The culprit was someone on the inside.
It was highly improbable that a passing thief who had achieved Sublimation would be randomly harboring indiscriminate jealousy against a couple and cause such chaos. That meant the letter killer had to be among those already within the mansion.
And the method to catch them was straightforward—simply ask Nelliel who she had entrusted with delivering the letters.
Once we identified that bastard, tracing everything back would be a breeze. The whole truth would unravel cleanly—nothing overly complicated about it.
After eliminating any obstacles along the way, running them through a couple’s therapy session should resolve everything.
So.
“Nelliel, please open the door. Nelliel?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
If only this tightly shut door would open.
I think I must have called out to Nelliel for nearly an hour, standing in front of her door. But she remained silent, offering no meaningful response.With a bit of mana concentrated in my ears, I could hear the rustling of blankets and the sound of shallow breathing. She was in the room. She was simply ignoring me, her wounded heart keeping her silent.
I understood. She was afraid.
After all, her husband’s supposed mistress was knocking at her door. Whether I apologized or acted nonchalant, either approach would only deepen the wounds in her heart.
Maybe she needed time to process everything.
I should give her space to think. And when she was ready, I would return and explain everything properly.
I slowly stepped away from Nelliel’s door, and th⋯⋯
===============================================================
⋯⋯en.
I ran forward, leapt into the air, and delivered a dropkick straight to the door.
BANG-!! Craaaash!
The hinges snapped, and the door tumbled across the floor.
To hell with giving her time to think.
I hadn’t spent just a day or two reading romance fantasies—I knew how this went. If you tried to be considerate, letting misunderstandings pile up by waiting too long, that snowball would only keep growing until it crushed the entire house under it.
A fire should be put out while it’s still small—while it can still be controlled.
Nelliel, curled up beneath her blankets, shot up at the sudden breach, her voice shaking with shock.
“Wh-What?! What is this?!”
“You should have opened the door when I asked nicely.”
I dusted off my hands, feeling quite satisfied.
For a brief moment, Nelliel just stared in stunned disbelief. Then, anger quickly overtook her expression. She must have thought I’d crossed the line by barging into her room like this.
“I ignored you! That clearly meant I didn’t want you coming in! Just how much more miserable are you trying to make me?!”
Using logical reasoning was pointless against someone drowning in anger and sorrow. And this situation was far from normal.
If I simply said, “Daisy and I are just friends,” she would either snap back with, “At least make your lies believable!” or, “So you’re saying I rank even lower than a mere friend to my own husband?!”
No matter how thoroughly I explained the 108 reasons why Daisy and Heart were nothing more than friends, she wouldn’t believe a word of it.
So what was the solution?
I needed to present irrefutable proof—something so shocking it would instantly dissolve her anger and sorrow. Luckily, I had just the thing.
I looked at her seriously and opened my mouth.
“Nelliel.”
“Stop! Just stop it! Whether it’s an excuse or an apology⋯⋯ I don’t want to hear a single word from yo⋯⋯!”
“I’m married. And I have a daughter as well.”
“⋯⋯What?”
Good, I shook her.
I seized the moment, smoothly moving to sit beside Nelliel. Then, from my belongings, I pulled out a slightly aged-looking photo album (painstakingly put together just an hour ago).
Flipping it open, I took out a magic-photo.
It showed an image of Evil God-chan, my original body, and Heart—all three of us posing together, flashing V-signs in a harmonious scene. I had printed this using Illusion Magic.
I pointed at the photo and explained.
“This is the love of my life. And this here is the little one I brought into this world.”
“⋯⋯Eht, uhhh.”
“She’s been getting rebellious lately—she’s probably hitting puberty. And my darling just keeps teasing her⋯⋯ what do you think? Isn’t our daughter cute?”
“Ah, yees. No, wait⋯⋯really?”
I wasn’t lying. I spoke with complete sincerity.
By presenting myself as a doting parent who cherished her family, I subtly softened the atmosphere. Once the mood was calm enough, we could finally have a real conversation. Nelliel had already relaxed considerably.
Wouldn’t it seem strange for a woman who loved her family this much to suddenly have an affair with the Grand Duke of the North?
