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[Quack Quack Quack? Quack Quack Quack! (Legendary)]  

You can turn all the words of a deceitful liar into the sound of a duck’s quacking. If you suspect someone of lying, shout “Quack Quack Quack?” If the person is indeed lying, the enraged God of Truth will judge them.  

However, be careful—if you unjustly suspect an innocent person, the god’s judgment will turn on you.  

※ The duration of the effect depends on the card’s grade.  

(Common: 30 seconds, Rare: 1 minute, Heroic: 10 minutes, Legendary: 30 minutes, Mythic: 1 hour)  

※ If you unjustly accuse someone five times or more, the card will disappear.  

“Wow…”  

It was a very useful card for detecting lies.  

“Except for the part where I have to make everyone quack like a duck in public, of course.”  

The cheer cards that boosted my companions’ abilities were like this too. Why did those Heaven folks love such ridiculous spells so much?  

Grumbling, I still proudly tucked the card away. It seemed perfect for when someone was clearly lying but there was no concrete evidence.  

Though it had a completely different use from the card I had lost due to the death penalty, it would surely come in handy with all the liars I’d meet in the future.  

“Especially when dealing with the ex-emperor’s group, right?”  

The thought of those hypocrites, who always acted so solemn, quacking like ducks was thrilling.  

“And that self-proclaimed saint from the countryside, Hazen, will be quacking nonstop.”  

If I played my cards right, I could completely shatter the saintly image Hazen had worked so hard to build in an instant.  

Of course, if they were telling the truth and I used it, I’d end up looking ridiculous instead…  

“But I have the Intuition card, don’t I?”  

I had a good feeling that my intuition would warn me if things weren’t in my favor.  

“Still, I should probably test it out before using it in a serious situation…”  

I crossed my arms and let out a small groan.  

Though I pretended to be torn, I already had someone in mind as soon as I thought about testing the card.  

With a sly grin, I quickly rushed out of the room.  

“Miss?”  

As soon as I opened the door, I bumped into Lily, who was bringing snacks.  

“Do you need anything? Just let me know, and I’ll prepare it for you.”  

Lily asked, looking worried as I hurried off, but I waved my hand dismissively and kept moving.  

“I don’t need anything, just going to see Axel!”  

“Huh? Master Axel is in His Grace’s office at the moment.”  

I froze at Lily’s words.  

Unlike me, who spent my days as I pleased, Axel was incredibly disciplined and methodical. His entire day was meticulously scheduled, from the moment he woke up until the time he went to bed late at night. Unless something unusual happened, his schedule never changed.  

Discussions with the duke about family affairs were always scheduled for the mornings.  

But now, it was late afternoon, with the sun about to set. Normally, Axel would be in his room, drinking tea prepared by the servants and reading a book.

That Axel’s usual routine had been disrupted meant there was something urgent enough for both him and the duke to discuss immediately. I had a guess as to what it might be.

‘Could it be because of Eugene?’

Though Eugene had brushed it off, saying he’d received such letters before, it was a fact that Duke Kreutz had issued a veiled threat, hinting at an all-out confrontation with the Elpinard family. If that letter had reached not just Eugene but also the duke or Axel, then it made sense that an emergency meeting was taking place.

I changed my course from heading to Axel’s room to the direction of the duke’s office.

“W-Wait, miss! Right now—!”

I heard Rose calling after me from behind, likely having followed Lily, but my mind was already focused on reaching the duke’s office.

* * *

When I arrived in front of the duke’s office, I was surprised to find an unexpected guest already there. A boy was pressed tightly against the door, as if trying to eavesdrop on the conversation inside.

“Noah?”

My eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him. Noah, noticing me, sighed deeply, as if to say, *”You came after hearing the news too, huh?”*

“I don’t understand what’s going on. They ignored the situation for so long, and now, suddenly, they’re obsessing over it.”

“Obsession? What do you mean?”

