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“What?”
“What do you mean…?”
Did he just say he won’t postpone the wedding but move it forward?
I’m already panicking because there are less than two months left, and now he wants to cut it down to just one month? What is he thinking? Did all the advice I gave him just go in one ear and out the other?
“You mean to say you’ll be holding the wedding with Angelica within a month? Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“……”
The firmness in his tone left no doubt—he was serious. But why would Rayel suddenly move the wedding forward by an entire month? Could it really be because of Lady Fijet’s death?
Even after dropping such a shocking statement on us, Rayel’s face remained calm. That composed smile of his was infuriating, and I glared at him slightly as I spoke.
“And the reason? Is it because of the recent deaths of young ladies who were on bad terms with Angelica? Now that even Lady Fijet has died…”
“That plays a part. But the real reason lies elsewhere.”
“So there’s another decisive reason for moving up the wedding?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, picked up the teacup he had set down, and stared into it briefly before finishing the rest with a faint smile.
It seemed he liked the peppermint tea—he emptied it in one go. The chamberlain by his side immediately refilled his cup.
Rayel watched the freshly poured tea for a moment before speaking again.
“What does the Grand Duchess think about these events? About the deaths of Lady Fijet and the others before her?”
“…I don’t think they were mere accidents.”
“Why not?”
“The timing is too convenient. When rumors about Your Majesty and Angelica first began to spread, Baron Tiven’s daughter died. Not long after, the death of Count Eil’s daughter was reported. That’s when baseless rumors about Angelica began to spread.”
When Baron Tiven’s daughter died, no one paid much attention. But when Count Eil’s daughter followed soon after, people began gossiping, tying their deaths to Angelica.
“This isn’t something that could happen unless someone deliberately made it so. The target is too obvious. Now that even Lady Fijet has died… the malicious rumors about Angelica will spread like wildfire.”
Whoever it was, they were bold. Any noble who frequented society gatherings would have known that those three young ladies were not on good terms with Angelica.
To go so far as to disguise their murders as accidents just to frame her… was it someone who bore a deep grudge against Angelica? Or perhaps someone envious of her relationship with Rayel?
Either way, it couldn’t be dismissed as simple jealousy.
“You’re right. This can’t be brushed off as mere accidents. As you might have guessed, the deaths of the three young ladies were no accidents. They were murders disguised as accidents.”
“I knew it…”
“……”
So they weren’t accidents. All of them were murders—real crimes carried out by a single hand.
But the earlier two deaths, and now even Lady Fijet’s—murder made to look like accidents? How?
All I had heard about Lady Fijet was that she died in a carriage accident, which made it even more suspicious. Just how did she die?
“What was Lady Fijet’s cause of death? I only heard it was a carriage accident, but if Your Majesty calls it murder, then you must have reason.”
Lucius asked the same question that was on my mind. Rayel paused, his hand hovering over the cup, then answered.
“…The carriage overturned. But there was also a fire, which left the body badly damaged.”
“……!”
“What…! So not only was the carriage overturned, but it was also set on fire?”
“Yes. And in the most vicious way.”
He received a document from a waiting attendant and handed it to Lucius, gesturing for me to read it with him.
“According to the guards investigating the scene, a wooden stake was jammed into the carriage door.”
“A wooden stake? Don’t tell me…”
“To keep her trapped inside after the carriage overturned. And then they set it on fire.”
“That’s horrific…”
I skimmed through the document. It contained a concise but detailed description of the scene.
[Report on the investigation of Lady Fijet’s carriage overturn and fire incident.]
[A wooden stake was unnaturally wedged into the door, and the overturned state of the carriage indicates foul play. Traces of fire revealed dried straw and matches left behind. No other tools were found, so they are presumed to be the arson implements.]
[In conclusion, this was a crime staged as an accident. The perpetrator has not yet been identified. We will continue to search for evidence as quickly as possible.]
It was short and to the point, but heavy with meaning. An unnatural scene. Evidence of arson. Dried straw and matches.
That alone was enough to confirm that someone had orchestrated this heinous act.
Murder disguised as an accident… but who?
Whoever it was, they weren’t just reckless—they were meticulous. To destroy the body with fire… perhaps they had a personal grudge against Lady Fijet. Or maybe their hatred for her was deeper than for the others.
In any case, this was serious. This couldn’t be ignored.
“The report says no decisive evidence was found, but were there no fingerprints on the straw or matches?”
Lucius frowned deeply as he asked. His sharp gaze locked on Rayel.
Rayel nodded.
“Nothing. Not even the faintest print. Likely gloves were used. It was all carefully planned.”
“Then it was premeditated. But how did you determine that the earlier two deaths were connected to Lady Fijet’s?”
“The intervals weren’t long, and all three had strong connections. More importantly… the same items were found at the scenes.”
“The same items?”
“The dried straw and matches.”
“What? So Baron Tiven’s daughter and Count Eil’s daughter’s scenes also had straw and matches?”
All three sites had them? But the causes were different. Baron Tiven’s daughter fell from a cliff. Count Eil’s daughter was trampled by a horse. Neither involved fire.
If those items were there, then… could it be…
I reread the report: ‘Dried straw and matches were found nearby.’ It never said they were burned.
A chilling thought hit me.
“If those items were at all three scenes… then the original plan must have been to kill each of them in fires, just like Lady Fijet.”
“Correct. Well deduced.”
Rayel smiled, interlacing his fingers over his knee.
“Lady Fijet’s case prompted me to order reinvestigations into the earlier accidents. That’s when we found something interesting. At the cliff where Baron Tiven’s daughter fell, dried straw and matches were placed at the edge.”
“Then Count Eil’s daughter too…?”
“Yes. On reinvestigation, it was revealed she hadn’t just wandered past the stables—she had business there. And near the horse that killed her, the same straw and matches were found.”
“So, except for Lady Fijet, the original plans failed, but in the end, all three were still killed. That means the culprit succeeded.”
“Indeed.”
Rayel unclasped his hands. At that moment, Rose leapt onto his lap from the floor. He frowned, startled, but the child settled comfortably on his knee as if nothing had happened.
With a sigh, Rayel patted her back. Rose’s lips curled in a small victorious smile, as though she had won.
Watching them softened my expression despite myself. No, this wasn’t the time—things were too grave.
I picked up my teacup to wet my throat. The peppermint tea was half gone but already cold. Seeing my disappointed look, Rayel gestured to the chamberlain.
“Bring the Grand Duchess a fresh cup.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The chamberlain hurried over with the teapot. I inclined my head in thanks to Rayel and accepted the freshly poured tea.
The cool, refreshing aroma filled my senses, clearing my head. I breathed it in deeply before sipping. It felt as though the tightness in my chest had eased.
While I savored the warmth, Lucius—who had been watching me with gentle eyes—turned back to Rayel.
“So we know these deaths were caused by someone bearing a deep grudge. And that Your Majesty believes their true target is Count Werner’s daughter.”
“Mm.”
“But then why not postpone or cancel the wedding? If the culprit acted to prevent Your Majesty and Angelica’s marriage, then bringing the ceremony forward seems dangerous.”
“He’s right. Whoever did this clearly doesn’t want Your Majesty and Angelica to wed. That’s why they went this far to obstruct it. If you move the wedding forward, it could provoke them even more.”
The murderer had already killed three women to frame Angelica. If the wedding went ahead—not just unimpeded but earlier than planned—what would they do next?
Surely Rayel, with his sharp mind, had considered this? He wasn’t someone who overlooked such things.
As my doubts grew, Rayel met our eyes and smiled faintly.
“Well. Perhaps… that’s exactly what the culprit wants.”
