Maude, who had been quietly watching Foil, let out a laugh of her own.

It was unmistakably a sneer.

Under the shifting lantern light, the sharp lines of his face stood out starkly in the night. Just as Foil took a step forward, something happened that not even Mildred himself had anticipated—the mask covering his face slipped free.

As if a grave secret had been exposed, his face flushed bright red. The moment his eyes met Maude’s, Mildred froze completely. He didn’t even think to pick up the mask that had fallen at his feet.

Maude’s gaze pierced straight through him. Cold, sharp, unforgiving. Shrinking under that stare, Mildred felt the familiar urge to run crawl back into his chest.

And his body reacted before his mind could stop it.

He took a step back.

The old floor let out a loud, grating creak. Rupert barked something, but Mildred didn’t hear a word of it.

None of that mattered.

The only thing filling Mildred’s mind was the afterimage of the maid collapsing under his club—and the awl-like stare Maude was now fixing on him.

He was terrified.

Cold sweat trickled down the stiff back of his neck.

Ah—no… she wouldn’t die that easily.

Shaking his head unconsciously, Mildred stepped back again.

That was when something came flying straight at his face.

A watch.

It was the one the twin brutes had left on the floor earlier.

Maude had snatched it up and hurled it at Mildred without hesitation.

“Aaagh!!”

With a short scream, Mildred clutched his face and collapsed to the floor. A whimpering sound followed, as if he were about to burst into tears—but no one paid him any attention.

Maude continued to glare at him, razor-sharp and unrelenting. Foil, who had glanced back at the commotion, and Rupert beside him merely laughed as though they were enjoying a show.

After observing the three of them quietly, Maude finally spoke.

“You’re being dramatic, Mildred. Surely your eye didn’t burst from that? It’s nothing compared to the club you swung at.”

Her icy tone cut through the laughter, and the noise gradually died down. Foil lowered his gaze and looked at Maude with a patronizing expression, as if he understood her feelings.

“Mildred did go too far with your maid,” he said gently. “I’ll scold him properly, so calm down.”

He nodded as he spoke, his attitude shamelessly arrogant. Maude didn’t bother hiding her scorn.

“You’re hilarious.”

Curling one corner of her lips upward, Maude pointed at him. Foil responded with a breezy smile and a shrug.

“And look at you, Maude. This is exactly why I had you tied up tighter. Ah—your wrists, I mean.”

“……”

Maude answered only with a cold stare, but Foil continued, unbothered. His smiling face looked more delighted than ever.

“Still, I’ll admit it’s impressive you managed to get free. But honestly… reckless. If you’d just behaved, don’t you think I would’ve untied you myself?”

His gaze dropped to her injured wrists.

“Don’t stare at me with that filthy look.”

Maude sneered and covered her wrists as if his gaze itself were repulsive. Foil chuckled again, brushing his hair back as he looked down at the contract lying before her—still unsigned.

“You still haven’t signed. Such a simple thing.”

It was the kind of night where she wanted to punch a hole straight through his smiling face. Grinding her teeth and clenching her fists, Maude still managed to smile sweetly.

“Didn’t I tell you to pass the message along? That I’d rather die.”

“You won’t die,” Foil replied calmly. “But you won’t be able to avoid signing either. I’ll give you Eloise’s belongings—the books you used to read together, the paintings you laughed over.”

“What?”

“Think of it as a trade,” he said lightly. “Give it some thought.”

As he added that it was hardly a bad deal, Maude clenched her fists even tighter. Her hands trembled, flushed red from the force.

In the brief silence, she took a slow breath, never breaking eye contact.

The face of the man who had sold out his own sibling—who had killed her.

At that moment, only one thought remained in Maude’s mind.

The downfall of Foil Beckley.

And the Beckley name reduced to nothing but an empty shell in the annals of the Empire.

Her heart mirrored the vineyard now swallowed by flames.

Maude lifted the corners of her lips once more.

“Well… I’ll admit, it’s an interesting offer.”

Foil smiled at her positive response. Just as he was about to speak, Maude added cheerfully,

“Of course, I have no intention of making a deal with you. Because by now, the vineyard should be burning.”

“…What?”

At the mention of the vineyard, Foil’s expression twisted instantly as he glared at her.

Ah—how long she had waited for this.

That face suited Foil Beckley better than anything else. His true face.

Maude found it so satisfying that she laughed.

And it was with a bright, almost playful smile that she continued,

“I told her to burn it down immediately if anything happened to me. By now, it should be bla—”

Smack.

Foil struck her across the face.

Maude collapsed to the floor, her right cheek swelling instantly. Her lip split open, and bright red blood spilled out.

“You crazy b*tch! Didn’t you say you wouldn’t leave a single mark?!”

Rupert rushed forward, startled by Foil’s sudden violence, trying desperately to restrain him—but it was useless. Foil shoved him aside roughly, sending Rupert crashing onto a chair, his black mask torn away.

Clutching his injured arm, Rupert groaned and couldn’t get back up.

The atmosphere turned tense. The brutes glanced around nervously.

Mildred, still covering his swollen eye, shuffled backward toward the door. Foil was still shouting curses, his rage far from spent.

Maude found it ridiculous.

She pushed herself upright, still smiling. Even as she wiped the blood from her lips, she smiled brightly—no doubt provoking him further.

Snarling curses, Foil struck her again.

Maude fell with a sharp cry.

And just as Mildred and the brutes reached for the door to flee—

A gunshot rang out.

The three men looked at one another in shock. Fear rippled through their eyes. Mildred crawled toward the others, pressing close.

Even Foil sensed something was wrong.

As the gunshots drew closer, he ran a hand through his hair and shouted,

“What are you idiots standing around for?! Go check it out!”

The brutes flinched and grabbed the doorknob—

BOOM!

With a thunderous crash, the door was blown apart. The brutes were crushed beneath it.

The one who had shattered it so mercilessly was Kyle.

Having blasted the lock with his revolver, he kicked the door open. The fallen men weren’t worth a glance. The only thing in Kyle’s sight was Maude—trembling as she struggled to get up.

“Ugh—!”

Frightened by the murderous look on Kyle’s face, Foil grabbed Maude by the hair. A sharp scream tore from her throat.

The moment Kyle saw her face—

All reason vanished.

Her lips were split, blood flowing freely. Her swollen right cheek was stamped with red handprints. When Maude recognized Kyle, tears spilled from her eyes, her vision blurring.

Foil sneered and tightened his grip on her hair—

Bang!

Kyle fired.

The bullet tore into Foil’s right upper arm. With a shrill scream, Foil collapsed, blood spreading beneath him.

But Kyle didn’t stop.

He walked forward slowly, deliberately, as if torturing him—firing shot after shot into Foil’s feet.

It was clear he intended to keep him alive, just long enough to suffer.

Kyle raised his gun, aiming at Foil’s knee—

“Kyle!”

At the desperate voice, he turned.

Maude was kneeling, her ankles still bound, crying as she called his name—her eyes wet with tears.