At first, Sebelia didn’t realize it was from Denisa. It was no wonder—Denisa never sent letters in that manner.
Who sent this?
She wondered if it had been a mistake, but the receiver address was clearly where she was staying. In the end, she picked up the letter and went up to her room. Then, she carefully opened the envelope with a letter knife.
“This is…”
A small note fell onto her hand.
On a piece of paper, seemingly torn from somewhere, there was hastily scribbled writing that read:
[The destination has changed. Leave immediately. The Duke came to find me.]
Sebelia’s blue eyes froze instantly, the note crumpled in her tightening grip.
“…What in the world has happened?”
She unconsciously bit her lip.
***
A few days earlier.
“I think we have something to talk about.”
Dehart’s words, uttered in a suppressed tone, caught Denisa slightly off guard. She wouldn’t have been so flustered if she had left Hylend Hall with a clean conscience. But she was hiding a huge secret from him—the fact that she helped Sebelia faked her own death.
However, the anxiety that had reared its head soon lost its strength.
I didn’t leave any evidence.
The body was flawless, and the death confirmation had been handled without a hitch. The physician, Peter, had gone south long ago, and she, having lost the master she had long served, had returned to her hometown in despair.
It’s a flawless plan.
Having regained her confidence, Denisa shook her head with a calm expression.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No. You do know. You must know. If you don’t, that would be a great shame.”
Dehart straightened his body, the pain seemingly gone, and looked down at the old nanny. His golden eyes, glowing ominously in the shadow created by the sunlight behind him, were chilling.
“You were the only maid who stayed by Sebellia’s side until the very end, weren’t you?”
Denisa felt a shiver run down her spine. She instinctively took a step back, but Dehart closed the distance in a stride.
“Tell me. Why was a mere maid, a former nanny, being chased by strangers if she knew nothing?”
He saw everything; Denisa thought as cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck.
“I’m sorry, but whatever you are talking about never happened.”
“Ha,” Dehart scoffed.
“I don’t know why you’ve come all the way to the capital, but I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for.”
“Find what I’m looking for. What a touching farewell.”
“Then, I wish you a pleasant stay.”
Even as she bowed her head, Denisa struggled to maintain her composure. As he had said, this was a situation far too overwhelming for a mere maid, but she somehow managed.
And despite the man’s gaze, which felt like it would burn through her back, she steadily walked away. But Denisa couldn’t help but turn back merely seconds later.
“…Sebellia’s death is being investigated as murder.”
“I beg your pardon?”
It was such an absurd statement that it made her hair stand on end. However, Dehart didn’t look like he was joking.
“Until just now, I thought you, as her only close confidant, might have been of help…” he continued, his eyes gleaming ominously through his black hair as he looked her over. “But seeing you act this suspiciously, I’m starting to think otherwise.”
Denisa swallowed hard. In an instant, Dehart closed the distance between them, and grabbed her by the shoulder.
“So, did you betray my wife too?”
“W..What are you talking about…!”
“If not, then tell me what she was like before she died. What was she thinking about, what made her laugh, what did she say? Give me something!”
The torrent of words pouring out didn’t seem to be coming from a place of reason.
“What was she like when she was with my aunt? Did she seem anxious after meeting her, or did she complain of any pain? If she did, then…”
Denisa stared at Dehart in shock.
His mouth, spewing out incomprehensible questions, was twisted in anguish as a flash of regret passed over his otherwise cold golden eyes.
My God.
It was only then that she realized the man before her, like herself, was barely holding on to his sanity.
And she agreed that the rumors about him being mad weren’t entirely exaggerated.
If he truly believes that the lady was murdered and has come to me to find the culprit…
Then , it was clear he felt a heavy burden of responsibility regarding Sebelia’s death.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come personally to question a mere maid about the death of a woman he’d had a bad relationship with.
But why now?
The old woman was confused, and at the same time, she resented him.
Of all times, why now?
She knew.
She knew how deeply Sebelia had once loved the man standing before her. How much it had hurt her when she was falsely accused because of Marquis Wedon, and cast aside by him. And how free she had finally felt when she left Hylend Hall, having let go of everything.
“I need to know. I need to know what happened to her before she died, and what kind of pain she went through.”
In front of this man, who didn’t even know how to cry properly and could only get angry, exposing his own wounds, Denisa let out a conflicted sigh.
***
Thanks to his master, who had irresponsibly abandoned Hylen Hall, Ryan was having busy and frustrating days.
And perhaps it was because he assumed today would be just another one of those days.
“Where has the Duke gone, and why are you the one in his place?”
That he wasn’t shocked to see Marquis Rymes, the brother of the previous Duke and Dehart’s uncle, burst through the estate’s doors.
