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Chapter 23
"Let's
all go to the living room. Are you okay with that, Duke?"
Claude
summoned the servants, Alexander, and me. As the people of the large Manor
gathered, the living room felt as cramped as if it was about to explode. I sat
on the sofa and took a sip of the whiskey that Alexander had brought me.
"Well,
first...... I'll start with you, Duke. Where were you and what were you doing
last night, around 1 am?"
Claude
who opened his notebook looked at Alexander.
Alexander
who looked uncomfortable to be questioned, sighed while placing the hand
supporting his chin on the armrest of the sofa.
"Isn't
it late? I was sleeping."
"Are
you alone?"
At
Claude's question, Alexander's gaze fell on me. Finally, I deliberately put my
drink down hard, but it was useless.
"No.
I'm with my sister."
"......Is
it true?"
This
time Claude looked at me. At the same time, it wasn't easy for me to ignore the
gazes streaming my way. The servants didn't say anything, but they exchanged
glances.
'See.
Like I said.'
'No,
really?'
Sounds
like an odd conversation. I pulled the corner of my lower lip with force.
"That's
right."
"Very
well. Then Miss Ophelia will pass, but what about the butler?"
"I...
I stayed up late and took care of the servants cleaning the pavilion."
"Do
you remember the names of the servants?"
"Of
course. Brandon, Chris, and Daniel. Oh, I almost forgot, I called Henry too. I
thought I'd need more hands later, so I called Henry."
"Do
you know what time it is?"
"Actually,
my pocket watch is broken......"
"So
the exact time is unknown, huh."
"Ah,
but I didn't hurt Henrietta."
The
Butler started to sweat profusely. Don't you know? It would be even more
suspicious if you behaved like that. I looked at the head maid Claude pointed
at next.
"M-Me?
I finished work early, so I'm resting at the dorm."
The
head maid said in a flustered voice. Claude muttered, scratching his head with
a pen.
"The
Head Maid has a separate room. So you can't prove your alibi."
"Yeah,
but it's not unusual to be alone at that late hour."
"Besides,
there have been some reports that you weren't very friendly with Miss Henrietta."
Claude's
eyes twinkled sharply. The head maid covered her cheeks with both hands and
shouted loudly.
"It's
not just me. Everyone here must hate Henrietta. That child isn't good enough at
her job, so I scolded her."
As
if asking for approval, the head maid looked at me. Several maids who also made
eye contact with her also nodded.
"That's
true, but I don't hate it so much as to want to kill Henrietta."
"Me
too! She's a wizard, so if we carelessly deal with her we'll be in trouble. Am
I right, Becky?"
"That's
right...... Previously, a maid named Leslie hit her arm while chatting. Then,
Henrietta lifted Leslie in the air and knocked her down."
Many
testimonies. Henrietta's anecdote that I don't know about. She didn't live a
smooth life either. Little sympathy appeared.
"That's
a new fact. Fine. What were the maids doing back there last night?"
Claude
asked, scribbling something in his notebook. The maid named Becky opened her
mouth first.
"The
three of us share the same room. That's an alibi for sure. No one comes out at
night. I light candles and do some embroidery."
"Isn't
work over?"
"Yes......
Actually, I was embroidering a handkerchief for a knight I admire."
A
blush appeared on Becky's freckled face. Claude, who was smiling mischievously
turned his gaze to the other maids.
For
a long time, the people who gathered in the living room struggled to claim
their innocence.
"Right
now, the ones who don't have a clear alibi are the Head Maid and the other 2
maids. Plus you guys had a lot of fights with Miss Henrietta."
Claude,
who had finished asking everyone, stood up. The Head Maid immediately grabbed
him and shouted.
"Are
you suspicious of me? I'm offended!"
"It's
not just you. I have to suspect everyone here. That makes sense."
Claude
let go of the head maid's hand coldly. Then, he asked Alexander,
"Duke,
can I borrow the living room? I'd like to have an in-depth conversation with
the Head Maid, Miss Lily, and James."