I followed up with further explanation.
“Daisy-kun and I are just friends. We met five years ago.”
“⋯⋯Five years ago… and Heart. Wait… by any chance, are you that legendary Lady of Fantasy from back then⋯⋯?”
“That’s right. I used to be a storyteller. Even back then, Daisy-kun and I were nothing more than close friends. I never saw him as anything beyond that—because my heart already belonged to someone else.”
“I heard rumors that you retired to find your true love⋯⋯ So it was this person. The one who looks like a crow.”
My past actions lent credibility to the claim. Who would have thought that the baseless rumors about my sudden departure in search of love would actually prove useful in a situation like this?
“I came to the North because I needed Daisy-kun’s help. My darling is gravely ill⋯⋯ reduced to about one-thirtieth of his usual strength.”
“⋯⋯That’s an oddly specific figure.”
“I know a very skilled doctor⋯⋯.”
I had made it sufficiently clear—I was not the heroine of this story. I hadn’t come to seduce the Grand Duke, but to support my sick original body. The Grand Duke’s friendliness toward me had a simple explanation: we were just friends.
Nelliel’s expression shifted, filled with remorse.
“I’m sorry, Heart.”
“It’s a misunderstanding anyone could have had. If anything, I should be the one apologizing—I should have explained everything before things got out of hand.”
And now, onto the next step.
I didn’t want to see Nelliel like this, burdened with sorrow. She had shown me kindness, and it was only right that I repay her by giving her strength in return.
The root of her sadness was clear—her efforts had been in vain.
Despite all her hard work, Daisy-kun had never acknowledged her. But there had to be a reason for that, didn’t there?
I got straight to the point.
“Nelliel, someone has been intercepting your letters. I asked Daisy-kun myself, and he told me he never received a single one.”
“What?! T-That’s impossible⋯⋯.”
“Who did you entrust with delivering them?”
“I gave them to Sophie. But she definitely said she delivered them properly⋯⋯.”
A prime suspect had emerged. Sophie.
It was moments like this that made me appreciate having a good memory. I mentally etched her name onto an imaginary whiteboard.
“Nelliel, let’s go talk to this servant named Sophie. I think she has some things we need to hear.”
“But Sophie is someone I brought from my family home. Unlike the other servants, she’s on my side. There must be some kind of misunderstanding⋯⋯.”
“If it’s a misunderstanding, then we need to confront her even more, don’t we? To clear it up.”
“⋯⋯I’ll change and come out. Uh, Heart… can you help me with my dress?”
Of course.
===============================================================
We summoned Sophie immediately and questioned her.
At first, she insisted she had delivered the letters without fail. But the moment I mentioned that I had asked Daisy-kun directly, her face turned pale, and she broke down, confessing the truth.
“⋯⋯Emma said she would deliver the letters instead. So⋯⋯.”
“Wait, Sophie. Emma is the First Wife’s maid, isn’t she? And you just⋯⋯ handed my letters over to her?”
“I—I’m so sorry, madam! But I had no choice! If I didn’t listen, Emma would have made my life miserable⋯⋯!”
Outsourcing the outsourcing, huh.
Nelliel’s expression softened as she looked at Sophie, seemingly sympathizing with the trembling servant. She looked like she was about to forgive the very person who had betrayed her and gave her a fuck you to her face.
But I wasn’t so lenient. How could I possibly let this slide?
“In the end, you still sold out the very master you serve.”
“T-That’s⋯⋯.”
“Nelliel might forgive you because she’s kind. But I won’t. You saw how friendly the Grand Duke was with me at the entrance, didn’t you? If you ever try something like this again, rest assured—your name will reach his ears.”
“H-Hiiik⋯⋯!”
I let her go after delivering the warning. I had borrowed Daisy’s name to make the threat more effective, but if something like this happened again, I wouldn’t even need to bring him into it.
I’d just crack their head open with a picture frame.
Nelliel shot me a weird look before whispering a barely audible “thank you.” She seemed pleased that I had gotten angry on her behalf.
“Now we know our next destination. Come with me, Nelliel.”
“⋯⋯Are we going to confront Emma?”
