Chapter 154

There were items scattered here and there and meal leftovers that looked old at a glance.

Overdue tax bills and unorganized piles of clothes clearly showed the Baron’s poverty-stricken life.

The Baron’s mansion was covered with curtains on all sides, so no light came in, filling it with a dreary atmosphere.

To think this is the place where the body of a dead person had been just a while ago…

Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps and made her nauseous. Ayla clenched her fists at the sudden nauseous feeling and covered her mouth.

Avoiding the eyes of Mason, who was leading the two of them, Theon reached his hand back and gently grabbed Ayla’s trembling hand.

Her blue eyes, which were shaking aimlessly, gradually calmed down, as if reassured by the warmth of his fingertips.

“Baron Noir’s body was here. Still… I think it would be better for Miss Ayla not to see it…”

Mason, who had been speaking with a firm expression on his face, blurred his words and showed an anxious look.

Theon, who looked at Ayla silently as if he agreed, shook his head from side to side towards her.

“I’m fine.”

Giving a short answer, Ayla walked over to where Mason was standing.

As she looked inside, she frowned and closed her eyes tightly, as if she did not want to look at it anymore.

The bathroom, which was filled with slime, was dreadful.

The drops of red blood splattered over the broken tiles were a scene that could only be seen in horror movies beyond a projector.

Ayla, who kept her small shoulders down and closed her eyes, looked pitiful.

Theon suddenly came closer and hugged her without saying a word. Her heart, which had been pounding in fear, slowly calmed down at the warmth she felt behind her back.

Mason, who looked at the two of them alternately as if Theon’s sudden action was very bewildering, cleared his throat.

“Ahem… Baron Noir was here, in the bathtub. The body was found by a janitor who comes to clean the mansion every two weeks, and according to him, it hadn’t been long since he had died.”

“Did he harm himself?”

“Yes. It has been confirmed that he… Cut his arteries without hesitation.”

It was weird.

Unlike Baron Noir, who looked tough, the way he chose was too feminine and didn’t suit him at all.

She thought she was going to see a rope hanging from the ceiling, but his wrists…

Although it was only for a brief moment, the Baron she saw was not someone to take his own life.

And he did that at once, without hesitation?

Even if he had already decided to take his own life, it was normal to struggle to live when reaching his final moment.

But there were only a few scattered drops of blood in the bathroom, and a small amount of blood that had overflowed from the bathtub.

Even after leaving the bathroom, the terrible scene seemed to be wavering.

For a person who died in a painful way, no intention to live could be seen anywhere in the bathroom.

She suddenly wondered why he made this choice.

“What about a will?”

Whether he was thinking the same thing as Ayla, Theon asked Mason with a firm voice.

Mason did not answer, only quietly shaking his head from side to side.

Silently frowning, Theon got out of the bathroom and took a deep breath, putting his hand on his forehead.

“So, it was ruled as a suicide?”

“Under the circumstances, yes. There is no sign of intrusion… And there is no sign of murder either.”

Ayla, who remained silent, began to look around slowly, leaving behind the two of them talking about the incident.

As she got out of the terrible scene that reeked of blood, she could feel her stomach getting sick little by little.

When Ayla, who was stuttering forward, reached the kitchen of the mansion, a sigh naturally came out of her mouth.

She wondered what on earth did the Baron eat, as she couldn’t find any ingredients no matter where she looked.

On top of that, the old pumpkin on the table was in a state where it could not be eaten as it was rotten. Ayla’s gaze slowly scanned the surroundings, hoping for even a small clue to appear.

‘A glass bottle…?’

Ayla, who was searching around with her forehead gathered, saw a small glass bottle that could be easily overlooked if you didn’t look closely.

The empty bottle didn’t have anything inside.

It was strange that the Baron, who didn’t seem to even care about cleaning up, put only this small glass bottle in the trash.

Looking at the engraved pattern on the glass bottle the size of a little finger, it seems that the contents were quite expensive.

A very small amount of the purple liquid remained in the uniquely shaped glass bottle, but the amount was so small that it seemed impossible to know its purpose.

“Miss Ayla? Are you here?”

As Mason entered the kitchen in search of her, Ayla hid the glass bottle she was holding behind her body.

“Ah, I’m here, Secretary! I came here because I was a little thirsty… As expected, there is nothing.”

Right after, Ayla scratched her face as she answered.

“No wonder you’re thirsty. Why did he tell you to come along to such a chaotic place… Please understand. His Highness tends to be erratic sometimes.”

Ayla smiled awkwardly without saying a word as Mason spoke kindly to her.

Mason was naturally gentle towards everyone, but she felt that he was acting particularly kindly as if he were trying to score points.

As expected, he was quick-witted.

***