Albert stood before the tree beside the well, his gaze fixed on the ground as if something beneath it still held him there.
Stella watched in silence, studying his expression without interrupting.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice low and distant.
"I'm sorry."
It did not sound like he was speaking to her.
Stella narrowed her eyes slightly, then said, "From what I've seen, even in a short time, you're not someone who would do all this without reason. So tell me… why did you kill them?"
Albert let out a faint, unsteady breath.
"We grew up together… Norman and I. It wasn't just friendship, we were like brothers. He always stood by me, always helped when I needed it." His voice tightened, "and what did I give him in return? I caused his death. As for her… I abandoned her. I ignored everything. I let her fall apart."
His words burned as they came out, tears streaming freely down his face.
So Norman died because of him… Stella thought, her expression unchanged.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the distance. Stella immediately realized Adam and the others must have noticed her absence.
She turned back, and froze.
Albert was holding a small bottle to his lips.
There was no need to think, it's poison.
Before she could react, he had already swallowed it. His body gave way almost instantly, dropping to his knees before collapsing forward.
Stella rushed toward him, trying to stop him from reaching the second bottle in his hand, but even in that state he pushed her away with surprising force.
"Stop! What are you doing?" she shouted.
He didn't answer, and simply raised the second bottle and drank it completely.
This time, his body failed entirely.
Stella caught him as he collapsed, but within a minute, blood began to spill from his mouth. The reaction was immediate and violent.
Even a small amount of arsenic could disrupt the body's systems, this amount left no chance at all.
"It's over… the poison has already spread," she muttered quietly, "what a waste… I still needed answers."
Albert's lips moved faintly, his voice barely holding together.
"Elva… Norman… I… I'm… sorry…"
"Your suspicion was right."
The voice came from behind.
Stella turned to find Adam standing beside them.
"I wish it wasn't," she replied quietly, her gaze lowering for a moment.
There had once been a trace of gratitude toward him, for helping her before, but now it had shifted into something colder.
It's pity.
No one would have expected such an end.
By the time she looked back, Albert was already gone.
Adam crouched slightly, noticing something beneath his coat.
"Look at this."
At first, Stella didn't react, but as he pointed, her attention sharpened. A badge hung from Albert's shirt, partially hidden.
A white orchid.
"He belongs to the Caden family."
Adam's expression darkened slightly. Stella noticed the shift immediately.
"I've heard of them before," she said carefully. "Are they really as powerful as people say?"
In truth, this was the first time she had heard the name. But pretending otherwise was necessary. If she claimed to be from the West and knew nothing of such a family, it would raise suspicion.
Adam answered without hesitation.
"They might be the richest among all noble families."
"So he's been working under them all this time."
She said it while gently closing Albert's eyes, her hand lingering as she searched his clothes for anything useful. There was nothing.
Adam ordered the men to take the body away for burial.
While they moved, Stella's attention drifted toward the tree. Something about the ground felt deliberate.
As she searched carefully, her foot struck against a rock partially hidden beneath grass.
She knelt.
There was writing.
"Elva Brown."
Not far from it, another stone of similar size lay half-buried. She brushed it clean.
"Norman."
The second name was written hastily, the lines uneven, lacking the care of the first.
Adam returned after confirming the area was clear, only to find Stella holding a small black book, reading intently.
"What's that?"
The sudden question startled her. She closed it quickly.
"It was lying around. I picked it up out of curiosity."
Adam studied her for a moment, then sighed.
"Take whatever you want. Our work here is done. We leave at dawn."
"Fine."
She slipped the book into her bag and followed him back to camp.
At dawn, they returned to the city.
Once inside the family estate, both headed straight to the library, where Liam was waiting.
He greeted them with a calm smile.
"Welcome back."
They explained everything that had happened in the village.
Liam rested his hand against his forehead, his tone tense.
"Then it's clear… the Caden family is trying to enter regular trade."
"Regular trade?" Stella repeated.
Adam answered, "Their business has always been weapons. There are even rumors they deal with major gangs and pirates, so powerful that even the western governor avoids confronting them."
Liam nodded.
"When Grandfather recovers, we'll decide how to respond."
Adam then asked, "What about the poisoning incident?"
Liam turned toward Stella.
"For that, we have to thank Miss Alina. She shared what she observed."
Before the trip, Stella had already reported her suspicions about Hannah and Jacob.
"So Hannah is responsible," Liam said.
"Not alone," Stella replied. "Jacob was helping her."
Adam clenched his jaw.
"They were right under our noses all this time…"
"I couldn't act sooner," Stella added calmly, "she was already suspicious of me. They escaped before I could confirm anything."
"Do you know who they worked for?"
"No. They left no trace."
A brief silence followed.
"Could all of them, Hannah, Jacob, and Albert,be connected?" Stella asked.
Liam answered, "It's possible. If the Caden family is targeting eastern trade, then we're their main obstacle."
After that, Stella excused herself and returned to her room.
Once alone, her thoughts shifted.
If all of this is connected… then that family is far more dangerous than it appears.
Turning crimes into coincidences…
She exhaled slowly.
" Still… that's not my priority."
Her attention moved elsewhere.
The book.
She took it out carefully.
"It's clean… not damaged. It must have fallen during his death… or maybe he left it intentionally."
As she read, realization slowly formed.
This wasn't just a book.
It was a diary.
"Elva Lynette…"
She paused.
"So she's the one buried there… Elva… and Norman…"
The names were familiar.
She didn't tell Adam about it. He wouldn't care, his focus had always been on the truth behind the village, nothing more.
But Stella knew, she had heard their names before.
That was when she was talking to Meryl and Helena one time.
Then they talked about Albert and the relationship he had with them for a long time, mentioned his sister who died after her marriage, and also mentioned Helena's father Norman.