The Culprit is Inside the Mansion

It’s absurd to think that a passing thief, who has reached the zenith of ascension, harbored indiscriminate rage towards couples and played a trick. Therefore, the letter-killer must be one of those scurrying around inside the mansion.

And the method to catch this culprit is quite simple. All we have to do is ask Neriel who she entrusted with delivering the letters.

Once we pinpoint that person, we can trace everything back and reveal the truth neatly. It’s not complicated at all.

After removing the one who interfered, a little couple's therapy should solve everything.

So.

"Neriel, please open the door. Neriel?"

"⋯⋯⋯⋯."

All that’s left is to open this firmly closed door.

I must have called for Neriel at the door for about an hour. But she remained silent without any response.

If I focus my magical energy on my ears, I can hear the rustling of blankets and shallow breathing. She’s not out of the room. She’s just ignoring my calls, her heart wounded.

I understand. She must be scared.

After all, it’s like her husband's mistress has come knocking at the door. Whether I apologize or confidently confront her, it will only deepen the wounds in her heart.

Perhaps she needs time to calm down.

Let’s give her a moment to think alone. And when she feels better, I’ll come back and explain everything.

I slowly moved away from Neriel’s door...

Go.

Run, jump, and deliver a dropkick to the door.

Bang-!! Thud-thud!

The door hinges shattered, and the door rolled across the floor.

Forget about giving her time to think.

I’ve read enough romance fantasies to know that if you hesitate and let misunderstandings pile up in the name of considering someone’s wounded heart, the snowball effect will end up burning down the entire village.

A small fire should be extinguished while it’s still small.

Neriel, who was curled up under the blanket, was startled by the sudden door breach and raised her voice.

"W-What, what is this?!"

"See, it would have been better if you had just opened the door when I asked nicely."

I dusted off my hands with a relieved expression.

Neriel, initially stunned, gradually became filled with anger. Maybe she thought I had finally crossed the line by barging into her room.

"You ignored me! Don’t you know that means 'do not enter'?! How far do you intend to humiliate me?!"

Ordinary language expressions do not work on someone filled with anger and sadness. Besides, this situation is quite unique.

If I say, "I'm just friends with Daisy," she’ll likely respond with, "Don’t lie!" or, "So I’m worse than a friend?!"

No matter how many reasons I give to prove that Daisy and Heart are just friends, she won’t believe me at all.

So, what do I do?

I need to present shocking evidence that will instantly evaporate her anger and sadness, while also supporting my claim. Fortunately, I have just the means.

I looked at her seriously and began to speak.

"Neriel."

"Stop, just stop. Whether it’s an excuse or an apology… I don’t want to hear a word from you…!"

"I’m married and have a daughter."

"⋯⋯What?"

Good, she’s shaken.

Without missing a beat, I quickly moved to sit beside Neriel. Then, I pulled out a somewhat old-looking photo album (painstakingly made an hour ago) from my coat.

I took out a magic-photo.

In the photo, you could see the image of Evil God-chan, my true self, and Heart. The three of us were posing happily with a V-sign. I created it with illusion magic.

Pointing at the photo with my finger, I explained.

"This is my dear one, and this is the little life I created."

"⋯⋯Oh, uh-huh."

"Recently, our daughter has been going through puberty, so she’s been quite rebellious. And my husband just teases her all the time… Look at that. Isn’t our daughter cute?"

"Ah, yes… But really…?"

I don’t lie. I speak with sincerity.

After portraying the image of someone who deeply loves their family, the mood finally relaxed. Neriel softened considerably.

After all, it would be strange for a woman who loves her family this much to suddenly have an affair with the Northern Duke.

At this point, I added more explanation.

"Daisy and I are just friends. We met five years ago."

"⋯⋯Five years ago, and Heart… Could it be that you’re the famous ‘Heart’ from that time, the woman of fantasy…?"

"Yes. I used to sell stories, and I was close to Daisy, but nothing more. I had someone I cherished."

"I heard rumors about someone who retired to find true love… So that’s who this is. The one who looks like a crow."

My past reputation added credibility. The baseless rumors that I retired to find love had somehow come in handy.

"I came to the North to seek Daisy’s help. My husband is very ill… He’s only about a thirtieth as strong as he used to be."

"⋯⋯That’s oddly specific."

"There’s an excellent healer I know of…"

Now, I made it clear that I’m not a romantic interest. I didn’t come to seduce the Duke; I came to care for my ailing husband, and Daisy is kind because we’re friends.

Neriel’s expression filled with guilt.

"I’m sorry, Heart."

"It was an understandable misunderstanding. In fact, I’m the one who should apologize. I should have explained everything before it came to this."

Now for the next step.

I didn’t want to see Neriel in such a dampened state. She had shown kindness to me, so I should give her the strength she needs.

The biggest reason for her sadness was that her efforts were in vain.

She had worked so hard, but Daisy hadn’t noticed. However, there’s a reason her efforts went unrewarded.

I got straight to the point.

"Neriel, someone has been intercepting your letters. When I asked Daisy, he said he never received a single one."

"What?! That… That can’t be…"

"Who did you entrust to deliver the letters?"

"I gave them to Sophie. But… she assured me they were delivered…"

A likely suspect, Sophie.

It’s astonishing how easy it is to remember a person’s name. I mentally jotted down Sophie’s name on the whiteboard in my mind.

