James came downstairs just in time for dinner.

The meal was served in the smallest dining room, reserved exclusively for family members.

A deep navy blue tablecloth was adorned with delicate white lace and gold ornaments, creating an atmosphere of quiet elegance.

The plates were pure white with fine gold trim and the cutlery was silver.

The servants had polished every piece so meticulously that they gleamed in the warm light.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten in this room.”

James spoke as he took his seat.

“Ever since the first Count of Isle was granted this territory and built the estate, generations of the Isle family have lived within these walls.”

Before moving south after his marriage, James had spent his youth in this very house.

Because of that, the small family dining room was as familiar to him as his own memories: Richel, Edwin and James.

Once everyone expected for dinner had taken their seats, the servants quietly stepped forward and began filling the empty glasses.

The aperitif was crisp and refreshing, its light flavor pleasantly awakening the appetite.

After taking a sip, James slowly turned his gaze towards the Count and Countess.

Then he addressed Edwin.

“How is your health? You seem to have lost some weight.”

“There’s no serious issue with my health. I have lost some weight, but I was told I should recover quickly as long as I continue eating properly.”

As he answered, Edwin subtly glanced at Richel.

Even after trying so hard to maintain himself, the first thing noticed was his weight loss.

The result clearly was not very good, and anxiety began creeping into him again.

“Your bread, my lord.”

The servants placed freshly baked bread before them.

Edwin hurriedly picked up the bread and tore it in half.

A burst of steam immediately rose from it.

‘Ah…’

The freshly baked bread was much hotter than he had expected.

Startled by its heat, he quickly put it down again and rubbed his fingertips against the damp hand towel.

Beside him, Richel nudged him lightly.

It was her way of silently telling him to pull himself together.

James had been watching all his movements.

‘It feels like he’s inspecting him or something.’

To divert his attention, Richel spoke up first.

“I saw the gifts you brought earlier this afternoon. There were quite a lot of them.”

“That’s right. I launched a large trading vessel this time. What did you think of the gifts? Did you like them?”

“The fabric was incredibly soft.”

“I went to great lengths to secure that shipment. Even compared to other luxury fabrics, the sheen of this fabric is in a class of its own. If you make a gown out of it, it will capture everyone’s attention immediately. Before long, people will probably be paying extortionate prices for it. If you ever need more, just let me know. I can set some aside for you in advance.”

Edwin glanced at Richel subtly.

It was his way of encouraging her to speak up if she wanted to say something.

But she merely replied, “Is that so?” and left it at that.

Edwin’s disappointment was plain to see.

Richel pretended not to notice, although she was becoming increasingly flustered inside.

‘Why is he so desperate to give me things? I told him to act like he used to, honestly…’

Just as she swallowed down another sigh, a servant entered carrying the next dish.

It was a stew made with cream, chicken, and potatoes.

She quickly shifted the topic toward the food.

“Our head chef is exceptionally skilled at making cream and butter. The stew is always delicious. Please eat before it gets cold.”

After tasting it, James complimented its rich flavor.

The evening continued smoothly enough.

Hoping that would be the end of it, Richel quietly ate her stew.

Then James raised his wine glass and spoke.

“It’s been a while, so shouldn’t we have a proper drink together?”

He tilted his glass towards Edwin slightly.

This was an invitation to drink together.

When a guest made such a request, it was considered good manners for the host to accept.

Edwin raised his own glass in response.

The servants promptly stepped forward to refill the glasses, which were soon empty once again.

Soon afterwards, cheese and salted olives were brought out as snacks to accompany the drinks.

After tasting one of the olives, James casually remarked.

“These olives are excellent. I heard disease has been spreading through the southern groves lately, so the olive harvest hasn’t been in very good condition… but these are remarkably good.”

“Our head chef has a very discerning eye and exceptional skill.”

Richel added the words with a smile that seemed almost to be one of pride.

She was genuinely fond of the chef’s cooking.

Anything that passed through his hands — butter, cheese, pickles — somehow became delicious.

Hearing her praise, James let out a soft chuckle.

The glasses were filled once again.

Keeping pace with his guest, Edwin emptied his own glass.

By the time a noticeable flush had spread across both men’s cheeks from the alcohol, James finally asked.

“By the way, Edwin… where exactly were you during those past three years?”

The real topic had arrived without warning.

Without realizing it, Richel looked at Edwin.

She felt a sharp pang of tension.

The thought that James had deliberately got Edwin drunk before asking the question made her anxiety levels rise immediately.

But Edwin looked far calmer than she had expected.

“I apologize, Uncle. I seem to have lost part of my memory. I remember leaving the estate to go hunting… but after that, I remember nothing.”

“You lost your memory?”

“I believe… I may have been in the Eastern Alliance.”

“If you don’t remember anything, then how do you know whether or not you were in the Eastern Alliance?”

“When I woke up here, I was wearing clothes from that region.”

“How absurd. So the only memories you conveniently lost were the ones from the period you disappeared?”

His expression twisted as though he had just heard the most absurd lie imaginable.

