MEBD 11

Chapter 11

Secrets and Lies (3)

After returning from Seth’s dispensary, Berenice lay quietly in bed, pretending to be a sick patient, and waited for sunset.

Thanks to Duncan, the steward of the lord’s manor, who had handled matters appropriately, no “visitors” came to see the supposedly “ill” young lady. But since no one could predict what might happen, she decided it was safest not to leave her bed.

Her family agreed with her reasoning, and so without any disturbance, Berenice quietly watched through the window as darkness descended and the moon began to rise.

“Then, sleep well, my lady.”
“All right.”

As the time for sleep approached and night fell, Nadia drew the thick curtains over the large window, extinguished all the candles lighting the room, and prepared to leave.

Berenice had already told her not to wake her in the morning, so until breakfast was served late the next day, no one would come to disturb her.

Left alone, Berenice lay still on the bed, pretending to sleep, listening closely to the faint noises outside the door.

Even though access to the wing had been restricted, the servants who tended to the household could not all be dismissed. A few of the attendants and the head maid who had accompanied them from the capital—and who knew about Kaiden’s condition—were still outside, carrying on their duties.

How much time had passed?

It must have been about the time the moon, hidden behind the curtains, had climbed to the highest point in the night sky when Berenice opened her eyes and slowly sat up.

Now, she had to find out why her father had stayed behind in the manor.

Only then could she prevent his death.

After the second funeral, the Marquis had remained alone in the estate.

At first, she thought he stayed to investigate the secret hidden in Bleddin’s sword. But thinking more carefully, she realized there was no reason for him to stay behind just for that.

If anything, remaining in the manor alone could only have raised suspicion among those mysterious people who had been pursuing Bleddin.

Her father would have known that too.

That could only mean one thing—

“There’s something else here in the manor.”

There must have been something here—something he needed to find or resolve.

And it was because of that that he died.

“I won’t let that tragedy happen again.”

Since returning to the past, Berenice’s top priority had been her family’s safety and peace.

So, they could not know anything.

Especially now, when the grief of Bleddin’s death weighed so heavily upon them—if they found out there was a secret behind his death, their sorrow would surely drive them to destroy themselves in pursuit of the truth.

“Anger always burns its bearer. Better to sink quietly in sorrow.”

Even the deepest sea has a bottom, and once you reach it, you can find the strength to rise again.

…Of course, sometimes people sink and never resurface. But that was still better than being burned to ashes by rage.

“As long as there’s hope you might rise again someday… you can live on.”

Murmuring inwardly, Berenice changed into the clothes she had secretly prepared without Nadia’s notice.

She stood before the tall mirror.

She wore tight black pants made of flexible leather, a simple black shirt with narrowed sleeves and no frills or decoration, and over that, a sturdy, medium-weight robe with a large hood to conceal her white hair.

It was unfortunate she hadn’t had time to prepare a mask to cover her face, wrist guards, or shoes with muffled soles—but for a dark night’s secret mission, it was sufficient.

“It hasn’t been that long, but this feels… strange.”

Before her return, she had spent years fleeing and hiding, always dressed like this, always living in the shadows.

Yet now, it felt oddly unfamiliar, even uncomfortable.

“Stop thinking nonsense. Move.”

Tying her long hair back, she pulled the hood deep over her head, tucked in the stray strands, and lightly rolled her shoulders and feet to test her condition.

Her body still felt a bit sluggish, as if her movements hadn’t quite caught up with her mind, but unlike other noble daughters, she had trained her body alongside Bleddin. With a bit of focus, she could move as she needed.

“…Let’s go.”

With a steadying breath, Berenice carefully opened the door and peered into the darkened corridor.

According to her plan, she should have exited through the window—but unexpectedly, the hallway was completely deserted.

Between going outside where the night guards patrolled and walking through an empty corridor, the choice was obvious.

Still, she couldn’t help but think, “Then why did I bother changing clothes…”

But she quickly dismissed it.

“It’s hard to move quietly in pajamas.”

Besides, considering who was in the place she was about to visit, she had to be especially cautious.

Lowell once joked that her nightgown was so long and loose it could wrap around her and trap her in a nightmare. Such clothes were hardly suited for stealth.

“Better move quickly before someone sees me.”

Avoiding the faint moonlight slipping through the curtains, Berenice moved silently through the shadows.

She wanted to run, but even her quiet footsteps echoed loudly in the empty corridor, forcing her to slow down.

“When I return to the capital, I’ll get proper shoes… and a light dagger—or two. And I need to train again. My body may be healthy in this timeline, but it’s sluggish.”

The list of things to do kept growing—but that wasn’t a bad feeling.

Before, in her previous life, she’d barely managed to handle the crises right in front of her. Making plans had felt like a luxury.

That was why she needed to live this life more carefully, more fiercely.

Her thoughts were cut short as she stopped in front of Bleddin’s room—where Kaiden was now sleeping.

Taking a quiet breath, she glanced around, then slowly reached for the doorknob.

She had brought a tool in case the door was locked, but thankfully, she didn’t need it.

“Phew…”

Only after stepping inside and closing the door did Berenice let out a long sigh of relief.

Her gaze drifted toward the bed.

From within the white canopy came the faint sound of soft, steady breathing.

Recalling the prescription she had secretly read at Seth’s dispensary earlier that day, Berenice listened intently.

To ease the intense pain caused by the poison’s convulsions, Seth had prescribed both a painkiller and a powerful sleeping drug.

Thanks to that, Kaiden was unlikely to wake easily—but she still had to be cautious.

Drawing her eyes away from the bed, Berenice began searching the room, starting from the area farthest from him.

“There has to be something in my brother’s room.”

In her previous life, after staying alone in the manor, the Marquis had often visited Bleddin’s room by himself.

At the time, she thought it was just a grieving father visiting his dead son’s room. But now she realized there must have been another reason.

“What did you find here, Father?”

Methodically, Berenice searched every corner, using both her eyes and fingertips, even leaning close to smell anything that seemed off.

Because the room’s owner had been absent so long, there wasn’t much left inside.

Fortunately, the servants had kept the place spotless, so her inspection wouldn’t leave any obvious traces.

“Nothing…”

Despite carefully checking every spot, mindful not to wake the sleeper, she found nothing unusual.

Could there really be nothing?

“No, there has to be something. I just haven’t found it yet.”

With that conviction, her gaze shifted to the bed where Kaiden slept.

That was the only place left.

But she hesitated.

Through the sheer canopy, she could see his silhouette—peaceful, unmoving.

Was he truly asleep? The thought that royal bloodlines were trained from childhood to build resistance to poison surfaced in her mind.

Sleeping pills weren’t poisons, of course—but still, she couldn’t be sure he didn’t have a tolerance to them.

“He’s really asleep… right?”

The most direct way to confirm it was to approach and lift the canopy—but something about that felt wrong.

She had no interest in peeking at a sleeping man’s face, and even the faintest sound might rouse him. The risk wasn’t worth it.

What should she do…?

Just then—

Rustle—

The faint sound of fabric brushing against something reached her ears.

Berenice instinctively dropped her posture low and slipped into the nearest shadow.

“Don’t tell me… he’s awake?”

Her amber eyes trembled as she stared toward the bed, where Kaiden lay beneath the white canopy.