She had spent the entire night thinking about what had happened, turning every detail over and over in her mind, yet no answer came to her. The more she thought, the more tangled everything became. In the end, she realized that simply thinking would change nothing. If she wanted answers, she would have to face Elion directly.

Of course, Evandria had considered what might happen if she confronted him. She knew Elion was not the kind of man who would answer everything easily. But she also knew that sitting in her room and thinking was not going to change anything. Gathering what little courage she could, she finally decided to confront him.

Evandria’s steps slowed as she reached the study door. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, loud enough that she could hear it. She raised her hand and knocked hesitantly.

“Come in.”

At the sound of Elion’s low voice, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Elion sat behind his desk, a few documents spread before him. His black hair had fallen loosely over his forehead, and his coat rested on a hanger nearby. There was something off about him today. His eyes looked tired, and his expression, though as composed as ever, carried a faint trace of exhaustion.

Did he not sleep last night? 

Seeing him like that, the thought crossed her mind. For a brief second, she considered turning back and asking him later. But she pushed that thought aside immediately. She knew that if she left now, the ‘later’ would never come. 

No matter what, I am going to ask him everything today.

“What is it?” Elion spoke without looking up.

“Um… I have something to ask you.”

Evandria’s voice was careful, almost cautious, as she studied Elion’s face for any change, but his expression remained unreadable.

“We will talk later. I am busy right now.”

Elion didn’t even bother to ask what she wanted to talk about. And Evandria understood what he really meant. He was not simply busy; he just didn’t want to talk at all. Perhaps because he already knew what she had come to ask.

“But I want to talk now.” This time, Evandria’s voice was slightly louder than before. The hesitation in her tone was gone, replaced by something firmer. She was determined to speak now, even if Elion tried to make excuses.

“I told you, I’m busy. Come back later.”

“But it’s important.”

Elion let out a quiet breath and shook his head slightly before finally looking at her. “Alright. What is it that you want to ask?”

Even after Elion agreed, Evandria found herself hesitating again. There were too many questions, too many things she wanted to know, and she did not know where to begin. But she decided to ask first about his late wife.

“Is that your wi–”

“Yes. So?” Elion cut her off before she could even finish, his voice turning cold. “If that is all you have to ask, you can leave. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why did you kill her?”

The question came out before Evandria could stop herself. There was no hesitation in her voice now, only a sharp edge of anger. The truth was, she had intended to ask if he had really killed her, but the way Elion had spoken, so dismissive and cold, made her lose control. Her irritation turned into anger, and the words came out sharper than she intended.

Silence filled the room.

Elion didn’t say anything. He just looked at her, but his expression stiffened.

What did I just say?

Evandria’s heart skipped. A flicker of panic crossed her mind. She hadn’t meant to say that. But it was too late to take it back. So instead, she forced herself to continue.

“I’m talking about your late wife. Why did you kill her?”

“I don’t think you need to know that.”

“I want an answer. Did you kill her or not?”

Elion remained silent for a moment, then he met her gaze. “Yes. I killed her. So what?”