Having monopolized her master’s love, Lucilia’s demeanor was truly magnificent.

Bessie secretly cursed as she stole glances at Lucilia.

‘Has that cursed woman bewitched the Baron already? I’d rather die than see her become the lady of the house.’

She expressed her disgust, unaware that Lucilia could see into her dark thoughts.

‘Bessie, you don’t need to serve me as your lady. Because you are no longer a maid of this house.’

Lucilia calmed herself, thinking of the authority Aaron had granted her.

He had told her to resolve the fire incident first, so she intended to cleanly remove the culprit.

“Sir Willar.”

“Yes.”

“Please come to the study for a moment.”

She issued the command in a tone imbued with courtesy.

And to Aaron’s knight, no less.

Naturally, the eyes of the watching servants widened.

It was surprising enough that she called Ension so naturally, but the knight’s accepting attitude was even more astonishing.

“Understood. I will do as you command.”

He responded with almost excessive formality.

It was bizarre to see a knight with a closely-shaved head and sharp eyes submitting to Lucilia.

As the mountain-sized Ension followed Lucilia obediently, a similar image formed in everyone’s minds.

She has completely bewitched all the men.

Since giving up her position as a saint, her pent-up sensuality is leaking out.

This was what she read from those whose eyes met hers.

Lucilia let out a small sigh and stepped onto the stone stairs.

She gave instructions to Karen and Hans, who followed, in a similar tone.

Neither arrogant nor servile.

“Please prepare rooms and meals for the soldiers from Belrak Castle who escorted us here. Make sure they are well-treated.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare it immediately.”

Unlike Hans’s docile attitude, Karen’s expression was complex.

Judging by Ension’s behavior, it seemed proper to treat Lucilia as the master, but it felt awkward with the head of the household absent.

Unable to hold back, Karen spoke up from behind.

“My lady, will you be using the young master’s office?”

“Yes.”

“Forgive my impertinence, but there are many important documents there, so you shouldn’t enter carelessly.”

“Ahem!”

The person who made this strange interjection was Ension.

He was completely different from the dignified, serious character he had shown at the camp. She thought she had understood Ension’s personality, but he unexpectedly had a playful side.

“Mrs. Miriam, you’re usually so perceptive, why can’t you see the bigger picture today?”

Karen’s face turned as red as a radish at his blunt directness.

Her eyes behind her glasses trembled slightly, immersed in embarrassment.

Ension, undeterred, continued to support Lucilia.

“The commander gave permission for this. No, he requested it.”

“He… requested it? The young master did?”

The idea that a master who should be giving orders would plead with someone seemed preposterous.

It was such an absurd claim that one might doubt whether it was a lie.

As disbelief spread visibly, Ension’s gaze turned fierce.

His eyes bulged as if demanding how they dared doubt him, and he added an explanation:

“I personally saw and heard the commander ask his wife to use his study because the second-floor reception room would be uncomfortable.”

His testimony continued all the way to the study door.

Karen couldn’t bring herself to tell him to shut up and merely adjusted her glasses several times.

“He said what’s the point of leaving it empty when the master isn’t here, and that if you get bored, you could look at the estate management records, or even take gold coins from the safe to decide how much to allocate for maintaining dignity.”

“W-w-wait a minute!”

“What?”

Hans and Karen each grabbed one of Ension’s arms. But they quickly let go after receiving a lightning-like glare.

Karen blocked the study door with her body and sought confirmation.

“Are you saying he agreed to open the safe? Our young master?”

“That’s right. Even the previous Baron couldn’t see inside our commander’s safe. But to his wife, the key…”

He let his words trail off as he looked meaningfully at Lucilia.

Lucilia felt as if her skin was being peeled off by the piercing stares. She couldn’t tell if the rising goosebumps were itchy or painful.

Receiving direct questioning gazes about whether Ension’s words were true, Lucilia slowly nodded.

“He gave me the key.”

A sound close to a sigh erupted.

At this point, further questioning would be insubordination against the master and thus meaningless.

Hans pulled Karen’s sleeve to move her away from the door.

Ension’s face filled with triumphant light.

It was impossible to know what magic she had worked to tame her master into an obedient puppy.

Bessie, who was secretly watching this completely reversed scene from before and after the campaign, felt like she was dying as her insides boiled with rage.

She had only thought of framing Lucilia as a witch, but now she seemed like a real one.

She might strip the estate of its assets and even devour the young master’s flesh and blood.

Bessie shuddered, rubbing her goosebump-covered arms.

‘After seducing the young master with her body, now she wants to act as the master? I can’t stand this! Why did she come back instead of dying on the battlefield?’

While Bessie cursed Lucilia with unfounded jealousy, Karen gracefully stepped back and bowed her head.

“I have committed a breach of etiquette out of excessive concern. Please go in.”

Lucilia called to Karen, who was practically pressed against the corridor wall.

“Head maid, please come in for a moment too.”

“Ah… yes, yes.”

* * *

The air in the study without its master was beyond cool—it was cold.

Now that she was actually trying to work in Aaron’s office space, she felt awkward and couldn’t move forward.

As she hesitated near the desk, Ension strode over, pulled out the chair, and extended his hand.

“You must be tired. Please sit down while we talk.”

Having the perceptive Ension by her side was very reassuring.

Nodding, Lucilia sat in the chair and gazed at Karen.

“The Baron ordered you to search for an oil bottle in Bessie’s room, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Did you find it?”

“Yes, we did. But… may I ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

“How did the young master know there would be an oil bottle?”

The interior fell into quiet contemplation.

Just as Karen was about to apologize for asking something she shouldn’t have:

“Before I lost my holy power, I once read Bessie’s mind. She was very hostile toward me. If someone deliberately set a fire to frame me, I thought it might be Bessie. Just in case, I asked the Baron to investigate her room.”

“Ah… I see. In any case, that Bessie must be insane. How could she do such a thing! Sigh…”

Karen hadn’t been particularly friendly to Lucilia either, but she never dared to commit such insubordination. No, she had never even imagined it.

No matter how displeased she might be, a master was a master.

When one forgot their place, pride sprouted, and eventually led to self-destruction. Bessie was exactly that type.

“As soon as the soldiers leave, I will punish Bessie. It would be good to inform the steward in advance as well.”

“I understand. I will do so.”

As the doubt that had clouded the housekeeper’s face completely cleared, Ension smiled with satisfaction. Then he bowed respectfully toward Lucilia.

“What are your orders for me?”

Karen left to allow the two to speak comfortably.

With no one else around, Lucilia lowered her voice as much as possible.

“I heard from the Baron that you plan to bind the priest’s feet and then infiltrate the temple.”

Ension also moved closer to the desk and answered quietly.

“He gave us hints about the secret room. Ah… come to think of it, you must have witnessed Sister Mannea’s final moments with the commander.”

Although she had only glimpsed the vision, Ension believed that Mannea had revealed it. In any case, it was fortunate that she didn’t have to hide it.

Lucilia spoke as if she and Aaron had deduced it together.

“Yes, it seemed there was a secret room inside the temple.”

She had been constantly ruminating on this during the carriage ride, trying to find more precise clues.

Finding a secret room in such a large temple would require considerable time, so they needed to narrow down the range somehow.

She had sifted through her memories repeatedly, wondering if she had missed any scenes.
She had been certain it was a temple because of the ceramic vessel containing holy water in Mannea’s consciousness.

Then she had been busy remembering various elements like the secret room, underground passage, flower petals, and so on.

Perhaps that’s why she hadn’t captured other scenery.

But then she succeeded in recalling a scene that had flashed by like background.

“There was an altar too.”