“I understand, Lady Minoga.” As an assassin and a maid, she knew better than most how to clean a scene, remove bloodstains, eliminate odors from the air, and make it look as if nothing had happened.

“Alright, let’s leave the cleaning to the professionals.” Minoga patted Liana’s shoulder. “Princess Liana, shall we have a little chat?”

Liana looked at Countess Rose’s motionless body sitting in the chair and felt reflective.

The timeline had been advanced by two years. Liana hadn’t expected Countess Rose to meet such a miserable end so abruptly.

This differed greatly from the original story, and such an event happening now wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

But because some of her actions had accelerated this event, she had no choice but to continue moving forward.

Liana sighed. There was no helping it. If she hadn’t acted now, she might never have had another opportunity.

“Princess Liana? Princess Liana!” Minoga called Liana’s name.

Liana snapped back from her daze. “Hmm? I’m here. What is it?”

“Princess Liana!” Minoga reached out and pinched Liana’s cheek. “We never left, we didn’t even move a step. Where else would Princess Liana be if not here?”

“I apologize.”

“This is the first time Princess Liana has seen someone die in front of her, right? It’s normal to find it difficult to accept,” Minoga comforted her.

“Mmm...” This was indeed Liana’s first time witnessing such a scene. She could feel her heart beating rapidly.

Liana knew clearly that it was her decision that had led to this outcome, but she would make the same choice no matter how many times she had to. She wasn’t stupid—if Countess Rose hadn’t died today, Liana herself might have been the one to die later.

“Huff.” Liana took a deep breath. “I’m feeling much better now. What did you want to tell me?”

“It’s certainly not something to discuss here,” Minoga said. “Besides, Princess Liana must be very cold by now.”

Minoga grasped Liana’s cold hands and then placed them on Liana’s cheeks.

“Eek!” Liana let out an adorable cry.

“Minoga!” Who’s the child here!

“Alright, Princess Liana.” Warmth flowed from Minoga’s hands, making Liana’s hands less cold.

“Um, Princess Liana, Lady Minoga, is there anything else I can do?” Sibyl asked somewhat awkwardly from the side.

“Nothing else, thank you.”

Sibyl’s mission had been successfully completed. Although Minoga was a Judge, Judges wouldn’t necessarily understand forbidden drugs as well as professional priests. Having Sibyl explain was more convincing, and she hadn’t revealed that Liana could use magic.

Indeed, conversing with intelligent people was effortless. No need for prior explanations—they understood your meaning.

“Then I’ll take my leave first.”

“No rush,” Liana called out to Sibyl. “I know your time is valuable. I’ll provide appropriate compensation.”

“No need, no need. This was done for the Lisat Kingdom, and moreover, Princess Liana is Lady Ambis’s daughter. I certainly couldn’t charge you,” Sibyl said.

Most of what she did was out of gratitude.

“Then wouldn’t you like to see my mother’s revised books?” Liana asked.

“...” How could she not want to? Lady Ambis was the top priestess in the Lisat Kingdom, without equal.

Everyone wanted to read her compiled books. For anyone, this would be a tremendous improvement—an invaluable treasure, wisdom that would drive any priest crazy.

“Thank you for your kindness, Princess Liana, but that won’t be necessary. This is Lady Ambis’bwisdom. I can’t read it without permission. That would be disrespectful to Lady Ambis,” Sibyl said.

Liana hadn’t expected Sibyl to refuse. She was well aware of how attractive this would be to priests.

“My mother allowed me to enter her study, so naturally, she would also allow me to share the wisdom inside with others. Even if mother inquires later, I’ll explain it clearly to her. You needn’t worry about her blaming you,” Liana said.

“Then I’ll wait until Lady Ambis returns. If Lady Ambis didn’t give it to me before, it must be because I don’t yet qualify, that I haven’t learned enough,” Sibyl smiled. “Let’s wait together for Lady Ambis’ return, Princess Liana.”

“Alright.” Liana truly hadn’t expected Sibyl to refuse so decisively.

“Then I’ll take my leave, Princess Liana.”

“Yes, I won’t see you out.” After all, Minoga had been waiting for her for quite some time.

“Lady Ambis will surely return.”

“I know. I’ve been waiting for them to come back too,” Liana smiled.

“I shall take my leave then..”

Liana watched as Sibyl left.

“Where to now? My room? Mephilia’s room? Or my mother’s room?” Liana looked at Minoga and asked.

“Princess Mephilia’s room, I think. After all, it’s already afternoon, and it wouldn’t be good if Loraviel returned and found us. As for Lady Ambis’ room, it’s better not to enter casually,” Minoga said.

“Good.” Liana nodded.

