An unpleasant stench hung in the air. The moment they stepped into the courtyard, Josephine's brows furrowed. She clapped a hand over her nose and mouth, repulsed by the malodor; she seldom visited such places. Jared, however, remained unperturbed; he had lived in a village for over ten years before moving to the city with his mother. No sooner had they entered the house than the shrieks of a woman from the room on their left reached their ears.

Her voice was shrill and terrifying. “Ahh! I’m going to kill you all! I’m going to execute you! I’m the queen, and I sentence you all to death!” Her screams terrified Josephine, who paled and clutched Jared's sleeve, regretting her decision to come.

Kieran opened the door, revealing an elderly woman in her sixties, her white hair framing a wrinkled face, screeching wildly. The room contained only a single bed. Upon seeing them, the woman leaped onto the bed. “Who are you? How dare you barge into my palace? I’ll have you arrested!” she bellowed, her eyes wide.

“I found someone to examine you, darling. Please calm down,” Kieran said, attempting to soothe his wife. Unexpectedly, the woman darted forward, biting him before sprinting to a corner. “Oh, well…” Kieran sighed. Jared asked, “How long has your wife been like this? Is she always mentally unstable?”

“Seven or eight days,” Kieran answered anxiously. “She isn't always unstable, but her lucid periods are becoming increasingly rare.” Jared continued, “Mr. Grange told me her condition began after your trip to the cemetery.” Kieran nodded. “That’s right. She mentioned missing our son, so I took her to visit. She started acting strangely that night.”

Walter quickly explained to Jared, “Kieran’s son died years ago in an accident.” Jared looked at Kieran and his wife with sympathy. “Losing a child later in life is tragic,” he murmured. He then asked, “Did anything unusual happen at the cemetery?”

Kieran pondered, then shook his head. “No, everything was normal.” Walter whispered, “Mr. Chance, could she be possessed?”

“Let me examine her first,” Jared replied, producing a cloth pouch containing neatly arranged silver needles. He swiftly drew a needle and approached the woman. Kieran intervened, “Be careful; she might hurt you. She doesn't recognize anyone.” Jared smiled reassuringly, “Don't worry.”

The woman lunged at him, opening her mouth to bite. Jared quickly inserted the needle into her neck. She froze, then fell back onto the bed with a thud.

Kieran rushed to his wife, shaking her frantically. Seeing she remained motionless, he panicked, shouting at Jared, “What did you do? Is she dead?”

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