“No. We’re going straight to the First Wife’s room.”
“…Pardon?”
Why waste time with underlings? It was far more efficient to cut the problem off at the source. If I dealt with this properly now, she wouldn’t be able to use her servants for these underhanded schemes anymore.
“⋯⋯But Heart, the First Wife is no ordinary person. Just barging in like this could be dangerous.”
“What kind of person is she?”
“The First Wife is the Guild Master of the Alchemist Guild. I heard she even has connections with the Imperial Family and frequently interacts with them⋯⋯.”
An alchemist, huh?
The Alchemist Guild Master with such Imperial backing certainly held considerable power. There was an immense gap in status between her and Nelliel, the daughter of a tiny Northern territory.
But who was I?
“I’ve got backing from the Imperial Family too. From the First Princess, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince—all of them.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”
Nelliel looked at me with an expression that suggested she wasn’t quite sure what she had just heard. While it could have easily been dismissed as mere bragging, I said it with such confidence that it made her question whether it might be true.
I took Nelliel’s hand and began walking forward.
“Let’s go. Tell me more as we walk, Nelliel. What kind of person is the First Wife?”
“Yeees⋯⋯.”
===============================================================
Arte Ropelmann.
Head of the Alchemist Guild, she married the Grand Duke of the North, Elvillion Julius, five years ago. She has one son and one daughter. The son is the heir apparent, while the daughter was sent to a convent to consolidate power.
“⋯⋯Wait a minute, Nelliel. Isn’t the timeline a bit strange? I actually saw the young lady recently, but she definitely didn’t look like she was five years old.”
“I’m not sure either. I heard she used some kind of magical method I think⋯⋯.”
Her rapid growth at birth had raised suspicions among many in the Grand Duke’s family. But, since Daisy-kun had officially acknowledged them as his children, those doubts quickly faded.
An alchemist with ties to the Imperial Family and the ability to accelerate growth…
The whole situation reminded me of Commander Kim Ruru of the Capital Knight Order for some reason.
As we walked and Nelliel continued her explanation, we arrived at the First Wife Arte Ropelmann’s room. I could see Nelliel trembling with nervousness, so I gently patted her shoulder to offer some reassurance.
A maid stood in front of the door, eyes narrowed. Upon seeing us, she frowned and spoke first.
“Master is busy. Please leave.”
She didn’t even give us a chance to state our business. Count to one for patience.
I had Nelliel step back and addressed the servant politely.
“⋯⋯Second Wife Nelliel Vergne has come to meet First Wife Arte Ropelmann. Please go inside and deliver this message.”
“Master said she is busy. Don’t you know it’s rude to visit without notice?”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking you to go in and ask.”
“Yes, I’ll ask. But not now. She said not to let anyone in. Please come back another time.”
It was a lie.
I could see it in the servant’s eyes. The claim that she had been told to refuse us entry was false. This mere servant had fabricated the story just to turn us away.
She was treating us like dumbasses.
Count to two for patience.
“Then we’ll visit again. Please let us know when a more convenient time would be.”
“I don’t know. Maybe the day after tomorrow she might be free⋯⋯ If you keep visiting every day, maybe you’ll get to meet her eventually.”
Count to three for patience.
“Are you telling the Second Wife of the Grand Duke’s Family to come personally every day? You won’t even inform us when she has free time?”
“She’s extremely busy with public affairs. Anyway, you can’t come in today, so please go ba⋯⋯”
Crack!
I grabbed a picture frame from the wall and struck the insolent servant on the head with it. She collapsed and fell to the side, unconscious. How refreshing.
Sometimes, words just didn’t cut it with people. Physical action was the only language they understood.
“Phew⋯⋯ That feels much better. Shall we go in?”
“⋯⋯Uh, Heart. Why are you still holding the pictureframe?”
“It would be a big problem if even the First Wife spoke to me rudely.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Now that I’d stepped in, the atmosphere of this Grand Duke’s mansion had shifted. It was no longer a romance fantasy—it had turned into a thriller. I would gift picture frames to anyone who refused to listen, whether they were a Grand Duchess, a servant, a knight…
Or even the Grand Duke of the North himself!
***
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