Nothing else could explain how Aldrich had come up with the outcome.
Nothing else could explain how he reached from failure of some potion to a secret known to very selected few in Meuric's family.
Nothing else but Aldrich's identity as a spy.
And Aldrich had no mood to explain the truth behind his statement, either. He looked at Meuric without blinking, making Meuric's throat drier and drier. There was no smile on Aldrich's face, but in the darkness, it seemed as if he was grinning.
Words rang out in Meuric's ears just as this evil grin felt to make him lose his mind.
"No, I am not a spy. Heh! Can't you see my condition?!"