"May I have your name?"
"Julia."
"Age?"
"36 years old."
"How many years have you worked here?"
"It has been 13 years since Mrs. Berolika married into this family."
"I see. I remember you. It's amazing that you served Berolika so diligently for so many years."
"I dare not accept such praise."
"I'm going to ask you a few questions now. Can you swear you'll answer them truthfully?"
"I swear I will never lie to Lord Bahod."
"Even if it's testimony that's detrimental to your master?"
"My only true master is Lord Bahod."
"Very good."
The question and answer session between the two was very smooth, and no one had a chance to interrupt.
As expected of a maid who has worked here for 13 years, she showed no fear even when facing Marquis Bahod face to face, displaying an attitude of being upright and fearless.
"Did you know about Lilica's murder?"
"I've heard about it, but I don't know the specifics."
"Who do you think is most likely the murderer?"
"Excuse my bluntness, but as a servant, I cannot make any irresponsible speculations."
"Ah, this is indeed a difficult question for you. Let me rephrase it: Do you think your mistress, Lady Berolika, could be the murderer?"
"Everyone in this mansion could be the murderer, including Mrs. Berolika."
"Then who do you think had the motive to kill Mrs. Lilika?"
"I have never had the thought of killing anyone, so I cannot speculate on the motives for killing from another person's perspective. I am sorry, I cannot answer."
That's impressive. She must have known why she was summoned, yet she remained calm and composed, offering the most objective answers to the Marquis Bahod's leading questions. I suspect she herself wasn't sure whether Madam Berolika was a prisoner or not, and therefore tried her best to avoid making any careless remarks.
Even without explicitly confirming it, it's clear that Madam Berolika breathed a long sigh of relief, as if she had escaped death.
Marquis Bahod smiled with satisfaction, not because he was pleased that Berolika might be exonerated, but because he was pleased with Julia's style of doing things.
"I like you very much and have decided to reward you with 100 gold coins as a reward for your hard work over the years."
"Thank you so much."
She remained calm and composed even when suddenly offered a reward of 100 gold coins, without feigning modesty in refusing. He was truly a rare talent for the nobility.
"Then I'll ask you one last question..."
Julia seemed to understand; all the previous questions and answers were merely a prelude to this moment. She straightened up and slowly opened her eyes to face Marquis Bahod's sharp gaze.
"Did Berolika herself make any malicious remarks about Lilica?"
"I did say that."
"Without hesitation."
"Because it's true."
"Do you remember what kind of speech it was?"
"I don't quite remember the exact date, but I did hear Mrs. Berolika mutter to herself that it would be nice if Lilica and her son had disappeared."
This was probably the answer the Marquis of Bahod wanted. No, perhaps he simply couldn't find conclusive evidence that Madame Berolika was the culprit, so he had to settle for asking if Madame Berolika had any premonitions of murder.
Of course, saying something in a fit of anger doesn't necessarily mean you'll do it. It's perfectly normal for most people to want someone to disappear when they really dislike them, but that's usually just a thought, and most people, except for a very few, won't actually do it.
Just like Mrs. Berolika, Mrs. Teresa and my mother Lucia must have hoped that someone would disappear, and that person could very well be Mrs. Lilica, given the circumstances.
Therefore, this alone is not enough to conclude that Madame Berolika was the culprit.
"No! I didn't say that!"
However, in her eagerness to clear her name, Mrs. Berolika lost her composure, even resorting to lies to deny that she had ever said such a thing. She didn't realize that this would only arouse more suspicion.
In this situation, it no longer matters whether they are servants or nobles; anyone with a modicum of sense knows who is lying.
"That's enough, Berolika."
"Lord Bahod! Please believe me!"
"I said that's enough!"
Like the roar of a lion, the enraged Marquis Bahod slapped Lady Berolika to the ground, the sound of which made everyone present understand once again what "fear" truly meant.
I was wrong; I was still looking at the problem with too much of a modern mindset.
That's right, there's absolutely no need for overwhelming evidence. Ultimately, even if the instigator really was Mrs. Berolika, she couldn't have left any evidence. There were no recorders or surveillance cameras, and in modern criminal law that emphasizes "presumption of innocence," it's impossible to convict someone based solely on personal testimony.
However, those modern rules did not apply to the Marquis of Bahod; he only needed to act on his intuition, and whoever he ultimately deemed the culprit was the culprit.
