Chapter 2.8

Her hair, which had been cut by someone, was uneven in several places. Azrael couldn’t help but recall the gift box containing her hair and the red number that had been hidden beneath the handkerchief. 

“…Young Lady.” 

“Sir Azrael… I—” 

Beatrice leaned out of the bed, but suddenly lost her balance and collapsed toward Azrael. He instinctively reached out to catch her. 

The sound of bodies colliding echoed through the room as the two ended up tangled together. The thin fabric of the bedcover crumpled and shifted, their legs entwined. Azrael couldn’t bring himself to push her away, barely managing to avert his gaze. 

“Azrael.” 

Her low voice came from close by, her breath brushing against his neck. Azrael cautiously raised his eyes to look at her. 

Her crimson eyes trembled precariously, and the moment he met them, he found himself involuntarily holding his breath. 

Beatrice quietly observed his reaction. Azrael was still unaware of her relationship with the Crown Prince. To ensure he began to see her as more than just a victim of the case, she knew she had to reveal certain things. 

The distance between them closed significantly, and then, their lips met. 

Neither of them closed their eyes, the moment passing in an instant. Beatrice pulled back and offered a sorrowful smile. 

It was a look Azrael had never seen before. For a moment, he stared at her as though spellbound, unable to tear his gaze away. 

“Just a little… Just a tiny bit is enough…” 

She murmured softly, lowering her head to bury it against Azrael’s neck. Her expression was hidden from his view. 

She deliberately exhaled shakily, as though carefully choosing her words. It wasn’t difficult to feign fragility convincingly. 

“Can’t you pity me just a little?” 

Beatrice understood the power of sympathy. She believed that someone as kind and compassionate as Azrael, a man who could empathize and grieve for the weak, would not be able to ignore such a plea. 

A long silence followed. Azrael couldn’t understand why she was saying such things or what he was supposed to say in response. 

He gently held her shoulders and helped her sit back on the bed. Picking up the blanket that had fallen to the floor, he draped it over her to hide her disheveled appearance. 

“…Young Lady, is Adam Mason the only one guarding you?” 

“Yes… Since this is a villa, the staff has always been minimal. I don’t usually keep other servants around.” 

“The number of staff does seem small. Such circumstances can invite danger. You need more protection, so I’ll assign trustworthy members of the investigation team to guard you.” 

“Is that really okay? I don’t think I can use investigators as my personal guards…” 

“You’re being threatened due to this case. As the head of the investigation team, this is the obvious choice.” 

Azrael stood up and briefly checked his uniform to ensure it hadn’t been disheveled. His mind felt suddenly chaotic, as though overwhelmed by a flood of thoughts. After a moment’s hesitation, he added, 

“And… I won’t report this to His Highness immediately. If you face danger again in the future, I won’t have a choice, but for now…” 

“I understand. I’m used to situations where there’s no choice.” 

“…I see.” 

“Sorry for saying strange things all of a sudden. It’s just… It’s been so long since I’ve met someone like you…” 

Beatrice murmured as she fiddled with the edge of the blanket Azrael had wrapped around her. He hesitated for a moment, then bowed his head in farewell and left the estate. 

The feeling of knowing nothing at all shook him to his core. 

When Azrael returned to the temporary investigation headquarters, he remained dazed throughout the day. Unlike his usual self, he seemed unable to focus on the case, even when reports were submitted. 

The investigators began whispering among themselves, wondering if something had happened to him. Eventually, Carlson approached Azrael cautiously and asked, 

“Commander, is something troubling you?” 

“Carlson. You…” 

Azrael’s gaze briefly met Carlson’s before drifting away. 

“…No, never mind. You wouldn’t be able to offer advice on this.” 

“Oh, come on! Stopping mid-sentence is one of the most infuriating things you can do! What are you trying to say?” 

“But I can’t exactly ask you about noble gossip or internal affairs, can I?” 

“Well… That’s true, but still…” 

Carlson fell silent, his expression growing serious as he stared at Azrael. As a commoner, he could do little more than listen. No matter how much Azrael revealed about noble affairs, Carlson’s understanding of it would always be limited. 

The tension in the commander’s office rose as the number of serious faces increased to two. Then, someone knocked on the door. 

