The lady handed Neris a drink suitable for chilling in the reception room of the mansion.
As Neris savored the hot tea with the scent of cinnamon, fruits, and cloves, she felt like she had returned to the past. The lady, sitting upright on the chair, observed Neris drinking the tea with sharp eyes.
"Did you learn etiquette from a venomous snake?"
It meant whether Nelucian had specially trained Neris to be sent out into society. Neris shook her head.
"Of course not. My manners are better than Nelucian's."
"I see. Bringing a carriage from the royal house was his idea, wasn't it?"
"Yes. I didn't refuse, but it was his idea."
The lady seemed to have noticed the power dynamics between Neris and Nelucian from what she briefly saw earlier. She appreciated the fast-paced conversation. There was no need to waste time embellishing useless stories and trying to guess the other's intentions.
The lady's eyes sharpened again at Neris's bitter smile.
"I thought you were forced to come, but it seems you have something to say to me as well. Then, speak quickly."
It was a much more favorable statement than Neris had initially expected.
"May I ask one thing before that?"
"If I say no?"
"Still, asking is my prerogative."
"Bold. Aren't you afraid of me?"
"Do you issue unfavorable orders to anyone for no reason?"
"What?"
"I understand you're not. So, there's no reason to be scared."
Seeing the lady who did not refuse her support earlier, Neris was convinced. The lady seemed to like her. For reasons unknown.
If the lady already somewhat liked someone, she would allow quite direct words. Therefore, there was no need to waste time.
Instead of leaving as she was, the lady raised her eyebrows. It meant she was willing to listen.
"Bold. Ask."
"Why did you let me in?"
Even when she was a princess, Neris was promptly chased away on her first visit. Her current status was incomparable to back then, so even if the lady treated her as if she didn't exist, there was nothing she could do.
Not only did she let her in, but she also chased out Nelucian. If she didn't know the reason, Neris couldn't bring up what she wanted to say to the lady today.
The lady narrowed her eyes again. Then, as if she hadn't heard Neris's recent question, she calmly lowered her gaze.
After a moment, a deep voice flowed out briefly.
"I pretended to be mean because there are people who would dislike your presence. It was just a little trick. It's not for your benefit, so don't misunderstand."
"...If Kamil finds out that Neris is here in this house, and even being treated with drinks, he will lose it.
Neris gave a faint smile. Thinking about it made her feel slightly better.
And another thing became clear. Despite the cold attitude now, the fact that the lady chased Nelucian away was a gesture of kindness. If there was any reason other than the judgment that 'Neris couldn't speak sincerely in front of Nelucian,' she would have mentioned it now.
Good. Remembering the words she had prepared for a long time, Neris took a soft breath.
"Thank you for speaking to me. I certainly came in a pushed manner, but as you said, I also have my own purpose."
"Speak."
"You are a noble of the royal family. If you say a word to the royal investigation office, I believe that unless the person has committed a crime against the royal family, they will be released."
For the first time since meeting Neris today, disappointment crossed the lady's face. Neris silently watched the lady, who turned her gaze out the window as if bored.
Finally, the lady asked slowly and indifferently.
"Whom do you want to be released?"
Of course, the answer the lady was thinking of was 'Neris herself.' However, if she was only going to say that, there was no need to be grateful for sending Nelucian back.
Neris replied in a calm but firm voice.
"There is a Le Dang criminal accused of killing twelve people in Tropeur. That person needs to be released."
Tropeur was one of the lady's many territories. So, while it wasn't awkward for Neris to talk about the lady's territory here, the lady's gaze back on Neris was burning with anger."
"Do you know what you're saying? Even knowing what he did, you still say that?"
"Yes. However, contrary to your suspicions, he did not kill Miss Monica."
The lady spoke with anger as if she could tear someone apart.
"How do you know that!"
Neris knew well why the lady was so enraged. The reason she was so excited about the criminal's name was that among those known to have been killed, there was the younger sister of the butler in this mansion and the maid whom she had cherished for a long time.
She had been like a daughter to her since she was very young.
❖ ❖ ❖
The butler, who had served the lady all his life, hailed from Tropeur, one of the lady's many territories. His lineage was mixed with that of the Le Dang ethnic group, one of the minority groups living in Tropeur.
In a previous life, Neris learned that the butler's younger sister was murdered by someone around the beginning of this year.
Despite appearing strict, the lady cared for her people. She took the tragic death of the maid who had been by her side since a very young age very seriously.
There were no witnesses to the murder. No evidence had surfaced either. So, for over half a year, the culprit remained at large.
However, recently, a suspect had emerged. He was suspected of being the perpetrator of the murder and was also suspected of killing several other people.
The aristocracy wanted to punish him, and there was more than one victim. The suspect was imprisoned in the royal prison without further ado."
In fact, executing such a heinous criminal would have been enough from the subordinate lord who governs Tropeur instead of the lady. However, despite that, the reason he came all the way to the royal prison in the distant capital was due to the lady's strong will to torment him.
"The royal people prefer to torment rather than kill."
