Chapter 175.

Everyone in the living room froze.” …… What?”

The first to react was the Crown Prince.” What were …… those words?”

“Just what you heard.” Winter answered briefly.

The three pairs of blue eyes that jumped from astonishment swung feebly. Unable to believe what he had heard, the Duke stammered.

“Knew it was poison …… knew it was poison and drank it. That’s what …… it was.”

“How can you be sure, Marquis?” Derrick took up the Duke’s words pointedly.

“It was …… something.”

“Speak quickly, Marquis! Know it’s poison, know it’s poison, and drink it!”

“The necklace from which the …… lady hung.” Hearing the Duke’s urgent voice, Winter hesitated and spat out the truth.” Before Miss drank, the bead in the middle of the necklace changed color.”

“What is that ……”

“That necklace is an artifact of the magic that hangs in reaction to toxicity. The beads change color when there is a toxic substance nearby, and I saw Miss Penelope turn yellow when she picked up her glass.”

The Duke’s and the Crown Prince’s faces were simultaneously dyed an earthy color, and he had previously given a general description of Penelope’s necklace. The crown prince said slowly in a low voice.” Then, the public lady …… clearly saw it and drank it, what kind of words is this?”

“I can’t be sure whether the lady saw the necklace’s color change, but perhaps saw it.”

“What to do.”

“For it is a distinct printed color, and can be seen at a distance from me.”

“Ha. ……”

The Crown Prince gasped me and swept his bangs roughly. The Duke lifted a trembling hand and rubbed his thin face as well, and Winter sat there, looking dazed, as if his soul was gone. Only Derrick was as expressionless as the first time. Unintentionally looking at him Winter heard a shakti, surprised voice.

“But ……”

It was then that the Crown Prince spoke. Turning his head, he saw a bright eye look, gleaming towards himself.

“How do you know so much detail about this illusion? It doesn’t seem to be the kind common to the Empire either.”

His eyes thinned. The Margrave’s dark blue eyes twitched slightly. But it could be considered an illusion, a very momentary moment.

“It’s a rare item in the Empire ……,” Winter replied with an unchanged expression, looking straight at the Crown Prince.

“I’ve had that one too. In this generic country it is a custom for people to fear evil spirits and drape all sorts of things over their bodies.”

“You have, really, everything. Starting with antidotes, to rare items from distant other countries.”

“…… That’s ……”

“It’s a coincidence that it’s the same as what the Duchess owns.” The Crown Prince who was looking at the Marquis with marvelous eyes slowly lowered his head.” So. Can the evil spirits resist?”

“Of course.” Wynter who answered with a good face naturally turned his eyes to the Duke.

“Therefore, the maid’s testimony does not correspond to the actual situation where Miss Penelope used poison to harm Miss Iben.”

“…… contrary circumstances.”

By then, the silent other spoke up. He said, “You probably planned it by calling that commoner or something.” The Duke looked at his second son in surprise. But before he could say anything, he issued a warning like the younger Duke.

“Which one of these is it, you’re being casually clever. Be careful what you say.”

“Recovered memories, not sure yet, not sure yet if you’d want to kill pesky adopted kids or something.” “Iben ……!”

Blood-filled eyes also sneered obnoxiously at his brother’s appearance, and a thick trickle of blood sprang up on Derrick’s forehead.

“…… Iben had planned not to be able to attend Penelope’s bar mitzvah.” They were sinful to the sister who had lost ten years to a momentary lapse. Even asking for thanks and forgiveness from the woman who reluctantly returned wasn’t enough, how to remove that cruel suspicion. You even had the words of sorry for that child welling up in your neck. Derrick endured it with difficulty.

“If it weren’t for me, how would the child who couldn’t even get her foot in the door at the party know to go to the bar mitzvah with the intention of poisoning her?”

“Isn’t that a male daughter, too?” But it wasn’t Winter who answered, but the Crown Prince’s side.

“Little Duke, did you suddenly say something about a male daughter who would bring her own sister?”

The mocking scoff finally caused Derrick’s lips to close. A heavy silence came down.

“…… Then it is divided into two cases.” After some time, Winter carefully organized the situation.

“Someone has aimed at Miss Penelope or Miss Iben and bought the maid …… or …… “can’t bear to say the words that are becoming vague.” …… Penelope played the ego play.”

No one saw her deliberately change her glass before she lifted it. From this, the Duke’s own daughter was naturally excluded as a suspect.

Tapping the armrest quickly with his fingernails, the Crown Prince, who was in deep thought, suddenly asked.

