The moment Angela steadied herself, Cyril released her immediately.

She did have an inexplicable discomfort toward Cyril, that was true. But the fact that he reacted the same way, as though he had touched something he should not have, did not sit entirely well with her either.

“Miss, are you all right?”

Emily came running and quickly took hold of Angela.

“I’m fine, Emily. I caught my foot and Lord Knowles steadied me.”

“Your ankle isn’t hurt?”

“I didn’t even fall. I’m fine, Emily.”

Angela offered Cyril a brief word of thanks.

“Thank you for catching me.”

“Yes.”

A short reply, and Cyril fell silent again.

Angela was the one to speak next.

“Are you left-handed?”

In a moment of urgency, a person’s dominant hand moved first. Cyril ordinarily used his right hand, but when Angela had nearly fallen, his left hand had shot out on reflex.

Cyril confirmed it briefly.

“Yes.”

“I hadn’t noticed, since you always use your right hand.”

“Using the opposite hand from everyone else can be inconvenient, so I use my right in everyday situations.”

New information.

She had assumed everyone was right-handed, but Cyril alone was left-handed.

If there was any possibility the killer was left-handed, Cyril would become the most likely suspect.

She wanted to find the killer quickly and end this game of hide-and-seek.

“I hope this matter is resolved as quickly as Lord Knowles does, so that the people behind me can be relieved of their trouble. I am grateful for the consideration that led to three guards being assigned to me, but it does weigh on me to have them working even inside the residence.”

Please, let me walk alone again.

Even with distance maintained, three large men following her around brought back memories of the past and made her stomach turn.

Her mind knew they were there to protect her. Her feelings could not keep up.

“Once the person who poisoned the child is identified, I will withdraw the personal guard. At that point, the guards from the other parties will be withdrawn as well.”

“Understood.”

“I apologize. You dislike having men close to you, and yet I have put you in this situation.”

“What did you just say?”

How does this person know that.

No one knew about that incident except her dead husband Joel, her family, and Emily.

A man reciting a fact she had never told him, with an expression of concern.

She knew what kind of person did that.

Her blood ran cold. Her body went rigid.

Emily beside her had gone tense as well.

“Forgive me. A slip of the tongue. You seemed to dislike people coming too close, and I made a careless assumption. There are many people in social circles who value their personal space.”

“Is that so.”

“I would also like to receive some information.”

“This happened in our residence, so I would like to try to resolve it myself first. I will let you know if I need help.”

Cyril seemed about to say something more, then closed his mouth.

Emily pressed close to Angela, as though shielding her.

Cyril looked at Emily for a moment, then looked back at Angela.

“If that is your wish, I understand.”

Cyril stepped back without resistance.

Once he was gone, Emily immediately checked on Angela.

“Miss, are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Someone you find uncomfortable touched you.”

“It was unavoidable. That much is fine. More importantly, how did the inquiry go?”

“Yes, about that……”

Emily leaned close to Angela’s ear and whispered so only Angela could hear. As she listened, Angela’s expression grew steadily more grave.

When Emily had finished, Angela spoke.

“Emily, gather everyone in the main sitting room in about two hours. I think it’s time for everyone to know.”

❀❀❀

An unexpected summons.

Outside the sitting room door, Natasha gripped Castle’s hand tightly.

She had been told not to bring the child, but she had brought them anyway, just in case.

People always tended to be more lenient when a child was present.

Natasha steeled her resolve, pushed the door open with a bang, and pulled Castle inside.

In the sitting room sat Phillip, Angela’s three suitors, and Angela herself. Behind them, more servants than usual were lined up along the walls.

Angela, terribly beautiful, had not lost a trace of her looks despite the ordeal of her husband’s death. If anything, the detachment on her face, layered now with a quiet sorrow, drew the eye even more.

Surrounded by all of them, Natasha felt alone and aggrieved.

‘I won’t be pushed around.’

