The emotion that crept onto the Dean’s face was fear.
His expression gradually contorted, and eventually, he turned pale.
Soon, he tightly shut his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“We’ll need to summon the heads of the Medderland houses. We have to find a way somehow.”
The Dean, his head bowed, looked especially exhausted.
Then his gaze turned back to me.
“Mayhen, go straight home. Don’t speak a word of this incident to anyone, and absolutely don’t let it spread elsewhere.”
“Yes, I understand…”
My heart felt more uneasy than ever.
It was as if I had already been swept up into a massive storm.
Even on the way out with the Dean toward the carriage, I could hear the voices of terrified people.
“Are they saying that the assassin from the rumors was one of Medderland’s twin beastkin?”
“What kind of lunatic beastkin would dare do something like that?!”
“I heard the wolves of Hamilton are so brutal they kill children and adults alike without mercy… If you want to survive, you have to get out of Medderland right now…!”
Their words flew like arrows and pierced my heart.
What on earth had I done?
I never wanted innocent people to die because of me.
Even on the way back to the estate in the carriage, the faces of the people outside the window were all dark.
They trembled, consumed by fear.
When I arrived at the estate, heavy-hearted, the staff inside were also in a state of unrest.
Only the maid Beriel welcomed me with a calm demeanor.
“You’re back, Lady May?”
“Where are Mother and Father?”
“They were urgently summoned to the house leaders’ meeting. It seems to be because of the wolves of Hamilton…”
If I had known things would turn out like this, I should have explained it to my parents myself.
The fact that I hesitated because they already seemed troubled may have caused even greater confusion.
Beriel, seeing my darkened expression, spoke kindly as if to comfort me.
“Don’t worry too much, Lady May. Even though Medderland is a smaller nation compared to Hamilton, we have excellent problem-solvers—like your mother and father.”
Her words didn’t really sink in.
But I couldn’t ignore Beriel’s concern and kindness.
“You’re right, Beriel. I’m just a bit tired, so I’m going to rest in my room. If my parents come back later, could you let me know right away?”
“Of course! As soon as they return, I’ll run straight to you!”
Just as I was about to turn away, Beriel carefully stopped me.
“Um… if I may…”
“Yes?”
“Shall I bring you some chamomile tea? You look so worn out…”
I didn’t feel like putting anything in my mouth.
But in this situation, chamomile tea might actually help calm my mind and body.
“Thank you for thinking of that. You really are the best, Beriel.”
“It’s my job to serve you, my lady.”
Back in my room, I drank the chamomile tea Beriel brought me.
And then, I slowly mulled over the thoughts rising in my mind.
“By now, the fact that I’m the assassin from the rumors must have been revealed in the meeting. I wonder how Mom and Dad must feel.”
I had some idea of what might be said.
The heads of Medderland’s houses wouldn’t send people to war over a single issue, no matter what.
The resentment directed at me was all too clear.
“Why is everything so awful? Mayhen…”
Sighs kept escaping me.
***
It was late into the night, and I couldn’t easily fall asleep.
Then, I heard footsteps, and Beriel, looking surprised, suddenly opened the door.
“Lady May, your parents and little sister have arrived!”
It seems the meeting had gone on longer than expected.
Maybe, on their way, my parents had stopped by Cherrybell’s workshop and brought her along.
I went out of my room to greet them.
As I descended the stairs, my heart grew heavier.
“How should I look at my family?”
The expressions of the family I faced were even darker than I had expected.
When Cherrybell saw me, she furrowed her brow and asked sternly.
“What the hell happened, sis? What’s this about trying to assassinate the Emperor of Hamilton, and why is it you, of all people, who’s the assassin?”
“That is…”
I wasn’t sure where to begin or if they would even believe me, no matter what I explained.
Anxiety and fear gnawed at my heart.
At that moment, Mom gently hugged me and spoke kindly.
“May, we’ll believe whatever you say, so don’t worry. Just tell us.”
Dad also hugged me tightly to reassure me.
“That’s right, my dear. Our family has the best problem-solvers in Medderland. With us all together, there’s nothing we can’t solve.”
Even Cherrybell, who had been staring at me with a dissatisfied expression, casually spoke.
“That’s right. You have to tell us what happened that day so that we can come up with a plan accordingly.”
As I felt the warmth of their bodies, the caring voices, and those concerned eyes, my anxiety seemed to melt away like magic.
What had I been so worried about?
I have a family that’s here for me.
Tears welled up, but now wasn’t the time to waste crying.
I quickly steadied myself.
“There was no problem until I met the client. Then, I poured the sleeping powder that Cherrybell gave me into the client’s drink, but it didn’t take long before the client found out.”
As I spoke, the tension from that moment resurfaced, and it became hard to breathe.
Noticing this, Mom gently rubbed my back.
“And then?”
“The problem is… the powder I thought was sleeping powder turned out to be an elephant aphrodisiac. The client, who was already suspicious of my identity, became furious, and after that…”
I couldn’t continue.
Saying that I had slept with a stranger to my family was something I couldn’t bring myself to do.
The heavy silence was broken by Cherrybell.
“That doesn’t make sense! I definitely gave you sleeping powder. I’m not stupid enough to make such a basic mistake!”
Her words were sharp, but they made sense.
Cherrybell was always meticulous and thorough in everything she did.
Furthermore, since she had personally made the potion, she wouldn’t have been careless with it.
“I also clearly saw the bottle labeled ‘sleeping powder’ when you handed it to me. But when I later tried to explain to the client, I found traces of a label being added on top of it…! I don’t know who did this…”
Cherrybell frowned at my words.
She crossed her arms and began pacing, lost in thought.
After a moment, she spoke up.
From Cherrybell’s lips came a quiet whisper.
“Actually, there’s one thing that’s been bothering me…”
“What is it?”
When Dad asked her, Cherrybell bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke.
“There was a recent order from outside requesting the creation of an elephant aphrodisiac. So I made it according to the client’s wishes, and it was ready to be sent off. But then, a few days ago, the potion I had prepared disappeared. I just thought it was a petty thief, but…”
She looked at me with a guilty expression.
It seemed like she felt responsible for what had happened.
Dad, looking at Cherrybell, placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
“You shouldn’t think that way, Cherrybell. Someone must have set a trap for us. Given the size of this situation, it’s likely one of the families who are trying to keep us in check.”
Our family, the Slimela house, was a prestigious one that had been passed down through generations.
Since there was no king in Medderland, when important matters arose, the heads of twelve houses would gather to decide the issue by majority vote.
However, they didn’t use their power recklessly and tended to remain in the background, focusing only on their own duties.
That was why this situation didn’t make sense to me.
“Who would do such a thing? What have we done wrong?”
“You don’t have to commit a crime to have someone turn a blade against you. But right now, that’s not the important thing, my dear.”
“There’s something more important than catching the culprit who did this?”
At that moment, Mom, who had been silent and listening to the conversation, sighed deeply.
“The results of the house meeting are out. And they’re not as good as we’d hoped.”
The look on Mom’s face was more serious than I had ever seen.
I swallowed hard, sensing something was terribly wrong.
“What did the heads of the houses of Medderland say?”