At that time.

Messi, who was impatiently guarding the front of the basement, frowned.

Irene was still not back after quite some time.

“Should I go in and check it out?”

By now, there wouldn’t be much more to see inside.

I don’t know what she’s doing. Should I go in or not?

He opened the pocket watch that was hanging on his clothes. Ten minutes had already passed.

Messi, who checked the time, decided to go in without hesitation.

That was then.

“What are you doing here, Messi?”

Bassad was walking alone. Messi’s body stiffened in surprise as he shook his shoulders.

“Ha, ha ha. Bassad?”

The gigantic man was fiercely looking at him as if he was about to hit Messi at any moment.

I was followed.

Messi, who predicted what would soon happen to him, hurriedly raised his pheromones. 

Contrary to his bloated physique, Bassad was quite quick. Messi, who quickly blocked the arm coming right at his stomach, broke out in a cold sweat.

“We will be in trouble if you suddenly attack like this. Everyone will wake up at dawn.”

“Where did Miss Irene go?”

“……”

“You guys.”

Bassad’s expression hardened terribly when he saw the door on the wall behind Messi. 

“Don’t tell me that Miss Irene went inside.” 

“Haha… What are you doing still up this late? What brings you all the way over here?”

“Answer the question first.”

Messi sighed. After lightly pushing Bassad’s violent energy, he swept up his hair.

“What if the Miss went to the basement?”

“…Get out of the way.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t get in here. She told me to keep an eye on anyone who comes over.”

Messi had an awkward smile. If he confronts Bassad, something would certainly break. He had to be prepared to break at least one arm or a leg. 

Bassad raised his eyebrows as he looked at Messi who was blocking his front. 

“Don’t look at me like that. This side has its own instructions.” (Messi)

Actually, he was starting to get worried, so he was going to check it out. 

Bassad strongly raised his pheromones as if there was nothing more to hear. Messi’s cold sweat dripped down his back at the huge swirling energy.

“Hey, are you serious?”

“If you don’t want to deal with it, get out of the way.”

“Haha. Don’t make such a fuss about her wanting to look around the basement a little. I gave her a lantern so she wouldn’t fall over.”

“Do you think what you are talking about now makes sense? Look around the basement?”

Bassad, who was usually quiet about anything, reacted very violently. Messi felt something wasn’t adding up.

Could it be that someone was imprisoned there?

“No way…maybe…”

– I want to go to the basement and look around. Bassad blocked me last time, so I couldn’t go.

He remember the conversation they had during the day.

Irene suddenly said she wanted to go to the basement and asked him to take her. She even said that Bassad had blocked her, and asked him many times to take her there.

She even knew that the basement was a place where criminals were locked up.

– How did you find out about the basement?
– I found out by chance.
-……By chance?

He had a feeling of discomfort that weighed on his chest the whole time while they came here. Now he seemed to know what it was.

Messi turned white and hurriedly opened the door. Endless darkness stretched out below.

“How long has it been since the lady has been in there?”

“…it hasn’t been long. About fifteen minutes.” 

“It’s already time to check the inside.”

She had obviously promised that if she found someone she would immediately close her eyes and call him out loud.

But Miss Irene didn’t.

She wanted to go to the basement for a purpose from the beginning. 

Messi’s had trembled.

“Somehow it was strange that you suddenly wanted to change shifts with me out of the blue.”

Bassad pushed Messi, who was standing in the way, to the side.

“A guy who never changed shifts because you liked escorting Miss Irene during the day when you can play with her asked for a shift change.”

Not only that, he suddenly asked to take turns at dawn because he wanted to escort at that time. 

It was suspicious, so when Bassad went to Irene’s room, he didn’t feel any presence. So he came down to the basement and as expected, he found Messi. 

Bassad went into the basement and moved his steps.

There was no more time to delay here.

Messi grew whiter and paler. Given that she hadn’t called for him yet, he could only think she was talking to someone inside. 

As the two of them were about to enter the basement, a cold voice came from behind.

“I wondered who roamed around like a mouse at dawn.”

