I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 26

“If Jocelyn never taught it to anyone else, then at best, Edith and my family would be the only ones who would know this method.”

“Yes. Probably. But do you mind if I ask…… why you asked that?” Lizé asked, looking around the room with a frightened glance.

“It’s not a big deal. Now you can leave.”

In contrast to the icy glare he was giving me, his voice was gentle.

Lizé glanced in my direction, unsure if she had done something wrong.

But she could not disobey the Duke’s order to leave, so she bowed slightly and left the room.

“This is very strange, Edith.”

I sighed. I’ve been sighing a lot lately.

“A table is something that anyone can look at once and understand the concept of……! Ha…… no, never mind, I think you’ve concluded that I am the culprit anyway.”

“Say it.”

“I showed you a table that looked nothing like the one I usually draw, the handwriting was different from mine, and all it took was one word from Lizé and it was all for naught. I gave you one great testimony, and you don’t believe me……”

Honestly, I was disappointed.

I couldn’t quite remember how Lizé had framed Edith in the original story, but I thought the main character would have come up with a more plausible explanation or evidence.

‘I wonder if the evidence I brought to the table reduced the amount of probability I had.’

That…… left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I would get a lot of flack from readers if I wrote a novel with this kind of probability, but the story still pointed to Edith as the culprit.

In addition, the Duke said “Edith and my family.” I also have the surname Ludwig, and the Duke has been excluding me since the last time, to the point where I wonder if it’s intentional.

As I was getting my thoughts together, the Duke let out a long sigh and nodded.

“Yes, you have a point. It’s hard to be sure with testimony like that. In any case, I’m dropping this case. I’m also rescinding your probation.”

He admitted that I am not the culprit, but that doesn’t mean he believes I am innocent.

In the original, the episode didn’t end that way because it is clear that Edith is the culprit, but now I feel torn because I don’t know if this situation works for me or not.

“Okay, I’m going to go back to…… wait, what are you looking at?”

While I was distracted, Killian was reading my diary. I hurriedly snatched it away from him.

“What do you think you’re doing, reading someone else’s diary?”

“Did you write any information down that you don’t want anyone else to see?”

“Is there anyone who doesn’t want to show their diary because of certain information? It’s because it contains private life! You really have no intention of showing me any decency……!”

I stood up angrily and stormed out of the Duke’s office.

Killian followed and grabbed me. Not to apologize, of course.

“I can’t trust you,” he said.

“I know, you always have, and you always will!”

“Is it any wonder you’re under suspicion after all the things you’ve done in the Riegelhoff family? There’s been so much going on, so many things, that you can’t just bury it.”

“It has nothing to do with me.”

“It does. You’ve been helping your father’s schemes for quite some time now.”

“What the……!”

I was about to retort, but my mind began to flash back to the things Edith had done in the past.

Not only had she seduced men to extract information, but at her father’s behest, she had crashed parties of families favorable to the Ludwigs, and even created a scandal involving people from certain families getting married.

‘Why is that only now coming in!’

Thanks to that, I could only keep my mouth shut in front of Killian.

‘This possession…… seems to have too many flaws.’

I’m getting more and more anxious.

I thought I’d become the main character of a possessed villain novel, but the story doesn’t change no matter what I do.

When I remained silent, Killian sighed as if he’d given up on something and began to pull my arm.

“Let me walk you to your room.”

I sighed heavily and stumbled along with Killian.

When I got to my room, Lizé was waiting in front of the door.

“Lizé……?”

“Ah! Killian…… Edith……!”

She looked at me, her face full of concern.

“Are you okay? I was so worried that I might have said something wrong earlier……”

Killian patted her head as if to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Lizé, everything’s fine.”

“But…… why did Edith……”

I found myself staring at Killian’s hand stroking Lizé’s hair, then quickly came to my senses.

“I’ve been trying to find someone who I could teach about tables, and His Excellency the Duke was very interested in it.”

“Ah, I’m glad to hear that, I haven’t seen you at all lately and wondered what was wrong.”

“Oh, I just had a cold and was resting, but I’m all better now.”

Lizé smiled broadly.

Somehow her bright smile made me feel uncomfortable.

‘Lizé…… you really, really don’t know anything……?’

She said she couldn’t understand the concept of tables, much less be able to teach someone.

But she clearly understood everything I said that day. It’s not a difficult concept, and there’s no way she couldn’t understand it.

I shouldn’t be doing this, but I keep getting suspicious of the female lead.

Is it because of Killian, who left me behind and went straight to Lizé, or is it because this is Edith’s role?

“I’ll go inside, and you two can talk.”

I smiled brighter on purpose and went into my room, closing the door behind me.

I could hear Lizé say, “Eh, eh……” behind me, but I pretended not to hear her.

But I was right in front of the door, and I could hear everything outside.

“Killian. I think Edith is offended……”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

Killian sighed and paused for a moment before answering Lizé’s question.

“Edith was suspected of stealing internal documents……”

“What, you mean the documents from earlier?”

Killian paused for a moment and nodded.

Lizé shouted softly, “It can’t be!”

“I’d like to believe so, but……”

“Did they come up with any proof?”

“It’s a little vague.”

“Oh, my God……”

She sounded surprised. Her voice was soft, sad…… as if she would cry at any moment.

“It’s my fault.”

“You?”

“Sometimes, in the afternoons, I’d stop by the Duchess’ office to do some more work and leave the door open, and if someone were to take the documents, it would have been at that time.”

Eavesdropping, I frowned involuntarily.

‘Hold on. This is kind of weird……?’

Lizé said as if she was sure that the documents must have been taken from the office while she was away.

If you listen to it, you’ll think the kind-hearted Lizé is blaming herself, but if people who know what’s going on in the mansion hear it, they’ll suspect me.

The area near the Duchess’ office is always guarded by guards, and I’m the only one who can pass through there without being suspected.

“Well……”

Killian’s voice sounded tired.

“What should I do? What can I do to beg the Duke’s forgiveness?”

“You don’t have to, we’ve decided to bury the matter anyway, and it’s not like we know for sure that Edith stole it.”

“But who could possibly know where the Duchess put the documents in her office……”

Lizé trailed off, but it was clear who she wanted to frame now.

‘Lizé Sinclair, you accused me of……!’

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Just a moment ago, she said there was no way I would do that!

But contrary to what I’d thought, I found Lizé suspicious.

‘If there’s anyone who can get in and out of the Duchess’ room at will, who knows about the tables, who knows where those documents are, it’s Lizé!’

But this is just my own thoughts.

Killian, who only sees her in a favorable light, would be convinced by Lizé’s words that I was the culprit.

Any second now, he’d be screaming or banging on this door.

“Lizé. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

Huh? Why is his voice so calm?

“Killian?”

“Don’t dig up what’s done. Forget about it. Okay?”

Killian didn’t get angry, and he didn’t accuse me of being the culprit.

I was really surprised.

Even Lizé seemed surprised.

“Yeah…… okay, I’m sorry I upset you.”

“No. Let’s go back.”

He grabbed Lizé and left my room.

‘What the hell? He seemed to believe with an ironclad conviction that I was the culprit up until this point, so why didn’t he immediately jump on me?’

I stood glued to the door for a long time after they left.

I couldn’t understand Killian at all.