Chapter 483: Lady Sharon

So many years had passed, and most who knew these events were already dead. Only once, when Azrael happened to be visiting the Kendya Manor and received a request to prescribe headache medication for this elderly cook, did he gradually piece together her true identity.

Learning that Arnell had overheard news about Tadvi in the kitchen, Azrael casually mentioned that if she needed any help, she could use his name to ask the cook for assistance.

Arnell had no intention of asking for help. She was more interested in gathering information about Lady Mallory or the mysterious masked woman from the cook. But today, she wouldn't get her wish. When Arnell slipped down to the kitchen entrance, she was surprised to discover that not a single person who should have been resting there was present.

The entire kitchen was empty, completely devoid of any living presence.

Arnell frowned. She quietly slipped through the half-open door. The kitchen was silent, without a single lamp lit, but Arnell's sharp senses detected the scent of flour still lingering on the cutting board, and in the nearby oven sat a freshly baked cake.

If the flour sack hadn't been tied properly, or if the cutting board hadn't been cleaned, Arnell could have dismissed it as someone being lazy and putting off tasks until tomorrow. But the cake in the oven couldn't possibly have been made by the kitchen staff for themselves. The only explanation was that the manor's master or guests had requested dessert on short notice, prompting the kitchen to prepare it.

But the item was still here—so where had everyone gone?

At this thought, Arnell quickly withdrew from the kitchen. The instant she slipped out, voices drifted from down the corridor—the cooks, clearly dejected.

"Good God, how can that mysterious young lady be so demanding? We've already done our absolute best! How could she summon us before the head of the household for a scolding like that!"

One of the cooks sighed. "Could it be a regional difference in the Empire? Different tastes?"

"I heard that mysterious young lady is from the western Empire. People there apparently prefer much less sweetness than we do. Maybe that's why she says our cakes taste awful?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, she only says we're doing it wrong, but she never explains what exactly is the problem! Oh, these insufferable nobles. Did you all hear what she said just now? If we still can't make it to her liking, she'll teach us a lesson with her whip!"

"These old bones of mine can't take her whip. Even the person in the tower couldn't handle it. I heard she had Dr. Azrael come see them just yesterday. If the master hadn't said Lady Mallory was arriving soon and wanted the newlyweds to make a good impression on each other, they might have been beaten to death!"

"No, this can't happen!"

Suddenly, Arnell heard a familiar female voice. "He looks exactly like Norm Ditch. If that young lady beats him to death, Lady Tadvi will never let it go. Then young master Batiatus will be caught between her and that young lady—it'll be impossible for him!"

"No, we can't let her continue. I have to tell young master Batiatus!"

Hearing the title 'Lady Tadvi,' Arnell immediately understood. The speaker must be the cook who had mentioned Tadvi Skyway and Norm Ditch's past last time—the very maid Azrael had described as having raised Tadvi Skyway with her own hands.

But her manner of address was strange. Batiatus had long been head of the Kendya family and was no longer young. Others typically referred to him by his title as master of the household. So why did this cook keep calling him 'young master Batiatus' and speaking of 'Lady Tadvi'?

Before Arnell could think further, alarmed cries erupted from down the corridor. "Stop her!"

"That crazy woman—why is she losing it now of all times! Hey, Lady Sharon, shut your mouth!"

"Oh no, if word of what she's saying gets out, we'll all die!"

"If that young lady finds out we're tattling to the master, we won't even need to wait for the cake to be done before we can say goodbye to this world. Damn it, I said we shouldn't keep a lunatic in the kitchen!"

Lunatic?

Arnell was puzzled. How could the Kendya Manor possibly keep a lunatic on staff?

Besides, Azrael had confidently said she could go to this cook for help if needed. If there were something wrong with her, Azrael would never have made that suggestion. Which meant the only possibility…

Arnell narrowed her eyes. This so-called madwoman named Lady Sharon—her insanity was a facade to hide some secret.

If that were true, then when Tadvi Skyway had expelled the cook from the Skyway family, and Batiatus Kendya had immediately taken her into the Kendya Manor, hiding her in the kitchen all these years—what secret were they trying to keep?

Arnell was deep in thought when a scream suddenly rang out from where the commotion had been. She quickly shifted to ensure her silhouette wouldn't be visible to those people while angling herself to peek toward the source of the sound to confirm what was happening.

An extremely elderly cook was being pinned to the ground by several people. Her graying hair was disheveled from struggling, her eyes stared vacantly upward, and she kept muttering, "Let me go. I can't let their partnership be damaged in any way. I won't allow anyone to hurt Lady Tadvi again!"

One of the cooks pressing down on her frowned deeply. "Hey, listen to her crazy talk. 'Lady Tadvi'? There's only one person named Tadvi in Killiad City now, Lady Sharon. You hear me? That's the head of the Skyway family—that evil, cold-hearted harlot!"

"Enough. If that comment gets out and the head of the Skyway family hears it, you're on your own!"

Another cook, more heavyset, was responsible for keeping Lady Sharon pinned down. She turned back to bark orders at the others. "Quick, get a rag. We need to gag her. If we let her keep making a scene in the middle of the night, even if we don't die, we'll definitely be punished!"

Tears streamed uncontrollably down Lady Sharon's face, quickly covering it. Arnell watched her pitiful state, momentarily at a loss for words.

But then those vacant eyes locked directly onto Arnell's gaze.

The instant their eyes met, Arnell felt her scalp prickle. In this pitch-black corner, Lady Sharon had somehow pinpointed her exact location—it was uncanny!

Even more terrifying, the woman being restrained on the ground actually reached out toward where Arnell stood. "Help me!"