IBACM Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Late at night, Gemma quietly entered Delani’s room. She gently woke her up.

“Madam, the investigation is complete.”

Delani immediately sat up. Gemma wrapped a shawl around her shoulders, and the two headed to the living room.

“Come in.”

At Gemma’s command, a man hesitantly entered.

“Madam, Luan was also attacked by something invisible, just like Somerset and Axel.”

“Are you sure?”

At Gemma’s signal, Luan spoke nervously.

“I—I don’t remember everything clearly, but I went into Lord Dedrick’s room to deliver a message from Lord Somerset. Then, suddenly, something hit my shin really hard. The pain was real!”

The report Gemma handed over detailed all the strange incidents that had happened, including what Somerset and Axel had experienced.

Although they had tried to spread out their investigation, it was clear that all these strange occurrences centered around Dedrick.

Whatever it was, it could move freely, but it seemed unable to leave the Grand Duke’s castle.

“Gemma, bring Somerset here.”

“Yes, madam.”

“You may leave now, Luan. Make sure to keep quiet about this.”

“Y-Yes, of course, madam.”

After Luan left, Somerset entered the room. The strong smell of alcohol made Delani frown.

“You should drink less. The retainers are already unhappy with you. Why do you keep acting like this?”

“If we’ve found that bastard’s weakness, then I’m the only rightful heir anyway, right?”

Somerset let out a laugh, swaying unsteadily. There were many things to criticize about him, but for now, Delani focused on the most important matter.

“You said Dedrick got angry that day. Did you touch something?”

“I touched everything.”

“Think carefully. There must be a reason why he got mad when he normally stays calm, even when you mess up his room.”

“Hmm…”

Somerset closed his eyes and recalled the events of that day.

Even when he trashed the room, Dedrick didn’t react much.

But then…

“Oh! The wardrobe.”

“What?”

Somerset, who had been slouching on the sofa, suddenly sat up straight.

“He stared at the wardrobe, then went crazy all of a sudden…”

“The wardrobe?”

Delani hesitated before letting out a breath.

“Hah. I can’t believe I overlooked that.”

The wardrobe in Dedrick’s room was one of Amelia’s belongings. The Grand Duke himself had moved it into Dedrick’s room, which meant Delani hadn’t been able to destroy or remove it.

“Did Amelia put some kind of spell on it?”

Had the Grand Duke known and moved it there on purpose?

“Madam, remember the necklace?”

“Ah…”

The necklace that had seemed normal before had suddenly started activating its anti-theft magic randomly.

It even reacted again right when the Grand Duke arrived, and there had been smoke in the air for no apparent reason.

Somerset frowned as he drank cold water.

“And, his room had two chairs.”

“Having two chairs isn’t unusual.”

“No, they were stuck together, awkwardly. It was uncomfortable. Now that I think about it, it was weird.”

Delani tapped the report with her fingers.

“The wardrobe is suspicious.”

It made sense for Dedrick to be sensitive about something left behind by Amelia.

But if he called out a name while looking at the damaged wardrobe, it meant he wasn’t worried about the furniture—he was worried about someone else being hurt.

“There’s definitely someone there. And they’re connected to the wardrobe.”

No, Delani was almost certain. Amelia had left something behind for her son.

Placing the documents on the table, she spoke firmly.

“This is a race against time. Contact the Aulus family head immediately. At dawn, we’re going straight to Dedrick’s room.”

“So, it finally begins?”

“At the same time, everything will end.”

Morning was approaching.

---

Dedrick had left for training, and Delani marched straight into his room.

Somerset and Gemma followed behind.

“Is the Aulus family head coming?”

“Miranda will bring them at the right time.”

“Somerset.”

Somerset gripped the hammer in his hand tightly, grinning maliciously. If this was Dedrick’s weakness, he was going to smash it completely.

Then—

BAM!

The hammer struck the wardrobe.

…

Nothing happened.

The silence was unsettling. Somerset frowned.

“Guess it’s not the wardrobe after all.”

“That can’t be…”

Delani ran her fingers over the wardrobe and swung the doors open.

