“As Hannah attempted to open the door, two of Karl’s knights restrained her and went outside. Then, from beyond the door, there was a flowing, pouring sound. Bang, clatter, thump, and such noises.
After a few more seconds passed, the door slowly opened. Watching the door opening with great tension, the one who finally appeared was Detective Alfonso.
“Reveal your identity.”
“W-who are you doing this to?”
The detective, forcibly brought in, came all the way in front of Karl and knelt down.
“W-who are you…”
At that moment, the knight beside him drew his gun from his waist and aimed it. Not only the detective, but everyone was surprised by the sudden threat.
“Eek, he even pulled out a gun.”
“State your name and identity.”
“W-why are you doing this? Isn’t this Madame Rebecca’s house?”
“Madame Rebecca.”
Madame Rebecca. It was the alias I had used since I had hidden in Urentum. But more than that, the knight’s gun was too close to Valerie. She slowly stood up while hugging Valerie and tried to move away from the knight to put some distance.
“Lower your gun.”
Karl raised his hand to stop the knight. At his words, as if questioning when he had prepared to shoot, the knight immediately lowered his hand, hiding the gun behind his back.
“Are you the Madame Rebecca that this gentleman seeks?”
“What? Um…”
While pondering how to respond, the detective who recognized my face suddenly intervened.
“Yes, Madame Rebecca. I am just here to provide answers regarding the task entrusted by Madame.”
That brat. What kind of detective talks so loosely? Doesn’t being a detective mean keeping quiet no matter what happens about the task or the client who commissioned it?
Seeing him spill the details of the task so readily in the face of a slight threat, any remaining trust I had in him disappeared instantly.
“Babab, babbaba.”
The whimpering of Valerie, briefly paused by the arrival of strangers, resumed. The child, unaware of the seriousness of the situation, tugged at my hair, then suddenly began sucking on it.
“Dad, dad.”
And then, reaching out to Karl, she began calling him. Just like yesterday, calling him ‘dad’.”
The poker face of the large man who seemed to be Karl’s closest aide finally crumbled. The creased forehead without mercy made one realize how confusing the situation was.
The knights’ gazes turned towards Valerie, Karl, and finally towards me.
The alternating looks between Karl and me somehow made me feel uneasy… No, it’s not what it looks like; I don’t know what they are thinking…! I feel unjustly accused!
The atmosphere became strange. No one uttered a word to ask what was going on, making the situation even more unjust.
The cry of injustice in my heart will be buried in silence. One of the knights ran over and closed the door that had been opened.
***
After a moment of confusion, it was Karl who first broke the silence.
“Someone left this child in front of the house?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
Karl sighed as if he couldn’t believe it.
“So, you tried to find out the child’s identity and parents through a detective?”
“That’s right.”
“Wouldn’t it have been more reasonable to go straight to the police station?”
“It’s not that I didn’t go, I couldn’t. Do you think I would come to this secluded place, hiding with a false identity?”
“Well, then why did you run away and hide here?”
Ah.
The words wouldn’t come out. The more I tried to explain, the more I felt like I was digging my own grave.
Hannah quickly moved her hand under the table and jabbed my thigh, clearly indicating for me to shut up.
“So, do you really not know this child? This… baby.”
“That’s… ”
“That child is Madam Valerie’s child!”
That brat, so oblivious!
Hannah’s attempts to explain or justify were cut off by the detective’s insensitive outburst. I tried to catch the detective’s eye with a sidelong glance, but his gaze was fixed solely on Karl and the knights.
It seemed like they had sensed that these men, not me, were the real threat hanging over my life. I thought they were clueless, but it was the opposite…
“In the beginning, when the child was brought to me, I verified with Madam Rebecca about the child’s parentage. The child is indeed Madam Rebecca’s daughter.”
Ultimately, everyone discovered that this child was Celeste’s daughter. Once again, the knights’ gazes passed the detective and landed on me.
Phew, this is maddening. I let out a deep sigh.
Since Valerie called Karl “dad” a while ago, the atmosphere inside became tense.
Karl’s expression changed. It seemed like he was angry, surprised, and an inexplicable discomfort briefly crossed his face, but it soon disappeared behind his poker face.
“How did you confirm it?”
“Well, actually…”
The detective’s waist twitched as if asking to be untied. What kind of nonsense was he going to spout now?
As Karl cleared his throat, the brown-haired squire approached and untied the rope from the detective’s hand. Though it was only for a moment, the detective grimaced at his stiffened arms and then slipped his hand into his pocket.
What he soon pulled out was a long glass bottle, identical to the one he had used just a week ago to examine blood with the child, to determine blood relations.
“What is this?”
“It’s a potion that helps locate blood clots. By dropping blood one droplet at a time and observing color changes, we can determine if there are blood clots.”
“…Possession of magical potions is prohibited. You’re not under the jurisdiction of the Royal Security Bureau, so how do you have this?”
“Well, you see, it’s quite difficult to regulate personal belongings even in these rural areas…”
Is he really a detective? Doesn’t he realize he’s incriminating himself by speaking like that?
As the detective continued to speak, losing more trust with each word, Hannah shook her head in disbelief. Even Karl let out an incredulous sigh.
“You boldly admit to committing illegal acts by taking advantage of lax security. You’re challenging royal knights and opposing royal orders in front of the palace. How dare you!”
“Oh? Royal knights?”
His eyes widened significantly. Examining Karl and the large squire with a suspicious gaze, the detective finally noticed the golden insignias on their shoulders and chest badges, quickly bowed his head in realization.
“Oh, no! No, this potion has been in our house long before it was prohibited by royal law. I did not oppose the royal orders or commit any offenses!”
At the mention of “royal knights” by Karl, the detective paled and banged his head on the ground.
Seeing the detective’s reaction, shaken and trembling, Hannah couldn’t help but feel the urge to help him. “From now on, you’re Lord Louisette. You will explain everything to him directly.”
“Me?”
How did things suddenly turn back on him? Confused by the sudden attention, he blinked rapidly.
I’m not a local here. In fact, I just found myself inside the novel I was reading. I ran away here out of fear of being executed after the duke’s death in the story. I have no idea about Celeste – why, when, where, and with whom she had a child as it is not mentioned in the book. Should I tell the truth like this?
…If I do, they might just think I’m crazy.
“I don’t know either. That’s all I can say.”
One of Karl’s eyebrows raised. It was a look that seemed to ask what nonsense I was talking about.
“Well, uh. I mean, that. I…”
I need to think. I need to come up with something, any excuse that can pass this situation convincingly!