Richel watched the two of them nervously.

Amnesia.

Not just any memory loss, but amnesia affecting precisely the three years that Edwin had been missing.

Honestly, no matter who heard it, the story sounded painfully artificial.

And yet Edwin continued the act with astonishing shamelessness.

“I’m frustrated as well. I truly can’t remember anything.”

He frowned, took another drink and looked genuinely burdened.

Richel was surprised — in a good way.

Whenever they had practiced together before, Edwin would usually become tense and stumble over his words awkwardly.

Seeing him act so brazenly now made her wonder why he had struggled so much back then.

James questioned him again.

“And the facts? Did you send anyone to investigate the Eastern Alliance?”

“Richel handled that.”

Edwin smoothly redirected the conversation.

That division of roles had already been agreed upon beforehand.

Richel cleared her throat lightly before speaking.

“Yes, I already sent people there. I had them take the clothes Edwin was wearing when he returned, so perhaps they’ll uncover something. Though it will take time.”

Simply reaching the Eastern Alliance took over a month.

Even under the best circumstances, the journey there and back would take two months, so they would need to wait at least three months.

James still looked unconvinced.

He turned to Richel.

“Who did you hire? The Haverlf Mercenary Company?”

“They failed to produce much when Edwin first disappeared, so this time I commissioned the Seble side instead.”

“The name of the person in charge?”

“They said he specializes in gathering information… Copper? Keeper? I’ll have to confirm it properly later. I’d need to check the documents.”

Richel answered with a bright smile.

She wasn’t trembling at all.

What she had said was the truth.

She had genuinely hired the Seble Mercenary Company and sent people there.

It was also true that she had entrusted them with the clothes.

‘Do you know how much trouble I went through just to obtain those old clothes…’

Richel had prepared everything with meticulous care.

Lies are most convincing when hidden among truths.

Thanks to that, she hardly needed to lie at all.

James’s frown did not ease.

Tapping the table sharply with his fingers, he spoke.

“The Eastern Alliance is an incredibly remote place. I find it hard to understand how someone could travel there without leaving a trace. If you travelled by ship, there should be records of you boarding. If you travelled by carriage, there should be records of you crossing the border. Did you question the Haverlf side again? I heard they kept every major route leading out of the Empire under strict surveillance.”

It was a perfectly reasonable point

During the search for Edwin, they investigated every possible lead.

Naturally, the major routes leading out of the Empire were constantly monitored.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Richel forced an uncomfortable expression onto her face.

“They’re investigating that again as well. They focused mostly on the major routes before, but mountain paths and similar routes weren’t examined as closely…”

“Mountain paths?”

James repeated the words, treating them as absurd.

Then he looked at Edwin.

His tone changed instantly.

“Did you do something irreversible? The sudden claim of amnesia is suspicious enough as it is. Honestly, it sounds far more believable that you got into trouble somewhere, fled secretly, and only returned much later.”

Without realizing it, Richel furrowed her brows.

‘Is that really something you say to a nephew who just returned after disappearing?’

No matter how distant their relationship had been, openly treating him like a criminal was excessive.

Just as Richel was about to say something, Edwin spoke first.

“Of course not. If I were trying to hide something, I would’ve come up with an excuse far better than amnesia. I wouldn’t be telling such a flimsy story instead.”

He answered without showing any sign of panic.

James’s interrogation did not bother him at all.

Compared to the way Richel had confronted him during their training sessions with her cold, unrelenting expression, this was nothing.

In fact, Edwin thought that the current situation was far easier than any of those rehearsals.

James narrowed his eyes as he studied Edwin carefully.

‘He doesn’t seem insane or deranged… but calling him normal feels questionable too.’

James recalled the countless rumors he had heard.

The stories surrounding Edwin’s disappearance had only grown louder since his return.

He addressed Edwin again.

“Wouldn’t most people feel anxious over memories they’ve completely lost? For someone who has no idea where he spent three entire years, you seem far too calm.”

“I am receiving treatment to recover my memories. The doctor also advised me not to obsess over them too much.”

“So you’re simply ignoring a missing three years of your life because a doctor told you to? I can’t decide whether that’s relaxed or just pathetic. Though, to be fair, you were always like this even before you disappeared.”

The word pathetic dripped from his tone.

It was an attitude from long ago.

James had always looked down on Edwin.

“Edwin, you truly resemble neither of your parents.”

James was the kind of man who considered incompetence to be a sin.

Although he had never interfered directly in the way his older brother raised his son, he had always thought his brother was too lenient with Edwin’s shortcomings.

This belief was evident in James’s treatment of Edwin.

James never hesitated to openly criticize his nephew’s incompetence.

Because this contempt was justified, it cut even deeper.

As memories of the past surfaced, Edwin lifted his gaze and looked straight at James.

“Uncle, I can’t tell whether you came here because you were genuinely concerned for my well-being or because you wanted to see just how pathetic I’ve become.”

Their eyes met.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the dining room became cold, tense and fragile.