Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 84
People don’t live and die without owning any personal belongings. Even a beggar leaves behind a piece of clothing or two.
So, if someone dies, it’s common to dispose of all the deceased’s belongings and organize their keepsakes, which first go to the spouse and direct ancestors.
Being officially unmarried, most of Lilith’s belongings ended up with Cecilia, but there was no wedding dress among them.
‘Did Father find it and secretly dispose of it?’
No, that couldn’t be. The head of the household wouldn’t personally clean the deceased’s room.
If the wedding dress box was there, the first to find it would surely be the maid cleaning the Garnet room.
And the person overseeing that maid wasâŠ
‘Bernarda Lasphilla.’
ââŠAh! Miss, why did you suddenly jump up! You scared me!”
Mary’s muttering didn’t even register. A buzzing noise filled Cecilia’s ears as if swarmed by flies.
“MissâŠ? Why do you look so scaryâŠ? Did my shouting upset you?”
“⊔
Cecilia didn’t know how Lilith died.
She passed away suddenly at a relatively young age of forty. Father said she died of illness.
‘Died of illness⊒
Convenient, isn’t it? If a person dies of illness, it’s considered natural. Regardless of what kind it was, it was an illness. The term ‘suspicious death’ just doesn’t sound right.
A sinister feeling crawled up from her feet like a snake. Cecilia clenched her fists. Her already pale hands turned whiter, like a blank sheet of paper.
“Ha⊔
She exhaled a long breath and slowly opened her hands. Her veins relaxed quickly. Her body, soaked in anger, gradually settled back down.
She had lost her composure for a moment.
Yet, there was nothing certain yet.
If Bernarda was involved in her biological mother’s death, there would be no need to burn that wedding dress.
If Bernarda had personally disposed of Evelyn’s wedding dress, it would imply that she was involved not only in Lilith’s death but also in Evelyn Lasphilla’s.
Unless there was guilt, she wouldn’t bother with such a troublesome act.
However, the causes of death for the two were distinctly different. Evelyn Lasphilla died during childbirth. The cause was preeclampsia.
Dying during childbirth and dying from an unknown illness can’t be seen in the same light.
Preeclampsia was a misfortune beyond Bernarda’s control.
‘Right⊠It still couldnât be certain.’
Cecilia steadied her racing heart and gathered her thoughts.
She despised Bernarda. It was possible her thoughts flowed in a direction that presupposed Bernarda’s culpability.
Deception and murder differ greatly in the severity of their crimes. Rash suspicion would only harm herself.
Calm down. See reality for what it is.Â
Think about what needs to be done next.Â
âWhat needs to be doneâŠâ
She had borrowed a dance dress from Lilith today, to continue lessons with Louise Cléon.
It wasnât out of a pure desire to improve her dance skills quickly that she had hastily borrowed the dress.
She needed to verify something from Louise.
âCarolineâs perfume bottle.â
A perfume bottle that contained no perfume.
It must have been given by Louise. What was her true intention?
Ulysses had already left, and Caroline no longer emitted that strange medicinal scent. Thus, one could deduce her use of Louiseâs item was aimed at Ulysses.
âItâs likely that Louiseâs target was also Ulysses.â
Ultimately, that item did not achieve its intended purpose. Carolineâs quaint scheme was exposed midway through by Cecilia herself, and thus, its outcome remained unseen by anyone.
âCaroline wouldnât keep an item that has become useless.â
She might have discarded it.
âŠBut was that really so?
âThe Caroline I know wouldnât have been able to just throw it awayâŠâ
She blindly trusted Louise. Would she carelessly discard something given by that woman?
âShe must have returned it to its owner.â
Louise Cléon would have retrieved the perfume bottle. Then, did she finally discard it this time?
If she really did aim for Ulysses from the beginningâŠ
Cecilia recalled how she had brought about Guinevere’s downfall. Not a drop of blood was on her hands.
She merely set the stage; everything was done by the hands of the people on the stage.
The perpetrator can also become a target, depending on the situation.
If Louise ClĂ©on had not aimed for Ulysses but Caroline, the plan hadnât failedâit just hadnât been executed yet.
If the target is still within reach, thereâs a possibility the plan could be executed again.
It wouldnât be something easily obtained, so it wouldnât have been disposed of lightly.
Nor would she be carrying it on her person.
Think about it. If Louise Cléon still possesses that bottle, where would she have hidden it?
ââŠâ
Cecilia pondered, rhythmically tapping the armrest at regular intervals.
Where would she have hidden the wedding dress?
In a room that no one enters.
Then, where would Louise have hidden the perfume bottle?