The lady was not as vile as Abelus or Kamil, but there were times when she used similar measures within her circle. This was likely due to the shared culture they had grown up with in the royal environment.
Neris spoke in the calm and low voice that the lady preferred.
"When Monica, who had been missing for two days, was finally found, she was hidden on the outskirts of the village with all her valuables missing. At that time, there were no witnesses, so the case remained a mystery. However, with a recent murder case following a similar pattern, suspicion fell on that suspect. Is my information correct?"
The lady's hand tightly gripped the chair's armrest.
"It is. So what's the point? It's the same method, but a different person's crime? Monica was not a child who could provoke resentment. She was always kind and generous to others. If there is someone who dislikes her, they must be nothing but despicable."
There were many derogatory terms pointing to the Le Dang ethnic group. 'Money grubbers,' 'saltier than seawater,' 'even clouds don't rain on them.'
Having fled political persecution in Berelen a hundred years ago to seek refuge in the Vista Empire, they had toughened up to survive in foreign lands. They saved every penny without hesitation, even for things the Vistans considered beneath them.
Initially treated as commoners, the Le Dang people in Tropeur had now risen to the upper class. However, the Vistans envied them for it. Even within the Le Dang community, the poor resented the wealthy of their own people.
The butler's family was well-known even in Tropeur. There was a strong possibility of falling victim to crimes of vengeance based on ethnic sentiments. Especially if the suspect, who was also accused of killing several others without apparent grudges, turned out to be the culprit.
There would be no need for further suspicion.
"Perhaps so. Since I have never seen Miss Monica, I believe the suspect is denying his crimes as expected by the lady. Isn't that right?"
"Where would you find a criminal who would simply admit to it?"
"Are you speaking even while undergoing royal torture? He must also know that there is nothing left in his life."
Neris was right. To someone who knew that all that remained in their life was to slowly wither away in the royal prison under torture, was there a reason to deny their crimes?
Mockingly, Neris added, "I understand that royal torture can fabricate crimes even where there are none, making one wish for a quick death instead."
'Understands'... She said it as if she had heard it, but in reality, Neris had experienced royal torture firsthand. The most refined and vile acts of malice that human imagination could conjure, honed and crafted over a long period...
The lady finally turned her gaze towards Neris with a fierceness that could make the skin of the person receiving it crawl.
"Do you speak like this because you know the culprit? How can I believe that the culprit you brought is the true perpetrator? And what benefit do you gain by releasing the current suspect that you have come all the way here to say this in person?"
"How could I 'bring' the culprit? If it were in my hands, I would have brought them today. I have no connection with the suspect. But if the true culprit is targeting my people, then there may be a need to cooperate with an unjust person."
"Your people?"
"Joan Morier, a merchant who may seem insignificant to the lady but is an important friend to me. There have been recent unsettling events in Tropeur where she currently resides. Something about... people who have been killing Le Dang people and then pinning the crimes on others of the same ethnicity."
The lady's eyes flickered briefly.
She wouldn't make a judgment based on just these words right now. She was a thorough person. However, if even a slight willingness to listen had arisen in her, she could have been persuaded.
There was no need for subterfuge. The day was not over yet, and the lady, being a person capable of discerning the truth of any evidence that might reasonably raise doubts, would find the evidence.
It was a wise decision to instruct Joan to investigate Tropeur. Neris smiled as she remembered her old aunt, whom she greatly admired.
❖ ❖ ❖
"Nelucian, how do you see that child?"
In response to his father's question, Nelucian calmly replied, "As I mentioned last time. She is intelligent but has a tender and pure heart. Why do you ask?"
"I don't see it that way, so I'm asking."
The Marquis was somewhat bothered by his son's confident response.
While he had warned his daughter and wife, the Marquis did not entirely trust Neris Trued, despite her being a Marquess. Why wouldn't he? She was deeply involved with the Duke. She claimed she was forced to do so because her mother was held hostage, but anyone could make such an excuse.
'The time when her mother disappeared is too convenient.'
If the events unfolded as Neris described, her mother would have been kidnapped and gone missing by the Duke of Maindland. It happened several years ago, before the subterfuge was revealed.
'Why did he suspect her so quickly?'
What was so remarkable about Neris Trued?
The Marquis fundamentally viewed her with amusement. She had grown to a point where it was hard to think of her as the little girl from before. However, she was still a lone child without the backing of the family.
The Marquis had rational suspicions that even if there were twelve Valentines at dinner, the cunning girl could outwit them. He wondered if she had a hand in that direction.
He was considering such reasonable doubts.
The reason he didn't immediately lock up Neris and interrogate her about her relationship with the Duke was simple.
'Nelucian is not a fool.'
The Marquis trusted Nelucian second only to himself in this world. His son, who had been sharp and discerning from a young age, testified, 'She is worth it.'
The Marquis believed that his son would not speak like that without any basis.
Nelucian smiled brightly.
"Father, why worry when she is already in this house?"
Whether Neris Trued had any ulterior motives, for now, she was in the hands of this family.
The Marquis understood and was satisfied.