“Everyone is gathered, I see. Why have you called me and my still-unwell child here to rest?”

Angela spoke with her usual expression, indifferent and removed from the world.

“I believe the message conveyed was that Castle should remain in the room to rest, and that you should come alone, Lady Natasha Barton.”

The calm, even tone was somehow more grating than anger would have been.

Natasha’s voice rose.

“How could I leave a child who was just ill alone in a room when someone is targeting the heirs of House Maister! Isn’t it rather too cold of you to be so indifferent to someone else’s child, Countess Maister?”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

“Easy to say when you have three men guarding your door out of fear. But no one protects me and my poor child!”

Natasha declared loudly.

“I cannot rest easy while the criminal who hurt my precious child is walking around with open eyes! If the culprit were right in front of me, I’d want to grab them by the collar this very instant!”

“That would be rather difficult.”

“Did you summon me here just to mock me, Countess Maister?”

“Because no matter how capable Lady Barton may be, you cannot strangle yourself.”

“Wh, what kind of nonsense is that?”

Angela rose and stood straight.

“Natasha Barton. What I am saying is that you gave your own child a medicine that could have been harmful.”

“You’re saying I staged the whole thing?”

Natasha’s entire body trembled.

Phillip spoke to Natasha with gravity.

“Calm yourself and stop talking.”

“You’re saying I hurt my own child! The one who can’t tell what should and shouldn’t be said is Countess Maister, the very person you keep defending, Lord Phillip! Do I have to sit here listening to this madness? Please say something!”

“If you truly believe you’ve been wronged, perhaps calming down first would serve you better, Lady Barton. Even if there is something to be said on this side, all I can hear is your voice.”

Isaac cut in with his easy manner. Natasha snapped back at him.

“You’ve gathered everyone who takes her side and set the stage to drive me out, haven’t you, Countess Maister? Was Castle such a threat to you? Because you have no child of your own to name as heir?”

Bang! Phillip brought his cane down on the floor.

“Quiet. You know as well as anyone that Angela does not gather us without reason.”

“Yes. As witnesses to the scene ourselves, we would also like to hear an explanation of this situation.”

Ashley added his support.

“Then let us proceed. First, to understand the circumstances of that day, let us hear from the maids assigned to Lady Barton and Castle’s room.”

The two maids who had spoken with Emily stepped forward hesitantly.

“It was an ordinary day. Young Master Castle ate lunch, played for about an hour, and then went down for a nap. I took the sheets and curtains Young Master Castle had soiled to the laundry. There was more work than usual that day because Lady Barton had asked for all the curtains to be taken down and washed.”

“I went out to buy snacks for Young Master Castle. Lady Barton said there was a snack the young master had been enjoying lately, sold at the village pastry shop, and sent me to fetch it.”

“Is it usual for Lady Barton to give you multiple errands outside your regular duties at the same time?”

Angela asked.

“That day was a little different. She does give errands, but she almost never sends both of us out at the same time. She usually kept one of us attending to Young Master Castle at all times.”

“Something could come up that requires sending both maids out at once. Are you accusing me of something just because of that?”

Natasha shot back with an incredulous expression.

“That is not all.”

A stout-looking middle-aged man stepped forward. Natasha perked up.

“You see, this is the merchant I was consulting with that day. The maids were with Castle until just before the child fell asleep, and after that I was with this merchant before anything happened. When would I have had time to do something so terrible to my precious, precious child?”

Natasha’s voice trembled and her eyes reddened. She pulled Castle close in a tight embrace.

But Angela did not blink.

“Very well. Let us hear from him as well.”

“I am Paul, a merchant. Lady Natasha Barton was indeed consulting with me. She mentioned wanting to replace the curtains and carpets in the child’s room and her own, given the atmosphere in the residence lately. She also wished to have several outfits made. She was looking through samples when she suddenly said to wait a moment and stepped away. She returned about thirty minutes later and we continued.”