Chapter 93

"Mrs. Stewart, do you want the petals or the entire rose?" a servant asked, noticing the blooming flowers.

Some people enjoy picking freshly bloomed flowers and placing them in vases.

"I just want some fresh petals," Odalys said softly.

The servant worked diligently after receiving a gift from her. Seeing them continuously picking, she turned and looked upstairs. She saw Percival and Evander watching. She blinked at them, then pointed at the pond.

"Does she want roses?" Evander asked, puzzled. He found Odalys unpredictable; he couldn't fathom her thoughts. Though only twenty, she wasn't simply being willful.

"I'm afraid she wants to help us find a clue," Percival said gravely.

Evander frowned but didn't question it further.

Just as Percival spoke, a servant rowing in the pond exclaimed, "There's something here! Something under the pond!"

"What is it?" someone whispered. The pond erupted into activity.

Percival met Evander's gaze, then turned and left. Pausing, he said, "Grandpa, you should use the wheelchair."

Evander was forced back into his wheelchair and pushed downstairs by Percival. He touched his recently cast leg and fell silent. His leg was healed, yet he remained in the wheelchair, much to his chagrin. He longed to show off his recovery to friends. Not everyone had a family member skilled in magic and traditional medicine.

The more he considered it, the more he felt marrying Percival to Odalys had been a wise decision.

Beside the pond, Odalys accepted roses from a servant. Leaning forward, she asked curiously, "Why is there something in the pond?"

"I don't know! We clean the pond regularly. I've never heard of anything being in there," the servant replied quietly.

Two servants carried the roses ashore; another rowed a boat toward the shore, carrying the retrieved object.

"What's going on?" Evander asked.

The butler stammered, "Mr. Stewart, there seems to be something in the pond."

"What is it?" Evander demanded.

The servants were nervous. The pond was cleaned weekly, yet something had been discovered. If Evander blamed them for negligence, they would lose their jobs. Stewart family employment paid significantly more than average jobs, with less demanding work. No one wanted to be dismissed.

"I don't know. It's in a bag. It looks like it's been there a long time. There's a strange smell," the butler said, shivering. The more he spoke, the less confident he became. He bore responsibility as the butler.

"Bring it here and open it," Evander ordered deeply.

A servant brought the object. The cloth bag was covered in moss; its quality was poor, with several cracks.

"Yes," the servant replied swiftly. He used scissors to cut it open, revealing a set of clothes. The butler added, "It seems to be a set of clothes. Perhaps someone abandoned it and accidentally threw it into the pond. It sank to the bottom, so we didn't notice it when cleaning."

Evander narrowed his dark eyes; his expression darkened.

"Since it's old clothes, forget it. In the future, be more careful when cleaning the pond," Evander dismissed it.

The butler wiped his sweat and nodded hurriedly. "Yes."

"Since it's nothing serious, you may leave," Percival said gravely.

The butler and servants retreated; the pavilion fell silent.

Odalys approached, gazing down at the spot then at the departing butler. She whispered, "Is that the butler from your uncle's family?"

"How do you know?" Percival was surprised. Outsiders couldn't access such information.

She explained, "I gave gifts to all the servants and bodyguards. The gifts contained talismans; I can assess their backgrounds this way. The butler's aura resembles your uncle's. He's likely connected to your mother. Two bodyguards and a servant also seem suspicious."

She produced her phone, showing photos "accidentally" taken while distributing gifts. She circled the suspicious individuals and sent them to Percival.

"These are likely your mother's subordinates. Keep an eye on them," Odalys advised.

Evander's heart sank. "Those bodyguards are my trusted aides! They're always with me. How did they become her people?"

Percival narrowed his eyes. "They are on her side. Callum checked their movements; they visit my mother's family monthly. Though my uncle has disappeared and my mother claims no contact, she's relied on them for secret communication."

"Do you recognize this?" Odalys gestured to the opened bag.

Evander closed his eyes. After a long moment, he whispered, "These are my deceased son's clothes. I gave them to him before his accident. I never expected them to be thrown in the pond."

He struggled to control his emotions; his son's death had nearly broken him. If not for Percival, he wouldn't have had the will to live.

"You play chess here year-round. The tampered clothes, near you constantly, tainted you with misfortune, causing your recent setbacks and retirement," Odalys observed.

Evander nodded slowly. "Since my son's accident, my luck has declined, and the Stewart family business suffered. Any action I took resulted in problems. So I retired."