“You really must eat now, my lady.”

Norbert approached me as I remained holed up in the castle library after returning.

“We should feed Odin here too, shouldn’t we?”

He glanced at Odin, who was helping me browse through various biographical dictionaries, and added casually.

Is it already that late? Following Norbert’s words, I quickly looked out the window and indeed, it was the middle of the night.

Soft light emanated from the night garden where lamps had been lit here and there.

“I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.”

“Actually, I tried to inform you several times in the hallway, but you seemed so focused that you didn’t hear me at all. So I requested help from the head maid. I was concerned about interrupting you while you were attending to important matters.”

When Medlin spoke with a worried expression, I shook my head, feeling chagrined.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you. I must have been too absorbed in my search.”

Norbert looked down at the dictionaries spread out on the desk.

“I wish we could be of help. It seems you’re looking at biographical dictionaries published this year…”

I had already asked Odin about Garrison Spencer, but he said it wasn’t a name he’d particularly heard before.

However, he told me that if this person had held an important position in Grandis, his name would have appeared in the annually published Grandis biographical dictionary, so Odin and I were searching through the dictionaries.

I noticed Odin lying flat on his stomach with his hungry belly, blinking his tired eyes pitifully.

“…Do you happen to know someone named Garrison Spencer?”

Having no choice, I asked the two of them, and both Norbert and Medlin looked at me with quite surprised expressions.

Odin, lying on the desk watching the two, spoke quietly.

“He must be famous, judging by their faces. Both of them definitely know something. But Garrison Spencer probably isn’t connected to this castle. I never heard of him during all my time wandering as a ghost.”

Odin was right.

Medlin, who had been looking at me thoughtfully for a moment, asked carefully.

“Have you… remembered something?”

Recalling Odin’s comment that Garrison Spencer might be a famous figure, I shook my head and answered.

“No, I just overheard people talking about him at December Center.”

It was a hastily made excuse, but since December had such a diverse group of people, both Norbert and Medlin seemed to find it plausible.

Norbert soon frowned slightly.

“He is indeed famous enough to be gossiped about, but Garrison Spencer is not someone Your Highness should refer to with such respect.”

“Why…?”

“Would you mind waiting a moment, my lady? Finding the newspaper from that time would give you a more accurate picture.”

Norbert mentioned that St. Berte’s library kept all past newspapers, then walked away.

His loud voice echoed gently through the quiet library.

“The article probably came out about ten years ago. I believe it was around this time of year…”

After rustling sounds continued for quite some time, Norbert finally reappeared.

He was holding a newspaper.

“Here it is, my lady.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled at him as he opened the newspaper for me, then immediately checked the contents.

At the same time, my heart sank.

“Hitman Garrison Spencer Arrested by Grandis Imperial Police Investigation Bureau… Shot Dead at the Scene”

Odin was also looking down at the article with his fur standing on end.

Norbert, observing my shocked expression, began to speak.

“He was a figure who caused quite a stir in Grandis when His Highness the Grand Duke was attending school. Wanted posters with his sketch and bounty were distributed throughout the Empire. He was eventually captured, and his real name was revealed to be Garrison Spencer. I remember it made headlines that he was shot dead on the spot due to his fierce resistance.”

“That’s what I understand too. He caused many incidents, so the Imperial Police Investigation Bureau took action on charges of disturbing the Empire, right? The Commissioner himself responded to the scene, so he must have been quite significant.”

As Medlin also spoke as if vaguely remembering that time, Norbert nodded in agreement.

Forcing myself to nod along with their explanations, I hugged Odin tightly, overcome by an inexplicably unsettled feeling.

For some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off the article stating that the Imperial Police Investigation Bureau had captured him.

I recalled Commissioner Marcel, who had been determined to thoroughly investigate me.

“Was Marcel the Police Commissioner at that time too?”

“Marcel was appointed this year. The Police Commissioner who arrested Garrison Spencer was injured while supervising the scene and died from excessive bleeding.”

