As she hesitated and cautiously asked her question, Lars suddenly pressed a finger to his lips, silencing her. His sharp gaze shot toward the door.

“Someone’s coming.”

Tension instantly engulfed her body. Lowering her voice, Lucienne gestured urgently.

“What? Then let’s get out of here quickly.”

“It’s too late to leave.”

Lars narrowed his brows as he answered, and Lucienne swallowed dryly, staring at the door.

At such a late hour, anyone coming to Laurel’s room—the room of someone who had met such a tragic end—couldn’t possibly have an innocent reason.

Her expression hardened as she quickly whispered to Lars.

“Hide somewhere, behind the curtains or under the bed. Anywhere. I’ll handle this. And–”

“……”

“Don’t interfere. No matter what.”

With a nonchalant expression, Lars raised an eyebrow and let out a small laugh before moving. In an instant, his presence disappeared. Lucienne took a deep breath, steadying herself.

Moments later, the door creaked open, and someone slipped in like a ghost. Lucienne watched as the intruder’s eyes widened in shock upon spotting her. Then, she spoke.

“Hello, Nina.”

Nina, holding a lantern, looked eerily different from usual. Her long hair was loose, as if she had deliberately prepared herself, making her seem even more unsettling. Soon, a rare smile spread across her face, as if it were a mask made of rubber.

“What are you doing here at this hour, Miss?”

“After seeing what I saw, how could I possibly sleep?”

Lucienne, keeping her face impassive, brushed her hand over the blanket on the bed.

“Every time I close my eyes, I see it. Laurel’s final moments.”

“Her falling, you mean?”

Nina’s words almost made Lucienne laugh, but she suppressed it. Lifting her gaze with patience, she looked at Nina quietly and spoke.

“I didn’t push Laurel. It’s true we argued, but I only found out what had happened when I heard the maids screaming. Why would I want to kill Laurel?”

“Who knows? She annoyed you, didn’t she?”

The lantern in Nina’s hand swayed slightly, casting an unstable light across the room.

“Even I thought she could be insolent at times. When no one was looking, she treated you like a younger sister. But you’re not the same person you used to be, so you couldn’t tolerate that anymore.”

“You think I pushed Laurel over something so trivial?”

“Many nobles kill their servants for even less, Miss. Because they’re insolent, filthy, or simply because they’re an eyesore.”

Nina’s low voice spread like a spiderweb, thin and wide, wrapping around Lucienne. Drawing closer, Nina looked down at her and spoke in an even tone.

“Killing Laurel isn’t as big a deal as you think. You had every right to do so, Miss.”

Though she seemed to smile, her eyes, now visible up close, were cold and lifeless like those of the dead. Lucienne realized. Nina believed she had been the one to order Laurel to investigate her.

……Of course. That’s why she had prepared the green dress, trying to trap me in a noose.

Lucienne considered pretending to be an innocent and clueless young lady, but it didn’t seem necessary. She let out a small laugh and stood up from the bed.

“The right to kill an annoying servant, huh?”

As Lucienne approached her, Nina furrowed her brows and raised her chin in a haughty manner, looking down at her. Leaning in slightly, Lucienne rested her face gently against Nina’s shoulder and murmured.

“Then that means I can kill you here, doesn’t it?”

As Lucienne slowly raised her hand and placed it on Nina’s neck, Nina flinched and stumbled backward in shock. Her eyes, wide with disbelief, stared at Lucienne as if she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. Calmly, Lucienne spoke.

“Yes, it’s true that Laurel annoyed me. But I didn’t want her to die. She gave me something no one else could—something like comfort. That’s why I plan to thoroughly investigate this incident with my brother. My honor is at stake. And if someone deliberately tried to frame me……”

Trailing off, Lucienne watched Nina’s eyes tremble slightly and sharply finished her sentence.

“That’s something I absolutely cannot forgive.”

The tension in the air tightened like a drawn string. Lucienne blinked and rested her fingers on her chin.

“Oh, now that I think about it, don’t you have a green negligee in your wardrobe? Your taste in undergarments is rather extravagant, isn’t it?”

“What……!”

