Chapter 66

Morning came.
I hadn’t slept a wink.
Still wrapped in a blanket on the living room sofa, I lifted my head at the sound of someone approaching.

It was Enoch—his complexion pale, hair messy as he ran his hand through it.
He muttered something under his breath the moment he saw both my face and his surroundings.
It clearly wasn’t something nice.
His voice was tight as he asked:

“Where did Keith go?”
“Ledamas.”
“…What kind of trouble did he cause this time?”

Without a hint of doubt, Enoch assumed it was Keith who messed up.
He still looked slightly woozy, likely from the leftover effects of the drug.

He slumped beside me on the sofa and leaned back.
I shifted a little to give him space and gently covered his lap with the blanket.

“I figured you two were up to something—but didn’t think he’d drug me.”
“Still trust him, even though he’s your cousin?”
“Since when do teammates expect to be drugged?”
“…They don’t, right?”
“That guy just doesn’t operate by normal logic.”
“Want me to get you some water?”

With his arm over his eyes, Enoch simply tilted his head toward me.
His sharp glance from under his arm was more like an interrogation.

“Must’ve been serious trouble—if you’re being this nice to me.”

“…And what are you doing out here in the cold? I changed the blankets just for you.”
“Didn’t you change them for yourself?”
“You think I’d be that petty?”

“You changed Keith and Laila’s sheets too, didn’t you?”
“They can change their own.”

I chuckled a little and was just about to explain everything that happened during the night—
until Laila walked in, face slightly puffy, yawning loudly.

“Keith isn’t back yet?”
“If you knew he left, you should’ve stopped him—or gone with him. Did you just go to sleep?”
“Even I’m not clueless enough to interrupt a date.”
“It wasn’t a date.”

Laila smirked teasingly.

“What do you call a man and woman sneaking out together at night, if not a date?”
“Don’t tease.”

Enoch cut her off coldly.
She just laughed again.

“Aw, are you jealous?”
“If it were a cute little date, I’d only be jealous. Look at her face—does that look like someone who had fun?”

“…Maybe you should get some sleep, Florence.”

Even Laila admitted I looked horrible.

I couldn’t brush off what happened last night as some romantic escapade.
It wasn’t cute or fun.

“If you take a kid out with you, you better put her back in bed after.”
“What are you, her mom?”

Laila rolled her eyes. I was starting to feel the same way.

“So he went to Ledamas? Drugged someone just to do what, exactly?”
“You can ask him yourself—he’s back.”

Laila turned toward the window—Enoch too, nearly at the same time.
I didn’t sense anything, but then I heard it—an awful scream from outside.

Bii, the spirit coiled around my neck, grew in size and wrapped itself around me.
I left it behind and rushed outside.

“Hey, you’re gonna trip!” Enoch shouted.
“Hahaha.” Laila laughed like she was entertained.

As I burst out the door, the scream got even louder.
Keith saw me and waved.

“Didn’t sleep, huh?”
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

At his feet, a woman with a cloth sack over her head squirmed like a bug.
She stopped screaming the moment she recognized my voice.
Keith glanced down, then looked back at me.

“I’m fine. You look like you didn’t sleep at all.”
“Yeah.”
“Now I’m gonna get in more trouble.”
“You’re the one who did all this—don’t blame me.”
“I even tried to let you sleep. Should I have tucked you in, too?”
“Like Laila would’ve let you into the bedroom.”

“…Fair enough. Oh—Eno—ugh!”

Enoch walked over and slammed his fist onto Keith’s head.
The impact was loud enough to make you wonder if it broke something.

“You drugged me?”
“Ow—do you know how valuable my brain is?!”
“You sure talk a lot for a guy in debt.”
“You really don’t hold back with your cousin, huh…”

“Who’s that?”

That’s when the woman started screaming again.

“Lord Haynes—is that you?! It’s me, Lishi! Please!”

I took a step back.
Laila strolled over, looking like she was watching a play.

Keith smirked down at the frantic woman.
Enoch, recognizing her voice, chose to play dumb.

“Lishi?”

Enoch Haynes, who once lived at Seymour Manor, was cold and rude to me—
but to everyone else, he was kind and respectful.
Lishi had been one of many maids who admired him.

Hope flickered in her voice as she begged:

“You remember me, right? I served Lady Grace at Seymour Manor!”
“Can’t say I do.”
“If you see my face, you’ll know! I’ve served Lady Grace my whole life!”

If only she could see the look on his face.
I gave a crooked smile.

“Some stranger just… kidnapped me! I didn’t do anything wrong! You’ve got the wrong person!”

“Didn’t you just say your name was Lishi?”

Keith, squatting next to her, laughed and asked casually.
I answered for him.

“She’s Lishi. I’d never forget that voice.”

Lishi screamed like a wild animal.

“Aahhh! No! This is a trap! She’s lying! That b*tch is always stirring up drama! That Florence—!”

Keith grabbed her by the head—cloth bag and all—and lifted her effortlessly like a ball.
Lishi instantly shut up.

“This is Dagreb.”
“….”
“Don’t bother pretending. Like I said—if you screw this up, it won’t just be you who dies. Your family, too.”
“You’re mistaken—”

Keith ripped off the cloth sack in one motion.
Lishi gasped like a fish out of water—face soaked in sweat, spit, and tears.
She stared at Keith, then Enoch, then me—with hate in her eyes.

“It’s her! She’s lying! I didn’t do anything!”

She sobbed like a helpless victim.
A weak maid against a noble daughter—it was easy to assume who was stronger.

But I’d never once held power over her.
Because behind Lishi… stood Grace.

People always said I bullied her.
Sure—I hit her first. But only after being pushed, humiliated, and provoked.

It always happened in front of others, on stage.
I’d snap, and she’d play the helpless maid.
She was good at it. She’d cry. People believed her.

“What exactly am I lying about?”
“Whatever lies you’ve told—the truth will come out! Lord Haynes, please believe me! I’m just a poor, weak woman! What could I possibly have done?!”
“You? Weak? Don’t make me laugh.”

“See?! See how she talks to me?! She’s always hated me because Lady Grace treated me like a sister! If Lady Grace knew what you said—she’d be furious!”

“Grace doesn’t know anything. We’re in Dagreb.”

For a moment, I felt pleased—finally, I had the upper hand.
But then I remembered the sobs of the man from last night… and fell silent.

Lishi took it as fear and started begging again.

“Please, Lord Haynes, let me go!”

She cried rivers of tears, pathetic and loud.
But Enoch just looked down at her like she was dirt.

Without even asking why Keith brought her here, Enoch motioned for him to continue.

That was kind of funny.
Enoch always scolded Keith for being reckless, but when it came down to it, he never questioned him.

“Please, at least tell Lady Grace—”

Keith sighed and lifted Lishi’s chin with his finger.

“Tell me who ordered you to kill Dagreb’s doctor.”
“…I-I… I don’t know…”
“I’m his son. I know you killed him with another man.”

“If you’re not trying to test my patience, you better talk.”

His cold voice was sharp like a blade.
And even though he gave her a chance—
Keith was not soft-hearted.

Lishi killed his father on someone’s orders.
Probably Grace’s… but we couldn’t be sure.

And we still didn’t know why.

But torture? That was a different level.
Keith wouldn’t do it out of hate.

That’s when Laila stepped in, cheerfully:

“If it’s torture you need, I do know a specialist.”

Keith, Enoch, and I turned to her.
She turned, smiling, and looked at her shadow.

“Florence, you know exactly how skilled she is.”

Then—just like it had been waiting—
a hand slipped out of the shadow.