“I’m Director Arnold.”
The office was lavishly decorated. Every glance revealed ornaments that looked expensive at a glance.
At the center of the room, seated in a chair more extravagant than anything else, a man in his mid-forties smiled brightly.
“You are Lady Julia’s guardian?”
“......”
“What brings you here so suddenly without any prior notice?”
“......”
“Um...”
“......”
But that smile didn’t last long. Director Arnold kept wiping away the cold sweat trickling down his face.
“Excuse me, but why are you holding that?”
The reason was the person sitting before him—Ceres.
No matter what he asked, she only remained silent while staring at him. Her gaze weighed heavily on him.
Above all...
Arnold forced an awkward smile as he looked at the bowl of soup in her hand. He knew exactly what that soup was.
“So it won’t be taken.”
“...Pardon?”
“It’s evidence.”
“...Evidence?”
Director Arnold’s expression stiffened further. His throat went dry.
Could it be that she had noticed something?
No, that can’t be!
He forced his gaze away from the soup and tried to push down the rising anxiety.
After steadying his trembling eyes, he placed a bright, practiced smile back on his lips.
“As you may know, our facility limits outside visitors as much as possible for the sake of our patients’ mental stability.”
“Why?”
“...Huh?”
“Why restrict it?”
“L-Like I just said, it’s for the patients’ stability...”
“Are you saying my sister becomes unstable when she sees me?”
“N-No, that’s not it...”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s not exactly a problem...”
As Arnold kept wiping away his cold sweat and scrambled for excuses, he found himself deeply confused by his own behavior.
Why am I this flustered?
He had dealt with countless guardians before. Some were nobles, others were wealthy merchants.
Yet, why was it that he felt so intimidated by a young lady like her? He couldn’t understand at all.
How is she speaking so casually like it was completely natural?
He had heard she came from a baron’s family, but it was a title in name only. A noble house barely holding on, struggling just to survive...
Then what is that presence?
The girl before him carried herself with such authority that, if anyone claimed she was royalty, he would’ve believed it.
The way she spoke down to him felt very natural. Even her smallest movements held the unique composure of someone born to privilege.
“I looked over the bill carefully.”
“...Pardon? Ah, yes.”
Lost in thought, Director Arnold snapped back to his senses at the sound of Ceres’s voice.
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Of course. Ask anything.”
Only then did Ceres set the bowl of soup she had been holding onto the table.
“What exactly is Julia’s condition?”
“Well, as her guardian, you likely know this already. We haven’t been able to determine an exact diagnosis. Her strength is gradually declining, and the frequency of her collapsing is increasing with each passing day. She also remains awake for only short periods.”
“I saw that Elfia leaves were used. What is the reason?”
“...Huh? Elfia leaves? That would be because her fever was severe...”
“And Delia root you used alongside it?”
“Th-That was to replenish her energy since it had dropped significantly...”
“Are you unaware of the side effects of Delia root? You gave a heat-inducing herb to a child whose fever you were trying to reduce with Elfia leaves?”
“Y-Yes...?”
“And the Bros fruit?”
“B-Bros fruit? Th-That was to stop bleeding because the child was injured...”
“I also saw Elcho leaves were used. One is highly effective at stopping bleeding, while the other accelerates blood circulation. You’re well aware of that, aren’t you? What do you think happens when those two are used together?”
What is this woman?
Cold sweat ran down Arnold’s back. Even he didn’t fully understand the effects of those herbs, how did she know them so precisely?
After that, Ceres’s questions continued, yet Director Arnold failed to give a proper answer once.
“...I see.”
At the sudden exclamation from Ceres, Arnold flinched and looked at her in confusion.
“It’s been a while since someone made me this curious about their teacher.”
“...Huh?”
“Tell me, what kind of fool trained you? Who did you learn from?”
“Th-That is a bit too harsh—”
“I mean this.”
Arnold’s face flushed as he raised his voice, but he couldn’t finish his sentence. Ceres picked up the soup she had set down moments earlier.
“I’m genuinely curious.”
“W-What do you mean?”
The director’s gaze followed the soup. His eyes wavered.
Without looking away from him for a second, Ceres continued slowly.
“I’m wondering which b*stard told you to put poison in this.”
“...W-What?”
“Or perhaps why you tried to poison my sister.”
“—!”
Does she really know?
Director Arnold’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. His eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Only after a long moment did he manage to stammer out his words.
“W-What are you talking about?! P-P-Poison?!”
“...How clumsy.”
“...Huh?”
“You’re making it far too obvious.”
“Y-You misunderstand! There’s absolutely no reason for us to use poison!”
“That’s exactly my point. Why would you use poison on a mere seven-year-old child?”
“That’s not true! There was no poison in it!”
“Is that so?”
As he shook his head vehemently, Ceres extended the bowl she was holding toward him.
“Then eat it.”
“...Huh?”
“I said, eat.”
“...Hmph.”
Arnold flinched for a moment, but quickly composed himself and snorted.
“Do you think I can’t eat it? I’ll eat it just fine.”
As if to prove his innocence, Arnold snatched the bowl from Ceres and brought the spoon to his mouth without hesitation.
However, that confidence didn’t last long. As soon as he heard Ceres’s next words, his face froze.
“Ah, did you know? When the poison in that soup enters a man’s body, the effect changes.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“If it enters a woman’s body, her strength gradually fades, her sleep lengthens, and eventually, she never wakes up again. But for men...”
“...For men?”
Arnold swallowed his saliva unconsciously. The corner of Ceres’s lips curled upward.
“Even a small amount turns into a lethal toxin. In other words, an instant death.”
“—!”
“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to eat?”
“Th-That’s a lie!”
Arnold’s hand trembled around the spoon. His gaze, fixed on the soup, wavered just as much.
That was never part of the deal!
As she said, something had been mixed into the soup. The symptoms matched. It was meant to slowly drain strength and wear the body down. But he had never heard anything about instant death.
He was told that small amounts over time would strain the body, like it did to her sister. Once or twice, though, shouldn’t cause any real harm.
That was why he had confidently picked up the spoon when told to eat.
But instant death? The effect changes in a man’s body?
“It’s a lie! The substance doesn’t have that effect...!”
Arnold shouted without thinking, then flinched and quickly shut his mouth. Only then did he realize his mistake.
Tsk.
Watching him nervously gauge her reaction, Ceres clicked her tongue inwardly.
Is he an idiot?
He seems to be more brainless than expected.
I barely nudged him, and he gave himself away.
How can he be this sloppy?
“Whether I’m lying or not, if nothing was added to the food, then it shouldn’t matter, right?”
“That’s...”
“Eat.”
shake, shake.
“I said, eat.”
shake, shake, shake.
“Should I shove it into your mouth myself?”
shake shake shake shake!
At some point, Arnold already thew the spoon far away and was now clamping both hands over his mouth.
Watching him with clear disdain, Ceres spoke again.
“There’s one more thing I’m curious about.”
Her gaze shifted to the hands he was using to cover his mouth.
“What is your relationship with my Aunt Agne?”
“—!”
Arnold’s complexion turned pale again.