Inside, there were only a few clothes.

“Madam, we should leave. It seems we were wrong.”

But Delani couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

“Somerset, hit it a few more times.”

“Tch, what a waste of time…”

Even as he complained, Somerset swung the hammer again and again, shattering the wardrobe. The broken pieces scattered across the floor.

“Let’s just go, Mother.”

“Wait.”

Delani’s sharp eyes caught something in the corner of the wardrobe.

A shirt inside the wardrobe seemed to be floating slightly in the air.

As if an invisible hand was holding it up.

And it was trembling, ever so slightly.

A deep smile spread across Delani’s lips.

“Somerset, give me the hammer.”

Taking the hammer from him, she raised it without hesitation.

At that moment—

Drip…

Plop, plop.

Even though no one was there, blood started dripping from the air.

A triumphant smile spread across Delani’s face.

Finally…

“Found it.”

Dedrick’s weakness!

Delani’s eyes gleamed with a sinister light. Her fingers trembled strangely as she clenched her fist tightly.

She could already see Dedrick’s downfall before her eyes. The cruel pleasure of it made her burst into a fit of mad laughter.

“Ha-ha!”

Then, she suddenly stopped laughing and spoke in an eerily sweet voice.

“Are you there?”

At that moment—

Something invisible shoved Delani hard.

She stumbled backward, but Somerset quickly caught her.

“So, you are there!”

Delani waved her hands in the air, but she couldn’t grasp anything.

“You’re quite the runner, aren’t you? Somerset!”

“Damn it! Just let me catch you!”

Somerset stepped forward, swinging his hammer at the wardrobe.

Then—

Something struck him in a sensitive spot.

“Ugh!”

“Gemma !”

“Yes, madam!”

“Ugh… Who is it?! Smash the wardrobe, now!”

Gemma stepped closer but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She gritted her teeth and reached out desperately.

Then—

She felt something warm under her palm.

Her eyes widened as she shouted, “Madam, I caught it!”

“Don’t let go.”

“Ugh… Stop struggling!”

Whatever it was, it thrashed violently, though it remained invisible.

Gemma’s hands were soon covered in blood—but not hers.

The thing she held onto was injured. Blood kept pouring out, making it hard for her to keep her grip.

“Somerset, get up this instant!”

Dedrick would arrive soon.

Somerset quickly stumbled to his feet, gripping his hammer. The thing in Gemma’s grasp thrashed harder, but she refused to let go.

Then, Somerset swung the hammer with full force.

BANG!

As the wardrobe shattered—

Gemma’s maid uniform was suddenly drenched in blood.

“It’s vomiting blood, madam!”

“This wretched creature!”

Delani reached out and grabbed something by the head.

The invisible being continued to struggle, but as the wardrobe broke apart, it weakened.

“Hah. So it held on despite the pain?”

It was desperately trying to stay hidden.

It was protecting Dedrick.

How touching. Almost as touching as his mother, Amelia.

Delani’s grip tightened as she shook the invisible creature, pouring out her rage.

“Amelia, you cunning woman! So you did leave something behind! How dare you spy on me in my own house?!”

SLAP! SLAP!

She struck at the unseen being.

Then, suddenly—

It vanished.

“It disappeared! Destroy the wardrobe completely!”

Somerset swung the hammer again, and as the wardrobe collapsed, a gush of blood spilled out from inside.

As the wardrobe was drenched in red, Delani stepped forward.

“Hah. So your hiding place was the wardrobe all along?”

Delani reached inside and gripped something tightly.

Gemma, standing beside her, asked, “Madam, what should we do with the wardrobe?”

“This is enough. Just seeing this will drive Dedrick mad.”

Delani’s fingers clenched around the invisible being, ensuring it couldn’t escape.

Somerset rotated his shoulders, glancing around the room.

The floor was littered with bloody footprints.

“Wow, this is seriously creepy.”

Even in the air, splashes of blood were visible—proof that something was there.

Even though they couldn’t see it, its body was now drenched in blood.