IGBD 67

chapter 67

“Gasp.”

Startled, Serret inhaled sharply.

Yuan quickly grabbed Serret’s arm and pulled her behind him. His fierce eyes fixed on the man in front of them.

The man, who had come close to the bars, stared blankly at Yuan, then knelt and bowed his head.

“I was wrong. I have committed a grave sin. I wasn’t in my right mind—I was drunk.”

He began begging for forgiveness, unable to even lift his head, repeating over and over that he only wished to live because he had done wrong.

Seeing this, Serret pulled her arm free from Yuan’s grip and stepped toward the man. But Yuan caught her arm again and pulled her back.

“Don’t go near him.”

“I’m fine.”

Serret freed her arm and, determined, stood in front of the man.

Sighing, Yuan stayed by her side. If one listened closely, Serret was clearly not his wife—Yuan chose to stay beside her rather than try to restrain her.

“I want to see his face.”

Serret looked up at Yuan.

Yuan nodded as if he understood and told the man to raise his head. At that, the man looked up, facing the two of them.

Serret studied his face carefully. Though she had been attacked from behind and never saw the assailant’s face, she wondered if it might be someone she knew from a past life, so she examined it closely.

But the face was unfamiliar. It was clear this person was unknown both in this life and her past life.

“Are you really the one who attacked me?”

Serret asked him directly.

“Yes, I did it. I am truly sorry. I was too drunk to be in my right mind.”

“You were so drunk, yet you remember my face perfectly.”

Serret stared straight into his eyes. The man, flustered, avoided her gaze.

Serret looked at him for a moment longer, then turned away. She wasn’t completely convinced he was the culprit.

“Do you have any doubts?”

Yuan asked, walking beside Serret. His wife looked troubled.

“It’s strange… he remembers my face so well, even while drunk.”

“Is that so?”

Though Serret suspected something, Yuan thought differently. She was beautiful enough to wake him from any stupor—he thought it would be odd if he didn’t remember her.

Serret glanced up at Yuan’s indifferent face and frowned slightly. Seeing his attitude, she realized that no matter how much she insisted, he wouldn’t believe her if she said the man wasn’t the culprit.

After leaving the underground prison, Serret and Yuan shared tea with the police chief.

Placing her teacup down, Serret turned to the investigating officer.

“I heard there was no vial found at the crime scene. Is that true?”

“Yes, there was nothing at all.”

“I was holding a vial before being attacked. It might have contained the poison Sophia consumed. I saw the symbol of the Held tribe on the bottle.”

Serret carefully observed the officer’s expression while subtly dropping a hint.

“There are so many Held tribe members in the Berun household; we can’t say for certain it contained poison.”

But the officer didn’t bite the bait, answering calmly.

“Have you confirmed where Sophia got the poison?”

“The will said she made it herself.”

“Sophia? That’s impossible.”

Serret frowned. How could Sophia have made poison? Was it really that easy to create?

“It may be difficult for the Duchess to know, but it isn’t entirely impossible. With a few books, one could make it.”

“My wife doesn’t know…”

When the officer finished speaking, Yuan’s low voice cut through the air. Though quiet, it carried weight, freezing the atmosphere momentarily.

The police chief and officer flinched, straightening their posture. The officer hurriedly admitted his mistake and apologized to Serret.

“I misspoke. I apologize, Duchess.”

The officer’s unconscious habit of dismissing women had caused him to make a mistake in front of the Duchess. Cold sweat ran down his back.

“Please thoroughly investigate where Sophia obtained the poison.”

Serret spoke calmly, hiding her irritation but maintaining dignity.

“I hope you will thoroughly investigate the Duchess Fractuster’s concerns.”

Yuan emphasized Serret’s title as Duchess Fractuster, supporting her words. It was a reminder not to forget she belonged to the Fractuster family.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Faced with that commanding tone, both the officer and the police chief nodded earnestly.

Outside the police station, Yuan glanced at Serret, who was lost in thought. Seeing her deep in contemplation, he guessed she was about to do something reckless again and felt a slight headache coming on.

“The culprit has been caught, yet your doubts remain unresolved.”

Yuan stopped walking and looked at Serret. Serret stopped as well, gazing back at him.

What happened to her could have been mere bad luck, unrelated to Lydia. But after hearing the police’s account, she became certain that Sophia’s death was not a suicide.

“Sophia was just an ordinary 18-year-old girl. How could she have made poison?”

“Do you not trust the police investigation?”

“No… honestly, I don’t.”

“So you intend to continue pursuing this matter?”

“Most likely.”

