Chapter 44

[Guillotine became consumed with jealousy. His jealousy turned into obsessive madness, and he retreated back into the forest. While he occasionally came to town to sell paintings or buy necessities, Bethany never accompanied him.]  

Perhaps he wanted to prevent her from interacting with other men. He might have even confined her deliberately.  

Exchanging a brief glance with Chase, Sabrina shook her head and let out a sigh.  

[Bethany, unable to endure Guillotine’s growing suspicion and obsession, eventually disappeared one day.]  

[Disappeared?]  

[Yes. Some say she ran away, while others claim she took her own life. But…]  

The guide glanced subtly at the painting before adding,  

[The most famous rumor is that Guillotine, completely unhinged, killed Bethany. In his later years, Guillotine was reportedly not in his right mind, plagued by hallucinations and delusions.]  

So that’s why the painting is titled 『Delusion』…  

Sabrina gazed at the painting once more.  

Knowing the story, the image of the lovers dancing happily now struck her differently.  

‘A woman desperately trying to escape, and a man determined to confine her…’  

Even the painting seemed to exude an air of obsessive madness. Feeling a chill, Sabrina rubbed her goosebump-covered arms.  

[After creating this masterpiece—his most outstanding and intense work—Guillotine took his own life. This painting is both his final piece and his will.]  

The guide smoothed his mustache with a finger as he spoke.  

[Of course, being a rumor, no one knows how much of it is true.]  

Shrugging once, he began walking to the next painting, pointing it out with his hand.  

[And this piece is a self-portrait of Kruel Guillotine himself.]  

Unlike 『Delusion』, which was painted on a massive canvas with vibrant colors, this self-portrait was small and dull, painted in dark, muted tones.  

It wasn’t an eye-catching piece.  

Yet the moment Sabrina saw it, she couldn’t help but exclaim loudly,  

“This is…!”  

“…!”  

Chase, following behind her, also failed to hide his surprise.  

The two stood silently, staring at Guillotine’s self-portrait for a long time.  

Startled by their reactions, the guide stammered and asked,  

[W-What’s the matter?]  

Startled, Sabrina quickly regained her composure and smiled, shaking her head.  

[Oh, it’s nothing. Seeing the self-portrait after hearing the story left a strong impression. I find it a very striking painting.]  

[Ah! I see. Then let me explain this piece as well.]  

The man enthusiastically launched into an explanation of the painting.  

Though Sabrina nodded as if listening attentively, her gaze remained fixed on one particular part of the painting.  

‘Why is that…?’  

Her eyes were locked on the misshapen bowler hat partially obscuring Guillotine’s face.  

***

“…So it’s clear that Kruel Guillotine holds some kind of key. The images engraved on both sides of Heider’s pendant are all related to him.”  

Clayton, seated next to Sabrina in the carriage, listened to her words with a serious expression before asking,  

“Couldn’t it simply be that someone is a great admirer of his paintings?”  

Sabrina shook her head.  

“『Delusion』 might be well-known, but Guillotine’s self-portrait is one of his unpublished sketches. That specific style of bowler hat doesn’t appear in any of his other works either.”  

“Then that means…”  

“It means that the person either had a personal connection with Guillotine or, at the very least, met him while he was alive.”  

Clayton, deep in thought, asked another question.  

“Is it certain that Guillotine is dead? Could there be any chance that he’s still alive?”  

“I’ve considered that too, but it’s unlikely. As pathetic and unattractive as he was, Guillotine’s paintings were incredibly popular even during his time.”  

“Is that so?”  

Sabrina shrugged lightly.  

“Well, he was a genius after all. His body was properly identified, and his funeral was a grand public event.”  

Clayton furrowed his brow slightly.  

“When did he die?”  

“Nearly twenty years ago.”  

“Twenty years… That’s long enough for some people to still remember him.”  

Sabrina nodded.  

“Exactly. That’s why we’re heading to Delrn today.”  

She gazed out the carriage window at the tall trees rushing past and murmured,  

“I hope we can secure some important testimony…”  

The carriage carrying Sabrina and Clayton came to a slow stop on a quiet country road.  

Though they were there for an investigation, Delrn was an exceptionally beautiful rural village. The lake visible as soon as they alighted, along with the forest beyond it, immediately captured Sabrina’s attention.  

As the carriage rattled past them, kicking up a cloud of dust, Clayton subtly shielded Sabrina with his body and said,  

“Let’s get started. There are probably a lot of people we need to meet.”  

Sabrina nodded.  

“They say about a hundred households live here, and half of them are locals.”  

“That’s enough to hope for some results.”  

“I think so too.”  

The two naturally matched their strides as they walked side by side. Spending time together no longer felt awkward in the slightest.  

“We should start by meeting the village elder, right?”  

Clayton nodded in agreement at Sabrina’s suggestion.  

“They’ll likely know the most.”  

Following the villagers’ directions, they eventually found an elderly man who had lived in the village for seventy years.  

Thud, thud.  

Clayton knocked on the door, and a white-haired old man cracked it open to peer outside. Seeing Clayton’s large frame, the man stepped back cautiously and asked,  

[Who are you?]  

Sabrina presented an identification document bearing the royal seal of Sahel and said,  

[We’ve come to ask you a few questions.]  

“So, people of high status want to ask an old man in the countryside something?”  