Medlin spoke up as if suddenly remembering something she had heard from Joseph.

“Now that I think about it, I remember attending a memorial service for the Commissioner. Empress Genevieve encouraged all imperial citizens to attend if possible.”

My heart began to race automatically at the name Genevieve.

The clues provided by the system were all related to my birth, and Count Azanie and the Empress were always present in them.

The Empress had encouraged mourning for the deceased Commissioner, and that Commissioner had died while arresting the hitman Garrison Spencer. Finally, the Imperial Police Investigation Bureau was literally a department belonging to the Imperial Palace.

Could Garrison Spencer also be connected to the Empress and Count Azanie?

“May we go to dinner now, my lady?”

Just then, Norbert carefully spoke up while examining my expression.

I had explained that I merely heard about this through others, but I quickly nodded, thinking that if I seemed too focused on finding out about Garrison Spencer, it might appear as more than simple curiosity.

“Yes, let’s go. Odin must be hungry too.”

“Phew, now we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Sir Joseph, standing in the hallway, has been anxious all this time, fearing you might skip a meal.”

“What? I wouldn’t skip a meal, but missing one meal isn’t a disaster, is it?”

“It certainly would be. If the Grand Duke found out, he would be greatly displeased that we failed to ensure your meals.”

I stopped in my tracks as we were all tidying up the books, surprised by this unexpected answer.

“…Why would His Highness care?”

Norbert then showed a perplexed expression, as if my response was the strange one.

“Because His Highness cares deeply for you, my lady. Did you not know?”

“Well…”

I’ve almost been fooled into thinking so several times, but each time I directly confirmed it wasn’t true.

Feeling sorry for Norbert, who seemed to hope for a positive relationship between Carlo and me, I shrugged instead of denying it.

“I’m not sure.”

“No, my lady. His Highness…”

“Wait a moment.”

Norbert tried to say more to me as I smiled awkwardly, but I stopped him, cutting off his words.

Suddenly, light began to flow from the paper I was holding.

“……!”

It was the newspaper containing the article about Garrison Spencer’s arrest.

The letters forming the headline scattered like puzzle pieces, then rearranged to create an entirely new sentence.

[Congratulations! A Past Viewing Ticket related to the secret of birth has been created for Lea Azanie!]

What? The message was unbelievable even as I looked at it.

The golden, undulating letters clearly stated that a viewing ticket had been generated.

How could that be?

It hadn’t been long since I last viewed the past, and it should have taken much longer to collect 500 coins.

Redemption Coins could only be obtained from those whom the previous Lea had wronged.

To gather that many coins would require someone’s great forgiveness, enough to make amends for her misdeeds…

[You have gained Carlo Albrecht Wilhelm von Hedegen’s trust.]

“……!”

It felt like lightning striking my mind.

His name was clearly reflected in my vision as I stood frozen with goosebumps.

Lea had tried to kill him.

This meant that the person she had wronged most was none other than her husband, Carlo.

[With over 1000 coins acquired, viewing the past related to specific individuals is now possible.]

As the message disappeared like smoke and reformed into letters, my fingertips began to tremble with sudden excitement.

Thanks to Carlo’s trust, I now had a viewing ticket that could show me more specific past events than before.

Why on earth would Carlo… forgive me?

For what reason?

[Would you like to view the past related to Empress Genevieve and Garrison Spencer?]

The message pointing to the connection between Genevieve and Garrison Spencer—which had been raising questions in my mind—abruptly cut off my trailing thoughts.

Without delay, I pressed [Yes], and suddenly everything went dark, as if my eyes had been covered.

“Wh-where am I…?”

Just as I reached out in startled surprise, a sharp light flowed in from above, making me squeeze my eyes shut.

“Don’t make a sound.”

When I quickly looked up at the raspy voice coming from above, an unfamiliar man was looking down at me.