There was a hint of murderous intent in his voice as he murmured Eric Anderson’s name.

It may have been a rush to judgment, but Olivia sensed he was sincere.

“So… you want to use this to get back at him?”

“That’s enough. You’re starting to cross the line.”

“……”

“Are you going to talk now?”

Olivia hesitated for a moment.

She was now sure that Kaiden wasn’t working with Eric – but was it really safe to reveal everything to someone whose true intentions remained unclear?

‘But this is my only option. If I go back like this, Eric will catch me for sure. I’d rather ask the Duke for help.’

Olivia took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

“All right. I’ll tell you everything. But I have one condition.”

Kaiden tapped his chin with his cane and gave her a slight nod.

“Eric won’t stop coming after me. Please protect me.”

“And why should I do that?”

“You’re going to pay for the information, aren’t you?”

Kaiden hesitated, his expression unreadable, as if weighing his thoughts – and then nodded.

“Fine. I’ll guarantee your safety.”

“All right. I’ll tell you everything.”

Olivia clasped her trembling hands.

“How much have you heard?”

“Not much. But I heard people say that some madwoman was shouting that Sir Anderson had killed Lady Grosvenor. Is that true?”

“It is.”

For a moment, the man’s hand, resting on the tip of his cane, flinched slightly.

Olivia paused, watching Kaiden closely, worried that he might doubt her words as well.

But he simply gave her a nod, as if urging her to continue.

That small gesture gave Olivia the courage to raise her chin and speak with conviction.

“Eric Anderson killed Lady Olivia Grosvenor yesterday. He strangled her with his own hands. And after that… he likely left her in the forest to be torn apart by wolves.”

Olivia frowned as she remembered the scene, but Kaiden showed no reaction.

He just asked in a calm, even voice.

“Eric Anderson was getting married. Why would he do that?”

“Because I caught him cheating.”

“Cheating? That’s hard to believe. He… he adored Lady Grosvenor….”

“You mean he truly loved her?”

Olivia cut him off, her tone laced with sarcasm.

“Everyone believed that. Even Lady Grosvenor herself probably believed it – right up to the moment she died.”

There was a bitter edge to her voice, mocking even herself for trusting Eric to the end.

It was then—

Thud.

The man banged his cane on the floor again, as if to say that Olivia’s name was not to be spoken aloud.

Startled, Olivia paused for a moment, but quickly collected herself and continued as if nothing had happened.

“That just shows how good an actor he was.”

“And your proof?”

“Scarlett Evelyn.”

She said the name of the woman who had once been her friend, her voice cold and sharp.

“If it is you, Your Grace, I’m sure you can easily find out where she was yesterday. Go ahead and check.”

“Are you saying she was at the Andersons’ mansion? That Scarlett Evelyn was the one he was having an affair with?”

Olivia shrugged.

“That’s for you to investigate from now on.”

Kaiden buried his face in his hands.

“Eric Anderson…”

The man spat out the name along with a series of curses. They were the kind of foul words that only lowlifes would use – words that the well-bred Olivia had never heard before. From his demeanor, Olivia was certain.

‘He definitely has a grudge against Eric. And he’s planning to use some kind of leverage to bring him down. If that’s the case…’

As she organized her thoughts, the man raised his head and asked.

“But how do you know that?”

His eyes were deadly, as if he would snap her neck on the spot if she lied.

But maybe it was because Olivia had looked so desperate earlier – despite his piercing gaze, he didn’t really seem threatening.

Olivia hesitated for a moment.

‘How should I put this?’

What she had told Kaiden earlier was the truth – every word of it. But there was one thing she couldn’t bring herself to say honestly.

‘Who would believe that I’m Olivia?’

The moment she said that the person in this body wasn’t Sarah, but Olivia Grosvenor, Kaiden would truly think she had lost her mind.

Of course, he wouldn’t believe what she had said earlier either.

But Olivia was a noble. She had learned from experience that when you mix truth with lies, the lie becomes believable as well.

“Yesterday I went to the winter forest where Eric Anderson’s villa is located. I was there to gather herbs.”

That part was true. When she had asked herself, “What was I doing a few days ago?”, the children at the orphanage had kindly explained what Sarah had been up to, even though they found the question strange.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, Sarah had been in the same place as Olivia the day she killed Eric Anderson.

“And while I was there, I saw Eric Anderson carrying Lady Grosvenor into the woods.”

“That alone doesn’t prove that Eric Anderson killed Lady Grosvenor.”

“She was limp, as if she were dead. There were hand prints on her neck. It’s clear that her throat had been squeezed. Even if he didn’t kill her, he must have strangled her until she passed out.”

“……”

“But does it matter? Eric Anderson deliberately left Lady Grosvenor in the woods, and in the end Lady Grosvenor died. You don’t do that to a woman you claim to love. Anyway, it was Eric Anderson who killed Lady Grosvenor.”

Kaiden’s tone became harder.

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not is up to you, Your Grace. But I’ve told you nothing but the truth. As I said, you can verify it by checking where Scarlett Evelyn was that day, can’t you?”

“If there’s even a hint of falsehood in what you’ve said…”

“There isn’t. But even if there were, what would you do? Have me arrested for slandering a noble?”

The man let out a dry laugh.

“Fine. I’ll look into it first.”

It seemed as if the conversation had come to an end.

But Olivia couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in her chest.

“Do you have something more to say?”

“If you’re planning to take revenge… I want to be part of it.”
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”

“I owe that man a debt, too.”

Kaiden looked at her as if he expected more of an explanation. Olivia decided she might as well give it.

“A year ago, Lady Grosvenor saved me when I was falsely accused of theft and nearly had my wrist cut off. I promised her that day that if anything ever happened to her, I would do whatever I could to help.”

That, too, was true. A year earlier, Sarah had caught the eye of a wealthy merchant simply because of her pretty face. To claim her, he had framed her.

—“Will you lose your wrist, or will you become my mistress?”

Trapped between two impossible choices, it was Olivia who stepped in to help Sarah.

—“I’ve heard there are many scammers using this kind of trick these days. Looks like it’s true. Sir Pierre, search that merchant’s pockets.”

—“Here it is!”
—“You said this girl stole something and deserved to have her wrist cut off? From where I’m standing, it looks like someone else deserves that punishment more.”
—“F-Forgive me, my lady! Please, have mercy…!”

Thanks to Olivia’s help, Sarah was saved. She had nearly lost her wrist, but narrowly escaped. Sobbing uncontrollably, she made a promise.

—“I… hic… I swear, I’ll protect you with my life, my lady.”

Though she was in tears, Sarah’s eyes sparkled brighter than anyone else’s.

She really meant it – she had been willing to give her life to protect Olivia.

What would have happened if the real Sarah had found out that Olivia had been murdered?

If she was anything like the Sarah Olivia had seen back then, she would have done whatever it took to get revenge.

Thinking of Sarah crying like a child, Olivia muttered darkly.

“I want to avenge the lady.”

“……”

“But as a commoner, I can’t do anything on my own. Right now, I’m in a position where all I can do is worry about whether Eric will come after me. But you’re different, Your Grace. If it’s you, you can bring Eric Anderson to his knees.”