Noah frowned, tilting his head as if confused by my question.

“What? You don’t know yet?”

“Uh… no.”

Now that I thought about it, Rose had been trying to tell me something in a hurry earlier. Was it some news that Noah already knew?

Seeing my blank expression, Noah sighed again and glanced around before whispering in a low voice.

“There’s a carriage from the Kreutz Duchy parked outside the main gate!”

“What? Kreutz Duchy?”

“Yeah. The ex-emperor sent one of his personal attendants to act as a mediator.”

The ex-emperor’s personal attendant wasn’t just any servant. Although he had retired from his position, he had once been the highest-ranking chamberlain in charge of managing the imperial household, wielding more power than most nobles. Sending someone like him as a mediator essentially meant the ex-emperor himself had stepped in.

Duke Kreutz’s intentions could have been ignored several times. But if he brought the ex-emperor’s authority with him under the banner of ‘imperial mediation,’ even Duke Elpinard wouldn’t be able to hold his ground so easily. After all, Duke Elpinard was still a loyal vassal to the imperial family.

‘It seems like the ex-emperor is trying to force Elpinard to submit as the first step in his return to politics.’

Duke Elpinard was the perfect target for the ex-emperor to assert his power. He was a major figure, after all. And by showing his alliance with another powerful figure, Duke Kreutz, the ex-emperor could demonstrate his strength on multiple fronts.

For the ex-emperor, this move was a masterstroke.

‘If I didn’t know the full story, I would have assumed this was just about political maneuvering.’  

However, according to the information I’d seen from the future, they were preparing something far beyond mere politics. Taking Eugene with them was a crucial part of that “something.”  

Which meant one thing: I couldn’t let these shameless people get what they wanted.  

I took a deep breath and threw the door open.  

“W-what are you doing!”  

Noah jumped back in surprise, reaching out to stop me, but I easily dodged his grasp and walked into the room. The conversation that had been quietly flowing inside came to an abrupt halt as everyone turned to stare at me. They all looked a bit shocked by my sudden intrusion.  

The man wearing a sword at his side must have been a knight from Kreutz, and the arrogant-looking old man in a perfectly tailored suit was probably the ex-emperor’s personal attendant.  

“Reshia?”  

The duke, who had been seated at his desk, stood up and called my name. It was only then that the old man’s eyes narrowed, as if finally realizing who I was.  

“Ah, so this is the Saintess. It’s an honor to meet you for the first time.”  

The old man bowed gracefully. Since he had always stayed close to the ex-emperor, it made sense that this was his first time meeting ‘Reshia.’ But I had met this man before, back when I was Greslin.  

It was during the banquet held at the imperial palace to celebrate our victory over the Mad Dragon.  

‘Back then, he couldn’t stand the sight of me, a girl from the slums, and treated me like I was invisible.’  

At that banquet, the ex-emperor had deliberately excluded me from sitting at the table, stating coldly, “It is against protocol for a commoner to sit at the emperor’s table,” and left me standing in front of it.  

‘My comrades flipped the table in outrage as soon as they heard that, and the banquet was canceled on the spot.’  

But now, as the Saintess and a noble lady, they couldn’t treat me with the same disdain. I smirked internally and boldly reached out my hand toward the ex-emperor’s personal attendant.  

The old man tilted his head slightly, unsure of the meaning behind my gesture. I beckoned him closer with a flick of my fingers, deliberately treating him with condescension. His face hardened instantly.

“Saintess, no matter your status, I am the personal attendant of His Imperial Majesty the Ex-Emperor. Such a disrespectful attitude is unbecoming of someone of your position—”

He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence.

“It’s the Saintess’s blessing!”  

I shouted loudly and leaped forward, slapping the old man’s forehead with a resounding *thwack!*  

“Ugh!”  

It was the same move I’d once used to humiliate Duke Kreutz in the temple when he had been tormenting Eugene—the infamous “Saintess’s Blessing (Physical).”