The black mist in the room seemed to avoid Maggie as if it were afraid of something, which immediately reminded Maggie of the effect her blood had on the ice mermaid.
Although the reason is unknown, she does have a way to control Tartarus.
The moment Maggie stepped inside, she knew that Ed was being entangled with Tartarus, but she couldn't be bothered with it. However, now she had no choice but to intervene, since this unlucky and useless older brother still had some value.
A flash of white light appeared in the room, and Maggie, without changing her expression, cut her palm, the bright red blood instantly soaking through her lace gloves.
Maggie didn't even bother to move, so she simply took off her gloves and threw them at Ed.
In a short while, the black aura surrounding Ed fled from him like mice seeing a cat, scattering and disappearing completely from the room.
Only Maggie and Ed remained, staring at each other. Ed was still in the same position as before, clutching his throat in fear, displaying his extreme cowardice.
Maggie thought her acting was pretty good, but compared to people who were truly afraid of death, she was still terrible.
It still doesn't look quite right.
"Okay, you can speak now."
Maggie crossed her arms, temporarily abandoning her pretense. Her brother was so innocent that there was no point in her continuing to be wary.
Anyway...
Now that this person has come to Santa Fe City, there's no way we can let him go back.
"Little sister, you....."
Ed's eyes held a mixture of surprise and delight as he stared at Maggie, who looked as if she had discovered a new world.
"Stop, get to the point."
Maggie interrupted his seemingly surprised or nostalgic remarks without hesitation. First, she was too lazy to deal with this 'brother' who was completely unfamiliar with her and didn't even have a good relationship with the original owner. Second, her time was very precious, and if she could, she would even like to extract what was in his mind right now and leave.
Although the temple did possess similar mental magic applicable to interrogating prisoners, Maggie was, after all, a decent person, and she refrained from doing anything so evil.
He simply looked at Ed with a calm gaze, signaling him to get to the point.
Seemingly unaccustomed to Maggie's rapid change in attitude, Ed's expression froze on his face. After a long while, he awkwardly withdrew his hand and obediently sat back in his original seat.
“I have the Duke’s ledgers on selling the potion of the bitter rose, as well as some of his secrets and evidence of his cooperation with those mercenary groups that capture slaves.”
After he sat down, his eyes dimmed considerably. Although there was still expectation in his eyes when he looked at Maggie, it was no longer like before. Instead, it was tinged with embarrassment and timidity.
I don't know if I was frightened by Maggie's changed attitude, or for some other reason.
Maggie didn't care; she just looked thoughtful after listening to Ed's words.
Did the Duke, who was so cautious, destroy all the evidence but still leave behind the original evidence?
That's true, otherwise things will become more complicated if partners default on their debts later.
If Ed is using this to try and defect to her, protecting him wouldn't be a bad idea.
After all, they did accomplish something, but the key point is...
If the eldest son survives, the Duchess will be happy, won't she?
Maggie lowered her eyes. The thought flashed through her mind for only a moment before she suppressed it. Now was not the time to consider such sentimental matters.
Even if the Duke is dealt with in the future, the question of whether the eldest son should stay or leave will have to be reconsidered.
"Where is it?"
Maggie's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable sense of pressure.
“Not in the Duke’s mansion. My father once built a mansion in Clay Hill, where many secrets are hidden. Account books and other things are also in there, including some... incriminating evidence.”
Ed said the last sentence with great difficulty, as if there was something he himself found hard to accept.
Maggie's mind subconsciously flashed to the basement where the Pope hid, and the innocent saints who had died there.
She curled her lips into a mocking smile.
Sure enough, when people are bad to a certain extent, the things they do are not much different.
"I see."
Maggie casually uttered four words, then stood up decisively, straightened her slightly wrinkled skirt, and turned to walk outside.
At the same time, Perkin, who had been hiding in the shadows, transformed into human form and appeared before Maggie.
He would appear immediately whenever she needed him.
"Keep an eye on him and don't let him leave Santa Fe City."
Maggie simply uttered a few words, not even glancing back at Ed's expression, and walked past Perkin, preparing to leave.
Suddenly, Ed's somewhat hoarse voice came from behind.
"How is my sister?"
His question, tinged with a hint of probing and caution, seemed genuinely that of a brother concerned for his younger sister's safety.
Maggie had her back to him, but she didn't even stop walking or answer his pointless question. When the original owner was so helpless, he was too cowardly and afraid to disobey the Duke's orders.
Of course, this is understandable; a wise person wouldn't say he was wrong, but such feigned concern genuinely made her uncomfortable.
It's rather ironic to ask her this question now.
Belated concern is always disgusting.
Besides, it's a pity that she wasn't the original owner of this body, so she wouldn't feel sad about it; she would just find it hilarious.
Maggie's figure disappeared from Ed's sight, and the room door slammed shut, leaving only Perkin and Ed in the dining room.
Perkin lifted his droopy eyelids, revealing a pair of snake-like eyes that resembled a cold-blooded and ruthless beast. Ed couldn't help but shiver at the sight; the coldness was bone-chilling, making people afraid to approach.
"Hey bro, how are you?"
He asked this tentatively.
Even if Ed was timid, he was still someone who had worked for the Duke, so he knew that he was being monitored. However, with Maggie's protection, he felt more at ease than he would have been in the Duke's mansion. After Maggie left, he even relaxed a lot.
Aside from Perkin being a bit scary.
"..."
Perkin is the type of person who won't even bother talking to people he doesn't like. He was already annoyed that he was assigned to monitor Maggie and couldn't continue protecting her, so he naturally didn't give Ed a friendly look.
The next second, he transformed into a shadow and swiftly leaped in front of Ed.
In the blink of an eye, he transformed back into human form, nearly causing Ed's heart to stop beating.
A living person suddenly disappears and then reappears right next to your face, like an assassin; who wouldn't be scared?
Perkin ignored his expression, reached out and took the glove that Maggie had just lost, then vanished from the room as if he had left.
But Ed knew he was definitely still there.
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