So she playfully used hallucinogens on servants who felt sympathy.

To make them feel hatred toward Cynthia.

Simultaneously, she manipulated them to develop a liking for herself.

She had to be the beautiful, angelic Iris to everyone.

The effect was surprisingly good.

I can destroy someone without lifting a finger.

Iris felt tremendous pleasure watching the servants, dancing in her palm, hate and persecute Cynthia.

So she secretly studied hallucinogenic herbs without Viscount Blewitt’s knowledge and passionately experimented with them.

Until then, Cynthia had been nothing to her.

If only I hadn’t heard that story that day……

Iris ground her teeth in anger.

From the beginning, Iris’s target wasn’t Cynthia, Mila, or the servants, but Kaisel.

There was a separate reason why she first used hallucinogens on Chef Hannah and the kitchen servants after entering the grand ducal residence.

It was to replace the teacup set that held Kaisel’s herbal tea.

Though Cynthia was a stupid wench, she had been excellent at being an apothecary since childhood.

With Baron Istad Solta and others around, making Kaisel’s herbs unusable was risky for Iris in many ways.

So she changed her approach, secretly tampering with the teacups Cynthia took, using an oxidizing agent to significantly reduce the herbs’ effectiveness.

Iris specially ordered tea sets treated with an oxidizing agent called “Eldrich,” and her idea hit the mark.

Cynthia was wary of her at first, but she trusted Hannah and the other servants.

And taking advantage of Cynthia’s confusion due to Kaisel collapsing from the curse, she diverted small amounts of the prepared herbal tea.

All of this was thanks to that person’s strategy.

“Pff, pfft, ahahahaha! This is too fun!”

Although she was nearly killed after being caught using hallucinogens on Kaisel and temporarily couldn’t use magic tools, the magic would disappear anyway once the Grand Duke died.

Iris took cheerful steps while smiling brightly.

Click.

Opening the door and returning to her room, Iris tilted her head at the chilly atmosphere.

Then she suddenly turned her head to the puzzle on the table.

It was strange that the puzzle she had left in the dressing room was moved here. The puzzle, which should have been empty, was completely filled.

“Where did this……”

“Curious?”

A cold voice came from the window on the opposite side.

Startled, Iris turned her head to see Cynthia drinking tea while looking out the window.

Cynthia, who had seemed ready to collapse at the slightest touch until yesterday, looked somewhat different today.

She must have heard that the Grand Duke woke up. Is she trying to take out her frustration on me?

Iris suppressed her laughter that threatened to burst out. Then she sat down on the sofa with a bright smile like an innocent child.

“Cia, you startled me.”

“You should be startled.”

Cynthia put down her teacup and took a seat on the sofa opposite Iris.

Though Iris tensed at Cynthia’s calmer and colder face than ever before, she didn’t show it.

“Hey, are you angry with me again? What’s wrong? Is it because His Highness woke up?”

Iris brightly smiled and picked up a scone from the table to eat.

The reason why Iris, who perfectly maintained etiquette, deliberately acted like a child only in front of Cynthia was simple.

This behavior could draw out her guard.

“Lucien’s puzzle piece. Don’t you remember where you lost it?”

“Puzzle……? Oh? Cynthia, did you find it? I’m so happy. I cried so much after losing the last piece. Thank you.”

“Answer my question.”

“I don’t know. If I knew, I would have found it earlier.”

Cold hatred settled in Cynthia’s green eyes. The smile gradually disappeared from Iris’s face.

“It was under the sofa at the villa on the day Grandmother died. Why are you lying about being there?”

“Hmm? Cynthia, you know too. I’ve never been to Grandmother’s villa. As you know, I was at the temple.”

Cynthia let out a snicker.

As expected, she thought, and placed various documents on the table.

“Cia, what is this?”

“You would know better.”

Iris pulled out one of the thick documents and read it.

The document recorded the times Iris used the gate and her route when she returned to the Blewitt family, down to the second and minute.

It also detailed the time Iris headed to the capital an hour later.

While gates were overseen by the Imperial Palace, strictly speaking, they were managed with cooperation from the Magic Tower.

