Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 87

Cecilia had speculated that this bottle might be a poison like Palmasca—but that assumption was incorrect. This was not something that harmed everyone.

To have specifically placed an item that only harms a certain target deep within Caroline’s room suggests…

‘So the target isn’t Ulysses, but Caroline?’

Caroline had previously been framed in the sachet incident. If she were found with an item detrimental to House Rosencrantz, her reputation would be utterly ruined.

‘But if someone truly wished for Caroline’s reputation to suffer, they would’ve placed it somewhere easily visible to the maids.’

What was this then…

A feeling of ‘it would be nice if it works, but oh well if it doesn’t’?

As if reusing an item that was too good to discard after missing its original target…

‘Was Louise Cléon really that kind of person?’

Carrying out a plan with the attitude of ‘whoever gets caught, gets caught’—be it Caroline or Ulysses?

‘The common ground between the two is lacking.’

At first glance, while there appears to be a connection through their engagement, they, as individuals from Lasphilla and Rosencrantz, share very little intersection of interests.

If Louise targeted Caroline, then it could be speculated that she was aligned with House Rosencrantz. If Caroline comes under additional suspicion, it could overturn any accusations against Guinevere.

Conversely, if she targeted Ulysses, then she would be someone from Lasphilla’s side.

But if she targeted both…

‘What is it?’

No answer came forth. It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered such a vexing problem.

This was the first headache since the sachet incident…

“…!”

Cecilia, without realizing it, slammed her fist onto the desk.

The sachet.

The people involved weren’t just one or two. She had utilized everyone’s desires to extract maximum efficiency.

She couldn’t be the only one in the world capable of devising such a plan.

‘One must look at the painting from a distance. Look at the entirety of it.’

Consider the first scenario. When Caroline safely arrived at Ulysses’s room.

Ulysses would have fallen victim to Poena’s Tears, and Caroline would bear all the blame. If she then accuses Louise at that moment.

‘If I were Louise then, what would I respond?’

Firstly…

“I had no idea this was such an item.”

She would deflect like that.

And then…

“This is why one shouldn’t casually accept a gypsy’s item.”

Yes, that’s how it would go.

Gypsies do indeed often swindle ordinary people.

The problem is that there was a real gypsy woman in Lasphilla.

“…”

The second case. When Poena’s Tears is found in Caroline’s room.

An item of a gypsy that could harm people.

Found in Caroline’s room. Caroline accuses Louise, and Louise would respond as previously mentioned.

In this case, she would add that she returned the item to its ‘original owner’.

Ulysses is excluded, but the conclusion remains the same.

Then the final target Louise Cléon aimed through Ulysses and Caroline would be.

‘Mother.’

Lilith Dust. The count’s mistress.

* * *

Cecilia shuddered at the truth she had suddenly grasped.

‘Louise Cléon is targeting my mother.’

Why?

No, more importantly.

Since when…?

She had been a tutor in the Lasphilia household for quite a long time, even before Adam remarried Bernarda.

‘Did Mother ever look down on Louise Cléon or treat her badly?’

It’s possible, considering she could be harsh and prickly with the servants.

‘…No. Mother knew Louise Cléon was Caroline’s tutor. She wouldn’t have treated her like just any other maid out of fear of being brought to the spotlight.’

Then, could Louise Cléon have had a personal vendetta against Lilith from before she came to the Coffret Manor?

‘Mother wasn’t a gypsy for long.’

Lilith left home at the age of 12 and learned to dance. Then, years after that, she returned pregnant and stayed home for six more years before she left again.

‘A total of 18 years…’

Could an enmity with Louise have developed during that time?

‘I need to find out.’

And one more thing.

‘The medicinal scent from this drug…’

Poena’s Tears is essentially odorless and colorless. Something must have been mixed into it.

Cecilia didn’t have enough pharmacological knowledge to deduce the identity of the mixed substances alone.

Fortunately, she knew one expert in pharmacology.

‘Gilbert Holt.’