Chapter 4

This man clearly does not think that Bertha knows nothing. He does not think she is ignorant. If she were ignorant, she would still be working in the village as usual. As soon as Bertha learned of her sister's death, she fled the village and worked tirelessly to enroll in the Platlev Academy in the capital. It is natural to assume that she took action because she knew something about her sister. That is why she is now restrained without any questions.

Vilier may speak gently, but the fact that he has tied her to a chair means it's already too late. It can be called a typical noble's intimidation tactic.

As evidence, his conversation never takes the form of a question, even when he asks. Her responses mean nothing to him.

Vilier secretly abducted Bertha on her way home from the academy.

After changing carriages several times, Bertha was brought to Vilier's secondary residence in the capital, a place used by provincial nobles. Bertha, who knew the assets of her revenge target, knew where she was. But she couldn't escape on her own from there.

Even so, she had no intention of going along with this man's wishes.

Bertha, who did not pity herself, was determined to show him what she was made of.

When Bertha maintained her silence, Vilier dramatically shrugged his shoulders. The gesture was irritating.

"Right, Bertha, you left the village with a letter from her, didn't you? Carrying so much paper is quite unusual. It's also difficult to leave it at your boarding house. If I help, I can set up a room in this mansion. Then you won't have to worry about where to put the letters."

Bertha, who was on the verge of hatred, noticed that the tone of the conversation had suddenly changed.

Even if it was a sophistry to make Bertha nod, it was a rather poor argument.

Why did the topic of letters come up here?

When Bertha left the village, she took all her wealth and her sister's letters. The letters from her sister were like a certificate proving her connection to her sister. If her identity was questioned at the earl's residence, she planned to show the bundle of letters. Although it turned out to be useless, they were her sister's legacy. Bertha had carried them with her wherever she went. They were now stored in her room at the boarding house.

Suddenly, her head, which had been heated with hatred, disgust, and anger, cooled down as if doused with water.

The word "letters" spoken by Vilier cleared her thoughts.

Why did Vilier abduct Bertha now, after all this time?

Her sister's suspicious death was three years ago. At that time, he probably thought that a 12-year-old girl, who was also a commoner, could do nothing. He never imagined that such a girl would enroll in an academy where the second prince was studying.

But after all, Bertha was just a commoner. Even if they were in the same academy, the difference in status made it impossible for them to speak to each other. They were people who should not have any interaction.

A little investigation would have revealed her connection with the prince, but that would have made abducting Bertha a bad move. If the second prince became suspicious and investigated, the earl would not get off easily.

In other words, the earl did not know that Bertha had any connection with the second prince. He was offering to help her, even though he knew she would not agree.

Bertha thought he might be trying to find out what she knew, but that also felt off.

Her brain, which had been heated by the presence of her revenge target, began to process the inconsistencies. Bertha, who had crammed knowledge for three years and achieved the third-best grades at Platlev Academy, was not stupid. Once she calmed down, she could identify the suspicious points and draw conclusions.

So, she realized it.

A thought suddenly struck her, and her lips curved into a smile. The pain from the wound on her lip, caused by biting it, did not stop her smile from spreading.

Vilier, who had been talking about the benefits Bertha would gain from his help, stopped speaking when he noticed her smile.

He, who had been speaking faster and faster, was now expressionless, in stark contrast to Bertha's smile. This fact confirmed Bertha's suspicions.

He is anxious. He is anxious.

Three years. Why did Vilier, who could have secretly disposed of Bertha at any time, abduct her now, after three years?

Ah—her sister had managed to get back at him!

Three years ago, Bertha was a negligible existence to Vilier.

He did not care what Bertha was doing or where she was. He might not have even recognized her existence. To Vilier, Bertha was just a nobody.

But now, only Bertha remains. She is the only one who might possess what he desires.

Yes, Bertha might be the only one who knows the formula for the drug her sister developed.

Why did the earl, Vilier, take an interest in her sister in the first place?

The cause of the trouble her sister was involved in was a weed that grew everywhere.

Her sister, through her own research, realized that a weed thought to be just a weed could become a "drug" when mixed. However, this was a fact already known to some people. It was not a new discovery.

But not as a "painkiller" that her sister developed—rather, as a "drug."

It had a euphoric effect and was highly addictive. Despite its bitterness, it was highly addictive and had quietly spread among the nobility. The drug, which was made from a weed that hindered the growth of wheat, was used as a drug by the earl's family for generations. The small-flowered weed, which had been used as a drug by the earl's family for generations, could be either a poison or a medicine, depending on the amount. The balance could tip either way depending on the mixture. The formula her sister used to make a painkiller was safe and effective as a medicine. Furthermore, she had developed a method to remove the bitterness so that even a child like Bertha could take it.

She had developed a method to remove the bitterness.

Yes, if the same formula could be used for the drug, it could be administered without the bitterness being noticed.

A drug that could not be used extensively due to its bitterness could now be used to turn people into addicts without them noticing.

Vilier realized this and took her sister.

To create a drug that no one would notice and to use it for his own purposes.

The Backline family had been making money for years by producing and selling the drug. They used it to maintain their advantage when necessary.

In their fertile land, where everything grew abundantly, the weed that served as the raw material for the drug also thrived. The method of making the drug and the raw material were known only to the Backline family, so no one questioned the weed growing freely. The weed itself was not toxic, but when mixed, it became addictive.

At first, her sister thought she was improving a painkiller, but she soon realized she was developing a drug. When she realized she was being used to kill people, she tried to escape, but by then, she was surrounded and it was difficult to get out of the laboratory.

She was not allowed to ask for help from the outside, as the content of the letters she was allowed to send to her sister was checked.

So, her sister had to do it alone.

Instead of becoming a murderer, she chose to end everything with her life.

She escaped the laboratory when the guard was not paying attention, ran through the rain, and was beaten to death by the pursuing servant and thrown into the river.

On that day, Bertha heard the earl scolding the servant who had killed her sister. The servant, who had killed her sister and fled, was caught by the earl that day. That is why Bertha, who had traveled for three days, learned the true nature of the earl.

"Why did you kill her? Why didn't you capture her alive—she still had value. There was still room for improvement in that drug, and she could have been kept under control. There were many ways to control her, even using the drug itself."

Bertha heard those angry words.

Those words, that voice—still nest in the depths of Bertha's stomach.

Her hatred for those who drove her sister to death burned fiercely within her.