The money Natasha spent was considerable.

Because House Maister allowed it, other nobles did not easily look down on Natasha either.

Had Natasha given birth and raised a child as an unwed mother in her own family home, she would never have received such treatment.

Angela had known Castle was a girl, but she had intended to gradually guide Natasha into telling Phillip quietly herself once the child was a little older.

Natasha herself had destroyed all of that.

Angela added in a conciliatory tone.

“If there is someone who put you up to this terrible act, do not try to bear the responsibility alone, whatever they promised you. Coming to us for help will serve you better than whatever they offered.”

But Natasha had no intention of listening.

“Don’t try to look generous now! You were waiting for me to fall. Hypocrite! There is no one who put me up to anything. I did all of this on my own! Stealing the medicine from that fool doctor’s room who couldn’t even manage his own supplies was as easy as anything.”

Natasha pulled Castle, who had not stopped crying, into a tight embrace.

Then she looked at the three men standing around Angela, at Phillip, and at the servants, and smiled with vicious satisfaction.

“Yes. You’ll pay for making me like this, in a place you least expect.”

The curse-like threat made Emily grip Angela tightly out of worry.

The three suitors also came to stand at Angela’s side.

“Lord Phillip, please bring this to a conclusion. As a guest, it is uncomfortable to remain in this situation any longer.”

At Cyril’s prompt, Phillip let out a pained sound and forced the words out.

“Natasha, I will arrange lodgings for you. Leave this residence.”

Natasha tore Castle away from her own chest and lifted the child toward Phillip. Castle hiccupped in shock.

“Castle is the blood of this house! How dare you drive us out!”

“I cannot trust a word you say. You gave your own child a medicine that could have been harmful, and you lied about the child’s s*x.”

“You will regret treating me this way, Lord Phillip!”

Phillip commanded with finality.

“You have no intention of leaving on your own. Take her out!”

The male servants dragged her away.

“You will regret this!”

Being hauled out, Natasha turned a vicious smile on Angela.

“You think the whole world is on your side? You’ll taste hell someday too! You’ll cry in misery!”

Bang. The door slammed shut.

Angela gave the head maid her instructions.

“Send the two of them to the Maister-owned building on Dimant Street. Assign servants to make sure they cannot move about freely. Please also dismiss the gathered staff.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Bessie bowed her head.

The whole situation had been like a loud, crashing storm. Her head throbbed.

Even so, Angela showed nothing and approached Phillip.

His face had gone pale with shock, and the lines on it looked deeper than before.

“Are you all right, Lord Phillip?”

“What a disgrace. A mother giving her own child something that could have been poison, and lying about the child’s s*x on top of it……”

Phillip’s breathing was rough.

“You should rest today.”

“I’ll leave the rest to you, Angela. I’m sorry to keep putting this on you.”

“It’s all right. We’re family.”

Angela smiled faintly.

“James, please escort Lord Phillip to his quarters and check on him.”

“Understood.”

Phillip was helped away by the servants, and Bessie left with the rest of the staff.

Only the three men remained.

It would have been nice if they had read the room and quietly disappeared, but all three held their ground.

Isaac with a look of interest.

Ashley with his usual kind expression, now heavily tinged with discomfort.

Cyril, keeping his distance from everyone, still avoiding her eyes.

Isaac was the first to react. He let out a low whistle.

“Remarkable. Going so far as to sacrifice her own child to get what she wanted.”

“Yes. Remarkable.”

Angela answered calmly.

“Oh, you’re agreeing with me.”

Isaac looked genuinely surprised.

“Lord Galland is quite composed when it comes to people he has no interest in.”

He had been nothing like this during their outing, showing his emotions as openly as a child the entire time.

By contrast, Angela kept a detached face and pretended to be unbothered, but inside she was anything but.

“It’s a simple matter, isn’t it. That woman was jealous of Angela. She thought they were in the same position, and she poured all her resentment onto Angela for having more. But they weren’t in the same position at all, and the strange things she did were her own doing, yet she wanted to put that blame on Angela too.”

Isaac asked with an expression that said the answer was obvious.

“Should I feel sympathy for someone like that?”

“No. Simple is good.”

She knew. He was right.

Separate from any sympathy she felt for Castle, what Natasha had done could not simply be overlooked.

It was the natural consequence.

But knowing that did not stop her nerves from fraying. Her thoughts branched in too many directions at once, refusing to settle.

Showing that would unsettle everyone around her.

Others could afford to, but not her.

“You’ve been through a great deal today, Countess Maister. You should rest soon.”

Ashley answered with an apologetic look.

“Lord Wilton must be tired as well. Please go in. Everyone here should.”

“I’m sorry I was not more helpful.”

“If you feel sorry, then speak well of House Maister when the matter comes up later.”

Natasha being expelled from the Maister residence was bound to become talk.

House Maister had done nothing wrong, but there were always people eager to gossip and find fault.

In those moments, the word of someone who had been present mattered. The word of someone well-regarded in social circles mattered even more.

“Of course. I imagine both gentlemen here will speak accurately about what happened.”

“Goes without saying.”

Isaac threw a casual arm around Ashley’s shoulder as he added his agreement. He also sent a brief glance toward Cyril.

But unlike Isaac, who was clearly conscious of him, Cyril did not so much as blink.

He simply nodded, as though agreeing with Ashley’s words.

Then he turned to Angela and spoke with something like a warning in his tone.

“The person who harmed the child has been identified, but it would be wise to remain vigilant. The person who harmed Count Maister has not yet been found.”

It was a statement of pure fact, with no trace of personal feeling behind it.

Which somehow made it more irritating.

“I cannot fathom what would motivate you to bring that up at this particular moment.”

“I am saying it purely for your safety, Countess.”

“Either way, the person who harmed the child has been identified, so would you please remove the people stationed outside my door. Your men would need to stand down first before the others follow.”

“Understood. But please always be mindful of your safety.”

Angela’s expression tightened slightly and she let out a quiet scoff.

“How much of what you say about looking out for me can I actually believe? No one can know what motive lies behind convincing words and grand gestures.”

Angela pushed back with a pointed look.

Cyril, who had been avoiding her eyes the whole time, met them directly in that moment.

“That is precisely the right attitude, my lady.”

A quiet but powerful conviction moved through his silver eyes.

“Please hold onto that attitude until the killer is caught.”

His low, resonant voice carried a warning, something almost ominous in its steadiness.

“No matter how sweet the words or how caring the actions, no one around you can be removed from suspicion. Please keep that firmly in mind. Good night.”

He said what he came to say and left without any intention of hearing her response.

“We’ll be going as well.”

“Call on me anytime you need, Angel…… that is, Countess Maister.”

The other two followed.

Cyril Knox Knowles.

What on earth was that man’s purpose.

If he was not the killer, was he some madman who wanted to play detective.

Or was he the killer, trying to throw her off with all that plausible talk.

A man who grated on her nerves every single time.

And yet she could not explain why her eyes kept going back to him.

Angela clenched her fist. The frustration was almost unbearable.

❀❀❀

Back in her room, Emily was furious.

“Why does Lord Knowles always speak that way? He’s completely ruined your mood, Miss. How carelessly must he have gone through life, relying on that face of his?”

“I’m fine, Emily. Don’t be angry.”

Emily planted her hands on her hips and fumed.

“How could I not be angry. He has no idea what you’ve been through. Because of that awful person from the past, you still suffer so much, Miss……”

Muttering in her anger, Emily caught herself, snapped her mouth shut, and rolled her eyes sideways to check Angela’s reaction.

“Emily. I’d rather not talk about that.”

“I’m sorry. I was just so angry.”