"Neriel, let’s go see this Sophie. I think she has something we need to hear."

"But Sophie is a servant I brought from my family. She’s loyal to me… It must be a misunderstanding…"

"If it’s a misunderstanding, then all the more reason to clear it up. Let’s go."

"…I’ll change and come out. Um… Heart, could you help me with my dress?"

Of course.

We Confronted the Servant Sophie

When we questioned Sophie, she initially insisted she had delivered the letters properly. But when I mentioned that I had asked Daisy directly, her face turned pale, and she confessed.

"⋯⋯Emma said she’d deliver the letters instead. So…"

"Wait a minute, Sophie. Emma is the maid of the first wife, isn’t she? And you just… handed over my letters?"

"I-I’m sorry, my lady! But I had no choice. If I didn’t listen to her, Emma would have tormented me…!"

So she subcontracted the task.

Neriel, seeing Sophie trembling in fear, seemed to feel sympathy and softened. It looked like she was about to forgive the servant who had wronged her.

But I’m different. How can I forgive this?

"That means you sold out your mistress."

"Th-that’s…"

"Neriel may forgive you because she’s kind, but I won’t. You saw how the Duke was kind to me at the entrance, right? If you act like this again, I’ll make sure the Duke knows your name."

"Hii, hiiik…!"

I gave a firm warning and let her go. I used the Duke’s name for effect, but if this happens again, I won’t even bother going to him.

I’ll break her head with a picture frame.

Neriel looked at me with a strange expression, then quietly thanked me. It seemed she was happy that I had gotten angry on her behalf.

"Now, we know our next destination. Follow me, Neriel."

"…Are we going to confront Emma?"

"No. We’re going to the first wife’s room."

"What?"

Why waste time on small fry? It’s easier, faster, and clearer to go directly to the head.

If we settle things directly, they won’t bother us again by using servants to carry out sneaky sabotage.

"…But, Heart, the first wife is quite formidable. It could be dangerous to approach her recklessly."

"What kind of person is she?"

"The first wife is the head of the Alchemist Guild. I’ve heard she’s close to the royal family and frequently interacts with them…"

An alchemist.

A guild leader with ties to the royal family. Certainly, she holds a much higher status than Neriel, who is just the daughter of a minor noble in the North.

But who am I?

"I also have royal backing. The first princess, the second prince, and the third prince."

"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"

Neriel looked puzzled, as if unsure what she had just heard. Logically, it sounded like a boast, but I said it so confidently that it seemed like it could be true.

I took Neriel’s hand and marched forward.

"Let’s go. Tell me more about the first wife as we walk, Neriel."

"…Yes."

Arte Loffelman

The head of the Alchemist Guild, married to the Northern Duke Elbillion Julius five years ago. They have a son and a daughter. The son is the first in line for succession, while the daughter was sent to a monastery to concentrate power.

"…Wait a minute, Neriel. Doesn’t the timeline seem odd? I saw the young lady, and she didn’t look like she could be only five."

"I don’t know the details, but I heard some sort of magic was involved…"

Although many in the Duke’s household found their birth and rapid growth suspicious,

Daisy publicly acknowledged them as his bloodline, and doubts were quickly put to rest.

An alchemist with royal connections. Accelerated growth.

For some reason, I thought of the Head of the Knights, Kim Lulu.

While listening to Neriel’s explanation, we eventually arrived at Arte Loffelman’s room. Neriel was trembling with nervousness, so I lightly patted her shoulder to give her courage.

In front of the door stood a maid with a stern expression, who frowned when she saw us and spoke first.

"The mistress is busy. Please leave."

This was her attitude even before we stated our purpose. Patience, one.

I stepped forward, pushing Neriel behind me, and made a polite request to the maid.

"⋯⋯Neriel Bruneu, the second wife of the Duke, wishes to see Arte Loffelman, the first wife. Please go inside and convey this message."

"I said the mistress is busy. It’s not appropriate to visit so suddenly; don’t you know that?"

"Just go in and ask, please."

"Yes, I will. But not right now. She said not to let anyone in today. Come back another time."

That’s a lie.

I read it from the maid’s eyes. The claim that no one was to be let in was fabricated. A mere servant was making up orders from her master to turn us away.

She was treating us like trash.

Patience, two.

"Then tell us when she’ll have time, and we’ll come back."

"Who knows? Maybe the day after tomorrow, she might have some time… If you keep visiting, you might eventually catch her."

Patience, three.

"Are you really telling the second wife of the Duke to keep coming back until she manages to meet the first wife? Instead of saying you’ll inform her when there’s a free moment?"

"She’s very busy. Anyway, you can’t go in today, so you should leave…"

Crack!

I took the picture frame off the wall and smashed it over the rude maid’s head. She collapsed, unconscious. It felt incredibly satisfying.

Sometimes, you have to use force when words don’t work.

"Phew… That felt so good. Shall we go in?"

"…Um, Heart, why are you still holding the frame?"

"What if the first wife is also rude? It could be a problem."

"⋯⋯⋯⋯."

Now that I’ve stepped in, the genre of this mansion is no longer a romance fantasy but a thriller. For those who don’t listen to reason, I’ll give them a gift of a picture frame. Whether they’re the first wife, a servant, or a knight.

Even if it’s the Northern Duke himself!