It was Liam, the youngest investigator, who entered. He was one of the few noble members of the second investigation team. 

“Commander, I’ve brought the report…” 

“The report isn’t the priority right now. Sit down for a moment.” 

“Huh? What’s going on?”

Liam, holding the report, hesitantly walked over to sit before Azrael. It was obvious that he found it difficult to face Azrael directly. Carlson watched the two with a curious expression, leaning in slightly. 

“Sir Liam Spencer, do you happen to know anything about the rumors circulating in the social circles?” 

“Social circles? I’m not entirely unaware. My older sister happens to be well-informed in that area.” 

“That’s fortunate. If you know anything about the relationship between His Highness the Crown Prince and Miss Delphinium, I’d appreciate it if you could share.” 

Ever since the incident, Azrael’s lingering question had been the title of “the Crown Prince’s lover.” Normally, someone holding such a title would reside in the capital and continue their relationship. 

However, Beatrice was staying at her family’s villa in the countryside. Despite concerns for convenience or safety, the number of servants was remarkably small, and her guard consisted of only one person. After the kidnapping incident, it would have been logical to increase the number of guards, but no such measures had been taken. 

The report on Beatrice’s disappearance and kidnapping had already been submitted to higher authorities. It was certain that the Crown Prince had been informed, as well as Earl Delphinium. Yet, neither party had provided any response. It was as if the incident had never occurred in the first place. 

In the midst of this situation, Beatrice had asked Azrael not to report to the Crown Prince. Shortly afterward, she had acted as if she might collapse at any moment and even kissed him. The sequence of events was difficult to comprehend. 

Azrael unconsciously touched his lips. It seemed necessary to learn more about Beatrice Delphinium. 

“This is a story that all nobles in the capital are familiar with, but since Sir Carlson is here, I’ll explain from the beginning. His Highness the Crown Prince and Miss Delphinium have been in a romantic relationship since childhood.” 

Years ago, the story began when Earl Delphinium visited the imperial palace. While the Earl was occupied with work, he instructed Beatrice to explore the gardens. Wandering the gardens alone, Beatrice eventually lost her way and ended up near the Crown Prince’s quarters. 

Naturally, she encountered the Crown Prince there. The Crown Prince fell for Beatrice at first sight and began courting her. Although the social circles dismissed it as a childish first love, the Crown Prince continued to express his affection for Beatrice persistently over the years. 

He sent her gifts and requested dances whenever they met at social gatherings, to the point where no other young noblemen dared to propose to her. Eventually, the two officially became a couple. 

“That much I already know. But I’ve heard that Miss Delphinium doesn’t attend social gatherings often.” 

“That’s true, but it’s a more recent development. She used to appear frequently when she was younger. After the two became a couple, she gradually stopped attending social events.” 

“Wouldn’t she socialize with other young ladies her age?” 

“Not at all. Even when invitations for tea parties were sent to her, there was no response. However, she still attended significant parties or banquets as His Highness’s partner.” 

Beatrice had mentioned that she wasn’t interested in jewelry or dresses. This could explain her lack of interest in social circles, but it didn’t seem to be the sole reason. 

“When did the rumors about them officially being a couple start?” 

“Well… That would be about two years ago. There was another serial murder case back then, wasn’t there? It happened after that case was resolved.” 

Publicly, it appeared that the Crown Prince’s formal courtship and Beatrice’s acceptance took place after the empire had stabilized. However, there was an unspoken detail about the Lily Serial Murder Case: some speculated that the case had been a warning directed at the Crown Prince. 

At the time, most nobles were well aware of Beatrice Delphinium’s existence. Typically, royal engagements were tied to political matters. 

But this situation was somewhat different. The Emperor hadn’t directly opposed the Crown Prince’s courtship. Many speculated that this was due to the long-standing connection between the two or because Beatrice was the daughter of an Earl. 

Regardless, the Crown Prince’s courtship was public and became a thorn in the side of nobles vying for the position of Crown Princess. Some suspected that one of these nobles had intentionally orchestrated the incident. 

However, the captured suspect was a commoner. There were rumors that he had been manipulated into committing the crime and discarded like a pawn. 

Considering Robert Medley’s testimony, this theory seemed plausible. Though buried for now, the Lily Serial Murder Case was unlikely to be a simple matter.