Catherine looked up from her shallow contemplation at the man’s raised voice, which suggested he’d remembered something.

“I recall it was the second young master who brought in the first young master after he collapsed.”

The moment she heard this, Catherine knew something significant had occurred. Though she couldn’t be certain what event might have changed the brothers’ relationship, it clearly held some potential importance.

“Well… the weather was poor that day, and he came in soaked with rain. When I saw him carrying the unconscious first young master, I initially thought they might have been fighting.”

“Do you happen to know where he collapsed?”

“I’m not sure… The butler would probably know…”

He added that he’d heard the butler had passed away several years ago. Catherine realized he was referring to the previous butler who had died of old age. “That’s all I can remember,” the man answered, scratching the back of his neck to indicate he couldn’t recall anything more.

Catherine exhaled softly and nodded lightly in understanding. It seemed this was all the information she could gather from the gamekeeper.

* * *

【The Executioner’s Daughter】

What had happened to the Cavendish brothers that day?

After her conversation with the gamekeeper, Catherine remained preoccupied with this question. Since it had happened so long ago, she felt at a loss about how to investigate further. 

Most of the staff at Cavendish had been replaced when Saul assumed the title of earl, so the majority of current employees had worked there for a relatively short time.

Changing staff upon inheriting a title was natural, but… finding it difficult to locate anyone who knew about past events made her wonder, though it bordered on far-fetched, whether this too had been deliberately orchestrated to conceal the past.

Catherine pondered as she slowly crossed the dark corridor. Was there truly no way? Perhaps searching through staff records might reveal someone like the gamekeeper who remembered the old days. Or she might find someone connected to a person who knew about the past…

“My lady.”

The call from the girl walking behind her roused Catherine from her thoughts. She stopped and turned to look at the maid, half-submerged in the dim shadows of the corridor. The girl appeared to have been deep in thought herself, her closed lips set firmly. She spoke:

“If you don’t mind, may I look into this matter for you?”

Surprised by the girl’s sudden offer, Catherine tilted her head. Since coming to Cavendish, Catherine had kept the girl constantly by her side, but this was the first time she had volunteered such a proposal.

Typically, a lady of the house would be attended by a servant of similar age who had grown up with her. Catherine, however, had no such person and had simply accepted the staff recommended by the butler. The girl was diligent and capable despite her young age, but nothing more than that.

Catherine had been satisfied with the girl who performed her assigned tasks well enough. She expected nothing beyond that. With the girl constantly attending to Saul, there hadn’t been enough time to build the kind of trust that would prompt her to take initiative for Catherine, so it was natural not to expect it.

“I mean about when the master collapsed long ago… it seems important to you, my lady…”

Thinking she should be more specific, the girl added these words. Then she blinked carefully, watching Catherine’s reaction as though afraid she might have angered her by stepping forward unbidden.

Catherine finally realized the proposal was the girl’s own gesture of goodwill. With a gentle smile, she asked:

“Do you have a way to find out?”

The girl’s eyes widened. Even while asking, she apparently hadn’t expected a positive response. But when Catherine continued to smile warmly without pressing her, the girl’s cheeks flushed pink. Worried Catherine might withdraw her question, she quickly answered:

“Yes, of course. Actually, my aunt used to work at the castle. She might remember something.”

She married and left the castle. Now she runs a restaurant in the village. Seemingly embarrassed to be sharing personal information for the first time, the girl rambled on.

When Catherine listened quietly without interrupting, the girl, after chattering for several seconds, smiled sheepishly with lowered eyes, apparently thinking she had talked too much.

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll leave it to you then.”

“May I go send a letter right away?”

Though it was likely already dark outside and sending a letter would require waiting until morning… Catherine, finding the girl’s enthusiasm rather endearing, nodded to indicate she should do so.

“Leave it to me!”

With a bright face, the girl bowed quickly and ran off, saying she would go write the letter immediately.

Finding this charming, Catherine stood watching until the girl disappeared around the corner. Once the girl vanished from sight, Catherine began walking along the same path the girl had taken.

