Haunted by the realization that Charles was Edmund’s cousin, Loredana finds a four-year-old photo of the two boys with their fencing instructor, the notorious death duelist Julian Lake. She recalls the resemblance in the two cousins’ fencing styles and berates herself for not interpreting these clues earlier. 

Beset by her worries over whether to tell Edmund the truth, Loredana arrives late to a study session at his suite, where he greets her with a loving smile, unaware of her secret. Dickie later reveals that Edmund is planning to ask Loredana to stay in his entourage permanently. This news places her in a bind; on one hand, she can’t accept such an offer while hiding the truth about Charles, but on the other hand, she fears that leaving without explanation will prompt Edmund to discover the truth for himself. Knowing that he should hear the truth from her, she resolves to confess, even if it means losing him.

Loredana decides to tell Edmund about Charles on Founders Day during his private yacht party on the Luminescent Lake. In the meantime, she and Dickie play croquet in the rose gardens of the Green Dormitory as he quizzes her for their Civilized World History exam.