h4Chapter 581: Unless They Aren’t Normal!/h4

    Nnenna’s pulse quickened. Judging by the way he tilted that bottle, she was almost certain he was pouring its contents into the soup. She couldn’t see the liquid itself, but everything about his careful, secretive movements screamed suspicious.

    Her grip on the vent’s edge tightened. Got you.

    This shocked her to the core.

    All this time, she had been convinced nanny was the culprit. Yet there nanny stood, humming softly, arranging the fruits with a care that almost looked motherly, as if she just wanted Carl’s te to look bright and cheerful. Nothing suspicious. Nothing cruel. Just... normal.

    The chief chef and sous chef were also absorbed in their work, chopping, stirring, and shouting quick instructions at each other,pletely oblivious to what the housekeeper was doing in the corner.

    "I can’t believe this," Nnenna thought, her stomach twisting. The housekeeper, of all people? He had never once been openly hostile.

    True, he wasn’t exactly fond of her presence here, but he had always been polite, sometimes even warm, especially when it came to Carl. If anything, he had seemed to appreciate her efforts.

    So why? Why would he be the one poisoning Carl?

    Her chest tightened. It must be a mistake. It has to be. She hadn’t seen the liquid go into the soup with her own eyes, his body had blocked the view. She couldn’t risk jumping to conclusions without proof.

    Still... she couldn’t ignore her gut either.

    "I’ll have to observe him again," she decided, her jaw setting firmly. "Until I’m absolutely certain, I won’t act."

    But one thing was clear in her mind, whether she had proof or not, that soup was not going anywhere near Carl tonight.

    Nnenna was so deep in thought, her mind still circling the housekeeper’s strange actions, that she forgot about the ticking timer.

    "Nnenna, be careful—" the system’s voice red in her head—

    Toote.

    With a sharp ding! the stool vanished from under her feet. Her bnce snapped.

    "Aah!" she gasped, iling, desperately grabbing for the edge of the vent. Her fingers caught the wire lining, but the sharp metal bit deep into her palms.

    The pain was instant and brutal. "Ahhh!" she cried out, gritting her teeth as the wire tore across her skin. She slipped anyway, hitting the ground hard on her side.

    For a moment she justy there, her chest heaving, her hands burning like fire. Blood welled up from the jagged cuts, trickling down her wrists. She bit her lip to keep from crying out again, her eyes stinging.

    The system’s voice came back, quieter now, almost apologetic. "I told you to be careful..."

    "Yeah," Nnenna hissed between clenched teeth, clutching her hands, "but you didn’t tell me soon enough."

    Her heart was still pounding, but one thought cut through the pain: if anyone found her like this, questions would follow. And questions could ruin everything.

    "Urgh..." Nnenna groaned softly, cradling her bleeding hands as she slipped through the corridor, careful to keep out of sight.

    Every step sent a fresh pulse of pain up her arms, but she forced herself forward. Being a fourth year medical student, she knew she could handle the wounds, once she got back to her room.

    "Oh, Your Highness, where are you going?"

    The voice came from behind.

    Nnenna flinched, nearly jumping out of her skin. The housekeeper was there again, standing far too close, his tone polite but his presence unnerving. "Your brunch is almost ready," he added smoothly, as if nothing were amiss.

    Her pulse spiked. She hadn’t heard him approach at all. Not a single footstep.

    Now that she thought about it, this wasn’t the first time. From the very first day she arrived, he always appeared without warning, when the gates opened, in the corridors, whenever he needed to speak to her. She had chalked it up to coincidence... but was it really?

    Almost a year under Arthur’s training had sharpened her senses. She wasn’t the best yet, but she was definitely above the average martial artist. And yet, this man slipped past her awareness every time.

    Her mind clicked into ce. Unless...

    Of course. He isn’t normal.

    He wasn’t just a housekeeper. He was one of Carl’s trusted men. That exined his eerie silence, his precise movements. He had training. Perhaps serious training.

    But that thought didn’tfort her. If anything, it made him look more like the culprit. Trusted. Close to Carl. Skilled enough to sneak poison under everyone’s nose. And right now, he was watching her every move.

    Nnenna forced a small smile despite the throbbing pain in her hands. "I’ll...e shortly," she replied softly, trying not to let her suspicion show.

    "Your Highness, you’re hurt!" the housekeeper eximed, his eyes narrowing as they caught the blood on her hands.

    "It’s fine. It’s nothing," Nnenna replied quickly, tucking her hands behind her to hide the wounds.

    "Who did this?" His voice dropped, icy and dangerous. The sudden shift in his demeanor, from the gentle, patient, almost fatherly man he always appeared to be, into something cold andmanding, made the air in the corridor feel heavier.

    He didn’t need an answer. His jaw tightened as if he already knew. They went too far this time. Sure, the others might not like her, but she was His Highness’s little sister. Toy a hand on her was nothing short of treason.

    "Guards!" His shout echoed. Within seconds, armed men appeared, bowing low.

    "Arrest Captain Daniel immediately," he ordered.

    Nnenna’s eyes widened. "Wait, wait!" She waved her injured hands frantically, wincing at the sting. "You’ve made a mistake. No one hurt me. It was an ident."

    The guards hesitated, ncing between her and the housekeeper.

    "No one dares harm you and walks free," the housekeeper said firmly, his tone brooking no argument. His gaze was sharp, his posture like that of amander revealing his true self for the first time.

    "Daniel might not like me, but he wouldn’t dare," Nnenna insisted, desperate to stop the spiraling misunderstanding. "He didn’t do this."