The secret of heritage

Part 5

Reflecting on my next steps, I decided to organize something special for my guests. I planned to host a fake birthday celebration.

This seems like a simple way to gather information without drawing too much attention to my true intentions.

The idea is to create an atmosphere of festive relaxation, where everyone feels comfortable and carefree. I plan to serve wine as part of the celebration and fill the table with delicious food that everyone will enjoy.

With such a setup, I hope people in this atmosphere will be more open and less restrained.

This will give me the opportunity to learn more about each of them, understand who they are, and what their true intentions are.

After all, in a festive setting, when everyone is relaxed and under the influence of alcohol, their true thoughts and feelings might be much easier to discern. I believe this plan might work. I hope I can extract useful information hidden behind the mask of a festive mood.

This is my chance to figure out who these new inhabitants of my estate are and what their true motives are. It could be the first step toward unraveling all the mysteries surrounding me in this castle.

I went down to the kitchen and explained everything to my staff. A man named Liam, who has worked here for many years, calmly asked:

— It's not your birthday today, Evelyn, so why are you hosting a party?

— Hello, Liam, I hope I can ask you for a favor.

— Of course.

I was impressed that he knew today was not my birthday. Although I understand that he could have familiarized himself with all the documents about me, remembering details down to the date was too much.

I decided to address him directly:

— Liam, I heard some things from my new acquaintances, and I need to organize this party to loosen their tongues.

— Are you in danger?

— I haven't figured it out yet, but don't worry, I just want to ask you for something. — As always, you can count on me, — Liam replied.

— Liam, I want to ask you something.

— Yes, I'm listening.

— You knew my aunt Isabella well. I'm curious to know more about her. You raised her from childhood, so please tell me what she was like.

Liam pondered for a moment, and only after a short pause did he reply:

— Hmm, your aunt was quite the mischief-maker in her childhood. I remember how she often quietly ate the cake I baked especially for her birthday, without even waiting for the guests.

He smiled warmly and continued:

— And every time I had to bake a new cake, not just for the guests but for her too, because she would always eat it. And whenever I told her, "Let me bake another cake you can eat at night, and we'll leave the other one for the guests that you haven't tried yet," she would just laugh.

Liam couldn't help but smile as he recalled those moments.

— What kind of cake did she like?

— Isabella loved chocolate cake.

— I love that cake too, and also carrot cake.

— Carrot is an excellent choice, Evelyn; should I make it for your party?

— That would be wonderful, thank you, Liam; make the chocolate one too.

— What time should everything be ready on the table?