Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Brielle’s grandfather, the Head of Peron, had already died.

Kentrail swallowed his sorrow with his face turned against one wall of the castle.

‘He deceived our family, but he was a good grandfather to Brielle…’

He still remembered the smile when he gave the child a dinosaur. As he was older, pneumonia that came suddenly took his life.

He had been ill for half a year. The vassals had yet to report that Brielle’s aunt had gone missing. At first, they were afraid that the condition might get worse, though he became increasingly greedy for the family…

To the extent that collateral rather than direct lineage constitutes the majority, the probability that he would be the next person to inherit the family in place of Brielle’s aunt had increased. It was after Brielle became the heir to the Count’s family.

He was a weak-hearted man, and since Kentrail visited here, his heart was pounding and he almost told the truth. However, he had already committed a crime, so he was determined to hide until the end.

‘I don’t know why the sister-in-law switched places with each other…’

It seemed to be true.

When asked about it, the vassal seemed to be puzzled, too. He seemed to think that the missing person was his sister-in-law.

‘I think it’s important to know the reason why. So, to find Brielle’s aunt…’

Kentrail walked towards the knights again with his face gathered. The knights who were looking at the master bowed their heads and waited for the next command. They expected that he would tell them to capture all the vassals here. Bloodshed seemed inevitable.

Though he simply ordered the room to be guarded. Kentrail controlled so that no one could enter without permission.

The places were the room where the body of the Head of Peron was located, the library containing the history of Peron, the study room, and the room used by the two daughters.

***

Barry frowned.

He was not used to the prison. As he went down, bearing in mind the stinky smell and blurred vision, he saw a large back.

It was Derek.

He glanced behind him as he heard their footsteps.

“Is the nanny okay?”

Taylor quietly shook his head. Derek turned to look at Barry, and his impression stiffened. He didn’t seem like the kid he used to know. His impression was even unyielding.

“Who did it, did you find out?”

At Taylor’s question, Derek shook his head. At that moment, Barry’s face, which was like an undead, changed. Malice and anger erupted because he saw someone behind Derek who was trying to kill Marie.

It was Taylor who was holding the child’s hand and stopped Barry from rushing towards him.

“You seem too agitated. Turn around and calm your mind. Whatever you do in that state, you will have regrets.”

Barry, who was furious at his teacher’s words, followed. In this state, there was more than enough to kill that person.

‘I can’t let him go so easily.’

While Barry turned around, Taylor approached the culprit.

“Who do you work for? You probably wouldn’t have done this alone.”

There were many corners where it was not clear that he was simply trying to kill Marie out of a grudge relationship or accidental impulse.

“….”

There was no answer from the criminal who bowed his head. However, he did not show any regrets about stabbing someone. It was as if he was used to getting rid of people.

“It would be better if you spoke sooner. The next person you meet will be a completely different person from us.”

He was talking about his master. Taylor said it because he was aware of his feelings toward the nanny.

“—should have died…”

But, at that moment, the criminal’s mouth opened.

“What?”

“Everyone should have died then!”

It was a loud scream.

At that sound, Barry quickly turned his body again and stared at the criminal. He was screaming in madness as his tied hands slammed to the floor.

Derek and Taylor, who were looking at him, could see that he was doing it harder and harder.

“What do you mean? Who should have died?”

Derek approached the culprit and asked threateningly. Nevertheless, the criminal just smiled as if he had lost his mind.

“Hahaha…!”

***

Kentrail found the room where Brielle’s grandfather was. He could not be buried, and his body was decomposing.

‘They are very cruel and heinous people.’

In front of him, he bowed his head in silence.

“Brielle asked me to tell you that he hopes his grandfather is well, and I’m sorry to be here so late. Don’t worry about the child. I’ll take good care of him.”

He simply added that, and he called the knight outside.

It was for funeral arrangements.

“Look for someone who is familiar with the funeral customs here. Come to think of it, the butler of the Peron family are also part of the same team.”

Kentrail sighed. The butler, who had probably been with him for the rest of his life, seemed to be ignoring this situation.

“Shall I bring him?”

“That would be good.”

“And, have someone check how the knights here are doing.”

“Yes, Master.”

And so, the two people left the room.

He could see the knight moving away and decided to head to the study this time. As he opened the door and stepped in, he saw a desk that had lost its owner. It was much older than the desk he was using.

‘Do you have anything left? To whom did you leave your will…?’

The grandfather, who only had a few days to live, could have left a will for Brielle.

‘Did the collateral family intercept in the middle?’

That was very likely. So, he must have been very confident that they wouldn’t hand over the position of Head to Brielle.

Kentrail, thinking that he should ask about the original will to the imprisoned colleague, glanced at the papers on the desk.

‘It must have been a famine in the estate this year.’