After this round of conversation, everyone present, except for Mrs. Berolika, should have their own answer—the possibility that Mrs. Berolika is the culprit is greater than 50%. Even if they are not certain, this idea will be engraved in everyone's mind due to the superposition of doubts.
"Do you know why I'm angry? It seems I need to reiterate, because you all seem to have misunderstood the situation. Everything in this house belongs to me! The food, clothes, and utensils you eat and use, the servants you order around, are all just things I lent to you! Minor squabbles are one thing, but carelessly damaging my things, let alone killing someone! Who do you think you are?! How dare you ride roughshod over me!"
These words were not only spoken to Mrs Berolika, but also clearly to others present.
There was no reason for it; it was simply because he was the head of the family.
"Bellolika, go back to your hometown. You are not allowed to set foot in Robelli again."
The sudden verdict is a delicate outcome that leaves one unable to judge whether it is cruel or not.
I originally thought that the Marquis of Bahod would not let the murderer off easily, but he only let Lady Berolika leave the house. It was too lenient for the Marquis of Bahod. Did he still care about the status of husband and wife?
No, perhaps it was cruel enough for Madame Berolika. In effect, she had been divorced by Berolika. In aristocratic society, this was a fatal blow; even if she returned to her hometown, her position there would inevitably be extremely hostile, and she would likely never be able to return to the life of a powerful aristocratic lady she once was.
"How could this be... I really didn't do it... I didn't do anything..."
Mrs. Berolika's tearful accusations failed to move anyone; most people probably thought she deserved it.
"Mother..."
Aisha looked helplessly at her mother, seemingly also confused about what to do next.
"Aisha will stay here. Don't worry, I will take responsibility for raising her and eventually find her a good family."
Marquis Bahod even pronounced Aisha's fate. Anyone could tell that Aosha's only remaining value was as the daughter of a marquis, to be married off to another noble family in exchange for the family's interests, and that the mother and daughter would likely never see each other again.
In Anglus Family, the fall from heaven to hell can happen in an instant. In just one day, two mothers and daughters fell into the abyss of despair.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the trial had ended, and their expressions relaxed a bit, but I was thinking about other things.
Was it really Mrs. Berolika who instructed the maid to kill Mrs. Lilica? As for the motive, Mrs. Teresa and my mother Lucia, who were present, both had one. They both saw Lilica and her daughter as strong rivals for the heirship, and it was not impossible for them to do something outrageous out of excessive jealousy. I have seen many similar plots on TV.
The reason I think this is because I can see that Madame Teresa smiled, and my mother Lucia smiled too. Their faces weren't smiling, but their eyes were; I could see that. They must have been the happiest people of the day, because suddenly, overnight, they had two fewer competitors. If this was all a scheme orchestrated by one of them, then no matter how great the risk, it was worth it.
No...
Wait...
At that moment, I suddenly noticed that there was another person whose eyes were smiling.
If...
If all of this was just a performance orchestrated by that man himself...
Even if it wasn't something he orchestrated himself, but rather everything was part of his plan...
I'm not a famous detective, and I can't deduce the truth of the whole case based on clues; I can only guess.
I know this speculation is absurd, and no one would believe it even if I said it.
but...
My heart tells me...
It's not surprising that the man did something like that.
I clenched my fists, once again feeling the coldness and darkness in of this world. In my past life, despite having seen various animes and known about darkness of human nature, I could have never imagined something like this family.
Knowing and seeing are completely two different feelings.
Compared to anime, it's a colder feeling, as if a venemous snake is cooling around my neck, ready to bite me at any time. There is no warmth of family or love, only pure utilisation as a tool.
Growing up in this environment, it's no wonder that Robert turned out to be a villain.
What can he become if not a villain?
Do you expect him to be a hero?
Fortunately, I have lived in the modern society and my moral values are very firm and I have that system from the author which has made me continue to hold on.
[ Name: Robert von Anglus (???)
Species: Human(???)
Level: 1
Age: 8
Strength: 12
Stamina: 14
Intelligence: 20
Agility: 14
Magic Power: 12
(Note - Avg. value of an adult human is 10 )
Skills: None
Magic: Low Fire Lighting spell, Low level Fire Ball, Low level Fire Smoke ]
If not for being able to see the increase in my strength, my belief may have had crumbled.