There lay a small, transparent orb. It was a magic video orb that could record and play back like a camera.

‘I had to prepare at least this much.’

The moment she received Professor J.B.’s invitation, Camilla had Rube install Recording Orbs all over the house.

Since she was going to be bait anyway, she had to secure ironclad proof.

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt this tense.”

Rube let out a small sigh and looked at his own hands. They were slick with sweat.

Before Camilla came here, she had told him one thing.

No matter what happens, do not step in until I call you.

So Rube had to stay hidden and simply watch everything in silence.

He had heard her entire plan, but when he saw Camilla swallow the drug and collapse, and the bastard reach for her throat, he’d nearly leapt out then and there.

“Good work.”

Honestly, if not for Rube, she wouldn’t have jumped into this.

She had started because she hated having a murderer hanging around nearby, but she had no desire whatsoever to risk her life to resolve it.

‘Which is why I needed a safety catch.’

A safety catch named Rube.

According to what she’d heard from Derrin, Rube’s martial ability was no joke either. He hadn’t been made Chief for nothing.

At any rate, with it all settled, Camilla offered Rube a light word of thanks for his help and headed to one spot.

Where she’d first seen the black box when she entered.

Click.

There were various items inside the box. There were hairpins, and she saw necklaces and bracelets.

‘And the Violet Earring.’

Camilla’s gaze returned to where Professor J.B. was. The women he had killed were all crying bitterly at him.

It was as if, now that the truth of how they had died had finally been revealed, the tears had burst out of them all at once.

‘What is this, Memories of Murder or something.’

Everything in this box had belonged to them.

After killing his victims, he had taken one of the items they’d been carrying and kept it aside like this.

‘Crazy bastard.’

Camilla once again concluded he was a psycho criminal completely beyond the bounds of comprehension.

“Take care of the aftermath.”

“Understood.”

She handed Rube the Recording Orbs and the keepsakes of the dead women.

Having thus entrusted the cleanup regarding Professor J.B. to Rube, Camilla finally let out a long breath of relief.

Chapter. Conclusion

“Did you hear?”

“About Professor J.B.?”

“Wow, I was so shocked I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“Me too, me too!”

“How on earth could a man like him be a murderer?”

“They say he killed seven.”

“Isn’t that insane?”

“Right? Oh, and did you hear about the Sorpel young lady?”

“I did!”

“They say she’s the one who exposed that Professor J.B. was a murderer.”

“She knew he was a murderer in advance, even laid a trap, and caught him!”

Not just the Academy—the entire Empire was in an uproar.

Everyone, without exception, reeled at the true face of Professor J.B., who had been nothing but the very image of kindness and goodness.

And the fact that the one who caught that murderer was Camilla Sorpel gave people another shock and a fresh wave of admiration.

“Isn’t she incredible? How did she even know?”

“They say her foresight worked again this time.”

“Did she actually receive a Divine Revelation?”

“They say even the Temple’s in an uproar.”

People wouldn’t stop chattering about the ability Camilla possessed.

Rumor had it they’d managed to catch the murderer thanks to her mysterious power.

“Um, Father...”

Camilla—the very person basking in the public eye, drawing praise and admiration.

“Father, his hand is coming down again.”

“Camilla Sorpel.”

“Ah—no, he didn’t bring it down!”

She was currently being punished.

‘Shit...’

They say you hate the sister-in-law who tries to stop the beating more than the mother-in-law who does the beating.

‘That damn fox!’

From now on, you’re the Fox brother-in-law.

‘Rube, too!’

Once everything ended, Rube went straight to Duke Sorpel and reported every single thing that had happened without leaving out a word.

‘I mean, you could have phrased the part about me being the bait a little more gently!’

A ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) man can have that much flexibility, can’t he? Did he really have to say every last thing exactly as it was?

“Father, his hand—”

“He raised it! He raised it, I said!”

That rotten bastard!

“And what are you so proud of that you’re shouting?”

‘Shit...’

Fine. Getting punished—whatever. But isn’t this a bit much?

‘I’m not a little kid!’

Standing at the wall with hands up? This was really too much.

“Father, I’m not a child. Maybe not the hands-up part...”

“Tsk.”

“Yes! I was wrong!”

Despite her quick apology, a long sigh escaped Duke Sorpel’s lips.

“What on earth were you thinking, doing something like that.”

He’d been beside himself after hearing Rube’s account.

He was shocked first at the fact that Camilla had mentioned Black Shadow, and then again when he heard she’d gotten entangled in a murder case.

‘A serial killer!’

And what? Bait?

When the news came that Camilla—she—had single-handedly captured and delivered the culprit, he was so stunned he couldn’t speak for a long while.

“Do you have any idea how frightened your father was!”

“Rube was there...”

“Tsk.”

“Yes! I was wrong!”

