“…Is it really true?”

“If it were a lie, I wouldn’t have come all this way to meet you in person, Ducal Lady. It’s the undeniable truth.”

“……”

Violet stared at the vial on the table with a complicated expression. The liquid inside shimmered brightly in the light, clear and transparent.

“Pardon me, but may I ask how you identified this poison and why you have it in your possession?”

“Not at all, feel free to ask. As for your questions, I can tell you that this poison exists only in my homeland, and that’s how I knew.”

Vaughn answered Violet’s question cheerfully.

The vial he had brought out contained none other than the poison Aileen had ingested. The documents he handed over contained detailed information about the poison—its name, symptoms, and even how to counteract it.

It was extremely valuable information in the current situation, yet it was also quite strange.

Vaughn had brought a poison that even the most renowned imperial physicians couldn’t identify, claiming it only existed in his homeland.

“Judging by your reaction, you truly had no idea. This makes me confident you’re not the culprit behind this incident.”

“…How unpleasant.”

“Apologies, but it was necessary to confirm.”

Vaughn slipped the vial back into his coat. The fact that he was carrying around such a dangerous substance made Violet suspicious that Vaughn himself might be behind the incident.

“For the record, it’s not me. I have nothing to gain by targeting Aileen Everett in this situation.”

“…That’s true.”

“Do you remember when I told you to be wary of the temple?”

Violet nodded slowly, recalling the temple’s attempt to have the case tried as a holy trial. The thought made her frown.

“Where do I begin… To start, did you know that the temple was somewhat involved in the poisoning attempt on the second daughter of House Everett?”

Violet didn’t respond. Vaughn continued with a smile, as if he hadn’t expected an answer.

“The temple’s involvement in the poisoning attempt, as well as their ties to certain factions in the Liran council, is already known. While the main nations preparing for war are the southern allied countries and a small kingdom, they’re not the only ones to worry about.”

“You seem well-informed.”

“A political rival happens to be tied to them.”

Despite the gravity of what he was saying, Vaughn spoke in a light, almost dismissive tone, which made Violet increasingly uncomfortable.

“Their objectives align. They want to destabilize the current imperial power and strike during the ensuing chaos… That much makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“You must think I’m a fool.”

“Haha, my apologies if it came across that way. In any case, I have information about the temple’s alliance with certain factions in Liran, including details on the poison.”

Violet considered asking whether Vaughn himself was behind all of this but decided against it. If what he was saying was true, then Vaughn, too, had something to gain from seeking her out.

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t worry too much about my situation?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly as I said. I can tell you’ve been fretting over this.”

Violet was momentarily speechless, letting out a short sigh. Vaughn remained a highly suspicious figure to her.

“…What does that have to do with anything?”

“You want something more concrete, I see. It’s simple—I have all the evidence needed to turn the tables on them and clear your name.”

That was certainly reassuring, but it seemed odd that Roen wouldn’t already know about it. And it was even stranger that Vaughn had come in person.

“Then, why did you feel the need to come here yourself?”

“It seems you can’t trust others easily, though I can’t say I blame you.”

Vaughn smiled as he met her suspicious violet eyes.

“Would it suffice to say I couldn’t act until I was certain? Information has likely already reached both Duke Everett and the Young Duke by now. It will take a bit of time to verify, however.”

In the end, it was clear that Vaughn had come to observe Violet’s reaction in person. Her expression soured as she let out a soft sigh, frustrated that she couldn’t just throw him out.

In recent days, Violet had been emotionally drained and found it exhausting to deal with people. She didn’t have the energy to carefully craft her words.

What could she say that wouldn’t sound too sharp? Before she could figure it out, Vaughn spoke again.

“As I mentioned before, I was born with a rather unique eye. Part of the reason I wanted to meet you was to deliver information, but I was also genuinely curious about your artwork.”

He casually sipped his tea before continuing.

“People say that your paintings are the work of a witch who made a pact with the devil, that they should never be seen by the world. I couldn’t help but wonder—what does a painting by someone who has died and come back to life look like? What kind of world does someone whose soul has been shattered and mended create?”

Once again, the conversation turned to her paintings.

Recalling that Vaughn had little to no knowledge of art, Violet furrowed her brow slightly.