Chapter 22: The Ninth Person

With the experience of transmigrating, coupled with the numerous oddities of this castle, Rosie already had a faint premonition in her heart that this world did indeed possess supernatural powers.

She looked at the man whose face was now half “burned,” and frowned slightly:

“You mean, the mastermind planned all this just to complete some kind of ritual and gain power?”

Hermann chuckled lightly, “In the field of occultism, all illogical behaviors and actions that violate common sense can find their own explanation.”

“Although…”

Hermann closed the iron box, his gaze dropping to the young lady, “…due to the church’s suppression, unofficial Covenanters have always been cautious, and the general public knows very little about this group.”

“However, in aristocratic circles, it’s not much of a secret.”

“It’s somewhat surprising to me that Miss Moulton is unaware of the Covenanters.”

‘Is he testing me?’

Rosie’s heart skipped a beat, but her face remained impassive.

She merely glanced at the man, feigning a lack of interest.

“Compared to these bizarre and dangerous things, a leisurely tea party is more appealing to me.”

‘If I hadn’t seen your eyes light up like little stars when you heard the word Covenanters, I would have believed you.’

Hermann didn’t expose the viscount’s daughter’s clumsy performance.

He nodded, “If Miss Moulton is interested in the Covenanters, once we successfully escape, I can explain it to you in detail.”

“For now, though, let’s solve the problem at hand.”

Although a strange and magnificent world was slowly revealing a corner of its iceberg to Rosie, making her heart itch with curiosity, she still had her priorities straight.

She listened quietly as Hermann continued:

“Since the person who planned all this is most likely a Covenanter with extraordinary powers, facing him alone would be too dangerous for you, Miss Moulton.”

“Therefore, the person voted to stay behind must be me.”

“I’ll be in the open, you’ll be in the shadows.”

“Covering for each other is the optimal solution.”

Having said this, Hermann handed his revolver to Rosie.

“For this, you need to play the part of a half-mad murderer.”

Rosie frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed it, looking up at the man.

“You mean, use the act of being half-mad to cover up some of the unreasonable aspects, while at the same time, using my emotional instability to threaten the others with the gun to follow my voting suggestion.”

“And the person pushed out as the scapegoat is you, captured by me and completely unable to resist?”

“Yes.”

Hermann nodded with considerable approval, then continued, “We just need to ensure that the person voted out tonight is me.”

“We don’t need to think about who to vote for tomorrow.”

“Tonight is the final battle.”

After Hermann finished speaking, he shifted his gaze back to Rosie.

“For this, we need to formulate a meticulous plan and exchange the information we each hold without reservation.”

“Miss Moulton, have you made any special discoveries?”

‘Discoveries?’

Rosie frowned slightly, thinking back on every little detail since she “transmigrated,” all the way until she stood at the end of the corridor, looking up at the girl in the painting.

‘The painting? The girl in the painting?!’

Being so shocked by the portrait of “Rosie Moulton,” she had almost forgotten about the painting outside!

Rosie took a breath and looked at Hermann, saying seriously, “Besides the eight of us, there is a ninth person in this castle who has never shown herself.”

“A ninth person?”

Hermann frowned and asked:

“Who is it?”

“Hannah’s personal maid.”

“Janice Herbert.”

…

The old castle, first floor, dining room.

In an instant, the situation had completely reversed.

Dennis Sandek was being held at gunpoint by Rosie Moulton, and beside her was Hermann Rhys, whose fighting ability was in no way inferior to his own.

Range is justice; this saying is the truth.

Dennis did not appear very flustered.

He adjusted the soft felt hat on his head, then straightened the sleeves that had become somewhat disheveled during the fight earlier.

Rosie did not speak to stop his actions.

After taking her position beside Hermann, she instead turned her arm, moving the muzzle of the gun away from Dennis Sandek and aiming it towards the dining room entrance.

Light footsteps sounded on the floor, accompanied by a somewhat familiar female voice.

“Rosie, I never thought that one day, you would point a gun at me.”

Pale flames suddenly ignited in the air.

Surrounded by several fireballs of varying sizes, a woman’s face was revealed from behind the door.

The woman had a slightly round face, a few freckles scattered on the tip of her nose, and a pair of light blue eyes that, under the firelight’s glow, revealed a hint of coldness.

Hannah Carter, a dead person, had reappeared in everyone’s sight just like that.

Rosie’s expression was complicated, but not surprised, clearly mentally prepared for this scene.

From the reunion of the two, to encountering the other group led by Dewitt Nair and heading to the locked dining room together.

To the translation of the ancient text on the parchment, and volunteering herself for the first vote.

From beginning to end, Hannah Carter had been actively guiding the development of events.

And her “death” had turned the so-called sacrificial ritual from speculation into reality.

It forced everyone to follow the ritual’s process, trapping them in a vortex of mutual suspicion and betrayal.

And the young lady who died in the dining room and was beheaded was the personal maid mentioned during their first encounter to prevent “Rosie Moulton” from becoming suspicious: Janice Herbert.

Even though she wasn’t the original owner of this body, Rosie couldn’t help but feel a sense of sorrow in her heart at this moment.

After she transmigrated, Hannah was the person she trusted the most.

Even after her “death,” Rosie had sworn in her heart that she would definitely catch the murderer to avenge Hannah.

Until just a moment ago, Rosie still held a sliver of fantasy, hoping that the person who came out from the other side of the door would be Janice, not Hannah.

Some of the fuzzy details from when she woke up were also filled in.

Why did Rosie Moulton, a noble, go out without even a bodyguard or a maid?

And who could have knocked her unconscious without harming her at all and brought her to the old castle?

Only her closest relation, her best friend, the confidante she trusted the most.

Rosie even faintly guessed the reason why her own portrait appeared in the castle.

Nine picture frames represented the nine people in the castle.

Janice Herbert was beheaded and died.

The moment Lin Yu transmigrated and possessed her body, Rosie Moulton was also declared dead.

Their paintings were left behind because death had “imprisoned” their souls within them.

Ritual, covenant, secrecy, the supernatural.

‘Will I also lose myself in one covenant ritual after another in the future, becoming unscrupulous, single-mindedly chasing after supernatural power?’

Rosie didn’t know.

She held the revolver, her misty-blue eyes growing more resolute.

‘The future’s problems are for my future self.’

Right now, there was only one thing she wanted to do, and that was—

To blow the head off the woman in front of her with one shot!

She said slowly in her heart:

“Rest in peace, Rosie Moulton.”