The owl seal on this document certified its authenticity.

Iris calmly pulled out the next document.

Since the time Iris entered the temple that day differed by only 20 minutes from the gate time, it was possible to know all of her movements and times on the day Nicol Blewitt died.

“If you need more evidence that you went to the villa on the day Grandmother died, just say so. I also have a magic recording orb capturing your image near the gate.”

“……”

“Was it also you who spread false rumors about me and His Highness the Grand Duke in social circles?”

After a moment of silence, Iris shook her head vigorously as if coming to her senses.

“Cia, I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“I know you had Loretta deliver messages to Lady Hosson and sent many gifts in return—I have the butler’s testimony.”

“……That was just a courtesy.”

“Ah! Sending expensive jewels and paintings from auctions as courtesy? Even a passing dog would laugh, Iris.”

“……Are you suspecting me? It must have been Loretta acting alone. She’s disliked you since childhood.”

“Oh my.”

Cynthia opened her mouth with a cold face.

“I know Loretta better than you do. Though she’s materialistic and opportunistic, she would never act independently on her own.”

Iris awkwardly averted her gaze while clutching her dress skirt. She was frantically thinking of how to escape.

“Iris, do you know? There are several characteristics that appear when people lie.”

“Hmm?”

“They can’t meet your eyes properly and can’t answer the questions asked. And they avoid the subject. Just like you.”

Only then did Iris look directly at Cynthia. Unlike before, she straightened her back and poured tea from the teapot on the table.

The childlike behavior disappeared, replaced by an elegant demeanor straight out of a textbook.

“Pfft…… Ahahahaha!”

Iris, who had brought the teacup close to her mouth, giggled and then burst into loud laughter.

“I’ve been completely exposed?”

Iris’s face, which had erased its childlike innocent expression, changed moment by moment.

Cynthia’s face hardened at this unfamiliar version of Iris. This Iris was extremely strange.

“……Was it all lies from the beginning?”

“Lies? You should call it social skills. People like pure and innocent women. I simply met their expectations.”

“Answer the question I asked.”

Iris put down her teacup and rested her arm on the sofa armrest, propping her chin.

“Cia, do you remember when we were young? Father cut your hair and drew blood, shouting that you were a dull wench. I didn’t understand then, but there was a reason. You’re really stupid.”

Cynthia furrowed her brow.

“I’m not the one you should be angry with. And your words are half right and half wrong.”

Iris answered with a spinning smile.

“The rumors in social circles. Yes, I did that.”

She had deliberately handed gifts to the children of imperial physician families and spread bad rumors about Cynthia.

Cynthia wore a terrifyingly cold expression at Iris’s provocative gaze.

“The man I fell in love with at first sight is my fiancé, but what woman would stand by and watch her sister circling around her man, wagging her tail?”

Cynthia snorted at the ridiculous nonsense.

“And going to the villa? Yes. I went to see Grandmother then. But when I arrived, Grandmother was already beyond help?”

“……How can you still call yourself human?”

“I don’t care what you think. I was scared in that situation, and Grandmother never liked me anyway. Because of you who rolled in.”

It seemed Iris already knew that Cynthia wasn’t a true bloodline of the Blewitt family.

Rising from her seat, Iris took the spot next to Cynthia. Then she whispered in her ear with gleaming eyes.

“But you know what? I have evidence of who killed Grandmother.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

For a moment, Cynthia felt suffocated.

Are you saying Grandmother wasn’t simply dead from old age but was murdered?

“Grandmother was murdered. His voice was vividly recorded on the magic tool I was carrying.”

“Why didn’t you go straight to the Imperial Guard!”

Iris, who had briefly stiffened, raised the corner of her mouth again.

“Well. Because I don’t want to die.”

Cynthia read the truth in her expression. What she was saying now was clearly factual.

“Give me the evidence. I’ll report it.”

“I don’t want to.”

Cynthia bit her lip firmly.

“Iris. You don’t suit Kaisel.”

“My, Cia. Since when did you start calling my fiancé by his name? You immoral thief, coveting your sister’s man.”

For Cynthia, this moment felt like a terrible nightmare.