After Irene left, Abel unwittingly relaxed his tightly gripped hand.

He ran his calloused hand angrily through his hair.

“Shit.”

Abel Mergen.

He participated in four campaigns from the young age of fifteen and made notable achievements.

Eventually, he was praised as a hero in the Empire.

The medals embroidered on his conquest were so dense that there was not enough cloth.

However, likewise, even the deified war hero was nothing more than an insignificant person in the mansion of Mergen.

He dazedly held the curtain of the moon-drenched bed in his hand.

A familiar scent rose from the thin cloth.

“… …”

Once with his hand and once with his eyes, he continuously swept the half-transparent veil.

“… If you were going to leave like this…”

The gaping mouth was closed once again.

He had a habit of carefully choosing his words in front of Deborah.

There were times when he wasn't able to answer her.

Even after she’s gone, he can't fix that habit of his.

The mansion of Mergen had always been a suffocating place for him.

A place in which you had to hide and bury every expression, mood and feeling.

And that’s why, Abel always thought of the Mergen mansion as the tombstone of his feelings.

He didn’t expect to return to this grave on his own with such news.

He had imagined one day, when Deborah was still looking down at him, and her eyes were growing colder.

He had imagined that one day she might present him with a coffin and also thought that he would eventually be willing to crawl into that coffin.

But he didn’t know that coffin would be Mergen itself.

Really, it shouldn’t have been like this.

“… …”

A calming scent permeated his fingertips.

At the same time, the anger that had lost its way in his heart was dyed black again.

***

“You need to re-appoint the successor.”

Mergen’s vassal, Zupelo, said to the family head.

“Deborah’s body isn’t even cold yet.”

Looking out the window at Deborah’s tombstone, the family head answered his words. The conference room filled with the vassals were busy exchanging glances with each other.

“If that’s the case, let’s discuss it slowly.”

“Isn’t the answer already decided?”

“You’re right. Irene is sickly and cannot stand the position of the successor, so the only remaining children are Abel and Nerzu.”

“Abel already has a high reputation within the Empire. He lacks nothing that takes to be a successor.”

“Of course! We should be grateful that Abel, the war hero of the Empire, is a member of our family!”

The vassals raised their voices at once. Hearing their voices, the family head took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Fatigue piled up inside him at the words of the vassals who crowded like a flock of crows.

It’s been only three days. It’s been only three days since Deborah died.

Unable to endure those three days, these people were raising their voices while discussing the position of the successor.

“It has been 10 years since Deborah was loyal to the family as a successor.”

“That is right…but since it happened like this…”

“That’s right. Aren’t we saddened with Deborah’s death?”

Like those who decided to be shameless and disrespectful, everyone was frantic in pushing forward with the issue of succession.

Chloe was leisurely watching the scene in the meeting room.

The tide has already turned. She was certain that she could give the position of the head of Mergen to her son without even lifting a finger.

Her gaze turned to the family head, who was standing by the window.

It had been 11 years since she remarried and became a member of

Mergen.

No one knew how high was the threshold of Mergen for her child, which she crossed while holding his hand.

Her husband died young and she struggled in Mergen in order to survive.

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And the result of those efforts are now in front of her eyes.

A long shadow stretched from the toes of the family head with his shoulders dropping.

This situation in which the hopes of an old man who wanted to preserve his bloodline even if he died was trampled on. And it was savory to Chloe who felt full even without eating.

The corners of her mouth went up involuntarily, but it was too much for anyone to look at.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Anyway, there was no other way. However, the family head was postponing the decision out of loyalty to the deceased.

“That’s right. I think Father and all other members of Mergen need some more time to mourn.”

Chloe said in a slightly sad voice. And the vassals exalted in a lowered voice.

“Above all, isn’t it more important to find the culprit?”

After hearing the word ‘culprit’, the family head turned around and looked at Chloe. Their gazes were sharply mixed.

“I know who is the most suspicious person in this situation. Therefore, I want to find the truth of this matter so that not even a single doubt remains.”

The confident eyes of the family head narrowed slightly.

“I am innocent. There is no way that Abel who was on the battlefield and Nerzu, who is at the Academy would be the suspects.”

“Then, who do you suspect?”

The family head asked Chloe who talked as if she had already prepared.

“Isn’t there one more person with the qualifications of the successor?”