"Do
what you want. As long as you let us go."
"For
now, yes."
Alexander
said with a faint smile. Claude also answered with a smile and asked a nearby
maid for a cup of tea.
One
by one, the servants who had gathered in the living room left. I also went out
and walked in the corridor. Alexander clung to me. I looked at him while
placing my hand on my forehead.
"Alex,
you are too close."
"You
hate it?"
The
angle of his eyebrows dropped down. He openly expressed his disappointment.
"Why
should I hate it?"
"Then,
excuse me..."
As
soon as I answered him, Alexander lowered his head and kissed me on the cheek.
When the servants glanced at him, he hardened his expression. Seeing that, the
servants quickly disappeared.
"Are
you afraid of people's stares?"
Alexander
made eye contact with me and asked. His eyes radiate desire as if he's about to
kiss me, push me against the wall, and lock our tongues every time. Slowly I
lowered my gaze.
"......Me?
Now? If I were like that, I wouldn't sleep with you."
"Thank
goodness. I want it."
"But
why are you avoiding my gaze?" Added Alexander, then he caressed my cheek
which felt hot because of a glass of whiskey gently.
"It's
not like that. It's just...... I'm tired."
"Then
let's go upstairs. I hope today we will have a good rest."
"Isn't
it still noon?"
"Ah,
I don't understand what you mean."
He
laughed suspiciously. It seemed that Henrietta's death had not affected
Alexander. He had a calm demeanor as if he knew something like this would
happen one day.
"I
do not mean it."
"You
mean?"
"Asking
for things you know is a bad habit."
I
grabbed the back of his hand, which was lined with blue veins. Alexander stuck
out his tongue and smiled playfully.
That
afternoon, we went to the study room after a long time. He no longer reads
novels with immoral content. I lay on Alexander's rock-hard thighs.
In
the study room, he kept following me. And Alexander didn't even choose a book.
He said that actually from the beginning he did not like to read. He played
with my hair hanging above his feet.
"What
the heck? Don't bother me."
"You
are too much. My heart hurts."
Alexander
rings the bell to call a servant. Then he ordered the maid to bring over the
documents piled up in the Duke's office. So he would work and I would read a
book.
Unnoticed,
time passed without anything happening. Except, when I felt that Alexander's
thighs were hard.
It's
not a good substitute for a pillow, so when I try to get up, he whimpers and
tries to get my sympathy.
"Even
being healthy is a mortal sin before you."
He
said such nonsense. However, the day passed like that. Claude was still in the
living room with the servants, so Alexander and I had dinner together.
Pretending
to be casual is one of the things I'm good at, I've always thought. But, in
front of Alexander who always follows my every move with a face that looks like
he wants to die, I can't do it easily.
Moreover,
now I'm not sure, was he really with me last night?
"I
have to take a shower now. Henrietta... Because... Hm, that's how it
goes." I muttered after finishing my dessert.
If
I rang the bell, then Henrietta would come running and look at me with
frightened eyes. I can't believe now it won't happen again.
The
deaths of the people around me have always been like that. Just like when my
mother died. I thought that Mother would come back from her trip and say, 'Did
you miss me, my daughter?'
But
the dead will never come back. Eye contact, conversation, and body temperature
exist only in memory. If only I had known about it sooner.
"You're
daydreaming. Can't you see me?"
Alexander
asked, suddenly his face was in front of me. This is a big deal! This kind of
behavior feels more seductive than rude. This is really a big deal!
This
made me want to continue living in the Duke's Manor. This made me want to stay
and trust Alexander.
"Ugh,
I can't see it. And yes, I can clearly see your mind filled with dirty
things."
I
smiled and pushed his face away. Alexander took the chance and grabbed my palm
and rubbed it against his cheek hard.
"I
like your soft hands. Mine are rough."