The document detailed the lamentations and the sufferings of the hungry. The grandfather’s straight handwriting was visible in the autograph section.

‘…The secretary must not have thought of coming in to collect these documents.’

Glancing at the documents that had already been completed, Kentrail shook his head before pondering in his thoughts again.

‘Where did you put letters you exchanged with the other daughters besides sister-in-law?’

It seemed to have been placed in either the study or the bedroom.

‘I guess we’ll find out where she is… I can’t even look all over here.’

Contemplating, Kentrail thought of someone to ask about the letter before calling the knight.

***

“Ellie.”

Brielle opened the door and entered the room where Marie was lying after seeing the doctor leave.

“…How’s Marie?”

She couldn’t answer the question as she was in no mood to answer. Instead, she just held Marie’s hand tighter. Seeing that, Brielle went to the other side from her and took Marie’s hand, which Ellie didn’t hold, and buried his face there.

“Marie…”

A mournful voice filled the room. The two children planned to stay up all night with Marie.

The maid couldn’t even stop it.

Knock, knock—

A knock rang out and Barry, who had gone down to the prison, entered. The child who walked in haste looked at his sister in an instant. He realized what the feeling of helplessness was that there was nothing he could do for her.

“What did the doctor say?”

Seeing Ellie’s condition, Barry asked the maid chief.

“They say tonight is a critical moment. She shed too much blood.”

As much as he had been at the Knights Academy, Barry’s face, who knew better than anyone about sword-piercing wounds, hardened.

‘…Excessive bleeding.’

When his older sister tried to feed them, she was stabbed.

‘I thought he was originally from the kitchen employee… Why did her attack all of a sudden?’

He wondered if his sister had caught him while doing something in the kitchen.

‘I can’t let sister’s sacrifice be in vain like this.’

Thinking that, Barry quietly left there and headed for the kitchen.

***

“I have called him, Master.”

Kentrail saw the child the knight had brought. It seemed that he was one or two years older than Ellie.

“Are you in charge of the mail here?”

“Yes…”

The child seemed to have been discouraged at Kentrail’s momentum.

“How long has it been since the head of this place wrote a letter recently?”

“It’s been about a month.”

“Have you seen his face in person?”

“No, I haven’t seen him in over six months.”

“I see. So, did you see to who the last letter was?”

“…It was a friend who lived nearby.”

“How many people did he regularly exchange letters with?”

The child, puzzled as to why he was asking such a question, raised his head. After meeting Kentrail’s gaze, he quickly bowed his head down again.

“There were three or four people a year. The rest were all single letters.”

“Yes, then do you remember their names?”

The child nodded his head at his question.

“Yes…”

One by one, he answered by counting his hands.

“…The estate Lord, and… Andalson—”

“Wait. Who is Andalson?”

“I don’t know.”

The strange name intermingled among the names of the lords the child listed bothered Kentrail. At that, he persisted.

“Andalson… How many letters do they get in a year? Since when did the correspondence come from Andalson?”

“The letter came once a season, and since I came here to work, it has been coming.”

“Since when have you been working?

“It’s been about three years.”

“Did the man keep replying to the person named Andalson?”

“No. Come to think of it, I never saw him reply.”

“What about the others?”

“He left a regular reply to other people.”

Hearing his reply, Kentrail was convinced there was something about the person named Andalson. He then opened his mouth again.

“Is there an address in the letter?”

“Although there was no exact address, the address of a post office in the North was written.”

“Okay… Where is that?”

Hearing the child’s words, Kentrail’s forehead narrowed. It was because it was the opposite of this place.

“Did the last letter also come from that person?”

“No. It’s been about five months since I didn’t get a letter from a man named Andalson.”

“I see… you can go.”

Looking at the child who was moving away, he saw the butler who was dragged by the knight this time and asked.

“You know about the correspondence?”

With his knee cut off, the butler trembled with both hands.

“…That is—”

“You won’t say you don’t know, right? Where does the Head usually leave the letters?”

At that question, the butler raised his finger and pointed to one place. It was a bookcase.

“…Is it a secret vault?”

Kentrail, who had been told that some of the nobles were installing something like this, walked up to the bookshelf.

‘I’m sure Brielle’s grandfather installed this.’

Part of the bookshelf moved by pulling on the strangest-looking book, revealing the safe.

“What’s the password?”

The butler shook his head.

“I don’t know that. He always let me go…”

At his words, Kentrail glanced at the knight. At the next moment, the knight immediately held out his sword in front of the butler.

“It-it’s true, believe me…!”

It seemed like he was speaking the truth as he put his hands together and hurriedly replied.

“I know someone who can open it.”

Uttering so, he was coldly at the butler, who was peering at him with an earnest look, and continued.

“Put that person in jail and bring the axe.”

At that, the butler’s face turned white at the mention of the axe.

It was like looking at a lawless person.

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