“Who are you? On whose orders did you come here?”
The Prince asked, trampling on the desperately crawling man's back.
Instead of answering the question, the man waved his hand in the empty air and muttered with a half-absent expression on his face.
“My, my spirit...! My spirit... !”
Dorothea quietly announced as she looked into those eyes filled with possessiveness.
She wonder if he really didn't know what he was receiving even though he was transplanted with a 'spirit'.
That poor soul covered in fire, trapped in the fire she created herself after losing what she was.
Did he close his eyes knowing that what he was holding in his hands was once a living, breathing person?
“She is not a spirit.”
She is nothing more than a ‘false ghost’ who has lost her true self due to a disgusting trick.
Who dares disturb the peace of the dead?
The feeling of witnessing firsthand the misery of losing the memory of life and being trapped in a prison from which one could not be liberated and turned into a tool was both terrible and disgusting.
“This is my spirit! What did I do to deserve this...”
“What did you do?”
As the cold words flew towards him, the man grabbed his side and screamed.
Through the shriveled fabric, as if it had been touched by fire, very red blisters rose from the skin and began to ooze pus as if burned in hot water.
Burnt scars covered his entire body.
“It’s the scar you carved into her soul.”
She asked, staring blankly at his pitiful movements as he pushed the floor with his chest, trying to somehow relieve the pain.
“How does it feel to be trapped alive in the heat, slowly losing yourself?”
The face that was rubbing against the floor was already covered in blood.
Luke's eyebrows narrowed as he saw the saliva pooling in the man's mouth and dripping down the corner of his mouth.
“Why are you doing this?”
Dorothea did not explain anything clearly. Instead of opening up about the terrible sin committed by the man who was receiving karma back, she said something else.
“There isn’t much time left.”
The hand of the man holding Luke's foot was shaking.
Dorothea looked down at the man with indifferent eyes and advised him.
“This man probably knows where Fatima’s body is. If his mouth is closed, we will never find her.”
Some of the countless memories of Fatima that Dorothea had glimpsed were completely erased as if they had never existed in the first place.
Especially the people she came into contact with after the death of the man she loved, and the whole process leading up to her death.
Fatima clearly felt fear towards someone, but Dorothea couldn't see who it was.
So, on behalf of the souls who are finally scattered over the words that were left unsaid, she should ask someone who can speak even a little.
Dorothea, who had been staring at the man for a while, took a few steps back and stared blankly at Luke.
“What do you mean?”
“I have to find out. Where the body is buried.”
The way she lightly brushed away her clothes told Luke that her work was done and it was up to him to do the hard torture.
“...”
That's true, but why do he get this uneasy feeling as if he's taking on a difficult task?
The Prince, who had been staring at Dorothea silently, slowly bent down toward the man.
***
“It was unexpectedly closer than I expected.”
Likewise, the man who had been wearing a gold necklace similar to Hertia's died after saying only a few words.
Fatima's body was found under a wall not far from the bar.
Revan gulped at the sight of his comrade's body, so vivid that it looked as if she had not been dead for long.
She looked just as she did when she was alive, with her eyes closed peacefully and without a single wound.
“The recovered body will be moved to the cemetery after investigation.”
Instead of answering Luke's words on the way back in the carriage, she looked at the scenery outside the window that was turning red.
“Will the Count Germain family acknowledge this fact?”
Even though the man had been missing for several days, no missing person reports had been filed with the police.
Even if the Germain Counts had not noticed Young Master's death, it occurred to her that they might have been opposing Fatima's existence all along.
They may not have taken any action for fear that if the disappearance was reported, the whole story would be revealed.
However, what they received back was not even a cold body, but only a handful of ashes.
“Well, they will choose.”
If they do not ultimately acknowledge that the dead man is the missing spirit of the Count family, even his ashes will scatter in the air.
Dorothea, who was looking at the setting sun, turned her head as if she suddenly remembered something.
“I thought about it because of your reputation, what about me?”
