“……Huh? Why?”

Not understanding the connection, Elina tilted her head in confusion. Kiriel, who had been quiet, joined the conversation.

“We mentioned the mastermind earlier.”

“Yes.”

“Actually, it was hard to crack during the investigation. Considering that along with other factors, we suspect the mastermind is likely a noble.”

“……Ah.”

Finally understanding the intent behind the questions, Elina’s expression darkened. Kana carefully spoke.

“Though it’s a sensitive topic, have you ever had any unpleasant dealings with nobles?”

“No, not particularly……”

Elina shook her head weakly. Though she often had entanglements with nobles as Duke Dekrom’s wife despite being looked down upon in the Aidel Empire, that wasn’t the case in the Lis Kingdom.

Kana brushed back her hair and spoke slowly.

“Well, looking at your personality, you seem far from such matters. I wonder who could commit such a brutal act…… With no leads to go on, investigating will be difficult.”

“Though it’s challenging, we should start by investigating Lord Cedric Cleave since he has contact with you, and if he’s not involved, turn our attention to other nobles in the area.”

Kiriel naturally supported her words.

Elina flinched while listening. Having once lived as a noble, she knew well that investigating nobles would be difficult even for highly capable people with just two members.

After hesitating, Elina decided to reveal the truth she had carefully hidden since fleeing. Her lips parted slowly.

“Um, actually I have a secret I haven’t told you yet. Would this help your investigation even a little?”

“Tell us anything you’re comfortable sharing.”

“……Actually, I came from the Aidel Empire.”

Elina pressed her hand against her pounding heart as she answered. Though Kana already knew this fact through implanted information, she calmly pretended not to know and continued the conversation.

“Ah, so you weren’t from the Lis Kingdom. It must have been hard coming to a foreign country.”

“Yes, fortunately I met good people and adapted well. The problem is that I came here by running away……”

Elina’s voice grew smaller towards the end. Kana deliberately acted startled like a normal person would.

“What? If it’s not too intrusive, may I ask what made you run away?”

“Ah, it wasn’t a crime. I secretly left divorce papers in my husband’s office and fled.”

“Could this be related to the married couple’s story you mentioned before your first death?”

“You remembered that. Yes, back then I said it was about someone I knew…… but actually I was that person.”

A sad atmosphere emanated from Elina as she smiled bitterly. Kana comforted her while patting her back.

“You did well to leave. It’s better to take care of yourself before your heart rots from suffering alone inside.”

“Thank you for saying that, Miss Kana. But since my ex-husband is Duke Dekrom……”

“You mean the ruler of the northern Aidel Empire?”

“……Yes.”

Elina slowly nodded while studying their reactions. Kana deliberately covered her mouth with both hands and acted exaggeratedly surprised.

“Wow, you were a noble? And if you were the highest-ranking lady in the northern Aidel Empire…… it’s amazing you weren’t caught crossing the border.”

“……They probably didn’t even try to catch me. They likely didn’t notice my absence. That’s how indifferent he was.”

Elina explained in a resigned tone while slightly lowering her eyes. Kana gave the female protagonist a sympathetic look.

“Miss Elina……”

“I’m fine. Though I loved him deeply, I’m trying to let go.”

Elina forced an awkward smile. Her forcefully raised lips trembled. Kana gently consoled the female protagonist.

“I hope you can gather your thoughts and do well, Miss Elina.”

“……Thank you.”

Elina’s expression relaxed somewhat. Kana waited for her to collect her emotions before returning to the main topic.

“Since you trusted us and readily shared an important secret, we should narrow down the suspects. First, the possibility of House Dekrom seems unlikely.”

“Right. If they wanted to dispose of me, they would have killed me before I crossed the border…… no, before I left the territory.”

Elina shook her head with a wry laugh. Kana snapped her fingers in agreement.

“Similarly, it’s hard to believe a noble from the Aidel Empire directly orchestrated this. It would be difficult to exert much influence in another country. Plus there’s no reason to target you when you’re living quietly.”

“The mastermind is probably a noble from the Lis Kingdom.”

“I think so too.”

Kana agreed with Kiriel’s blunt statement before shifting her gaze back to Elina.

“Miss Elina, did you ever meet nobles from the Lis Kingdom when you were a duchess?”

