Liar Liars

Mattheus nonetheless waited until there was no chance of them being interrupted, well into the evening, before bringing up the topic again.

"Brue."

"What is it?" the cat inquired as she reclined on the foot of the bed.

He moved a chair before setting it down so he could face his friend. Sitting down, he leaned forward, hands clasped as he started.

"There was no chemical imbalance that could be conceivably connected to mood disorders. Her endocrine system is working as it should have been under the circumstances and the activity in her brain is normal. And by circumstances, most of the elevated or low readings could be explained by her… frankly mangled uterus and the recently healed incision on her lower abdomen—a surgical scar. Whoever did the c-section patched up the uterus as best they could but it probably would have been more logical to have removed it considering the damage."

Mattheus considered a moment as he tried to visually recall what his ability told him.

"This is a guess… but Nina Grant having had her first child a few years ago without complications was a bit of a miracle. Her uterus showed trauma of actual tearing in addition to the surgical cut. It's why I use the word 'mangled.'"

Mattheus grimaced a little bit. He was a man but just trying to imagine himself being in Nina's place when the trauma happened made him cringe.

"Now," Mattheus said after telling Brunilda the assessment he made of Nina Grant. "Why did you ask if something was off?"

"Why did you reply in a negative when I asked earlier is more important," Brunilda returned. "What you just said makes it obvious there is something wrong with Nina Grant!"

The youngest Crown ignored the cat turning a bit huffy, only replying, "You asked if something was wrong and I said nothing was wrong with her because it was the truth."

Brunilda groaned, covering her furry face with both paws. "The fact there was nothing wrong suggests there's something wrong. You came here to cure a psychological condition. William Grant wouldn't have said it in such a way if it were just physical trauma. While the medical advances in this country are decent if not amazing, the treatment of mental illness is very true to the horror stories of the history we know."

"Yeah, I know."

Mattheus knew, which was why he had been wondering what to tell the General when he got back to the capital.

"She just does not appear like a grieving mother and widow from my experience," Brunilda stated.

"I am not experienced enough to read the nuances yet to say whether the altered levels of certain chemicals meant she was feeling sad—especially since I don't have a baseline to compare to—but doesn't the fact she cried from joy after I healed her suggest Nina Grant did feel unhappy before?"

Brunilda just sat up, tail flicking in agitation. "Do you not find it odd," she seemed to consider each of her words carefully, taking the effort to clearly enunciate the words while speaking slowly. "Do you not find it odd that she was so happy about being able to become pregnant again… when she was a widow?"

Mattheus blinked and parted his mouth, completely blanking out as he registered what his friend said.

"… Maybe her husband came back as a ghost," he returned before immediately realizing what a dumb thing he said.

He'd been half-suspecting the place was haunted from how Brunilda, in the form of a cat, kept talking about feeling something wrong while he felt nothing in contrast. Eventually, he realized Brunilda was not referring to the supernatural but he still had the idea in his mind—at least subconsciously—considering what he blurted out just now.

Brunilda looked to the ceiling before swaying her small head. She just basically rolled her eyes at him, didn't she?

"Or Nina Grant might have a lover squirreled away," his friend suggested a more realistic explanation.

"Oh. That would make more sense than a dead husband come back to life."

"Yes," Brunilda replied in amusement. Then she continued. "The next time you talk to her, I think you should ask about her late husband and William Grant—her father, I mean. We should try to see how she feels about them since Nina Grant might not have had a choice but to marry the man her father picked out."

Mattheus frowned.

"And while some couples in arranged marriages eventually fell in love, it wasn't guaranteed she did even if everyone said he was very kind, gentle, and doting to her for a man who married into the family." Her fluffy tail swayed. "Honestly, considering William Grant, it's not even guaranteed Nina Grant grew up expecting to be married in such a way. With how some of the maids have low opinions of her, I wonder if she was taught correctly as a noble lady."

He wondered how Brunilda would know what was expected of a Lady before recalling she spent weeks around the Duchess Sophily.

Still, Mattheus noticed a hole in her idea and pointed it out. "Nina Grant is fairly isolated though. So how could she have a lover without others noticing the visitor?"

Wait.

As soon as he voiced the rather logical question, he immediately had the potential answer pop into his mind: it might be someone in the estate itself.

At the same time, Brunilda replied. "Yvette has been hiding a secret, remember. And it can be someone that stays or often visits the manor."

"Ah, yeah. I just realized that," Mattheus commented.

"It might even be Benjamin Michaels. He visits her sometimes to keep her company and is around the right age. He's much younger compared to some of the other assistants." She hummed. "It might also explain why he's so wary of your presence."

"What do you mean?" Dark brows furrowed in confusion. While he had noted Michaels had been uncomfortable around him, he couldn't figure out what that had to do with their current topic of conversation.

"You're young, good-looking, and a nobleman. Most of all, you come at the recommendations of William Grant."

Mattheus did a full-body twitch. He pulled a face considering how Brunilda just implied he might be mistaken as a prospective replacement for the late husband of Nina Grant.

Worst of all, the young man realized how much of a catch he seemed on paper, so couldn't immediately deny it. He was a Crown and then there was his healing ability to consider.

He frowned, feeling very troubled.

Silver eyes met the vivid green eyes of his feline-shaped friend. "Brue…"

"Hm?"

"… Do you think the General lied to get me to meet his daughter for… that reason?"

Brunilda stared back for a long moment. Then the cat started rolling around with limbs flailing about.

"Brue?" Mattheus was alarmed for a second before he realized what might be happening. "Are you laughing at me?" he accused, already feeling embarrassment heat his cheeks.

Loud feminine laughter echoed in his skull, adding to his humiliation.