Vivienne wasn't quite buying what Carly was selling. After all, she had crossed paths with too many deceivers, each one cloaked in a veneer of sincerity.
Besides, with the eagle eyes of the townsfolk on them, how could they possibly let Carly sneak in messages?
Seeing Vivienne's silence, Carly grew desperate to prove her identity. "Don't you believe me? The guy you're looking to rescue isn't the mayor's son. He's an outsider, just like you!"
At Carly's words, the atmosphere around Vivienne shifted dramatically, her hand swiftly moving to Carly's throat.
"Who exactly are you?!"
The tightening grip turned Carly's face pale, her struggles growing weaker.
Just before Carly could pass out, Vivienne released her, causing Carly to collapse on the ground, gasping for air and looking up at Vivienne.
"I know you still, still have your doubts, but I'm really not like them," Carly managed to say with her remaining strength.
Vivienne pondered for a moment before giving Carly a pill. In seconds, the suffocating feeling vanished.
Looking down at Carly, Vivienne said, "Spill everything you know. If you lie, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Carly was visibly shaken by the cold determination in Vivienne's eyes. It took her a moment to nod in agreement.
"I didn't recognize him as not being Sebastian at first..."
Carly had learned the truth three years ago. She had adored Sebastian from a young age, memorizing all his likes and quirks.
When Percival first appeared, Carly, like everyone else, didn't notice anything amiss, partly because she hadn't had the chance to interact with him one-on-one.
"Even though Sebastian was involved in the drug trade, he wasn't cold to me in private. He could laugh and show emotions just like anyone else," Carly said, tears welling up in her eyes.
She had known about the mayor poisoning Sebastian and had grown close to him from that point on.
Both of them despised the gloomy atmosphere of Luck Village but felt powerless to change it.
During the two years Percival had taken Sebastian's place, Carly had little opportunity to see him, which delayed her realization that something was off. It wasn't until she finally got the chance that she instantly noticed the difference.
"I've been secretly meeting with Sebastian all these years, so the mayor and his cronies don't know about our relationship. That's how I could tell he wasn't Sebastian," Carly said, her voice choked with emotion.
She clenched and unclenched her fists, overwhelmed by painful memories.
"It took me a long time to be sure this Sebastian wasn't my Sebastian, until I heard them mention Percival. That's when it hit me; he had changed."
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