The way to the entrance hall remained quiet, suggesting some time remained before the end of the day’s duties. Thanks to the lamps already lit around evening time, a dim light filtered through as she passed along the corridor.

Catherine turned her gaze toward the window. Unlike when she had entered the annex, outside had already darkened completely.

She retrieved a candle and lamp from a cabinet placed at one side of the entrance hall, then struck a match to light the candle. The candles used by servants were made from cheap animal fat rather than beeswax, giving off an acrid smell.

This was quite familiar to Catherine, who had grown up as the daughter of an executioner.

That pungent odor evoked sudden memories from her past.

There were such days occasionally. In the predawn darkness, when the foolish but kind-hearted man who had taken in Catherine had to prepare to take someone’s life by his master’s order, he would get ready by the light of just one candle, fearing he might wake the young Catherine. 

When she awoke and stubbornly insisted on accompanying him, not wanting to be left alone, he would embrace her with sorrowful tenderness.

The man, lacking the heart to be stern, rarely broke Catherine’s persistence. However, he absolutely forbade her from witnessing the moment when another’s life was taken.

Even on days when he brought Catherine to his workplace, he would temporarily leave her at the guard post where the dawn shift was stationed.

Catherine found herself smiling unconsciously at the sudden memory. Once, she had secretly followed the man and witnessed the scene. That was the first time he had ever been truly angry with her.

Yet when Catherine burst into tears, he acted as though his anger had been feigned, anxiously pulling her into his arms to comfort her…

Looking back, he was truly a foolish man. Though he could hardly be called a good guardian… he had been faithful to the young Catherine, and occasionally when she remembered him, moments of deep emotion would overcome her.

But these were now idle memories. A long sigh escaped her nostrils. Catherine pushed away these sudden recollections of the past and inserted the candle into the lamp to protect it from being extinguished by the wind.

She took the lamp and went outside through the entrance door. A cool breeze swept over her for a moment. She waited briefly for the wind to subside before stepping out. Her footsteps landed heavily on the stone floor with a solid thud.

Whether due to the darkness, the wind felt even colder. Catherine walked briskly, moving between the aligned colonnade.

A dim light rose through the pitch-black darkness. For a brief moment, only the sound of her firm steps on the hard floor accompanied the low, rushing wind. Catherine raised the lamp a little higher.

The path hadn’t seemed so long when going to the annex, but the return journey felt different. Perhaps it was because of the darkness, or because she was walking carefully, watching her step.

She heard the gentle sound of stones being brushed by the wind. Halfway along the path, Catherine paused briefly. Her gaze unconsciously turned toward the chapel.

“…?”

For a moment, she thought she saw something moving in the darkness. About to continue walking, Catherine narrowed her eyes and peered into the shifting darkness. The wind blew. Branches with thin leaves swayed, making a sound like sand pouring.

It could have been the rustling of tree branches in the wind, or perhaps something glimpsed between them. Catherine blinked, lifting the lamp to illuminate the dark area. She couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination, but she felt someone’s presence nearby.

Somehow, a chilling premonition crept up from her feet. Should she call for someone? Catherine hesitated briefly. The chapel on the Cavendish grounds was a very old building. It contained many historical artifacts, so it was usually kept locked to prevent theft. It had remained closed since the end of Saul’s funeral.

Without a special reason, it was strange for anyone to be near the chapel… Then Catherine suddenly remembered seeing Samuel heading toward the chapel before darkness fell.

If she hadn’t been mistaken then, it might be Samuel, she thought. Catherine quietly addressed the darkness:

“Is someone there?”

No answer came, only the sound of the wind. She raised the lamp toward the darkness, but the light didn’t reach far enough due to the distance. Catherine carefully stepped outside the colonnade.

“Samuel?”

The dim light spread faintly, illuminating the ground beneath her feet. It was a dark night without even a fragment of starlight, let alone moonlight. Her steps toward the chapel slowed.