Roseliel’s mind raced as she thought about how to answer Mona’s question.
Should she just make something up on the fly? Faced with an expert like Mona, Roseliel didn't dare say she could pull it off without a hitch.
Should she just flatly deny it and say she was wrong? Looking at Mona’s eyes, Roseliel’s conscience simply wouldn't allow it.
An inspection was definitely out of the question. Through her experiences over the last few days, Roseliel knew perfectly well that her soul and the original host’s definitely weren't the same; if she were inspected, she would certainly be exposed.
But how should she frame the reason?
Slowly, a bold idea began to take root in her heart.
“Mona,” she said tentatively, “is there a way to transfer a soul across distances?”
“Hmm?” Mona blinked and thought about it seriously for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “As far as I know, no.”
“The soul itself is extremely fragile. A normal person’s soul can suffer irreversible effects within minutes of leaving its shell, let alone using some kind of teleportation spell on it.”
“Then it shouldn't be because of that attack.” Roseliel breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Think about it—all the Snake Cultists involved back then should have died on the spot. Even if someone really did take the opportunity to split off a part of my soul, they wouldn't have had the chance to take it away.”
Mona nodded thoughtfully, seemingly agreeing with this deduction.
She then spoke again, “Then it must have been some other time. Please think back carefully!”
Seeing that she was finally no longer fixated on the inspection, Roseliel let out half a sigh of relief.
After pretending to recall seriously for a while, she replied, “Another time... To be honest, I really don't have much of an impression.”
“But...” she paused deliberately, putting on a thoughtful look.
“But?” Mona was indeed hooked, her small face leaning in closer.
Roseliel looked away, trying her best to suppress the slight guilt in her heart as she lowered her voice. “Look, we can basically confirm that the Snake Cult has moles within the kingdom, right? So, is it possible that one of those moles did something to me when I wasn't looking?”
Mona was stunned, clearly having never considered this direction.
“If that’s the case, then the range of suspicion is very wide. Master’s friends, the household servants, and other associated personnel—we have to find a way to screen them all one by one...” She became more and more serious as she spoke, her voice gradually trailing off as if she were talking to herself.
“What should we do? Capture them one by one for interrogation? Too slow... Or maybe enter their dreams at night? Hmm...”
Hearing this, Roseliel’s right eyelid twitched.
Is this little girl actually quite dangerous?
“We don't need to pursue it so aimlessly.” Roseliel spoke up to interrupt Mona’s increasingly dangerous train of thought; she needed Mona to suspect the person she wanted her to suspect.
“I’ve been thinking again—most people shouldn't have the opportunity to, well, perform soul fragmentation. That shouldn't be something you can just do by pointing a wand at someone and chanting a spell, right?”
She sought confirmation from Mona.
“Yes.” Mona nodded in affirmation. “Except for a few masters, soul fragmentation is an extremely refined magic that requires ample preparation to perform.”
“Then when do you think would be the best time to perform such a spell on me?” Roseliel provided some helpful guidance.
“It would be when Master loses consciousness, right?”
“Exactly!” Roseliel followed the lead. “The first instance I can think of for losing consciousness is normal sleep, but the second...”
She left another hook, pausing intentionally and putting on an expression that made it look difficult to speak.
“The second?” Mona was completely drawn in, pressing for an answer impatiently.
“It’s when I go to the Royal Medical Society for routine checkups.”
Mona’s eyes suddenly widened as if something had just been switched on.
The Royal Medical Society was one of the most authoritative research organizations in the Kingdom of Leonis, and a mecca that countless physicians, apothecaries, and alchemists dreamed of entering.
Once inside, one could apply for nearly unlimited research funding. Any research deemed valuable could be proposed and conducted. Even projects regarded as taboo in the outside world could pass approval as long as they were applied for according to regulations and supervised by personnel from the Necessary Evil families.
The research results it produced were also magnificent; it served as a pillar of the kingdom with an irreplaceable role.
At the same time, the Royal Medical Society also handled the medical and health management for the vast majority of the high-ranking nobility. They conducted routine physical examinations every three months and in-depth physical examinations once a year. There were also personal physicians assigned to every family to provide these important figures with the most attentive medical service in the kingdom—and perhaps even the world.
During the examination process, certain procedures did indeed require the patient to be under anesthesia, so it was truly an opportunity.
“I don’t know if you remember,” Roseliel continued to fan the flames, seeing that she had already mostly succeeded. “Among the letters we found in Maple Creek Town, some mentioned many things related to medicine.”
“If there really is a mole in the Royal Medical Society, then everything makes sense!”
At this point, she suddenly laughed and pulled Mona into a hug. “Mona, you’ve really been a huge help again! This clue is just too important!”
This was Roseliel’s “feminine wiles.”
With this praise and hug, even if Mona still had doubts, they would likely vanish.
Shameless, but very effective.
Sure enough, Mona was completely thrown into disarray by Roseliel’s actions.
“It—it was nothing!” A flush spread from her earlobes across her entire face at a visible rate. “I only mentioned it in passing! It’s all because Master is so amazing! I wouldn't have been able to think of so much!”
“No way! Mona is just that amazing!” Not only did Roseliel not let go, but she also rubbed her cheek against the side of Mona’s face.
“Wait! That—that place...”
“I love you, Mona!”
“Ehhhhhh—!”
A moment later, Roseliel finally released the nearly well-done Mona. The little girl kept her head down, a wisp of phantom steam seemingly rising from the top of her head.
“That narrows down the range of suspects considerably: one would be the servants in the estate, and the other would be people from the Royal Medical Society.”
Roseliel continued her analysis.
“The servants are easy to investigate, but we really don't have any connections within the Royal Medical Society...”
“I do...” Mona’s voice was a bit weak as she slowly raised her hand. “My sister is an apothecary at the Royal Medical Society. I can go and ask her.”
Roseliel’s eyes lit up. “Then it’s settled!”
She reached out and rubbed Mona’s head, her tone light. “Tell me as soon as you have news. We’ll stay in touch. Once we have a clue, we can call Lucia over too.”
For some reason, Roseliel felt like Mona shivered slightly when she mentioned Lucia’s name.
She didn't think too much of it, filled only with joy at the moment.
Next, as long as she followed this lead, she could drag Silas Voss out into the light of day.
Rate on N.U.