The old man looked at them with suspicion but slowly nodded.  

“Ask away. I’ll answer what I can.”  

Sabrina stepped forward and asked,  

[Do you happen to know anything about the painter Kruel Guillotine? We’ve heard he was from this village.]  

Before Sabrina could even finish her sentence, the old man’s face lit up. He replied in a strong voice,  

[Oh, of course. I know him well. So, you’re here about Kruel?]  

[Yes. We’d like to learn about his life.]  

[If it’s about that, there’s no one better informed than me. You’ve come to the right place.]  

At the mention of Kruel Guillotine’s name, the old man’s demeanor turned exceedingly friendly. He unlatched the door and invited them inside, saying,  

[Standing around makes my legs ache. Come in.]  

After Sabrina translated the old man’s words, Clayton gave a slight nod.  

“Thank you.”  

Sabrina quickly translated Clayton’s response.  

[The house is small… I’ll have to seat you at the dining table. Sorry about that. Oh, my, where are my manners? Should I offer you some tea?]  

[No, there’s no need to serve us anything.]  

Sabrina and Clayton sat side by side at the old wooden dining table. As Clayton sat down, the worn chair creaked loudly under his weight.  

‘Is it going to collapse?’  

Concerned, Sabrina kept glancing at the chair, but Clayton, as usual, maintained his neutral expression and began the inquiry.  

“Were you close to Guillotine?”  

After Sabrina translated his question, the old man began to answer.  

[Oh, very close. I was the one who helped him find a venue for his first exhibition. I also brought him supplies like paint and necessities.]  

The old man went on at length about his relationship with Guillotine, boasting as he did so. It was hard to tell how much of it was true, and most of it wasn’t relevant to what they wanted to know, so Sabrina quickly redirected the conversation.  

[What kind of person was he?]  

[A born genius. When he was young, he scribbled on building walls with charcoal, and his work was so impressive that even the building owners didn’t say anything.]  

[And as a person?]  

[Artists are often eccentric, aren’t they? He had his quirks, but he was a timid and kind guy.]  

The old man chuckled and leaned forward suddenly, his eyes sparkling. He tapped the table with his overly long nails and asked,  

[So, why exactly are you asking all this? Won’t you tell me?]  

[Ah…]  

Sabrina smiled awkwardly, avoiding a direct answer. The old man leaned back and shrugged.  

[Well, I can guess without you telling me. You’re planning to build a memorial for Kruel, aren’t you? Quite a few visitors still come here looking for traces of him.]  

Humming a little tune, the old man suddenly asked,  

[Have you, esteemed folks, seen Kruel’s paintings in person?]  

After exchanging a brief glance with Clayton, Sabrina nodded.  

[Yes, we have.]  

[They’re truly extraordinary, aren’t they? Absolutely extraordinary! Once you see them, the colors are etched into your soul.]  

As the old man seemed ready to start praising Guillotine endlessly, Sabrina quickly interrupted.  

[By the way, Sir.]  

[Yes?]  

[The painting 『Delusion』 has a famous backstory, doesn’t it? About Guillotine and Bethany.]  

The moment the name “Bethany” slipped from her lips, the old man’s expression turned icy. Sabrina noticed the anger rising in his eyes and hurriedly added,  

[We’re only asking to thoroughly understand Guillotine’s life. If there are any misconceptions, shouldn’t they be corrected?]  

The old man’s expression softened slightly, and he cleared his throat in embarrassment.  

[Ahem, well, that’s true…]  

Bang!  

Suddenly, the old man slammed his bony fist on the table. Raising his voice, he passionately defended Guillotine as if it were a personal matter.  

[All those rumors are baseless nonsense! Do you know how well Kruel treated his wife? If anything, it was that woman who was unfaithful. Always casting flirtatious glances wherever she went—how could a husband not try to keep her in line?]  

“…”  

[She probably ran off with another man. Poor Kruel was the one who suffered. Loving such a woman cost him his precious life!]  

As the old man ranted and raved, slandering Bethany, Sabrina and Clayton exchanged a glance.  

‘Should we leave now? I think we’ve learned all we can.’  

‘Let’s go.’  

With a silent signal, the two cut the old man off politely and rose to their feet.  

[I still have so many stories to share…]  

[You’ve been immensely helpful. Thank you.]  

As they hurried out of the house, leaving the slightly disappointed old man behind, a stray comment he had made earlier resurfaced in Sabrina’s mind.  

She turned back with a smile and called out to him.

[Ah, Sir.]  

The old man raised his eyebrows as if asking what she meant.  

[You mentioned that many visitors come here searching for traces of Guillotine.]  

The old man nodded immediately.  

[That’s right.]  

[How many would you say there are?]  

The old man stroked his stiff beard as he thought for a moment before answering.  

[It must be hundreds every year. There’s no painter in Sahel more renowned than Kruel.]  

Clayton tapped Sabrina lightly and said,  

“Please ask him if any of those visitors stood out or left a strong impression.”  

Sabrina translated Clayton’s words and relayed the question.  

[Hmm, let me see.]  

The old man tilted his head in thought before answering.  

[I don’t think so. There are just too many of them to remember anyone in particular.]  

Tsk. Sabrina bit her lower lip in slight disappointment, thinking they might have uncovered something useful.  

[Understood. Thank you for your time.]