s memories, I headed for the storage room where Cedric’s group often gathered.

The closest storage room to the southern annex.

The storage room door was not locked. When I opened it, Cedric’s companions were gathered inside.

“Surprise.”

“What’s going on?”

Even ventilation was not working properly, and a suffocating smell of alcohol filled the air. It seemed like even those who should have been on duty today were here, secretly stealing and drinking alcohol.

“Oh? It’s that maid from earlier. Came to collect the laundry, right?”

“Ah, I remember now.”

“But why are you here?”

I briefly examined the storage room and then stepped inside without hesitation.

“What are you doing here?”

“What?”

I wasn’t interested in them. I stood in front of Cedric with unwavering steps.

“Ah, you’re the friend from last time, right?”

Cedric chuckled. A terrible smell emanated from between his parted lips.

A face completely different from what I had seen in Celly’s memories. It was the same vile smile I had seen in Ronan’s memories.

This was his true nature.

“Do you know that Celly fell?”

“Yeah.”

Cedric replied nonchalantly, barely nodding.

“Have you heard?”

“…Heard? Is that all?”

“She fell, and what can I do about it? Besides, we’re not together anymore.”

Cedric looked around at his companions and laughed. The knights around him also laughed along with him.

“So, you don’t need to talk to me about your friend anymore. Go take care of your friend. She may not have died from falling from the second floor, but she might be in pain.”

“…”

“Or maybe she didn’t come here as a friend, but because she wanted to have fun with me?”

Despite someone falling and getting hurt, everyone was laughing.

“…It should have been like this from the beginning.”

“What?”

With a disdainful gaze, I reached out my hand. And then,

Snap!

I firmly grabbed Cedric’s throat, exposing it completely.

“Ha, hahaha! What’s this?”

Cedric let out a light sneer as he turned my gripping hand around playfully.

“Are you trying to kill me now? But you have no strength in that grip, do you? Hahaha!”

Cedric burst into laughter. His companions who were with him also mocked me to their hearts’ content.

I just stared at him with a cold expression. No, more precisely, I stared at Cedric’s repulsive memories.

“Turns out you’re much more trashy than I thought.”

Memories don’t lie.

“So, you were the one who led Celly to the second floor, right?”