Chapter 52: Hidden Motives

It was Leonard, a handsome man with blonde hair. Though he always had warm eyes when looking at Bliss, there wasn’t a hint of warmth in his gaze toward Jackie. He moved his lips while maintaining his intimidating presence.

“Explain in detail.”

“Because my lady came in, I couldn’t apply the poison.”

Jackie forced out words through her repeatedly constricting throat. Leonard tilted his head as he looked down at her. He was her true master, who had planted her in the Marquis’s household to serve Bliss and regularly receive information from her.

Leonard muttered at Jackie’s report.

“You fail too often.”

Seeing his clenched fist, Jackie shrunk her shoulders. She could barely open her eyes, fearing she might be struck by that large fist at any moment.

“I came because I thought Bliss might collapse, but it seems that wasn’t necessary.”

Jackie, who had expected a severe scolding, suddenly raised her head. Only then did she recall his orders. Viscount Leonard Jimilta had always thwarted others’ attempts to poison her lady.

Even with the poison planted at the restaurant before, it was originally meant for her lady. However, her master had secretly called Jackie, without the knowledge of the one who gave the order, and changed the target of the poison.

“I put you in there to claim her, it would be troublesome if you killed her.”

Leonard turned his gaze from Jackie to look at the mansion.

“Do you have anything else to report?”

“I… dropped the poison pouch.”

When Jackie reported this with her eyes tightly shut, Leonard’s expression hardened menacingly. His eyes flickered with killing intent as he turned to look at Jackie.

“You must be desperate to die.”

“I’m, I’m sorry. Please spare me.”

Jackie pleaded with tears. She knew she would be punished from the moment she failed. But knowing this wouldn’t end with just a beating like usual, she begged. She crawled on her knees to grab onto Leonard.

“I didn’t drop the pouch on purpose. If my lady hadn’t come in, I would never have lost it… Urk!”

As her throat was grabbed, Jackie beat at his hand, trying to escape the pressure blocking her airway. Though she tilted her head back and opened her mouth in the instinctive desire to breathe, it was useless. Rather, it only made it easier for Leonard’s large hand to completely grasp her throat.

“All you had to do was hide the pouch properly. Instead, you’re hastening your own death.”

Leonard’s eyes gleamed as he mercilessly squeezed Jackie’s throat. He had been planning to kill her after this job anyway.

“Please… spare me.”

“Your usefulness has already ended. This worked out well, actually. That person wants to kill Bliss, and I want to kill Caelan, so it was becoming troublesome to keep track. I should bring in someone who will only follow my orders. Or I could draw in one of the existing ones.”

It would be better to reorganize and plan in a direction that wouldn’t harm Bliss. That person would handle finding their own people to use. Leonard smiled with narrowed eyes as he thought about who to bring in.

“Your role is finished.”

“Pl-please… spare…”

Though Jackie choked out apologies for her wrongdoing, the strength in Leonard’s grip only grew fiercer rather than subsiding. Looking relaxed even while killing a maid in the Marquis’s household, he calmly watched as Jackie began to lose consciousness.

Just as Jackie’s eyes were rolling back and death seemed imminent, Leonard’s smile deepened.

“Farewell.”

“Jackie.”

As he was about to give one final squeeze while saying goodbye, suddenly a voice calling for Jackie rang out. When Leonard momentarily loosened his grip, Jackie pushed away his hand and broke into violent coughing.

“Cough, cough!”

“You… Don’t tell me you told them everything?”

Leonard glared at Jackie. Otherwise, there was no way someone would be calling for her so perfectly timed.

“N-no. I didn’t… say any…thing.”

Jackie clutched her coughing throat as she stammered out the words. Though she had said it hoping to live even a little longer, it only fueled Leonard’s murderous intent. If he killed her now, he could eliminate all traces of himself.

Leonard grabbed Jackie’s throat again and was about to squeeze mercilessly, but the voice calling for her once more held him back. If he had known this would happen, he should have called her to his estate to deal with her.

Leonard stepped back one step at a time. Though he was reluctant to retreat while leaving Jackie unable to escape, he bit his lip while promising himself there would be a next time.

“Keeping your mouth shut will be the lifeline that extends your life even a little.”

Leonard glared at Jackie as he put on his hat and turned around. Right after he quickly disappeared, Bliss appeared.

“Where did she go?”

Bliss hadn’t taken her eyes off Jackie since becoming certain she had dropped the poison pouch. When she had other matters to attend to, she had ordered Mint to watch Jackie, but she had disappeared in that brief moment.

It would be fortunate if she just left the Marquis’s household and hid somewhere, but she couldn’t feel at ease yet. Just as Bliss was sighing and about to call for Jackie, a groan came from somewhere.

