The next day.

Mason, as usual, took advantage of the rain to head to the annex where Cosette’s bedroom was on the third floor. 

First, he had to open the window, wipe off the dust, and then close the window again. It didn’t take long to clean up as the room hadn’t been used in a while.

Mason: “Whew.”

As he took a deep breath, he spotted the opera glasses on a shelf. He shivered at the thought of almost getting caught by Miss Keira.

‘I’d probably have been kicked out if she found out I was spying on her.’

Cosette wasn’t even here to protect him.

He left the room, thinking it was fortunate he had found a large vase nearby.

When he passed through the hallway on the third floor, he looked outside the window to see Miss Keira standing in the garden.

Mason: “Hmm?”

She seemed to be waiting for someone as she sat in the pavilion and looked around. Unsurprisingly, a stranger stepped into the garden a moment later.

He walked straight to the pavilion where Keira sat.

‘Who is that?’

Mason was too far away to take a proper look. However, he had a strong feeling it might not be someone from the mansion.

Mason: “Uh…”

Advertisements

He almost got caught spying yesterday, so he knew he should quietly leave. 

However…

‘Isn’t it possible to get useful information like yesterday?’

The idea that he might be of great help to Lady Cosette hung on Mason’s ankles. 

He felt nothing but anger when he thought of his sister crying and screaming.

In the end, the lingering resentment made him move.

Mason went back to Cosette’s bedroom and took the opera glasses. This time, he decided to crouch down and peek at the two of them with only his eyes sticking out.

Upon closer inspection, he found that Keira was with someone who didn’t come from the mansion.

An unidentified man bowed to Keira and said:

‘Good day, Your Ladyship.’

He hurriedly took out a small pouch from his sleeve. As Keira accepted it, the man spoke.

‘The effect is certain. Don’t worry.’

‘It’s not enough that the effect is certain. It should look natural when others see it.’

‘They will die slowly as if they succumbed from a fever. You don’t have to worry about getting caught.’

‘That said, you’ll have to take responsibility.’

As soon as Keira put the item she had received into her pocket, the man bowed and turned to stand.

‘Is this the end?’

If anything, Mason soon hid his head under the window sill. He crawled to where he couldn’t see the window, then ran to Cosette’s room.

When he returned the opera glasses to where he took them, his hands started to shake. Only then did he realize the gravity of what he had just witnessed.

Mason: “Are you trying to poison someone…?”

He mumbled that unintentionally and hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands. He then looked around him. 

Fortunately, no one was in the hallway.

Cold sweat ran down his back. Mason thought he might be suspected if he stayed any longer, so he hurried out of the annex.

But it was then.

“Mason!”

Mason: “Ack!”

Advertisements

A voice called out his name from behind. 

He thought he would collapse on the spot.

He looked around to see a maid walking toward him with a smile. It was Sarah, a maid that was his close friend.

Sarah: “Why are you so surprised? Were you fooling around?”

Mason: “H-how can I not be surprised when you’re shouting like that!”

Sarah: “My bad. I naturally have a loud voice.”

She smiled and put her arms around Mason’s shoulders. When Mason was young, he ate only one meal a day, so he was about the same height as Sarah.

Sarah: “I have a lot of stuff to move right now, so can you help me?”

Mason: “Y-yeah. Sure.”

Sarah: “Thank you! Let’s finish it quickly and go eat.”

Fortunately for Mason, it seemed Sarah wasn’t suspicious of him. 

At Sarah’s request, Mason brought a large box to the warehouse. As he did, he slyly asked Sarah.

Mason: “By the way, did we have any guests?”

Sarah: “Seemed so. I think someone from Keira’s maternal family visited? Did you meet the guests?”

Mason: “No, just, well, no wonder the house looked busy.”

Sarah: “Well, they didn’t ask us to entertain them, so let’s just forget about it.”

Mason: “O-okay…”

A messenger from the Marquis of Edinburgh, a reliable ally of Lady Keira.

A small pouch secretly handed over.

A conversation that seemed to suggest a murder plot.

Even though Mason couldn’t concentrate because of Sarah’s chatter, alarm bells rang in his head.

Miss Keira was plotting to kill someone secretly.

‘Are you trying to kill me?’

The dead did not speak. There was no more effective way to shut a person’s mouth than to kill them.

Miss Keira pretended not to be suspicious yesterday, but she might be sharpening a knife deep inside.

Mason’s heart pounded.

Sarah: “Oh, Mason, why are you shaking? In this weather.”

Mason: “I-I just suddenly got a chill…”

Sarah: “Is this a summer cold? Have dinner and go see a doctor.”

Sarah dragged Mason into the dining room. Since mealtime had just begun, the area was crowded.

The roaring noise seemed distant as if it were coming from another dimension.

In a daze, Mason took the food and walked to the table. He could hear a worried Sarah asking him what’s going on, but Mason had no room left to answer.

‘If she really wanted to poison me, can I eat so casually like this?’

Advertisements

His gaze was fixed on the greasy stew and salad.

‘No, these were served in one pot.’

It was impossible that she would consider annihilating all the servants in the mansion just to kill one.

Didn’t Keira say so? It should look natural when others see it.

Mason continued the meal without touching the bread he received individually.

If he only ate the food that was shared with everyone, he could evade death.

Then Sarah asked.

Sarah: “Are you not going to eat bread?”

Mason: “Ah, that’s… I don’t intend to eat it…”

Sarah: “Then I’ll eat it!”

Mason: “Huh?”

As soon as she said that, she picked up the bread. It happened so quickly that Mason didn’t have time to think of an excuse not to eat it.

Just as he was about to say he’d eat it later, Sarah had already cut the bread into large pieces. 

At the same time, he wondered if it was a good thing.

If Sarah got sick, Mason could be sure that Keira was trying to kill him. 

With her eyes wide open, Sarah asked.

Sarah: “Why? Do you think it’s a waste?”

Mason: “…No, that’s not it.”

Sarah: “Then why is your expression like that?”

Mason: “I just don’t feel well.”

Sarah: “Oh my, you were shivering a while ago. Are you really sick? Be sure to have it checked.”

He couldn’t raise his head at Sarah’s tone that seemed genuinely concerned.

Although he didn’t feed her the possibly poisoned bread on purpose, he did feel relieved for a moment.

His eyes, tinged with guilt, were fixed downwards.

One of Keira’s hobbies was taking a walk in the garden when the weather was nice. 

It was a little hot since it was summer, but the sky was bright.

‘Besides, Cosette’s not in the mansion now.’

She was assured that there would be no catastrophe if she ran into Cosette while enjoying her walk.

Keira walked into the garden a few steps away from Rose. The breeze felt good on her face.

“Ah!”

Advertisements

But then, Keira heard someone moaning behind a tree.

“You have to be careful! Why have you been so distracted since yesterday?”

“I-I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little tired.”

“This morning, I saw you eat so little… What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing. I couldn’t sleep well last night. Maybe that’s why.”

The first voice belonged to the gardener, and the one speaking to him sounded like Mason.

Keira took a step toward them.