𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓𝟓: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬
“Lara, I apologize. I’ve been doing all the talking.”
“Not at all.”
ㅤ
I might not be able to help. But if it eases Lord Montyver’s burden, I’m always here to listen.
Upon hearing these words, Lord Montyver nodded, seemingly pleased.
ㅤ
“I feel bad for burdening you, so I’ll grant you a wish, Lara. What would you like?”
“Well――”
“Anything at all. Like, dispatch your husband under the cover of darkness, or socially annihilate him!”
“No, I don’t wish for my husband’s death at all.”
ㅤ
At my reply, Lord Montyver looked disappointed and slumped his shoulders.
ㅤ
“Then, how about working at the royal castle? As the exclusive tea master of Prince Ghodrove’s royal guard, the captain!”
“Isn’t that essentially being Leon-sama’s caretaker?”
“Exactly!”
ㅤ
When I declined, he covered his mouth as if shocked.
I know it’s a joke, but I wish he wouldn’t react so seriously every time.
ㅤ
At the moment, I couldn’t think of a personal wish.
But if I were to say “nothing”, Lord Montyver might take it to heart.
After some thought, I made a wish.
ㅤ
“In that case, there’s one thing I’d like you to grant —― could you help me investigate a certain incident?”
“Huh?”
ㅤ
It must have been unexpected. Lord Montyver’s smile faded as he listened to my request.
ㅤ
“Lara, what incident are you talking about?”
“It’s about the case of Miss Irma’s death.”
“Why would you want to investigate that?”
“Because the Marchioness can’t forget her death and lives in sadness.”
ㅤ
If there’s a hidden truth, I want to uncover it.
That might be the only thing I truly wish for.
ㅤ
“Lara, that was an inevitable incident. Nothing new will come out beyond what the knights have already investigated.”
ㅤ
Everyone might be assuming that, but I don’t. I shake my head in denial at Lord Montyver’s words.
ㅤ
“I feel like there’s a truth everyone is overlooking, and it bothers me.”
ㅤ
At this point, I relay to Lord Montyver the information I heard from the maid Rosa.
ㅤ
“Firstly, the biggest inconsistency is that I can’t understand why Miss Irma would go to the terrifying, dimly lit backyard lake alone at night.”
“That’s because —― I had coldly rejected her.”
“Do you think Miss Irma was a weak woman who would contemplate death over just that?”
ㅤ
From what I heard, Irma was a bright and cheerful woman, like the sun.
Even if Lord Montyver said something harsh, would she die in such a way that seemed to be caused by that?
ㅤ
“I can’t imagine that Miss Irma would choose to die in a way that corners Leon-sama.”
“Then she must have gone to the lake to brood, and accidentally slipped.”
“I don’t think that’s likely.”
“Why?”
ㅤ
If she went for a walk to clear her mind, she wouldn’t choose the backyard.
Even after telling him this, Lord Montyver tilted his head as if to say, “Is that so?”
ㅤ
“Personally, faced with the chilly outdoors and the eerie atmosphere of the backyard, I’d come to my senses, make a U-turn and dive into a warm futon.”
“It’s that a frightening place?”
“Yes. Would you like to check it once?”
“. . . . . .”
ㅤ
It seems Lord Montyver has never seen the lake where Irma’s body was found.
His face froze the moment I suggested going to the scene.
Clearly, Lord Montyver was also haunted by Irma’s death.
ㅤ
“If you’ve never been there, it’s all the more reason to go, I believe.”
ㅤ
With that, I stood up and picked some hyacinths from the garden to make a bouquet.
ㅤ
“Leon-sama, what will you do?”
“I got it. Let’s go, to Irma’s place.”
ㅤ
His voice was surprisingly firm.
Lord Montyver must have been blaming himself for Irma’s death.
ㅤ
“Lara, I’d also like to offer flowers to her. Can I pick some from the garden?”
“Yes, please do.”
ㅤ
The cottage’s garden was overrun with weeds, but upon tidying it up, I realized that several beautiful flowers had been planted there.
In such a garden, Lord Montyver was picking flowers from the North Pole.
ㅤ
With a bouquet of North Pole flowers in hand, Lord Montyver stood up, his face seemed to be free of any hesitation.
ㅤ
“Lara, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
ㅤ
Despite the clear sky, the backyard of the Marquis’ house was still gloomy.
Maybe because it rained last night, it felt even more damp.
ㅤ
“Lara, the ground is muddy, be careful as you walk.”
“Yes, I understand.”
ㅤ
This seemed to be Lord Montyver’s first time stepping into the Marquis’ backyard, and he was in awe.
ㅤ
“Even so, this place is so dark and damp.”
“The atmosphere is completely different from the front garden.”
“Yes, it must be eerie at night. Indeed, it would take a lot of courage for a woman to come here alone.”
ㅤ
It seems he understood correctly what I meant when I said it was scary to enter even during the day.
In front of the problematic lake, Lord Montyver took a deep breath.
ㅤ
“This is――.”
ㅤ
Unlike the last time I came with Rosa, beautiful snowflake flowers were blooming on the shore of the lake.
“Lara, those flowers are poisonous. It’s better not to get close.”
“Is, is that so. I didn’t know.”
ㅤ
Snowflakes were also in Duke Mendoza’s garden.
In early spring, they bloom cute small bell-shaped flowers.
ㅤ
I placed flowers for her at a place a little away from the lake.
Hoping that Irma’s soul will rest in peace, I offered a prayer with Lord Montyver.
Finally, I sprinkled some water that I brought from the house in a leather bag.
ㅤ
“Lara, what is that?”
“In Vulcano, when offering flowers to accident sites and such, we sprinkle water as a charm to keep away evil spirits.”
“Oh, I see.”
ㅤ
That was not the only purpose.
I was planning to do it at the lake, but if there are snowflakes, it’s better not to get close.
I discovered a large puddle nearby. This should convey it well enough.
ㅤ
“Leon-sama, do you know that Miss Irma was found floating in the lake?”
“I know, but what about it?”
“Isn’t it strange to be found floating the next day if she drowned in the lake?”
“. . . . . .”
ㅤ
To Lord Montyver, who tilted his head, I showed how the leather bag floats in the puddle.
Next, I dropped into the puddle the thing I had filled with puddle water in the leather bag. Then, it sank without floating.
When Lord Montyver saw this, he shuddered.
ㅤ
“That’s right. If she drowned to death, she would have drunk a lot of water, and her body should sink to the bottom of the water. So Irma――?!”
ㅤ
There is only one reason for a corpse to be found floating.
ㅤ
“She was killed by someone, and then thrown into the lake.”
ㅤ
Who on earth killed Irma?
Finding the perpetrator was our task.
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