“My… lady.”

At the faint sound, Bliss quickly scanned the surroundings and discovered Jackie collapsed on the ground, immediately rushing to her.

“Jackie. Are you alright?”

Bliss held Jackie and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead while examining her face. As she rubbed Jackie’s face and arms to calm her, who seemed about to lose consciousness at any moment, Bliss stopped when she saw Jackie’s neck. Looking at the wounds on her neck, Bliss swallowed heavily and raised Jackie’s upper body.

“Let’s go to your room.”

Having confirmed she was breathing, Bliss was about to carry Jackie, thinking she should quickly get her to bed, when she suddenly heard someone’s urgent breathing.

“My lady.”

Mint approached Bliss but was startled to see Jackie collapsed on the ground. Then she slid down to sit and took Jackie from Bliss, putting Jackie’s arm over her shoulder.

“I’ll take her to her room, so please don’t worry and go back inside, my lady.”

As Mint stood up carrying Jackie, Bliss supported them to prevent them from falling.

“My lady…”

“Jackie, you’re alright, aren’t you?”

Though her eyes were unfocused and barely open, she was responding to Bliss’s voice. When those half-closed eyes opened and closed again, they were filled with tears.

“My lady…”

Jackie’s sobbing voice leaked out pitifully.

***

When the maid reported that Jackie had disappeared, Bliss was about to hurry out but stopped and turned to look at Caelan.

[I suspected Jackie dropped the poison pouch, so I asked for her to be watched. I couldn’t tell you because it felt like I would be declaring her the culprit. I was planning to confirm it just one more time before telling you. I’ll explain the rest when I get back.]

After explaining this, Bliss left the room. For someone trying to turn suspicion into certainty, her movements showed more concern for Jackie.

Caelan left the room after Bliss. While following her at a distance, he noticed a suspicious person in the back garden and began tailing them.

With their hat pulled down low over their head, their identity couldn’t be determined. However, their stealthy movements within the Marquis’s household showed considerable skill, enough to evade even the guards’ eyes.

‘Their stride length is consistent.’

This person has received proper training. Caelan focused on not losing their trail rather than trying to catch them hastily. Caelan’s goal was to discover their identity on the exposed path to the main gate.

From the main gate to the mansion, there were only roads wide enough for carriages to pass. Though one could hide behind the rows of trees, there were no hiding places between the trees. That was the moment Caelan was waiting for.

However, just before reaching the spot Caelan wanted, the suspicious person changed their route. They boldly entered the mansion, and though Caelan quickly followed, he couldn’t find even a single hair.

“Lord Marquis?”

A soldier returning to the barracks after his shift noticed Caelan and gave a slight bow.

“I have instructions.”

Caelan, who had been looking at his mansion, gestured for the soldier to come closer.

“Call the Knight Commander. And check if there are any suspicious individuals inside the mansion.”

“Understood.”

As the soldier bowed and walked away, Caelan slowly walked the corridor. Why did his own home feel so unfamiliar today?

***

After hearing everything from the butler, Caelan came to find Bliss after all the medical treatment was finished. Bliss, who had been sitting in a chair pulled up beside the bed, stood when she saw Caelan. Looking past Bliss’s shoulder at Jackie who lay with closed eyes, Caelan asked.

“She almost died?”

“Her throat… was strangled.”

Bliss said while looking at Jackie’s neck. Though it was now wrapped in white bandages and couldn’t be seen, that alone made it clear what had happened.

Perhaps her strength had left her, but as Bliss staggered with a long sigh, Caelan caught her in his arms.

“It seems Jackie was right.”

Having failed to apply poison to the item and even dropping the pouch, she must have tried to eliminate the evidence.

Jackie, who had lost consciousness, kept muttering the same words as if having a nightmare while sobbing.

“Please forgive me, my lady.”

“She keeps saying that in between sobs.”

Bliss looked down at Jackie with a troubled expression.

“I need to ask her why she did it when she wakes up, but I don’t feel good about it.”

“This is where you stop.”

Though she turned to look at him wondering what he meant, Caelan kept his eyes on Jackie. Even while feeling Bliss’s gaze, Caelan spoke without taking his eyes off Jackie.

“She was a child you cared for. Do you think you can question her?”

Bliss knew too. She was the first one she had given her heart to and kept close. She had kept only Jackie by her side, pushing away all other maids who served her. And now to find out she was a spy.

She already felt at a loss for what to say when Jackie opened her eyes.

“I shouldn’t say this, but…”

Bliss took a moment to gather her breath before speaking with difficulty.

“Please don’t be too harsh with her.”

Even knowing it made no sense to ask for leniency with a spy, Bliss pleaded with Caelan.