Camilla quickly ducked her head again.

The mood couldn’t even be compared to when she’d gone into Spirit Lake and brought out the Guardian’s Egg.

Not only Duke Sorpel, but even Ludville had been staring at her with fierce eyes from a moment ago.

‘What’s his problem now...’

She’d never seen him like this.

Even when he’d swung his sword at the original Camilla who had tried to kill him, Ludville hadn’t shown anger—he hadn’t shown any emotion at all.

But now, anyone could see he was angry.

‘He’s scarier.’

More than the duke, who was openly angry, Ludville’s quiet, simmering fury behind her got on her nerves more.

“You deserve more scolding. How dare you go there—do you have any sense at all? So that story about a murderer you told me last time wasn’t about a ‘friend,’ it was about you, wasn’t it? Right, I was a fool for believing you. Since when do you even have a friend.”

“Why are you like this! I do have friends!”

“Who? Name one.”

“...”

That hateful fox. Fanning the flames like this!

Watching Ravi further goad Duke Sorpel and Ludville’s anger, Camilla ground her teeth inwardly.

‘I swear, Ravi, one day I’ll smack the back of your head again...!’

Ssssk.

“Tch.”

Ravi suddenly stepped in close and touched Camilla’s neck.

“A girl walking around with bruises like this.”

Clicking his tongue over and over, Ravi cast magic. At once, the pain in her neck cooled.

He’d healed the bruises on her neck left by Professor J.B.

“What are you grinning about like you did well? Father, I don’t think she’s been scolded enough.”

...And such lovely words, too.

Still, with the pain gone from her neck, she could finally breathe.

The household had been turned upside down, and she hadn’t even been able to show she was hurting. If she had, she’d only have been scolded worse.

“Camilla.”

“Y—yes...”

Duke Sorpel approached her without relaxing his hardened face in the least.

Camilla put on the most pitiable expression she could to reduce the scolding.

“How about you go back to pulling hair like before?”

“Pardon?”

“That would be far better.”

...No matter how high my hair-pulling skill is, that’s a bit much.

“I’m sorry.”

At the sudden apology, Camilla’s eyes went round.

“You must not have trusted this father enough to tell me. So you keep trying to resolve everything alone, every time.”

“No!”

Camilla shook her head quickly.

“At the time, I had no proof at all, so I couldn’t tell you.”

“So you made yourself the bait.”

“It was a trap, yes, but I couldn’t let other women go through that.”

There had been a way to simply plant recording orbs and wait for someone else to suffer.

‘But that wasn’t it.’

Camilla unconsciously rubbed the neck that had bruised.

To leave evidence, she had to endure everything until the decisive moment was recorded...

‘Having other women do that is just...’

More than anyone, she knew how a thing like this stamped a horrific trauma on a victim.

She couldn’t stand by and watch someone else suffer just to capture proof.

No matter how thorough the safety measures, there’s always an “if.”

“Are you fine?”

“Pardon?”

But at her explanation, Duke Sorpel’s face only grew more rigid.

“So you’re saying you’re fine going through something like that.”

“That’s not what I—”

“Camilla.”

At the sight of his hand lifting, Camilla couldn’t help shrinking a little.

Tap.

“...”

His large hand smoothed over Camilla’s head.

“Even if you’re fine, this father is not.”

“Father...”

The hand that had stroked her hair patted her shoulder gently.

“Go and rest now.”

“Yes!”

Before he could say anything more, Camilla hurried to answer. Then she left without looking back.

Deliberately ignoring Ravi’s regretful look that said, ‘She needs more scolding!’

Thud.

Once the door closed, Ludville and Ravi’s gazes naturally turned to Duke Sorpel.

The mouth that had been set in a rigid line just moments ago now curved in a soft arc.

“Still, isn’t she commendable?”

“Sir?”

“I mean not passing by when she saw injustice.”

At the duke’s repeatedly pleased expression, Ravi and Ludville let out long, simultaneous sighs.

Perhaps they should count it a relief he hadn’t shown any of that in front of Camilla.

****

Professor J.B.’s trial proceeded with extreme haste. It was an all-time record.

That was only natural—there was someone who had watched every step of the proceedings from the side. Or should it be called surveillance?

There was one man who arrived at the court earlier than anyone and left later than anyone: Ludville.

He observed and monitored every step of the case.

Rumor had it the members of the bench in charge of the case wasted away visibly for a while.

In any case, with the multiple pieces of evidence submitted by House Sorpel and Professor J.B.’s own confession, the whole story of the case was laid bare.

And of course, Professor J.B. received the maximum sentence: death.

In front of countless onlookers, he was beheaded.

[So it ends like this, after all.]

Amy, who watched Professor J.B.’s death from start to finish, was calmer than expected.

She didn’t shed tears; she only let out one regretful sigh after another.