Serret nodded as if it were obvious.

With a small sigh, Yuan placed Serret’s hand on his arm and began walking her to the carriage.

“Here’s what we’ll do. I know a reliable detective. Let’s entrust Sophia’s case to him.”

Stopping in front of the carriage, Yuan extended his hand to Serret.

He decided to have someone handle the dangerous task before Serret herself got involved. Her safety depended on resolving the mystery.

“I’ll meet this detective.”

“Let’s meet him today.”

Seeing Serret’s eyes sparkle, Yuan chuckled, gesturing her to hurry.

Serret took his hand and climbed into the carriage. Yuan instructed the coachman to go to the Letas residence and sat beside her.

“Is the other side empty?”

Serret’s eyes widened as she looked at Yuan beside her. He pointed with a slender finger to the opposite seat, as if inviting her to sit there.

“It’s empty.”

“Shall I move over?”

“Stay. It’s not a big deal for a married couple to sit side by side.”

Serret’s refusal to move over made Yuan slightly annoyed. Why was she so unwilling to share space?

“It’s not a big deal, but still…”

“Still?”

“You look too close.”

At that, Yuan chuckled, swept Serret into his arms, and placed her on his lap. Surprised, she blinked, speechless.

“This is what ‘looking close’ should feel like.”

“Seems so.”

Serret coughed lightly, trying to escape Yuan’s embrace, but he didn’t let go.

She looked at his mischievous expression, uncharacteristic of him, and felt a strange flutter in her stomach. Knowing she was the only one to see this playful side of Yuan made her feel a bit proud.

“Now, choose. Here, or here.”

Yuan gestured to his lap and the seat beside him. Sit beside him, or on his lap—she had to choose. His expression was still childlike and playful.

Serret felt a thrill at his unfamiliar yet captivating expression and quickly got down to sit beside him.

“Of course, the seat beside you.”

“I respect your choice.”

Yuan smiled, taking her hand. Serret was satisfied with simply giving up the seat, though she struggled slightly to pull her hand away.

“Let go.”

“Stay still. Before I let you sit on my lap again.”

Yuan kissed the back of her hand, as if casting a spell to keep her still. The touch of his lips tickled her, and she succumbed to his playful hold. After all, it was just a hand—married couples could do that.

Serret pretended to look out the window, but her attention was completely on the hand Yuan held. Ignoring the fast beat of her heart, she kept her gaze on the window until the carriage stopped.

After getting out, Yuan and Serret went to the Townsend Detective Agency. Yuan occasionally entrusted cases to Townsend, who was quite competent.

The sharp-looking young gentleman, Mr. Townsend, warmly welcomed them and offered tea.

“I don’t know exactly what case you wish to entrust, but I will serve you wholeheartedly.”

“Feel free to say what you want.”

Yuan nodded slightly at Serret, giving her the go-ahead.

Serret explained Sophia’s case to Townsend, who quickly took notes.

“What I need to know is where Sophia obtained the poison. I don’t believe she made it herself.”

“Understood. I’ll investigate the source of the poison.”

“There’s a clue. A maid close to Sophia obtained contraceptive pills from her. They were made by the Held tribe, just like the vial I found.”

Serret didn’t want to reveal that Sophia secretly gave her contraceptives, so she lied.

“Ah, then it’s possible the poison came from the same Held tribe who made the pills.”

Townsend understood immediately.

“That’s what I wanted to convey. When you have time, come to the mansion; I’ll give you the medicine.”

“That will help a lot, Duchess. Each Held tribe has different herbs and compositions. By analyzing the ingredients, we can identify the creator.”

Serret smiled brightly, impressed by Townsend’s cleverness.

Yuan, watching her, also smiled softly. He didn’t fully understand love yet, but he clearly knew one thing—his sparkling-eyed wife was utterly adorable.

Leaving the detective agency, Yuan extended his hand. Serret naturally gave hers.

Yuan held her hand firmly instead of placing it on his arm. Seeing her curious expression, he smiled and said:

“Leave dangerous matters to Mr. Townsend now. Or to me.”

“You’ll let me face danger instead?”

Serret smiled slightly at Yuan.

“It’s better than letting my wife get into danger.”

“Yes, sir.”

Serret couldn’t help smiling, giving her answer with an upward curve of her lips.

Serret returned to the Fractuster mansion in a good mood. As soon as she reached the bedroom, Hannah handed her an invitation with a hesitant expression.

“A tea party invitation has arrived.”

“Why the face?”

Serret asked, smiling, but when she saw the invitation, her expression mirrored Hannah’s.

It had been sent by Lydia.