Miriam nodded quickly.
Then she lowered her voice slightly.
"My lady... are you planning to speak about Lord Lucien?"
"Of course."
Elysia’s expression remained calm.
She already knew the Duke’s private courtyard was guarded heavily day and night.
Without an official access sigil, absolutely no one could enter.
And within Draevenor Manor, there was only one person who possessed that sigil.
Melissa.
Which meant—
Without Melissa’s permission, Lucien never could have entered the Duke’s chambers last night at all.
At that moment, Miriam suddenly remembered something.
"My lady, there’s also this."
She reached into her sleeve and carefully withdrew a yellow jade pendant.
Elysia turned toward her.
"What is it?"
"Lord Lucien dropped it last night."
Miriam handed the pendant over respectfully.
"He fled in such panic that he didn’t even notice. I found it beside the garden wall afterward."
Elysia lowered her eyes toward the pendant resting in her palm.
Then slowly—
A faint smile curved at the corners of her lips.
"Very good."
After dressing properly, Elysia brought Miriam, Clara, and two older attendants with her toward Rose Hall.
Meanwhile, over on Melissa’s side—
She had only just finished washing and dressing.
A yawn still lingered between her lips when a maid hurried into the room anxiously.
"Lady Melissa—the Duchess of Draevenor has arrived."
Melissa immediately raised her brows.
"Well, well."
A sneer slowly spread across her face.
"It seems Lucien turned out more capable than I expected."
Last night, she heard Lucien returned pale-faced and terrified.
At first, she assumed he failed.
But now?
Clearly, things must have gone smoothly after all.
Otherwise, why would Elysia deliberately come so early this morning?
Melissa gave a cold laugh.
"So she intentionally waited until today to come see me?"
"Good."
Her expression turned increasingly smug.
"Let’s see how I deal with her."
After finishing preparations, Melissa seated herself upright within the main hall.
Her face remained cold.
Her eyes locked firmly toward the doorway.
In her mind, she already rehearsed the entire exchange.
The moment Elysia entered and obediently greeted her as Aunt Melissa—
She would immediately respond:
"So you still remember I’m your aunt?"
Then she would continue scolding her harshly.
"You ignored your elders yesterday and failed to pay your respects. Do you even understand proper manners?"
The sound of approaching footsteps gradually echoed outside.
Closer.
Closer still.
Unexpectedly, Melissa suddenly felt nervous.
Even her palms grew damp slightly.
Then finally—
A pale green figure stepped gracefully through the doorway.
Elysia entered slowly beneath the morning light.
She wore a flowing green dress with a silver shawl draped lightly across her shoulders.
Her long dark hair fell smoothly behind her back.
Her complexion appeared calm and flawless.
At seventeen years old, Elysia stood at the peak of youthful beauty.
She looked almost unreal.
Like a delicate painting stepping directly out from silk parchment.
Melissa stared blankly for a brief moment.
Before she could even react—
Elysia spoke first.
"Lady Melissa"
Her voice rang cool and clear through the hall.
"Do you know what mistake you’ve committed?"
Melissa froze instantly.
All the carefully rehearsed words in her mind vanished completely.
For several seconds, she simply stared in disbelief.
Then anger exploded upward immediately afterward.
"You..."
Her voice rose sharply.
"You’re merely a little girl, and yet you dare question me like this?"
Facing Elysia’s calm and detached gaze, Melissa felt inexplicably pressured.
That only worsened her anger further.
"You’ve barely married into this family and already you’re acting so arrogant!"
Her expression twisted bitterly.
"Once you gain proper footing inside Draevenor Manor, I suppose you’ll throw the entire Asheford family out next!"
But Elysia showed no anger whatsoever.
She merely asked evenly:
"Last night, did you give Lucien Asheford your access sigil?"
Melissa did not think carefully about the question at all.
Instead, she snorted coldly.
"So what if I did? I manage this estate. I can hand my sigil to whomever I please."
Then suspicion entered her gaze.
"What? Are you trying to seize control of the household already on your second day here?"
Elysia calmly met her eyes.
"So that means Lucien entered the Duke’s chambers under your authorization."
Melissa frowned impatiently.
"Obviously."
Then Elysia continued softly:
"In that case... Lucien attempted to assassinate the Duke under your instruction."
Melissa’s eyes widened violently.
For a moment, she thought she misheard.
"What?"
It took several seconds before the meaning fully registered.
Then fury exploded from her chest.
"How dare you!"
She slammed her hand heavily against the table.
"You want power, so now you’re inventing crimes against me?"
Without another word, Elysia withdrew the yellow pendant from her sleeve and tossed it lightly onto the table before Melissa.
"Do you recognize this?"
Melissa’s personal maid quickly picked it up and handed it over.
Melissa glanced at it carelessly.
"A pendant."
Her expression remained dismissive.
"The craftsmanship isn’t bad."
Then she sneered.
"What now? When threats don’t work, you plan to bribe me instead?"
Elysia suddenly laughed softly.
"Lady Melissa."
Her tone carried unmistakable mockery.
"The sun has already risen high. Are you still half asleep?"
Melissa’s expression darkened immediately.
"You—"
"Look more carefully."
Elysia interrupted calmly.
"This pendant belongs to Lucien."
Melissa paused.
This time, she examined the pendant properly.
The more she looked—
The more familiar it became.
Her fingers abruptly stiffened.
Quickly, she turned the pendant over.
And there—
Carved clearly into the back—
Was a single character.
Lucien.
The blood drained instantly from Melissa’s face.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
"Why..."
She looked up sharply.
"Why is this in your possession?"
Elysia’s expression remained composed.
"Last night, Lucien used your access sigil to enter the Duke’s chambers. He intended to harm His Grace..."
"Fortunately, I discovered him in time and stopped him."
Her voice stayed perfectly calm.
"In his panic while fleeing, he dropped this pendant behind. Miriam picked it up afterward."
The moment those words fell—
It felt as though thunder exploded directly inside Melissa’s mind.
No wonder Lucien returned looking terrified last night.
No wonder he appeared like someone who had seen a ghost.
The moment the matter involved Duke Cassiel himself—
All of Melissa’s confidence collapsed entirely.
Her face turned deathly pale.
"No..."
She shook her head instinctively.
"Th-that isn’t possible... Lucien wouldn’t do such a thing."
Then suddenly, she remembered what Lucien told her before leaving.
He said he merely planned to visit Elysia. Not assassinate Cassiel.
But Elysia ignored the explanation completely.
Instead, her voice turned colder.
"The guards personally witnessed Lucien entering the Duke’s courtyard..."
"Miriam spoke with him directly outside the chambers..."
"And now this pendant—his pendant—has been recovered as evidence."
Elysia looked directly into Melissa’s eyes.
"We have witnesses. We have evidence. The facts are already clear."
Then slowly—her voice lowered slightly.
"Lady Melissa... You have no room left to deny it."