Naturally, Liana had the key to Mephilia’s room. After all, she used to visit all the time when they were young.

They entered Mephilia’s room, and Liana immediately removed her coat and dove into the blankets. The weather outside had made Liana shiver with cold.

“Liana!” Mephilia’s voice immediately made Liana peek her head out from the blankets.

After locking the door, Minoga immediately established communication with Mephilia. She held a crystal ball in her hand, which projected Mephilia’s image.

“Good morning.”

“It’s almost evening! Liana, did the cold freeze your brain?” Mephilia looked at Liana with concern.

“Princess Liana really is susceptible to the cold,” Minoga placed the crystal ball on the bed.

“Usually during training, my body is quite warm, so I don’t feel that cold. Today I sat outside for so long—of course I’m cold!” Being outside for so long without magic’s protection, how could she not be cold!

[Create, Glass, Cup]

[Fire, Water, Merge]

“Drink some hot water to warm up.” Minoga produced a cup of hot water from her hand as if performing magic. “Or would you prefer I make you a cup of tea specifically?”

“No need.” Liana cupped the glass with both hands, feeling the warmth.

“Princess Liana, aren’t you going to drink? Although it’s created by magic, there’s nothing strange in it,” Minoga said.

“...I’m afraid of scalding.” Liana not only feared cold but also had a sensitive tongue that feared hot temperatures.

“Alright.” At least this helped Princess Liana somewhat.

“The spellcrafting that Princess Liana developed is truly convenient in many ways. Although these are just inconspicuous minor spells, they genuinely provide great convenience to others,” Minoga had witnessed Liana creating magic.

“That’s good.” Liana blew on the hot water and stuck out her tongue to taste it.

“So hot...” Then she quickly retracted her little tongue.

To Mephilia, this was too much—she couldn’t take it. How could Liana be so cute!

“Minoga, I also have a question for you,” Liana placed the cup on the table. Her body had warmed up considerably now.

“Whatever question you have, Princess Liana, feel free to ask. I’ll answer your doubts,” Minoga said.

“Didn’t you tell me before that when a High Executor sets up a barrier, even a Judge can’t completely hide their presence?” Liana asked. “Although her barrier might have been somewhat crude, it shouldn’t have been completely ineffective, right?”

“That’s correct. Judges aren’t powerful enough to remain undetected in barriers specifically set up by others. But being detected is another thing—that kind of maid just now could be killed with a casual wave of the hand,” Minoga said dismissively.

Liana had indeed seen how terrifying Minoga was. The maid from earlier had absolutely no chance to resist. It was truly as simple as squashing an ant.

“Then why weren’t you detected?” Liana asked.

“Well... that’s a secret. I can’t tell Princess Liana yet,” Minoga said mysteriously.

When Minoga said this, Liana knew that no matter how much she asked, she wouldn’t get an answer. Fortunately, the final result wasn’t bad. “You said earlier that you had something to tell me. What was it?”

“For that, let Princess Mephilia explain herself,” Minoga said.

Liana turned her gaze to the crystal ball, where she could see Mephilia’s worried eyes. “What’s wrong, Mephilia? I’m still perfectly fine, aren’t I?”

“Liana, you shouldn’t have interrupted just now,” Mephilia said with concern.

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“I know you wanted to direct suspicion towards Oester, but you didn’t need to pick up on what Minoga was saying. She could have said it herself—she has that qualification. Of course, I’m not saying you don’t have the right, but it’s too dangerous for you.

Even if you hadn’t spoken, based on the conditions Minoga mentioned earlier, the only suspect would have been Oester. What you said indeed deepened his suspicion, but at the same time, his hatred toward you has also deepened. I’m worried he might do something unpleasant to you.”

This was what Mephilia was concerned about. Countess Rose naturally couldn’t compare to Second Prince Oester. Dealing with Countess Rose—one Oliphia was enough. But with Second Prince Oester, it was less certain.

“I’m well aware that saying what I did would displease Second Prince Oester. Nobody’s a fool. What I said appeared to oppose Minoga, but in reality, everyone knows I was directly pointing out Second Prince Oester’s abnormal behavior.

But he’s now deeply mired in the challenge of proving his innocence. Let’s not even mention whether he has the leisure to deal with me at this point. If he’s really bold enough to move against me, it would only make his situation more unfavorable.

Moreover, even if I hadn’t said those things, would Second Prince Oester not harbor animosity toward me? Not only did I severely exploit him at the Lisat Royal Capital ceremony, but now I’ve also made him lose Countess Rose as a puppet and an Executor-level maid, exposing both the forbidden drug and forbidden magic. Even without this incident, he would still hate me.”