“…My Lord?”

It was Cade.

“I see, Irene is over there.” (Cade)

He sighed at the unfavorable situation. She seemed to be curious as she followed from behind last time, and she eventually ended up getting into trouble.

“Your mission would have been to protect Irene.” 

Cade’s red eyes turned to Messi.

“You didn’t think that Irene’s body was the only criterion in that category, did you?”

“…I’m sorry. It’s my mistake. I’ll take whatever punishment you impart.”

Cade, who was looking at Messi, turned his attention.

“You’d better give an explanation later, Messi.”

Cade passed them and went down to the basement.

 * * *

Ella seemed to want me to feel guilty and move away from this house. A subtle sense of triumph was spreading deeply in the gold eyes filled with jealousy.

At that moment, I realized why Ella was very obedient to telling me all the facts.

“Are you jealous of me?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“It’s true, right? Is it because I look happy here?”

“Shut up.”

Ella, who was smiling, flinched. Her expression became increasingly distorted.

If you think about it, it was a good motive. Why was Ella chosen as the right person for such a job? How could she possibly have a chance to usurp the family heir?

Had she been an outsider, it would not have even been attempted.

That being said, it could only mean that Ella was in the family, and just by looking at the similarities between the names of Estella and Ella, you could guess what kind of relationship they had.

I felt more at ease.

“You are the bad one.”

“I told you to shut up!”

“Everyone will be sad because of you.”

Ella howled and shouted.

“Do you think it won’t happen?! How would the way people look at you change if they found out? Will they still like you? What a fool!”

Of course, there must be people whose attitudes change when the facts are known. Now that I heard the story, my heart was very heavy. Maybe there will be people who will say that I should be sent back. 

But one thing had to be clear.

“I am also a victim.”

“……What?”

“The one who did a bad thing was not me, but you.”

“……”

“That’s why Daddy didn’t tell me.”

Even knowing all the circumstances, Cade’s attitude towards me did not change at all. Even though his emotions must have been confused. 

Because it’s not my fault.

Ella doesn’t seem to like the fact that I was born here and raised as a Lady from the family.

The order to change the successor’s eggs was something she had to risk her life for. That must have been a reflection of her position on the Clan.

An existence so small, to the extent that it doesn’t matter when it disappears. That’s why Ella looked at me with hateful eyes filled with envy and jealousy.

Because unlike her, I’m getting along very well.

“Don’t compare me to you.”

“……”

“I’m different from you. I’m Irene Astrophel.”

“……”

“And you are Ella.”

In fact, I was originally abandoned by my Clan, but here, I was recognized as Cade’s daughter.

And Ella, who has committed a sin, will pay her due punishment here.

“Right now, I’m living a really happy life.”

“Shut up, shut up!”

“If you keep yelling this scary, I’m going to tell my Daddy.”

I smiled and pointed to the floor.

“I’m going to ask Grandma to bury you, too!”

My voice echoed through the basement.

Ella with a dazed look closed her mouth. 

This time I won. As I looked down with my chest proudly stretched out with excitement, the basement door flipped open.

“……Gasp!”

“Seems like you are up to something.”

My eyes met with Cade, who was holding the doorknob and sternly looking at me.

I flinched back.

What should I do? I got caught. Where did Messi go? Did Cade kill him?

As I stealthily dodged his gaze, Cade spoke with a scary tone. 

“You know you did something wrong, right?”

“…I-I’m sorry…”

“What did you do wrong?”

“I-I sneaked in here…”

And… and also…

Thinking of what I did wrong, I began to tell the truth one after another. 

“Tricking Messi… and making you worry…”

“You know very well.”

I’m going to get in a lot of trouble. I tightly closed my eyes in an anxious mood, but surprisingly, Cade was very quiet.

Why are you so quiet?

“Therefore.”

“Huh?”

“Do you want to bury that?”

Cade pointed to Ella.

I had no idea what he meant by asking that. But one thing is for sure, I still haven’t gotten over my sour feelings for Ella.

So I nodded as hard as I could. 

“Yes. Bury please.”