Philip, unfazed by the coordinated attack, spoke calmly.

“Is that so? Perhaps it’s because such intelligent people are gathered here. You all seem to know things I don’t. How frightening. I wonder what else you might know. Isn’t that right, Lord Oberon?”

At Philip Wiscombe’s question, Lord Oberon flinched. Philip quickly shifted his gaze away from Oberon’s pathetic reaction and instead gave Sir Gareth an appraising look from head to toe before speaking.

“It seems everyone here is aware of the article about me. What do you suppose would happen if rumors spread that I fancy Sir Gareth? With such a remarkable appearance, unparalleled strength, and the illustrious Gareth family name—who wouldn’t be smitten? I’m no exception. What do you think? About me?”

Everyone turned their anxious eyes to Sir Gareth, who smiled and replied,

“Well, of course. It’s entirely understandable that Lord Philip Wiscombe would be enamored with me. After all, I am rather exceptional. But, alas, I must break your heart. I prefer women, and I detest the name Wiscombe. Perhaps Lord Oberon can console you in your heartbreak.”

With that, Sir Gareth directed his gaze at Lord Oberon. Lord Oberon, who hadn’t touched his food, was merely swallowing wine. Once again, he drank in silence instead of answering.

Philip snorted at Lord Oberon’s behavior, prompting Oberon to stand. With a trembling voice, Lord Oberon spoke.

“Please forgive us. Oberon has never had the honor of hosting such distinguished guests, so it seems we’ve acted rudely. I propose a toast to express our gratitude for having such an esteemed company gathered here today. Cheers!”

Despite the dinner progressing for quite some time, Baron Oberon’s deputy was nowhere to be seen, and Lord Oberon appeared utterly distracted.

‘Tonight is the night.’

Sophia couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the moment when something unexpected might happen. The tense atmosphere in Oberon Castle was like dry tinder, and Philip was steadily adding fuel to the fire.

“Is Lord Oberon the real target?”

Sophia started to suspect that Philip’s constant jabs at Sir Gareth were a smokescreen. Lord Oberon’s deteriorating state seemed more critical than Gareth’s.

Philip once again addressed Sir Gareth.

“How are things in your territory? Unable to attend the academy and stuck in the estate… Oh! My apologies. I couldn’t help but feel some pity for you, Sir Gareth, being tied down to your domain.”

Sir Gareth replied,

“Yes, I’ve been doing well. Being ‘stuck’ in my estate has taught me a great deal. I’ve even come to understand why my father insisted on sending me there. I thought I understood when the decision was made, but living there revealed the true reasons.”

With curiosity gleaming in his eyes, Sol asked,

“If it’s not too much to ask, could you share what you’ve come to understand?”

As everyone’s attention focused on Sir Gareth, he smiled contentedly and answered,

“It’s because the capital is far too filthy. You can see that much more clearly from a distance.”

He then glanced at Philip Wiscombe. Philip briefly looked at the absent-minded Lord Oberon, which Sophia immediately noticed.

‘Just as I thought.’

Philip smirked bitterly as he said,

“Ah! A noble and pure Gareth family member mustn’t stay in a dirty, corrupt place like the capital. Such places are for emperors and princes. Indeed, the lofty and immaculate pride of the Gareth family surpasses even the imperial household.”

Sir Gareth exchanged a glance with Lady Gareth, brushing off Philip’s comments with a look that said, “Look at what he’s saying—it’s hilarious.”

Sophia became certain.

‘Philip knows Oberon’s plans and came here to incite them. He intends to cause an incident that will kill everyone present.’

Sophia observed Philip carefully. His gaze lingered on Lord Oberon and the entrance to the dining hall. When Sophia’s persistent scrutiny became evident, Philip smiled and said,

“Cousin! I believe I mentioned this before… Staring directly at someone’s face is rather rude.”

This time, Sophia didn’t flinch. She replied,

“I was debating whether to ask a question I’m curious about, and it seems I ended up staring. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Parma interjected.

“What’s the question?”

“Why is Wiscombe here? Nobody here seems to be on Wiscombe’s side, so why go through the trouble of being in Oberon?”

Philip maintained his smile as he looked at Sophia, though his eyes gleamed sharply. Parma also turned to Philip and said,

“Oh, that’s true. He doesn’t seem to get along with anyone here. Lord Oberon? Could it be that the Oberon family and Wiscombe are on friendly terms?”

Sophia added,

“I doubt it. Wiscombe might only be pretending to help Oberon to use them for his own ends.”

Philip glared at Sophia and said,

“I have no idea what my cousin is talking about.”

“Why is Wiscombe in Oberon now? Nobody knew about any connection between Oberon and Wiscombe, yet here you are.”

“Cousin, you knew, didn’t you? You even realized Lord Oberon was my discreet friend. I must say, I envy your information network. Hardly anyone knew about it, after all.”

Sophia glanced at Lord Oberon and commented,

“The source of the rumor about Philip’s… preferences? Prince Robert was accused of leaking the story for a while, but then there were murmurs it might’ve been Cressida. Surely the victim, Philip Wiscombe, would’ve figured it out by now…”

All eyes turned to Philip and Lord Oberon. Sophia spoke again.

“If we assume Cressida leaked the story, how did they find out? Someone closely connected to both Cressida and Wiscombe must have informed them. For example, Lord Oberon. So, is Philip Wiscombe here to help Oberon… or to take revenge?”

Lord Oberon, flustered, reached for his wine glass but fumbled. Philip frowned briefly upon noticing Oberon’s unease.