The problem was that he had literally kicked open the doors of the mansion.
“With the Marquis being so determined, I really couldn’t…”
“That’s enough, Ijess”
The young butler, who had been chosen to replace Gross, who was currently being interrogated alongside Gwen, was clearly lacking in spirit.
“Welcome, Marquis Rymes. I apologize for the Duke’s absence; he is quite busy, so I must take on the responsibility of receiving guests.”
“Does the Duke only surround himself with smooth talkers like you?”
The Marquis tapped his cane sharply on the floor to express his dissatisfaction.
“Whatever. This is a good thing. From what I see, it’s clear the Duke is neglecting Hylend Hall and not managing it properly.”
“Sir, you are too hasty in your judgment.”
“What does a mere knight know to dare contradict me?”
Although Marquis Rymes had a head of white hair, his demeanor was as bold as that of knights in their prime.
In fact, he was far superior to his brother, the former Duke, in martial arts, and because of that, he was revered in the North.
His fame and glory had extended to the present day, and to Marquis Rims, someone like Dehart was nothing more than an inexperienced rookie. That’s why he had no hesitation in smashing down Hylend Hall’s doors.
“This is, after all, a family matter. No matter that the Duke has entrusted you with temporary authority, there are still boundaries that must be respected!”
It seemed the Marquis was determined to restore order to the chaotic household.
He’s here to take Lord Rash and his wife away; Ryan thought.
It was obvious. After all, it was Marquis Rymes who had appointed the couple as Dehart’s guardians in the past.
Ryan stared at him with cold, calm eyes. But, the Marquis, true to his nature, didn’t back down.
“…Let’s take you to a room for now,” Ryan could only answer.
As he passed the Marquis, who was staring at him with clear disapproval, Ryan clicked his tongue inwardly.
I’ll have to stall him until the Duke returns.
His head was pounding already.
***
His head was hot.
No, it was his throat that felt like it was burning. As he stood there dazed, he suddenly felt a seething in his stomach.
Ah, not this again.
When Dehart finally regained his senses, his eyes fell on Denisa.
There was a familiar atmosphere about the middle-aged woman looking up at him with an expression of utter helplessness. It was like the warm, lazy sunlight of midday, or a gentle breeze pushing away damp shadows.
…I think I know who she reminds me of.
No matter where he looked or what he did, his mind was consumed with thoughts of Sebelia, driving him to the brink of madness. He wanted to collapse somewhere, and let everything go, yet he also felt the urge to run out, and set the world on fire.
But neither option was possible.
Absolutely not.
Until he uncovered the truth behind Sebelia’s death, he was not allowed regret, forgiveness, or even despair.
With a crunch, he bit down on his wrist hard enough to draw blood, the pain bringing clarity to his mind.
As he noticed Denisa looking at him like he was a madman, Dehart let out a bitter laugh.
“You have no choice but to come with me.”
“Duke, what on earth are you…?”
Denisa shook her head in disbelief, letting out a sorrowful sigh.
“Please calm down. I can’t leave with you, but I can spare some time to talk.”
She had no idea why he believed that Lady Sevelia had been murdered, but…
“What you’re thinking right now is all a misunderstanding,” She tried to soothe him, ready to answer any questions he might have. “Even if I had some secrets, they wouldn’t have anything to do with Lady Sebelia’s death.”
However, this wasn’t what Dehart wanted.
This kind of casual, indifferent response, as if she was speaking to some pitiful lunatic, wasn’t what he was looking for.
“Ha…” He sighed, lowering his head to meet Denisa’s gaze. “Listen carefully. Do you see the table at the café, diagonally across from us?”
“What?”
“Don’t answer, just listen. There’s a friendly couple sitting there who keeps glancing your way. I wonder why.”
Denisa’s eyes flickered. However, Dehart’s words did not stop there.
“And those three young men in the alley behind the shop we just passed, pretending to smoke for over twenty minutes.”
Only then did Denisa realize what he was getting at.
“Oh, there’s also that woman who keeps passing by 231 Elard Street, apartment 5-1, every three hours. Do you know her?”
“….”
“This morning, she seemed curious about why you were sleeping in, and was peeking through your window.”
The considerate and gentle manner in which he conveyed this message held only one meaning:
Someone is targeting me.
And whatever that person’s intention was, it was certain to have a very negative impact on her safety.
Dehart placed a hand on Denisa’s frozen shoulder and pushed further.
“Right. If you get kidnapped over personal matters unrelated to Sebelia, that’s none of my concern.”
His golden eyes playfully curved as he spoke eloquently.
“But standing by while my wife’s nanny is brutally harmed right in front of me? That wouldn’t be the right thing to do, would it?”
Denisa had no way to argue against that.
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