Chapter 578

The recording brought by the two little ones had been played twice in full.

It was only through this recording that Jocelyn learned about the grave incident that had taken place at home over the past couple of days.

It seemed likely that the major conflict between Frederick and Marguerite was due to Manley, wasn’t it?

But something about Manley’s words in the recording struck her as odd.

She quickly took off Hayes’ watch and held it to her ear, listening intently from the beginning.

Teresa glanced at Jocelyn and then, in a flurry, reached out her small hand to tug urgently at Frederick’s sleeve, explaining on her own initiative, “Hayes’ daddy, do you get what I’m saying now?

Manley said Mommy gave him such a headache, he started having headache! If he’s hallucinating, how come there isn’t a single scratch on his head? He must’ve been having a nightmare! It really has nothing to do with my mommy!”

Teresa was so anxious that her small face scrunched up, her delicate features looking up, as if she desperately wanted Frederick to take a stand right then and there.

But Frederick’s remained silent, with a chilling aura of authority. No one knew what he was thinking at that very moment.

Teresa, frantic that Frederick might still not believe her, was about to say something more to turn the tide.

Seeing this, Hayes quickly stepped forward to cover Teresa’s mouth and put his finger to his lips, whispering in her ear, “Daddy needs to think… he doesn’t like to be disturbed…”

Left with no other choice, Teresa reluctantly nodded. Then, the two little ones turned around together, both looking expectantly at Frederick, whose face was shadowed with coldness.

The surrounding silence was profound, only the child’s watch playback was distinctly audible.

“Your mommy hit me so hard I started hallucinating! I saw leprechauns floating before my eyes! And…

Manley’s voice in the recording stopped abruptly. It was Jocelyn who had turned it off.

She stood up and approached, seemingly with a clear answer in mind.

“Frederick, do you remember when we were down on our luck in the countryside, Mom taking you from place to place? Along the way, we passed through a village on the southern border where there was a plant that have interesting effect?”

Frederick’s eyes showed a hint of confusion. He remembered many things from his childhood quite clearly. But back then, he had been too young and his attention too limited to remember everything.

The plant his mother mentioned didn’t ring a bell.

Seeing his reaction, Jocelyn didn’t press further but immediately explained, “it was called the Dead Man’s Fingers, it’s a plant, and it’s also an edible fungus. However, I remember the locals once told me that if you eat it raw without cooking it thoroughly, it can induce disorienting hallucinations.

The most obvious symptom is that the person will experience excruciating headaches and see numerous little figures floating in the air, even feeling as though they’re part of that reality, unable to distinguish the true from the false.

And if someone approaches during the effects of the toxin, everything they see gets exaggerated and magnified by the brain, which means they can’t accurately identify who is in front of them. So, Frederick, I think Manley may have been poisoned.”