Chapter 452

She didn't speak, but that didn't mean she was unaware, nor that she was doing nothing.

"What do you want me to do?" Percival asked, surprised. He looked at Odalys with admiration, even reverence. He had never encountered a woman like her—one who seemed to shine from every angle.

"Just come by and check on it every day," Odalys replied casually.

She started to ascend the stairs but paused, as if struck by an idea. After a moment, she sat down on the steps. Percival, seeing this, sat beside her, showing no sign of superiority. Together, they gazed at the Stewart Villa's front yard.

"Yesterday, Orson and I took advantage of the Bennetts' situation and caused some trouble for Edie," Odalys said. "I saw her consciousness, and what I found was odd—no trace of your father in her mind."

"She and your father were married and lived together; why is there no trace of him in her memories?" Odalys continued thoughtfully. "All I saw was her distancing herself from you after his death and aligning herself with the Simpson family. This suggests someone erased her memories. But if her memories were wiped, yet she still speaks of her past, it suggests she doesn't consider those memories disgraceful. So why erase them? On the other hand, it could mean she's not really Edie. Without her previous memories, perhaps she's someone else entirely."

This revelation shocked her, but Odalys knew she needed to share it with Percival. "Tonce suspected she wasn't who she claimed to be, but after investigating everyone who had contact with her, I found nothing unusual," Percival explained steadily. "Aside from returning to the Simpson family, she didn't stay anywhere for long. All her associates were regular high-society wives or business figures. I monitored these people, but nothing strange came up."

Odalys raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn't realized Percival had already considered the possibility that Edie was an imposter. Perhaps he had long suspected something was amiss.

"Regardless of the reason, there are no memories of your father in her mind," Odalys said. "After I performed the ritual with you, she seems to want to distance herself from the Stewart family altogether. She's been with the Stewart family for so long without thinking of leaving, but after the scandal with Henry, she's been playing a dangerous game, retreating to the Bennetts. Even if she only sought refuge with the Bennetts, she wouldn't have discarded the Stewarts so easily unless she was trying to provoke you. It's as if she sensed something was wrong and wanted to run."

Odalys paused, visibly conflicted. "But I can't prove anything; it's just a gut feeling. She seems to want to distance herself from the Stewart family, perhaps because she fears something will be uncovered. It could be related to her lack of memories about your father."

The complexities of the human heart were hard to decipher, and this was one mystery Odalys couldn't fully unravel yet.

Percival tried to piece everything together. "You disrupted her plans. She had plotted to curse Grandpa, leading to his leg injury. You found the astrological signs buried under the tree and uncovered the dead man's clothes in the pool. It was a well-guarded secret, but when things went missing, she began to suspect. We didn't confront her, but that pushed her into a corner, making her act recklessly. A person who has done something wrong will always be afraid. When you established Magic Entertainment and grew close to Grandpa, she had nowhere to turn. And after Dorian's situation, I suspect she might have been behind it. That's why I had my men monitor her—so she would know she was being watched."

Odalys was taken aback. "You purposely let her know she was being monitored? To make her nervous and force her to reveal herself?" she asked in disbelief.

Percival nodded subtly, leaning back on the stairs, his strong arm bracing him. He looked up at the moon, the soft light casting shadows over the Stewart Villa's front yard. At this moment, he seemed genuinely to enjoy the quiet company, conversing peacefully without the tension of business or strategy.

"Before, when no one was watching her, she lived a comfortable life, thinking she had control over the Stewart family. If we hadn't pushed her into a corner, why would she have rushed to marry Henry!" Percival mused aloud. He chuckled softly, a deep, almost amused sound. "When she joined the Bennetts, she essentially cut ties with the Stewarts, and that's when the Simpsons could no longer sit idly by. Otherwise, why would Quinton and Windsor have rushed back to the country?"

Every move Percival made was meticulously planned. He never did anything without purpose; every action was designed to leave no room for opposition. If he chose not to act, there was still a way out for his adversary. But once he made a move, the other side had no choice but to lose. This was the mindset of a master strategist—one who pulled the strings, making decisions that would eventually lead to total control.

"You're incredible," Odalys said, her eyes glowing with admiration. At that moment, she felt as if she had found a kindred spirit in Percival.

"You're not so bad yourself," Percival responded, smiling.

Odalys tucked her legs under her, resting her head on her knees as she gazed at him. They shared a quiet moment, exchanging smiles.

"It seems like you're waiting for the Simpsons to lose their composure. No wonder Edie and Henry's whirlwind marriage caught everyone off guard, and yet the Simpsons haven't made a move. She doesn't even have the right to return to them anymore," Odalys said, smiling knowingly. "Turns out this whole situation was orchestrated by you to force her hand, severing the Simpsons' hold over the Stewart family."

Percival smiled faintly. "Exactly."

He shifted his gaze to the tree where Odalys had asked him to place the dirt earlier. His eyes lingered, as though searching for something in the shadows.

"I'm going back to my room now," Odalys said, rising.

She made her way toward the Stewart Villa. The house was still, the servants asleep, and Evander was likely already resting. As Odalys hurried upstairs, Percival remained behind. As he began to rise, he felt a strange sensation—a flicker of something. Turning around, he thought he saw a figure beneath the tree, but it was gone when he looked more closely.

He furrowed his brows, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. "Must be the exhaustion," Percival muttered, rubbing his temples. "I've been through a lot tonight." His thoughts lingered on his father—his love for coffee, the way his spirit had been trapped after his death. Percival felt a pang of sorrow. Once everything was settled, he would take Odalys and bring his father home.

(The final "AD" appears to be an artifact and has been removed.)