“No. I was overwhelmed just adapting to the north and keeping up with the surroundings. My ex-husband and his close associates handled almost all important matters. I was just a duchess in name who was looked down upon.”

“……Ah.”

Kana’s lips quivered. Though the implanted text information was sparse, the female protagonist’s words carried weight. Elina took a slow breath and continued.

“I don’t think it’s the work of a house hostile to House Dekrom since eliminating me wouldn’t affect him. Conversely, houses friendly with House Dekrom wouldn’t do unnecessary things.”

“That makes sense. We’ll start by investigating Lord Cleave, and just in case, add nobles with close ties to northern Aidel Empire nobles to our suspect list.”

“Yes. The major nobles of northern Aidel Empire are……”

Elina looked at them with determined eyes as she shared information. After memorizing the houses she mentioned, Kana naturally steered the conversation.

“Thank you for telling us. By the way, was there anything unusual with your original house besides House Dekrom?”

“Ah, I’m the only one in my house.”

“I’m sorry. I asked an intrusive question……”

Kana trailed off while flustering. Elina smiled gently.

“It’s okay. I completely understand why you asked since there are many strange families in the world.”

“Yes.”

When Kana nodded, Elina clapped her hands at a sudden thought.

“Oh right, won’t you two be in danger trying to investigate Lord Cedric Cleave?”

“The period will keep repeating if this issue isn’t resolved anyway. We need to act boldly to break free. Though unlike the assassins, it will take more time and effort since it’s trickier.”

Kana’s eyes flashed sharply. Seeing her neighbor’s honest reaction, Elina carefully encouraged.

“That’s natural so don’t feel too burdened.”

“Yes. We’ll do our best for now. Please be careful as always, Miss Elina.”

“Alright.”

The female protagonist took her advice seriously.

After finishing dinner and sending Elina safely back to her mansion with Celia accompanying her, they finally caught their breath.

Kiriel, who instantly cleaned the table with magic, sat close to her. Kana opened her mouth while looking at him.

“The female protagonist’s mind was surprisingly strong. I guess that’s what it takes to handle a regretful male lead.”

“Yeah, that’s fortunate. Since she accepts reality while having the will to escape somehow, it makes our work easier.”

“I agree.”

Kana sincerely agreed. If the female protagonist had been uncooperative and pessimistic, the work would have been twice as difficult. Kiriel gently caressed her cheek while asking softly.

“Kana, you’ve marked Cedric Cleave as the mastermind?”

“Yes, though I don’t have clear evidence.”

“What about the possibility of other nobles?”

Kiriel removed his hand from her cheek and carefully fixed her disheveled light brown hair. Kana answered immediately in a confident tone.

“I think that’s extremely unlikely. Usually there’s more likely to be something with a major character than someone who doesn’t even appear in the information. Fixing that was my job.”

“So you expect this case to be similar.”

“Yes.”

Kana affirmed. They decided to focus on investigating the sub male protagonist.

* * *

For a while, they prioritized protecting Elina and tracking Cedric’s movements. Then one day, Kiriel detected a suspicious situation through the mana butterfly he had attached to him.

He frowned seriously. Though there was a customer in the jewelry store, Kana was more concerned about Kiriel’s state. As soon as the customer left, she gently placed her hand on his cheek.

“Did something happen?”

“Yeah, he was the mastermind like you suspected. He asked his subordinate about the female protagonist, assessed her condition, and even mentioned the assassin we dealt with before.”

Kiriel answered calmly while smoothing his furrowed expression. Kana clicked her tongue as her unlikely prediction turned out to be true.

“Wow, this is crazy. Why would a kind-type sub male lead try to kill the female protagonist who’s just living quietly……”

“Well, we’ll have to check when we get the chance.”

“Yes, let’s meet him directly at an appropriate time to find out the reason and decide how to deal with him.”

“Right.”

Kiriel nodded seriously.

The opportunity came earlier than they expected. While watching the sub male protagonist for several days, they identified a time when he would be alone.

* * *

That night, wrapped in pitch-black clothes with illusion magic layered on, they entered Cedric’s room using teleportation magic.

Both snapped their fingers simultaneously. Any sound that might leak from the room was blocked.

Cedric, who was sitting on the bed, didn’t waver at seeing the intruders but rather his gaze turned sharp.

“……So you’re the ones who’ve been interfering with my work.”