It took Seth a moment to process everything.
The pieces were starting to form a clearer, and much more dangerous picture.
He looked at Phoebe, who was watching him with a hesitant expression.
"From everything you've told me... I can guess that the matter you want help with is revenge against the people who wronged your father and your family?"
Phoebe blinked, looking genuinely surprised.
"Ah? How did you know..."
Seth's lips twitched.
He managed to stop himself from saying what he was thinking...
'Based on the fact that your power is literally the Sin of Revenge and you just told me a tragic story about your dad, I'm pretty sure any normal person could guess that.'
Instead, he just shrugged.
"It makes sense, given your abilities."
Phoebe was silent for a long moment, her gaze dropping to her hands.
She seemed to be gathering her courage.
"Truth be told, even with all my connections and the power I have, I have a feeling my chances of success are extremely low. It feels almost impossible."
She said with a quieter voice.
She looked up at him, her expression open and surprisingly honest.
"So... you're free to back out of helping me. If you ever feel it's too much, or too dangerous, I won't hold it against you. I want you to be the one to decide."
Seth pondered this.
Her offer was fair, and it showed she wasn't trying to force him in heading into danger.
He needed to match that fairness.
"I'll help."
He said finally.
"But in ways that make sense for my skills. I'll gather information, I'll be your lookout. But if things truly get too dangerous, I will prioritize my own safety."
"I just came back to life and I'm not in a rush to lose it again."
He met her eyes.
"The same goes for you investigating my resurrection. If it becomes too risky for you, you are also free to back out anytime. It's a partnership, not a life debt."
A small, genuine smile touched Phoebe's lips.
She seemed relieved by his directness.
Phoebe took a deep breath.
"My last name is Tangen. The Tangen family is... complicated. We're supported by my aunt, Josephine. Her husband owned several successful hotels outside the country. After he passed away, she inherited all of them—the properties, the businesses, everything."
She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve.
"You have to understand, in this city, things are still very traditional. There are laws, yes, but many people, especially in the upper classes, still hold misogynistic views. A woman running such a large business on her own? It was a constant struggle for her."
"Many of the other investors and business partners didn't take her seriously. That's why she started to value the family's public image so highly. She needed to present a strong, perfect, and respectable front to the world to keep control of her hotels."
Phoebe continued, her voice softening with memory.
"Originally, it was my father who was supposed to be her right-hand man. He was kind, honest, and everyone liked him. A month before he was supposed to be officially given the rights to manage a few of the hotels, a strange infectious disease spread through our neighborhood."
She described the symptoms with a clinical detachment that couldn't hide the pain in her eyes.
"It was a horrible sickness. It started with uncontrollable vomiting and high fever. Then, for some, it led to a sudden paralysis of the limbs. The doctors called it Apoplexy—a sudden impairment of neurological function. They said it was a rare but severe complication from the illness."
"It did not make sense to me because Apoplexy is not infectious... so I highly suspect there were other things at play here."
Seth could see where this was going.
"The sickness affected your father as well?"
He stated quietly.
Phoebe nodded in confirmation.
"Yes. He survived, but it left him with a severe speech impairment. He could barely form a sentence. His words were slurred and difficult to understand."
She looked at Seth, her eyes pleading for him to understand the injustice.
"He had a gentle heart and a real will to help our family. My Aunt Josephine saw that. But with his speech... he became 'unsuitable' in the eyes of those snobby business partners. He was humiliated."
She continued, her voice turning cold.
"During this time my uncle, Fredero, saw his chance. He had always been jealous of my father. He started a campaign to ruin him. He spread rumors that my father's mind had been damaged by the fever, that he was incompetent. He turned other family members against him."
"Every time my father tried to speak in public, my uncle and his friends would mock him, laughing at his stuttered words. They destroyed his reputation, his status, and his spirit."
Phoebe's hands were clenched into fists in her lap.
"My father... he was a proud man. To be broken down like that, piece by piece, in front of everyone he knew... he couldn't take it. He ended his own life."
She finally let out a shaky breath, the raw emotion she usually kept hidden now clear on her face.
"It's not fair. It's not fair that these bastards get to live happy lives in their big house while my father is gone. He was a good man. He didn't deserve any of it."
Seth let the silence hang for a moment, respecting her grief.
Then, he began to analyze her story logically.
"From what you're saying, I can vaguely guess that you can't just curse them to death... I'm guessing your uncle also has his own connections to witches?"
He vaguely recalled the name 'Priestess Putrescence' from their eavesdropping.
Phoebe's frown deepened into a scowl.
"It's worse than that."
She admitted.
"It seems my uncle and his entire family... they are all witches. My uncle Fredero, his wife Alisha, and even his daughter Alyanna. I don't know for sure about my cousin Anthony, but it's safe to assume he is one too."