Nina staggered as if she had been struck on the back of her head. Her distorted face flushed red. Smiling softly, Lucienne whispered as if casting a curse.

“Laurel’s death isn’t the end, Nina. There are others who know more. I’m curious to see how loyal your friends truly are.”

Nina’s tightly clenched jaw trembled violently. With a faint smile, Lucienne pointed toward the door.

“So, leave. Laurel didn’t leave anything in this room. Whatever you’re looking for is probably somewhere else.”

Nina let out a harsh breath, her eyebrows shooting upward. She clenched her fists tightly and paused, as if trying to collect herself. The mask-like expression on her face disappeared, leaving only pitch-black eyes burning with hostility as she glared at Lucienne as if she wanted to devour her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you should get some rest. It’s late.”

Though Nina’s tone remained calm, barely contained rage lingered at the edges of her words. Lucienne shrugged.

“I’ll stay a little longer. You never know.”

“……”

“Maybe Laurel will appear in my dreams, pitying me for being falsely accused, and tell me who the culprit is.”

Grinding her teeth, Nina glared at Lucienne before abruptly turning and leaving the room. Only after her footsteps completely faded did Lucienne relax and let out a long breath. Her shoulders felt stiff.

“As I expected, you really don’t know when to hold your tongue.”

Lars emerged from between the dresser and the curtains, where he had hidden himself so cleverly. Crossing his arms, he frowned.

“Did you really need to provoke her that much? What guarantee do you have that she won’t sneak into your room in the dead of night?”

“She won’t. She must have realized I don’t know what’s most important.”

That’s why Lucienne had said those things. Based on Nina’s reaction, Lucienne was now certain that Nina was searching for something, and Nina had confirmed that it wasn’t in Lucienne’s possession.

As long as Nina found what she was looking for, she wouldn’t need to harm Lucienne. Though Lucienne might still be a thorn in her side, Nina’s top priority was finding that item.

Lars let out a soft laugh and stretched out his long arm, resting his hand on Lucienne’s head with a thunk. Startled, she looked up at him, wide-eyed, as he tapped her head a couple of times and sighed.

“That little head of yours works fast. But remember this. Not everyone will act according to your expectations.”

“Then I’ll die. As the price for my stupidity.”

Lars raised an eyebrow at her unexpectedly dry response. His beautiful green eyes gazed down at her silently.

“Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

“Well, it’d be less unfair than dying after doing nothing.”

Lars’s eyes narrowed before he shook his head and removed his hand from her head. Feeling a pang of regret, Lucienne stared at his hand as he walked toward the door. She quickly followed him, taking hurried steps, and asked.

“What would you do if I died?”

Lars clicked his tongue softly.

“You won’t die.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re such a troublemaker that even the gods wouldn’t want to take you so soon.”

The blunt answer made her scrunch up her nose. Pouting, she grumbled.

“You don’t have to avenge me. It might be dangerous. But instead……”

Lars, who had been opening the door, paused briefly. Lucienne murmured as she looked at him, tilting his head slightly toward her.

“If I die, come find me first. I think I’d feel lonely if I were by myself.”

The sound of the wind passing through the darkness filled the silence that followed. Feeling awkward, Lucienne glanced around, wondering if she had said something unnecessary. After staring at her for a moment, Lars let out a sigh through his teeth.

“It feels like you’re cursing me to an early death.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“I plan to live a long life. If you don’t want to be lonely, don’t die either.”

Waving one hand dismissively, Lars strode off with long strides. He wasn’t heading toward her room.

“Where are you going?”

“Go straight to your room. Have a maid stand guard at the door for the time being. Don’t do anything dangerous……”

With a sigh, Lars’s words trailed off. His low voice, now distant, echoed down the corridor like a fading melody.

“At least carry a dagger for self-defense.”

Leaving behind words tinged with resignation, his tall shadow turned the corner and disappeared. Left alone, Lucienne let out a faint laugh and gazed out the window.

The moon was bright. Suddenly reminded of something, she pulled out the receipts she had tucked into her pocket and held them up to the moonlight. Most were from general stores. She ran her fingers over Laurel’s hastily scribbled signature.