ITIWAFRBIAHS Chapter 14

4. The Transition of Transitions

Right now, the front entrance is nothing short of a cauldron of shock and terror.

For reference, the shock is me and the terror is Jeril.

"……!"

Jeril, who had rushed out a beat too late, looked at his stepmother as soon as he saw the officers surrounding the entrance. He must have come out after hearing someone calling his stepmother's name from inside.

My stepmother seemed to be in a state of panic, but she still appeared to be trying her best to respond somehow.

"I, I'm not! I would never do such a thing……!"

Then she suddenly turned to look at me. Hueok, how am I supposed to react to this?

"Rose, my dear Rose……. This mother has never done such a thing. Never!"

"Yes. We'll hear the details at the station."

"Wait, wait just a moment……!"

My stepmother stepped back from the police officer who was firmly trying to put handcuffs on her arm and questioned him.

"What evidence do you have to arrest me?! What on earth……."

"A witness has come forward."

"……What?"

"The servants of this house have testified that they witnessed your crime. They say they couldn't speak before due to your threats and coercion, but they finally confessed when they came to the station."

The officer brazenly revealed the witness's identity right there on the spot. As expected, they don't even consider witness protection in this fantasy version of the modern world.

But no, more than that—why did the atmosphere suddenly shift like this? How did this turn into one of those scenes where the villain's evil schemes are exposed right before the finale and justice prevails? Just this morning we were having a heartwarming family story!

Wait. Could this be a development where a supporting character with significant screen time is falsely accused, and only the protagonist believes in them and uncovers the truth, deepening their bond?

Let me refuse! I'll get stomach problems before that!

"I…… I wasn't even at this mansion when Rose was almost poisoned!"

"That's why you ordered me to do it."

Just then, a short-haired girl about my age walked out from behind the officer.

Huh? Isn't that Sunset?

Sunset, wearing a light gray skirt instead of her work uniform, looked straight at my stepmother and spoke.

"Madam ordered me to put suspicious powder in the young lady's tea leaves. You told me it was sleeping medicine."

I knew it! I knew something was definitely put in there! But that it was my stepmother's order?!

"That really was sleeping medicine!"

"I felt uneasy about it and wanted to refuse, but I was afraid of being fired so I couldn't."

Despite my stepmother's sharp rebuttal, Sunset steadfastly continued her words. The police officer crossed his arms.

"Stop this meaningless resistance. If you're truly innocent, you can just submit to the investigation, can't you?"

"Rose, that really was sleeping medicine. You seemed to be under so much stress lately that you were having memory problems, so I thought you should at least get a good nap. I didn't mention it because I thought it would make you worry even more if I told you."

My stepmother didn't even respond to the officer's words and desperately continued speaking while looking at me.

Oh God, what should I do? Who am I supposed to believe?

How is it that everything sounds suspicious yet somehow makes perfect sense at the same time? Cold sweat broke out all over my body and my pupils trembled uncontrollably.

Then, an unexpected person came between my stepmother and me. It was Jeril.

This body's stepbrother stood right in front of me as if to block my view and protect my stepmother, turning his body completely toward her. All I could see was his slender back, but his intention was clear enough.

Gasp, I know this! This is one of those clichés used when developing relationships with male lead candidates in romance novels! Blocking out uncomfortable interactions!

"You..."

My stepmother muttered in a daze. Soon after, I heard the officer clicking his tongue.

"Don't make everyone uncomfortable and come to the station quickly. Besides the poisoning case, there are more suspicious points."

Then he gestured to the other officers blocking the front door. It seemed like a signal to drag her out by force if necessary. My stepmother must have seen this too because she urgently shouted.

"Lord Aubert's case—there's definite evidence that it wasn't me! Evidence that it was suicide……!"

I obtained information that this body's father committed suicide as a windfall...

"What evidence?"

"It's in the study, in the study, so I can bring it right away. If you just wait a moment…"

"Which floor? Hey, follow us."

A burly officer called out to several other officers who were near the front door. The officers began moving upstairs together, surrounding my stepmother.

Jeril also nodded slightly at me and followed them up the stairs.

Hmm, should I go along with that too? I hesitated for a moment but ultimately made a different choice. I slowly approached Sunset, who was standing there with her hands clasped together.

If her testimony is true, she must have suffered a lot mentally. I feel a bit sorry for just being suspicious.

"Um... Sunset?"

Sunset looked at me approaching, then glanced around quickly. Then she carefully answered me.

"Are you calling me?"

"That's right? I called you Sunset."

"……."

Sunset looked somehow troubled.

"I'm sorry, miss, but my name is not Sunset. You seem to be mistaking me for someone else."

What kind of ridiculously suspicious thing is this to say? I was thinking I was sorry for misunderstanding you just five seconds ago.

"But you definitely asked me to call you Sunset…"

"My name is Hazel White. And… I'm terribly sorry for causing you trouble unintentionally. I've immediately quit my job as a maid in this mansion. Thank you for treating me warmly during this time."

Could this be like quitting a terrible part-time job while giving the boss a taste of their own medicine?

She's not doing this to make me feel uneasy now that she's quitting, is she? Right?

I watched in complete confusion as Sunset—no, the girl my age named Hazel White—bowed deeply.

What was even more maddening happened when my stepmother was dragged down by the officers.

"Aaak! No! It was definitely there… it's there…!"

"Look, we searched thoroughly and couldn't find it! We'll search for that separately. Don't waste time!"

"This can't be, this……."

Suddenly my stepmother turned toward me and stared with wide eyes.

"Rose."

I don't know what happened in the study, but it must have been really serious.

Your eyes have changed, stepmother…

"Never trust anyone. Never!"

With those words as her last, my stepmother was dragged out the front door by the police. Hazel White also bowed to me once more and quickly followed those people.

Bang, the front door closed with a sound, and soon silence fell over the mansion.

And I became completely dumbfounded.

Ugh, normally at this point, readers would know the whole story by reading from other characters' perspectives... but I can't access those because I've been transported into the story itself?

You should have transported me somewhere where I already knew the original novel's plot, romance novel fairy...

I don't know anything anymore. I just want to see my fiancé's face and feel better.