The fact that the Prince broke into a tea party where the ladies were gathered and took her away was something that could have turned into a pretty big scandal in the future.
Usually, the lower class suffers more than the higher class.
The moment it was revealed that a young lady, who was not even engaged yet, had left the place alone with the unmarried Prince, the social world would be in an uproar.
“The Lady of Viscount Germain will solve it.”
“Are you close with her?”
“There is no friendship.”
“But do you trust her?”
“I don’t have to trust her. She just needs me to have what she needs.”
You really enjoy trading.
Just as he had taken advantage of Wood's identity as a weakness five years ago to extract a 'promise' from her, this time too the Prince seemed to have made some kind of deal with Valerie.
'That might be less damaging than sharing your feelings.'
Dorothea nodded and smiled as she looked down at the spirit that was playing a trick on her by digging into her side.
Fatima was extremely lucky.
Because it had not been long since she had been 'overlaid', and Dorothea had returned her erased 'name', which had allowed her trapped self to awaken again.
Thanks to this, even though it was only half the work, she was able to learn the whole story of the people involved in the incident, and she was able to protect her death, body, and the dignity of her soul.
“What is your real name?”
Although she muttered softly, the water spirit did not seem to understand Dorothea's words and became even more absorbed in her playfulness.
Dorothea, with a faint smile at the excited, childlike behavior, stroked the spirit.
The Prince looked at her like that, then turned his gaze to the knight sitting next to her, holding his breath like an inorganic object.
The promised five years have arrived.
That meant it was time to retrieve the doll she had kept by her side.
Luke has to invite him to the palace sooner or later.
“...”
Luke's mind became complicated as he recalled the image of the knight standing in front of Dorothea and drawing his sword without a moment's hesitation.
Maybe it was really like he had given up what he had been saving for that girl.
***
Did you say, Valerie Germain?
Is her resourcefulness good, or is she worthy of the Prince's name?
Rumor has it that only time will tell, but at least no one doubted Dorothea, who had returned to her family, as she had completely swept today's events under the rug.
“The young lady of the Viscountess Germain herself sent me a letter of understanding. It seems she had a very pleasant time.”
Dorothea nodded, looking at her aunt's pleased face.
“Have you ever had a memorable experience?”
“...”
Dorothea didn't expect this.
The family, who were smiling happily, had eyes that expected her to tell them in detail about the people who had been there that day.
After putting her mind to work and mixing together the events that happened today, she spoke her first words.
“The food served on the tea table was absolutely exquisite.”
“Oh my, is that so?”
“The food was prepared to match the temperature of the greenhouse where the tea party was held. Depending on the tea, there were sweet, savory, bitter, and salty snacks prepared according to the type of tea.”
While the appreciation continued from the first plate to the third plate, Dane, who had been quietly listening to Dorothea's impressions, suddenly intervened.
“You only ate there? You must have met people, too.”
“Yeah, I met him.”
“How was it?”
Dorothea impressions were mostly flat.
Among them, the only people who stand out are the host Valerie and Dorothea, whose name is unknown and who has been harboring hostility towards her.
“Lady Valerie was a person who knew how to liven up the mood and lead a conversation.”
“I didn’t know you would accept that invitation. You said you knew Lady Valerie at the ball before, right?”
"Yes."
“I guess you made a good impression.”
He nodded at Edwin, who smiled.
Because the taste of the cherry cake she ate with her was so wonderful, every time she thought of Lady Valerie, that taste came back to her.
“And again?”
“There was also a very interesting lady.”
"Yes?"
“A young lady who criticizes the temple and the royal family.”
“...”
There were also insults directed at her, but Dorothea didn't want to bring them up and make her family feel bad.
“I think she's very brave.”
Although she burst into tears when she looked into Luke's eyes, the Lady didn't faint despite the murderous look in Luke's eyes, so she guessed she was able to handle it just fine.
"I see."
The Marchioness opened her mouth towards her as if trying to brighten the momentarily awkward atmosphere.