With a composed smile, Philip spoke casually:

“I appreciate the high regard for my abilities, but I still haven’t identified the culprit among my knights. It’s true, though, that I came to Oberon with less than honorable intentions—to interfere with the relationship between Prince Robert and Lady Gareth.”

No one at the table believed Philip’s words. Nonetheless, he continued, addressing everyone present,

“As you know, I’ve lingered around Lady Gareth in the capital, hindering Prince Robert’s advances. I decided to keep trying here in Oberon as well. Persistence is key to bearing fruit, after all. Now that I’ve laid bare my dark motives, I hope this clears up any misunderstandings my cousin may have had.”

Lord Oberon was convinced that Sophia’s claims—that Philip had come to Oberon seeking revenge—were true. With a frightened expression, he looked at Philip.

Sophia remarked with admiration,

“Oh, to think you anticipated the visit of Prince Robert and Lady Gareth to Oberon! It seems you have quite the competent informant, Philip. What else might you know?”

At this, Lord Oberon shakily stood, his chair scraping noisily against the floor. His attendants hurried over to support him as he stammered.

“I must have been more nervous than I realized. It seems I’ve drunk too much wine without noticing. I’ll excuse myself for a moment to rest. Please pardon me.”

Leaving the guests behind, Lord Oberon exited the banquet hall. Philip also rose, wiping at his brow theatrically.

“I think I should take my leave as well. Too many glaring eyes here make my hands tremble—I can hardly bring anything to my lips.”

With both Lord Oberon and Philip Wiscombe gone, Parma chuckled.

“Leaving only the guests at the table… Am I the only one thinking this meal might be poisoned?”

The uneasy atmosphere caused everyone to rise naturally from their seats. Helen approached Sophia and whispered.

“Will it be alright? Both Lord Oberon and Philip Wiscombe seemed far from ordinary.”

“Lord Oberon has two choices now: to bring everyone down with him or to spare a few while still ensuring most perish. Judging by his demeanor, it seems he’s opting for the former. And with Philip Wiscombe adding fuel to the fire, it may have already begun—especially since the baron’s deputy is nowhere to be seen!”

Parma, overhearing Sophia’s words, interjected.

“Then we need to figure out how to survive.”

After setting his wine glass down, Sir Gareth replied,

“We lock down the estate immediately.”

Sir Gareth summoned his subordinates, who had been dining elsewhere. They were already chewing on jerky instead of enjoying the banquet and began heading outside, seemingly following pre-arranged orders.

Meanwhile, Gunther was already on the move, blocking ports, roads, and every known entry and exit point of the estate.

***

After leaving the banquet hall, everyone gathered in the reception room to await further news.

Before long, word arrived that Lord Oberon had been captured, but neither the baron nor his deputy could be found.

Sophia commented.

“It seems they slipped away before the welcoming banquet even began. I thought they might keep us occupied with the feast, but they acted earlier than expected. This was unforeseen.”

Prince Robert added.

“But it’s too quiet for that. If something had happened, we’d have heard reports by now. Something’s wrong.”

Sophia speculated that there might be a secret exit she hadn’t uncovered.

‘I should have brought more people.’

No matter how formidable one’s forces, some tasks require manpower to accomplish.

Prince Robert called out to her.

“Lady Sophia! Could we talk for a moment?”

“Not now, later. Surely there are more urgent matters to handle right now, Your Highness. I can’t be the only one sensing the gravity of this situation, can I?”

Robert reluctantly conceded.

“You’re right—this isn’t the time. Let’s discuss it once Oberon’s situation is resolved.”

Sophia exhaled in relief. For now, her focus was on how things in Oberon would begin—or rather, how they would end.

The thought of speaking privately with Prince Robert unnerved her.

Later. First, Oberon’s affairs…

While investigating the castle, the guests gathered near the entrance, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

***

Late into the night, Gunther returned and began his report to the assembled group. Despite the tension evident on his face, his voice remained calm.

“We found the baron’s body in an empty carriage near the port. It appears he was murdered. There’s no trace of the baron’s deputy. Lord Oberon is in custody and has promised full cooperation. He claims to know very little, as he spent most of his time in the capital. According to him, the baron and his deputy devised the entire plan.”

Sir Gareth stormed into the hall, shouting.

“Blast it! Does anyone know where Philip Wiscombe has disappeared to?”

Philip, descending gracefully from the second floor, replied,

“Sir Gareth! Such a heartfelt call… Is there a reason you were looking for me?” Philip asked with a smile as he descended the stairs. 

“I just stopped by my room briefly. Given how many people here seem to be targeting me, I doubt I can stay long in Oberon. I came to the entrance as requested—is it for my safety, or are you planning to detain me?”

Sir Gareth stared at Philip and replied,

“I thought you’d escaped with the baron’s deputy. I’m curious to see how Wiscombe intends to wriggle out of this mess. Are you going to say, ‘I had no idea Oberon would commit treason’?”

Philip, still smiling, repeated,

“I had no idea Oberon would commit treason.”

It seemed as though Sir Gareth might lunge at Philip at any moment.

Prince Robert interjected, addressing Gareth.

“What about the remnants? With the main culprits suddenly gone, they must be in disarray.”

Gunther answered on Gareth’s behalf.

“They’ve all been disarmed. Lord Oberon’s cooperation was invaluable. According to him, he’s no fool—he wouldn’t let himself be used and discarded so easily.”

All eyes turned toward Philip Wiscombe. He let out a scoffing laugh—a genuine one at that.

What a pack of utterly incompetent fools. Oberon has failed at everything. Even his trusted subordinates turned on him. Were they pretending to be Cressida’s spies? Or were they genuinely Saturn’s agents? Those Saturn bastards are utterly useless.