"Y-young master, what are you doing here?" The woman looked at Lloyd, confusion written all over her face.
More than confusion, though, there was a mix of nervousness and shock in her eyes. Lloyd noticed how she kept darting glances toward the nightstand.
Quickly, he shut the drawer, silently praying she hadn't noticed. At the same time, he carefully slipped the pendant into his pocket.
Luckily for him, she seemed too flustered to notice the small gesture. That eased Lloyd's nerves a little. He cleared his throat and straightened his posture.
"What am I doing here?" Lloyd repeated her words. "I understand the question, but not why you're asking it. Isn't this my house? Don't I have the right to go wherever I please in it? How dare you question things that are none of your concern?"
His tone was proud and sharp, leaving Clarinda completely thrown off. Lloyd had always been a frail boy who barely spoke; she'd never paid much attention to him, mostly because she didn't care to.
Now, however, he carried himself with the arrogance typical of a spoiled noble brat. Still, it would have been foolish for her to talk back in front of him.
"I... I'm sorry, young master, I just—"
"I didn't ask for an excuse or an explanation. I'm simply reminding you that someone as insignificant as you has no right to question me. From now on, do not speak to me unless absolutely necessary. Understood?"
"Y-yes," she stammered, still in shock.
"Good. That's all, then."
Lloyd walked out of the room with steady steps. He figured that if he acted unpleasant enough, she'd focus more on his arrogance than on the fact that he'd been snooping around her room.
Still, Lloyd wasn't planning to let this go. That's why he headed straight to Sebastian's office—he had to show him what he'd found.
After knocking, he heard the familiar professional tone from the other side.
"You're back already? I see you found them quickly. Come in, we've got work to do."
When Lloyd entered, Sebastian was buried under a mountain of papers, focused on his tasks.
He works, manages, cooks, and even handles intelligence work… is there anything this old man *can't* do?
"Leave the documents on the table. I'll check them in a moment," Sebastian said without even looking up.
Lloyd smiled and decided to play along. Instead of placing the papers, however, he laid down the pendant he'd recovered.
"Thanks, huh? Wait, this isn't what I—" Sebastian froze mid-sentence. When he finally looked up and realized who was standing there, his eyes widened. "Y-young master!"
He jumped to his feet, bowing so fast his forehead hit the desk. "I'm terribly sorry, young master! I didn't realize it was you. Please forgive my rudeness!"
"It's fine," Lloyd said calmly. "It only happened because you were focused on your work. I appreciate your dedication and all the effort you put into running things."
Sebastian froze, then clutched his chest dramatically. "Young master… your kind words bring tears to this old man's eyes! Truly, they make every hardship worthwhile!"
He actually wiped away a tear before instantly regaining his usual serious tone. "Now then, what brings you here? I see you've retrieved your pendant."
"Yes. Though what might surprise you is *where* I found it."
"Oh? And where was that, young master?"
Before he could answer, someone opened the door.
"I found the documents, sir—oh. Young master. What a pleasant surprise," Clarinda said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
It was her. She didn't look startled—more like irritated by his presence.
"Step out for a moment, Clarinda," Sebastian said, his voice cold. "I'm discussing something important with the young master."
"No need," Lloyd said with a sly smile. "I'm sure she'll find what I have to say... interesting."
He hadn't confronted her earlier for one simple reason: he didn't know what she might do.
When an animal is cornered, it tends to lash out. If Clarinda lost control, Lloyd wasn't sure what would happen.
If she *was* the assassin, killing him would be easy enough—after all, he was a sickly child who could barely stay on his feet.
And even if she wasn't, she could still snap and attack him.
Now, however, Sebastian was with him. Lloyd didn't know the old man's full strength, but it was clearly enough to block his Eye of Greed—something Clarinda couldn't do.
"By any chance," Lloyd asked casually, "does this pendant look familiar to you?"
"Eh? I—I've never seen that before," Clarinda said, clearly nervous.
That couldn't be true. Lloyd knew it. The *old* Lloyd had worn that pendant almost his entire life.
"Are you sure? Because I just happened to find it in your room. Funny coincidence, don't you think?" His eyes narrowed like a predator locking onto its prey.
Clarinda tried to hold her composure, but her trembling hands and darting gaze betrayed her.
"T-that's not mine. You must be mistaken, young master," she stammered.
Lloyd couldn't help but admire her acting. But the fear underneath was obvious.
"Maybe my illness made me hallucinate... what do you think, Sebas?"
The atmosphere shifted immediately. The air grew heavier.
When Lloyd turned to look, he almost gasped. Sebastian's expression had darkened—his elbows rested on the desk, fingers steepled under his nose, half of his face hidden behind his hands.
"Clarinda," he said, voice like a blade cutting through the air.
Lloyd heard a muffled scream behind him, followed by the sound of someone collapsing.
When he turned, Clarinda was on the floor, trembling violently. Her face was pale, her eyes red with tears.
The once arrogant maid now looked like a terrified child.
Lloyd knew what this was: killing intent. But what shocked him most was how precisely Sebastian controlled it—enough to affect Clarinda without touching him.
"Is it true?" Sebastian asked. His purple eyes gleamed through the shadow of his brow.
Lloyd had never seen him look so terrifying.
"I-I didn't—"
"Don't lie to me!" The roar that followed shook the room. The kindly old butler was gone—what stood there now was something far darker.
Lloyd watched, wide-eyed, as Clarinda seemed crushed under an invisible weight. It was aura—Haki.
And Sebastian wielded it flawlessly.
After a moment, the pressure eased. Sebastian's tone calmed, though his eyes still burned with quiet rage. He rested his chin on his fist.
"I'll admit, I suspected a few things, but I brushed them aside. After all, I trusted you. But it seems I was wrong. I suppose the saying holds true—'Raise crows, and they'll peck your eyes out.'"
Even calm, he was terrifying.
Lloyd noticed a dark stain spreading beneath Clarinda. It was clear she couldn't withstand that killing intent for long.
He almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
"I-I don't know anything!" she sobbed, her voice trembling as tears rolled down her face.
**[Clarinda's thoughts]** *Why is this happening to me? That damn brat—what did he do? Is he trying to pin this on me? I hate him!*
Lloyd's pity vanished instantly. He deactivated his Eye. Compassion was no longer on the table.
"My dear," Sebastian said softly, "if you don't confess now… I'll kill you."
The room went silent. His tone was calm, but the promise behind it was deadly serious.
Lloyd watched as Clarinda's eyes lost all light. The fear in her face twisted into hopeless resignation.
Without saying a word, she stood up, straightened her back, and forced herself into a professional posture—pretending not to notice the humiliation at her feet.
"Fine," she said quietly. "I'll talk."