“Are you perhaps suspecting Irene?”

Chloe gently tilted her head in affirmation and the Family head laughed at her words.

“That child is not interested in such a position! And she’s not even in a good condition…! Could it be that other vassals also suspect that child?”

When the family head looked at the vassals, they were busy looking at each other with puzzled eyes.

Anyone who knows about Irene’s condition could never doubt her, but these people are willing to sacrifice anyone in order to have what they want.

“Ahem, we can’t say that there’s no chance at all.”

“Look here!”

“Firstly, wasn’t it Irene who made the healing potion that Deborah drank last?”

“No poison is found in that potion!”

“Who knows, it could be harmless when it’s just a potion but poisonous when it’s mixed with something else…… Hmm.”

The vassals kept looking at the Family head even as they continued to talk. No, they were pretending to look.

“You guys…”

Just when the Family head was about to say something mixed with anger, the door of the conference room opened.

***

“Sorry to interrupt the meeting.”

As I entered the conference room, the vassals looked at me with varied expressions.

Some were puzzled, some were surprised and some were immediately hostile.

“I apologize for daring to meddle in the conversation as it leaked through the doors.”

“How dare you barge in here!”

One of the vassals said angrily.

“Weren’t you investigating Deborah’s death?”

“This is not a place where you should be.”

“You should give me a chance to defend myself, if you suspect me.”

The man who spoke up was taken aback by my swift answer.

Because if Irene were in a situation like this, let alone answer clearly, she wouldn’t have been able to open the door and come inside.

I looked at their faces calmly, as I received their pouring stares.

Those who acted like a gentle sheep in front of Deborah, me, were like an awl stabbing me with their sharp gazes.

“First of all, Deborah… if anyone had a motive to kill my sister, that includes most of the people present in this room.”

“What does that mean!?”

“How dare you talk such nonsense!”

The vassals could not hide their anger at my sharp remarks.

Some of them even sprung up from their seats.

I turned my eyes to Roosevelt, my stepmother’s younger brother, who was the first one to get up from his seat and opened my mouth.

“Sister Deborah was the one who hide the truth about Mr. Roosevelt’s mine embezzlement. Wasn’t it because you were frustrated that she caught your weakness?”

“Wh-what are you talking about…!? This is absurd…! This is all nonsense!”

Roosevelt waved his hands in denial.

Then I turned to my next target, Vermont.

Mr. Vermont’s trade ship which was carrying wool was plundered, and he’s trying to hide it with other trade proceeds in fear of being found out by the family head. And sister Deborah knew about it.”

“H-how did you…Ahem! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Everyone denied it, but no one was able to hide their embarrassment.

I slightly closed my eyes and smiled.

“Lord Gavian’s infatuation problem, Lord Miles’s embezzlement, and what else…. Lord Yusekan also had some problems regarding children. Well, should I keep talking like this?”

“Ahem!”

“Wh-what nonsense are you talking about…”

“Why is the air so hot in here? Hmm.”

Each of the vassals were busy fanning their hands and clearing their throats while avoiding my gaze.

Meanwhile, I caught sight of my stepmother, Chloe.

“I don’t think I need to explain Lady Chloe.”

Her red eyes didn’t even budge in this chaotic situation.

Those beautiful eyes kept disappearing and reappearing every time she blinked.

“Next time while discussing this issue, I would appreciate it if you make a seat here.”

After I finished talking, I looked at my grandfather, the family head.

The eyes of a person who always gave off a sense of intimidation and were upright like a straight tree, shook.

‘He must have been surprised.’

To think that no one else, but ‘Irene’ could speak so confidently.

“Cough, cough.”

But after I finished talking, I couldn’t help coughing because I felt my throat tickle.

I hurriedly took out my handkerchief and covered my mouth.

“Cough.”

The expression of surprised grandfather turned back to normal.

“…Okay. You are right. There’s no one here with his weakness hidden from Deborah.”

People were a little shaken by Grandfather’s pure affirmation.

“I’ll do my best to find the culprit, so I hope the vassals don’t talk about this matter anymore.”

“However,”

“Family Head!”

“Are you trying to refuse my words?”

Grandfather’s words made the entire hall go quiet.

When my cough stopped and I raised my head, my eyes met Chloe’s eyes which were fixated on me all the time.

‘She must have been quite surprised’.

I smiled slightly at her.