“There is a lot of useful information among the stories shared with the ladies at the tea party. Consider every word they say useful. For example, things like recent trends or interesting events.”
Dorothea blinked, having barely participated in the conversation and not really hearing anything.
This is information she can find out.
If she had to say what she found out after wandering around all day...
“There is a traveling troupe that performs on the streets. The performances are crude, so few people watch them. The troupe is made up of young orphans who used to wander the streets, and they are given one meal a day, black, hard bread.”
“There are people like that?”
“The outside is crumbly and powdery, and the inside is hard, so it is difficult to swallow without water, so you have to gnaw it little by little with saliva. However, everyone is grateful because it is a meal that can be received once a day.”
It was a vivid description, as if she had been there and experienced it herself.
Felix's eyes deepened at the overly vivid description, but he chose to listen rather than delve into his niece's words.
“And I heard how to bury the body in a cemetery.”
“..."
In fact, she saw it with her own eyes, but since she was told to talk about what she heard with her ears, she had no choice but to say that.
Everyone exchanged strange looks at her words.
Until now, they had planned to congratulate Dorothea on her first social activity by listening to the stories that happened at the tea party.
“And I also learned that bodies taken to the autopsy room in connection with a crime are dissected and then burned to ashes.”
So, Dorothea went to a tea party hosted by Lady Valerie Germain, met Lady Valerie Germain and admired her bravery in swearing at temples and royalty, then listened to the way the actors of a traveling theater troupe gnawed on stale bread, and then talked about burying corpses in a cemetery and cremating dissected bodies?
“Valerie Germain.”
“What was the reputation of Viscount Germain?”
“I didn’t see that friend like that.”
“Or maybe that’s the topic of conversation at young ladies’ tea parties these days... There’s no way, right?”
Not only is the conversation incoherent, and the topic unclear, but it's also full of useless information that doesn't help at all.
Diana, Felix's wife and Dane and Edwin's mother, asked cautiously, trying to force a smile.
“So, was it fun?”
“I think it was a fruitful time.”
“Okay, then that’s it.”
Maybe they were hoping for too much from Dorothea's first social experience.
Although everyone was able to organize the situation and end it on a good note, they could not hide their discomfort.
And that uneasiness led to a persistent gaze towards Valerie Germain, who visited the mansion the next day.
***
Diana, who first went to the reception room upon Valerie Germain's visit, carefully examined the virtuous-looking Young Lady while offering her tea.
“Nice to meet you, Young Lady Germain.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Madam. I am glad to visit the Marquis’ house like this. In fact, I had heard from my grandfather a long time ago about how the late Marquis saved my uncle, so I had secretly harbored feelings for him.”
Diana's guard was lowered slightly by the soft, kind voice.
Valerie smiled as a soft energy appeared in her gaze, which had been studying somewhere intently.
“Yesterday, I was so absorbed in the conversation that I didn’t even realize that time had passed so quickly.”
“Ah, that conversation...”
She's talking about those unvarnished conversations.
Diana's alert level, which was about to drop, rose again.
With the graceful movements of a noble lady, she handed the teacup to the young lady in front of her and asked with a friendly smile.
"You are still young, so it is not unusual for them to be interested in a variety of subjects.”
"Yes?"
“Of course, that’s not a bad thing. It could also be useful someday.”
Of course, the law of cremating a body shouldn't be useful...
“But it’s okay to be interested in little things, like small animals you can raise at home, or accessories like pretty brooches.”
Do not learn how to cremate cemeteries or corpses, and do not blaspheme temples or royalty.
Valerie blinked for a moment at Diana's words, then nodded slightly.
“Yes, Ma’am, you’re right.”
Dorothea slowly got up and entered behind Diana, who sat in front of her in bewilderment and took a sip of tea with satisfaction.
Valerie, who was under the lady's persistent control without even knowing why, looked very happy towards Dorothea, who appeared late.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment