The next day.
“Seems like it’s not exhaustion, but… By any chance, did you feed my brother something nasty out of spite? You shouldn’t make him suffer even if you dislike him, right?”
“Oh, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t have a meal with him yesterday. I never expected him to throw up on the street like that. Maybe I was a bit too harsh…”
As Lark found a moment amidst his busy schedule, he was taken aback by the question from Rubette, who had come to see him as promised.
“Was it really severe? What did you talk about?”
“It’s nothing important.”
Rubette stared intently at Lark, who shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, and then let out a deep sigh. “You’ve been investigating my family, and it’s about time you tell me, too.”
“Ah, well…”
“You probably don’t want to tell me for my own sake. I might be shocked and end up vomiting on the streets like my brother.”
In response to Rubette’s keen deduction, Lark scratched his cheek awkwardly.“I appreciate your efforts all this time, even though you don’t need to concern yourself with this. I’ll be waiting while preparing myself.”
“Why wouldn’t I concern myself with it? Your problems are my responsibility now.”
“Heh.”
“Oh, and… Can you tell the duke to visit the palace sometime this week? I need to discuss things with him and requests to make.”
“You’re talking about my dad, right?”
“Yes. It’s awkward for me to contact him directly and tell him to come, so… I’d appreciate it if you could ask him.”
Rubette nodded in understanding as she watched Lark with an embarrassed smile. “But what kind of things do you want to discuss?”
“…”
“I’m guessing he might be shocked and return like my brother, right?”
Lark chuckled bitterly.
“It’ll be fine if you’re by his side, Princess.”
“I’ll make sure of that.”
It wasn’t difficult to deduce that all the suspicions had turned out to be true. Not wanting to pry open Lark’s mouth to confirm the facts, Rubette simply smiled and got up.
“Um.”
As she was about to leave the room, she leaned in, pressing her lips to the tip of her index finger, and then placed it on Lark’s lips.
“…?”
Rubette chuckled as she saw Lark’s surprised and dazed expression. “We’re still business partners, so let’s keep the physical affection to a minimum. I have a meeting with some traders in the afternoon, so I’ll leave first. See you later.”
“Uh, okay.”
“Goodbye for now. You too, Ren~” Waving her hand in farewell, Rubette swiftly left the office like a breeze.
Lark, who had been standing there in a daze for a while, cleared his throat and straightened up. Then, he passed by Ren, whose shoulders were slumped.
“I envy you…”
“Hmm, stop with the useless chatter.”
Forcing a smile and suppressing the corners of his mouth that kept rising, Lark walked past Ren.
In one corner of the office, there stood a massive stone tablet covered with a cloth.
“Let’s get to work.”
Startled by Rubette’s sudden appearance, Ren had covered the stone tablet with a makeshift cloth. Lark swiftly removed the cloth. The stone tablet was filled with evidence of numerous crimes.
Rows of densely written text. Someone’s name. Photographs. Several sheets of paper…
Molga Diollus = The lady of Bert County, Molga Bert
Count Bert, Gail Bert = The younger brother of Molga Diollus, helper = ‘shaman’
Benjamin Herman = Family physician of Duke Diollus, bribed, accomplice (captured, imprisoned)
With sinking eyes, Lark’s gaze stopped at one particular spot.
2nd Prince, Nathan.
Collaboration with the ‘shaman’. Traces of rare ingredients used by the shaman were found on the Bert estate.
The shaman is presumed to be Gail Bert.
Their connection likely began when Gail Bert operated an illegal shop to make money.
Later, Nathan, the 2nd Prince, requested Gail Bert’s assistance in a scheme to usurp the throne…
“If we hadn’t followed Molga, this person…”
“Uncovering the shaman’s true identity would have been difficult.”
Lark responded to Ren’s shivering words.
The shaman who had been coerced into confessing to expedite Rubette’s isolation, of course, was a decoy. However, they had only suspected that the shaman was an imposter. Finding the real culprit seemed challenging…
“Why do villains always stick together like this? Well, it saves us from having to work twice.”
An unexpected discovery came to Lark while investigating the Bert estate as they pursued Molga. There were numerous unnamed herbs in Gail Bert’s secret herb garden on the Bert estate. The ingredients of the elusive ‘shaman’ potion that had been impossible to trace. The components of it…
Gail Bert
Ren tapped his name on the stone tablet. “If we can make this guy confess, we won’t even need to investigate further; we can just throw the 2nd Prince in jail.”
Lark then sighed with fatigue and lowered his head. “If he confesses, it’s a death sentence, and if he sticks to silence, the 2nd Prince, who doesn’t want to die with him, will somehow find a way… “
“…”
“If it were me, I’d stick to it until the end. Getting him to talk won’t be easy. Even with twenty fingers and toes, he won’t open his mouth. And…”
Ren nervously pulled at his hair. “If it comes out that we interrogated him like that, no matter how much of a scoundrel he is, it will tarnish our reputation, right?”
“Yes, so let’s ensure we get him to talk gracefully without any harm.”
“…Huh? How?”
“We need some help.” Lark stretched his body, relieving a stiff neck.
“Help? From whom?”
“Didn’t you hear earlier? We’re going to ask Duke Diollus for help.”
“Huh? Diol… urk…” Ren’s mouth snapped shut. “You mean… the duke’s spirit?”
“Yeah.”
“This is insane… cruel. Why have you become so cruel?”
“Cruel? What’s cruel about it?” Lark frowned and turned to Ren sharply. “After what they’ve done, you think those bastards should peacefully end in hell?”
“Well, no, but…” Ren glanced at Lark with a pale expression and shivered as he traced the names on the stone tablet.
“Well, there you go. Hanging would be a better fate.”
In the laws of the Descarde Empire, the most severe punishment for those who committed serious crimes was execution by hanging.
However, there was a punishment even more severe than that, one not found in the legal code. It was called the “Illusionary Punishment”. This punishment was only administered when a contractee had a spirit called “Illusion,” and the spirit had to agree with the contractee.
Another name for the spirit llusion was “Executor.”
“Ugh, I’ve never actually seen anyone subjected to Illusionary Punishment, but just hearing about it makes me shiver…”
The moment Illusion executed the Illusionary Punishment, the silent culprits would begin foaming at the mouth and confessing like madmen within less than a minute.
No one could determine the nature of the illusion that Illusion had implanted in them. One thing was certain: the illusion was incredibly mentally exhausting, making the culprits feel like it lasted for hundreds or even thousands of years. Even though, in reality, only a mere minute had passed…
“Why did this have to happen when the Executor showed up?” Ren muttered. Illusion was currently contracted to someone.
And the contractee of Illusion… Coincidentally, was the man who would probably most like to have a grip on a certain knife, Leonard Diollus.
“But no matter how terrible they are, there’s no way Illusionary Punishment would be handed down in a court of law…”
“That’s right.” Lark’s eyes gleamed. “They’ll have to experience it before they even get to court.”
There was no trace of mercy in his wry smile.
***
Three days later, the first snow of November blanketed the land.
Leonard Diollus, the Duke Diollus, returned from an outing he hadn’t taken in a long time. He had received an unexpected summons from the crown prince, prompting him to go to the palace. There, he engaged in a three-hour conversation with the prince.
“Your Excellency.”
His adjutant’s, Goth, voice carried an unusual tone of concern.
Leonard remained silent, though something within him felt different, despite his outward composure appearing unchanged.
“Y-Your Excellency!” Goth rushed to support Leonard, who swayed heavily with an expressionless face. “Are you all right?”
“…I’m fine.” Leonard extended his arm to decline the support and paused, closing his eyes tightly. His breath felt strangely constricted.
Leonard resumed walking.
And then…
“Ah, Leonard.”
Of all times.
He encountered Molga as she descended from upstairs. Her eyes were lowered, and she moved as if trying to avoid him.
However, Leonard’s voice reached Molga before she could retreat further.
“Ma’am.”
“Y-yes?”
“I spoke with Viego.”
“…Is something wrong?”
“I was narrow-minded. My discomfort with your presence is my own issue. The children, however, are a different matter.”
“…”
“It may have been painful when I asked for our separation. Please, feel comfortable staying here. It seems my children want that too.”
“Ah.” Molga covered her mouth in astonishment, tears filling her eyes instantly. “Leonard, I…”
“…”
“I’ve understood your feelings for some time now. I’ve always known that my presence makes you uncomfortable. That’s why I tried not to hold it against you. But after all these years together…” Tears welled up in her eyes again, tracing paths down her cheeks. Her beauty was so pure and captivating that anyone would want to console her immediately.
That… demonic face.
“I’ve always thought you were too harsh. Yet, I understand… When I considered stepping out to find a way to provide for my children…”
“Don’t worry.”
“Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.”
Having offered Molga a warm smile despite her choked words, Leonard continued his steps at a painstakingly slow pace.
As he made his way back to his room, the once-smiling expression on his face gradually morphed into a terrifying visage. His countenance contorted hideously, his body quivered uncontrollably. His eyes were bloodshot as though on the brink of bursting. The intensity of his anger was so palpable that it exposed his clenched teeth and caused the veins in his fists to bulge.
“Uh… ha, huh…”
It was a maelstrom of rage.
In the face of such overwhelming emotion, Goth, who stood by his side, trembled.
“Haah, ugh.”
Impulsive rage had seized his body, and he struggled to catch his breath properly.
His vision blurred.
“Honey, I know you can’t stand the grand duchess, but please don’t embarrass her too much. Your expression is downright terrifying. If I were in her shoes, it would be hard for me to even look at you.”
What had his wife done wrong? Her only fault was showing kindness to a deeply concealed monster.
“But still… I’m grateful that the grand duchess is here. What would I do if our children grew up without a mother?”
“…”
“Honey, I’m sorry. Our Ruby is still so young… Even if you dislike the grand duchess, she’ll always be there for you. So please, please, don’t harbor too much hatred toward her…”
Molga’s presence in their home wasn’t solely due to his deceased father’s will. It was because his compassionate wife believed that Molga was the one who could fill the void left by her. She had implored Leonard to open his heart just a little.
“Ugh, ha, haha…”
She knew nothing.
Poor woman, completely unaware…
“By any chance, if I were to die first, would you consider marrying again?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. You’re not going to die.”
“Haa… I worry because it seems like you’ll never find another woman. Who will take care of our children? You’re so unapproachable.”
The last moment when she had smiled, even with the shadow of death looming over her face. That face, which he would never see again…
In that moment, within his blurred vision, almost as if by magic, the image of his deceased wife appeared.
“… Rona.”
Was it a hallucination?
No…
“Dad?”
Rubette.
She was the spitting image of her mother.
Rubette, who had frozen in place, seemingly taken aback by her father’s expression, slowly approached with a somber look.
“…”
With a heart shattered into fragments, Leonard stifled his sobs as he tightly embraced his daughter.
Rubette, drawing near, asked no questions. She simply held her father, offering comfort as he wept.
“Haah, aaah…”
Only after enveloping himself in the warmth of his daughter’s presence did the tears he had been holding back with all his might finally spill from the man’s eyes.
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