"Somehow,
when I grabbed yours, the reaction was amazing."
I
bent down slightly and whispered in his ear. In an instant, Alexander's face
turned bright red.
"......Sister."
He
seemed to stretch his tail and then looked at me while waving his tail. I was
freed from Alexander's grip. As soon as I left the dining room and was about to
return to my room, somehow Alexander was beside me.
"Let's
sleep alone today. Henrietta died and it would be strange for us to be alone
together. Henrietta likes you."
I
entered the room and pushed him away. Alexander raised the corners of his lips
sarcastically.
"Does
it matter? I don't want to care about a liar like her."
"......I
am worried."
He
had an angry look in his eyes. Lean against the wall with your arms crossed.
The room is dark, so his image is only in my eyes.
"Even
if you regret it, there's nothing you can do to get it back. If I had known
something like this would happen, I would have treated Henrietta even
better."
"I
know."
"You
know, do not you."
"......"
"You're
going to push me like this again?"
He
was no longer smiling. We stare at each other. His eyes shone under the
dazzling moonlight. Even if it was just a glance, it looked threatening. Even
though I knew he wouldn't hurt me.
No!
Do I really know? Am I sure that he won't hurt me?
My
back feels cold. Then I was the first to break the silence.
"Get
out."
"Sis,
you have always been like this. Drawing boundaries, building a wall between
us."
"You
want to fight?"
"Impossible."
His
breathing became a little rough. His piercing silver-gray eyes looked
uncomfortable. I took a step back. Haaa, Alexander sighed heavily as if he
would listen to me.
"......Fine.
I understand what 'wanting to be alone' means. But next time, I hope you say it
directly. I'm not talking about Henrietta or anything like that."
I
can't answer that. Alexander stared at me for a moment, then muttered something
and left the room after I turned my face away from him.
In
the end, I was left alone and sat on the floor as if I had fainted. Slowly my
shoulders shook.
"......Stupid."
I
grabbed the hem of my skirt and took off my dress roughly. I went to the
bathroom and took a steaming hot shower.
I
took a long shower. No 'marks' on my white skin, like new.
After
drying my hair, I fell asleep quickly. For the past two days, I've only slept
together with Alexander, and somehow I feel lonely lying in this wide bed
alone.
After
falling into a deep sleep, I was awakened by the immense pressure on my neck.
I
can't breathe. Someone strangled my neck.
Argh!
Danger......
No
sound. Everywhere was dark and nothing could be seen. I can only say that there
is someone above me.
There
is a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness. Who's this? Who's this? Fear
enveloped my mind. At this rate, I can't use magic. If you can't concentrate,
no matter how strong a wizard is, it's useless.
It's
no use, I can't fight back. All I could do was move my body randomly. The grip
grew stronger. My consciousness is fading. Slowly my eyes are closing.
I
don't want to die. Not in this way.
An
arm that was raised suddenly touched the perpetrator's face. Even as I lost my
senses, I didn't miss, my fingertips touched the perpetrator's face.
If
I forcibly cast magic, the side effects would be severe, but it's normal pain
if it's for survival.
Kwaak!
There
was a terrible smell of melted skin. It was the same magic that melted the
keyhole of the Duke's office.
"Argh!!"
The
perpetrator's hands that gripped my neck weakened. I didn't miss the pass. I
couldn't get up from my position, but it was possible for me to release
stronger magical energy into this face I was holding.
"Argh!!
Arghhh!! Arghhhh!!!"
I
keep melting this person's face! Jiiigeu! Jiiigeu! Jiiigeu!
The
smell of burning is very scary. This person can't strangle me anymore. The room
is dark, but I can hear the perpetrator falling, rolling, and screaming on the
floor.
But,
is it because I forced the use of my magic? I couldn't even finish my revenge
on the person who tried to kill me, and I lost consciousness.
One
thing I remember and know from the scream, he was a man, and the voice was
quite familiar.
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