“…… Why did the duke’s daughter put on a self-acting play like that?”

“For a very good reason.” Derrick replied absently, having been in charge of cleaning up the accidents she had had.

“I am ashamed to tell you that Penelope has often claimed attention for herself in this way.”

“Do you also agree with the young Duke?” At Callisto’s question, the Duke and Leonard hung their eyes in solemn silence and made no other reply.

Derek’s words were true, no more, no less. Penelope, who had often set her sights on the house in a destructive manner, seemed to know a little more about it of late, but from the present point of view it was of some persuasive force.

The Crown Prince was on the battlefield at the time, and the Duke’s family was trying desperately to stop rumors from spreading within the House, and the Marquis had to understand. But a child’s shortcomings are a father’s shortcomings.

“…… I don’t think Penelope would do that.” The Duke’s expression was heavy and his mouth opened.

Leonard nodded quickly.” Papa is right. Why would she do that. She’s too busy playing with the money she’s given every time.”

“Penelope, hate it when Iben comes back.”

Only Derrick said something different. It was like being convinced that this incident ended in Penelope’s farce.

“The servants say that whenever the two meet by chance, Ibn comes back crying every time.”

“…… Huh?” Leonard laughed as if in disbelief.

“What guy with a sprained eye is like that? He didn’t say anything and that civilian hit it!”

“That boy’s words and actions are calculated to be uninvolved in the social world.” Unlike beauty, a tongue like a knife is true. Leonard, who had been tossed around by that knife several times, was momentarily speechless and immediately glared at his brother.

“So, in order to divert attention from the civilians to yourself, you even took poison and acted out your own drama?”

“Don’t be cowardly. Because if one plays a self-acting drama, it’s just speculation that that might be the reason.”

“Both can’t be stopped!”

The Duke burst into a rage and stopped both.

“I can’t say for sure that Penelope acted the farce, but there is nothing left to speculate! Investigate further …….”

“Farce, to put it simply.” The quarrel between the families suddenly appeared to others.

The Duke’s expression was unpleasant as he looked towards the Crown Prince and bowed.” Your Highness.”

“If the Duke’s daughter really acted out the Viscount’s play, isn’t this a once-in-a-lifetime, planned day in order to be noticed by everyone?”

“Don’t you think there’s something strange? Drinking poison straight out of the gate just to get your attention?”

The faces of the Duke and his two sons froze.

The meaning in the crown prince’s “district” was whether or not their concern was worth it. If that was the case, I wondered if it meant that without getting that one concern, even the other unfolded. The Duke opened his mouth to answer something. But the Crown Prince was ahead.” Besides, listen carefully to …… the young Duke, who seems to be in a hurry because he wants to blame the cause of the commotion on the Duchess.”

The Crown Prince’s majestic sight shifted from the Duke to Derrick.

“Are things related to the Duchess resolved so absurdly every time? Not wanting to find out the right cause, blaming everything on the male daughter and then quickly ending it. Is that Eckhardt’s solution?”

“That’s marvelous Duke, no big deal. This is really …….”

“Disappointing.” Like muttering to himself, the Crown Prince’s mutterings caused the Duke’s and Derrick’s faces to contort at the same time. Red with shame and forcing back his shock, the Duke spoke back.

“Your Highness. This is an internal family matter. Worrying about my affairs and matters unrelated to the palace …….”

“I agreed to be engaged to the duke’s daughter, it’s a family matter, and I interrupted something that has no relevance to your family?” The Crown Prince spoke roughly.

The faces of the Duke’s family were blank.” That, what was that ……”

“Now what was said …… What did you say?”

“After the Bar Mitzvah, I am preparing to formally propose to the Crown Princess’s family.”

“So if the Duchess dies like that, it will no longer be a family matter, Duke.” One by one, Callisto looked at the people in the parlor, bared his teeth, and smiled slowly. But unlike the arched mouth, the red eyes boiled with the unknown. Because of the fierce, cruel face with a smile on the crown prince, even the cold water in the arena froze as if it had been splashed. The escapee who remained silent in the murderous atmosphere managed to make a sound.” Me too, the judgment will not be a farce ……”

At that moment. Someone knocked on the door.” Duke, this is Fennel.”

The butler’s urgent notice was followed by a “chirp” as the ice shattered.

“Come …… in.”

The Duke stammered his permission. Immediately it clicked and the butler entered.

“I’m sorry in the middle of a speech, but I have something urgent to pass on.” The butler turned pale and quickly reported the emergency.

“A maid named Becky who was being held in the dungeon is dead…”