| 9

After finishing the inspection of goods to be loaded onto the dock, Kirhin sent the carriage away and stretched out. It was already getting close to evening. He was incredibly hungry.

He wasn’t actually the type of person who diligently performed tasks, but he was gradually getting used to it. Most of it was due to Lars’s stern gaze, but Lucienne also played a part.

Watching the once-ignorant girl make remarkable progress from the sidelines made him feel like he couldn’t just remain as he was.

Recalling those ash-gray eyes whose thoughts were difficult to guess, Kirhin slowly turned around. At the end of his gaze was the terrace where Laurel had fallen.

A coroner had visited the mansion yesterday, but that was merely a procedure following convention. What mattered most to him wasn’t revealing the truth but rather the intentions of Kirhin, a man of power. Seeing Kirhin firmly seated beside Lucienne throughout, he seemed to have decided not to dig too deeply.

‘The floor might have been slippery, so it would be best to clean it properly to prevent slipping.’

That was the conclusion he reached.

‘But Carrie said she saw Miss’s green dress there.’

Sofia was the one who interjected. She pushed Carrie’s shoulder, who was hanging her head low. Carrie was shrinking her shoulders, terrified.

Kirhin frowned, but Lucienne spoke first.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Pardon?’

‘Are you sure it was my dress?’

Her voice wasn’t loud, but somehow it captivated everyone’s ears. Carrie, who had sharply inhaled, moved her lips.

‘B-but, the only person who wears a dress of that color in this mansion is Miss……’

‘That’s not what I’m asking.’

Lucienne’s tone was calm.

‘What you’re saying now could mean that I pushed Laurel’s back. It’s a statement that could make someone a murderer. So remember as best as you can and tell me.’

She unfolded the dress she had placed beside her. It was the green dress she had worn that day, with a smooth luster flowing beautifully and vividly.

‘Whether what you saw was this dress. This material, this shine, this color—look carefully and tell me.’

Carrie looked like she wanted to run away. Lucienne never pressured her, but Carrie wasn’t bold enough to withstand the pressure directed at her.

‘Well……’

With trembling hands clutching her skirt, Carrie bowed her head deeply.

‘I’m not sure. It was g-green, and since Miss was wearing a green dress that day…’

Kirhin sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

‘Enough. You didn’t see a face, nor did you see anyone pushing. How reckless to say such things. It seems it really was an accidental slip. Let’s conclude it as such.’

‘No.’

The coroner, who had been readily getting up from his seat, flinched and turned his head.

‘It’s impossible for someone to slip and fall from that terrace.’

It was Lucienne who spoke. With a smile as cold as frost-bitten flowers, she added,

‘Laurel was taller than me. The railing of the terrace comes up to my waist. Unless the railing fell with her, she couldn’t have just fallen. Someone…’

‘……’

‘Lifted her two legs and pushed her. That’s what I mean.’

At that moment, it felt as if someone had poured a huge bucket of cold water over everyone. Kirhin noticed that Lucienne’s gaze was fixed on Nina. Nina was also looking down at her with her usual expressionless face, but somehow her cheeks seemed strangely rigid.

‘Ahem. So what Miss means is……’

‘There’s a murderer. In this mansion.’

While the coroner was clearing his throat in confusion at the unexpected turn of events, Lucienne continued.

‘I’m not sure if that person’s target was only Laurel, so I’d appreciate it if the investigation continued. I must find out why someone tried to frame me.’

Thinking that things were becoming troublesome, the coroner looked at him for guidance. Kirhin, who had been furrowing his brow, looked at Lucienne. She was gazing at him with clear, unwavering eyes.

……Why does she suspect Nina? And with such certainty.

Was there something I don’t know about?

‘Miss’s opinion seems reasonable, what do you think?’

At the coroner’s cautious question, Kirhin glanced at Nina. Come to think of it, there was another incident a few years ago where a maid died in an accident. Though it was concluded as an accident, he knew there were rumors connecting Nina to it. But he hadn’t paid much attention to it.

‘Yes. If it’s murder and not an accident, it needs to be investigated.’

Nina’s gaze, which had been on Lucienne, momentarily shifted to him. But it was only for a moment; she soon returned to her expressionless face, staring into space.

‘Then let’s hear more about it. Carrie? What was the situation when you came out?’

The conversation continued, but Kirhin was lost in his own thoughts. About what he had missed.

He had intended to ask Lucienne about it depending on the situation, but he was too busy and didn’t have the time. Moreover, today she had gone out with a maid for a change of mood and hadn’t returned yet.

“Honestly. She should be back before sunset at least. How long does she intend to wander around?”

As he was debating between going to the city to look for her and his increasingly intense hunger, he heard the sound of hooves from somewhere. The carriage Lucienne had taken was returning.

Speak of the devil.

With a slight smile, he went out to greet them. As soon as the carriage door opened at the mansion entrance, Maya jumped out.

Surprisingly, she was alone, and even more surprisingly, her small, distorted face was covered in tears. With an ominous feeling, Kirhin rushed over.

“Where’s Lucy?”

“M-master. That……”

Having cried the entire time, her cheeks were frozen from the cold, and fresh tears had frozen over them, making her entire face bright red. Not even aware of her running nose, she sobbed and barely managed to speak.

“Miss has disappeared.”

“What? What are you saying? Disappeared?”

“I, I think she’s been k-kidnapped……”

“What did you say?”

Shocked to the point his eyes might pop out, Kirhin grabbed Maya’s shoulders.

“Tell me properly. Who was taken and how?”

“She went to meet a butcher, and she told me to meet her after an hour, but when she didn’t show up for a long time, I w-went to find the man, but he said she had left a while ago……”

“I can’t understand a thing! Why would Lucy meet such a person?”

Supporting Maya, who seemed to be losing strength in her legs, Kirhin shook her body.

“Explain quickly, Maya!”

“Miss went to investigate Laurel’s death. Since Laurel had been meeting that butcher frequently lately, she went to meet him, but she disappeared after that. The man was also confused and we searched the area for a while, but in a secluded alley, this was……”

Maya, who was trembling pitifully, held out Lucienne’s fur muffler that she had been fond of wearing recently. Feeling the blood drain from his face, Kirhin was momentarily unable to move.

Even if she’s fearless, to go alone to a place crawling with those beast-like men!

“I need to meet that butcher. Take me there immediately. Brook! Brook! Gather some strong men and send them to the street where the butchers are! Hurry! Lucienne has disappeared!”

Startled, Brook began to gather people. The once-quiet Bickman mansion was suddenly engulfed in chaos.

* * *

“……must…… find…… to live……”

What woke me up was the freezing cold rising from the floor. My eyes didn’t open at once. I felt a headache as if a giant was pressing both sides of my head with his palms.

My body felt strange. I couldn’t move my hands or feet at will, but only my open ears were busy collecting sounds.

“……yes, kill them all! Kill them all! All those who made me like this! This won’t do. This won’t. This won’t. This won’t.”

The man’s voice, repeating like a chant, was the same one I had heard just before collapsing. Though my heart seemed to pound with anxiety, I calmly composed myself and opened my eyes slightly.

Flickering candles illuminated parts of a small room. The room, dominated by cold, was no different from outside. It looked more like a storage room than a proper room. Various boxes were placed here and there on the stone floor.

The giant gripped my head again, ready to crush it. It was difficult not to furrow my brow. Now dwarves were noisily beating drums inside my head. As I took a deep breath to suppress the headache, I suddenly retched and doubled over.

“Ugh!”

When the sweet smell permeating the room entered my nostrils, the giant and dwarves went berserk. I struggled, covering my mouth and curling up. My stiffened limbs hurt as if they had been beaten. Hot tears streamed down the corners of my eyes.