If Second Prince Oester truly intended to move against Liana at this time, whether or not Liana had said those words wouldn’t affect that decision.

“Rather than Second Prince Oester, I’m more worried that others might use this opportunity to move against me. At that time, everyone would certainly suspect Second Prince Oester first,” Liana said.

“I know.” Mephilia had naturally considered what Liana had said, but her concerns remained unresolved. “But this way, aren’t you in even more danger? Those who originally had grievances against you might take this opportunity to act against you. After all, no matter who it is, the first suspect would definitely be Second Prince Oester.”

“There’s nothing that can be done about that.” Liana shrugged. This was a risk that the royal family and nobles had to bear. This was the political power struggle, and the price was often your very life. “Don’t I still have Oliphia by my side? Although she’s a muscle idiot, in terms of combat, she should be quite effective, right?”

“As long as it’s not a Judge, there shouldn’t be too many problems. And even if a Judge wanted to act, they’d need a suitable reason, right?” Liana looked at Minoga.

Minoga nodded. Although Judges had the right to judge others, they had to report their actions to His Majesty the King. Otherwise, even as a Judge, they wouldn’t meet a good end.

When Judges passed judgment on others, it would be broadcast through magical tools to the King, as had happened today, or recorded for the King to review later.

If they could abuse their power and strength freely, the Lisat Kingdom would become as chaotic as the neighboring Luska Kingdom.

“That’s enough. Besides, if something like that really happens, I’ll just ‘die’ for them to see. That perfectly solves the problem, doesn’t it?” Liana smiled.

If someone really wanted her dead, why couldn’t she fake her own death? This way, not only would she avoid the troubles of nobility, but she could also quietly find a place to train properly, making up for the time she had wasted before.

“But isn’t that too dangerous?” Mephilia said with concern. She was truly afraid that Liana might encounter any mishap.

“Compared to the dangers that could occur at any moment, this is much better. If you’re really worried, Mephilia, just lend me Minoga for a while longer,” Liana said playfully.

“That’s true. After all, I’m very safe at Ibett Magic Academy,” Mephilia said.

The teachers at Ibett Magic Academy treated Mephilia like a treasure. Forget dangers—not even a mosquito could fly past them.

“But that’s not the important thing right now.” Liana wasn’t too concerned about her own safety. After all, this was the territory of Duke Venus, the territory of assassins.

If any outsider entered, someone would certainly discover them. Even if they infiltrated Venus Territory, her room was very safe, protected by the defensive barrier her mother had built. Of course, it couldn’t keep out abnormal people like Minoga.

“I know what you’re worried about, Liana.” This was also what Mephilia wanted to discuss. “Countess Rose is dead. Without a lord, Venus Territory will certainly fall into chaos.”

“Yes.” Liana nodded. Her parents had disappeared five years ago. During this time, Countess Rose had /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ been the acting lord. If nothing else, at least she had maintained appearances.

And today, Countess Rose had suddenly died. Without its leader, Venus Territory would certainly fall into chaos. Moreover, for so many years, she had been framing the duke’s daughter. Who knew what other strange things she might have done in secret?

As for the heirs, they were all relatively young, only around sixteen years old. (Due to some mysterious force, everyone’s age increased by 2, meaning Liana and the others are now 16.)1The author did a small retcon on their ages

Not to mention, among the three heirs, two were somewhat unreliable.

Although Liana had temporarily been cleared of suspicion, many people would certainly not accept it easily. As for Cain, Countess Rose’s son, no one would feel comfortable letting him inherit.

The only reliable one, Erinna, wasn’t a direct descendant of Venus, and had always been labeled an outsider, facing exclusion from some people.

It was likely that Venus Manor would be in great chaos for some time to come.

“This is also a kind of test for Erinna,” Liana said.

She herself certainly had no aspirations in this regard, and she understood clearly that Erinna was the most suitable candidate for Venus Manor.

“It seems you have a lot of faith in Erinna,” Mephilia said.

“Do you trust me?” Liana suddenly asked.

“Of course I trust Liana. Why do you ask that?” This triggered anxiety in Mephilia—it was her greatest fear.

“So, it’s quite normal for me to trust my sister, just as you trust me,” Liana said.

However, for Erinna, the timing was truly too early. In the original story, Erinna successfully inherited the position of Venus Duchess four years later. Now, the challenge for Erinna had increased exponentially.

She would see if there was any way to help her. After all, Erinna now had to both study at Ibett Magic Academy and handle matters concerning Venus Manor.

With Countess Rose’s downfall, the workload would likely double, and there would be many people eyeing the position who would launch attacks against Erinna.

It seemed like she had dug quite a deep hole for Erinna...

If she had the chance in the future, she would definitely apologize properly to Erinna.