Chapter 47
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Chapter 47
Beyond the window of Charlotte's Room, dawn mist hung thick and ethereal, with threads of sunlight piercing through the haze. Once Leopold departed with the darkness, Charlotte would typically face such a sight with melancholy. But today was different.
"Good heavens. How wonderful, truly. Can someone like me really be called a lady?"
Charlotte paced the room, acutely aware of her heart racing beyond her control. Her cheeks flushed a becoming rose, brimming with vitality.
"'Ghosts don't catch colds.' Indeed, what a thing to say."
Charlotte recalled the provocative words that had escaped her lips the night before, her long chestnut hair twisting nervously between her fingers.
"His Highness must have been quite flustered."
Before she had pulled his collar toward her, Charlotte remembered the bewildered expression that had crossed Leopold's composed face. Of course, what came after that remained a blur—the moment her lips met his, her eyes had fluttered shut.
"...Though he seemed to adapt far too readily to be truly flustered."
Leopold had stiffened momentarily at her sudden kiss, but his lips soon began to embrace her with fervent warmth. One of his hands cradled her cheek tenderly, while his lips pressed against hers with increasing intensity.
"Oh... heavens. Last night wasn't a dream, was it?"
Charlotte recalled the lengthy, passionate kiss that had unfolded the previous night, and her cheeks flushed even deeper than the rising sun itself.
Just as Aunt Elicia had said, the fragrant breeze had carried her not merely to a garden where a handful of flowers grew, but rather to an enchanted hillside brimming with flowers of every beautiful fragrance she had never known existed.
Charlotte fought to keep her eyes from taking on a heart shape, managing only a trembling smile.
"Ah, I shouldn't have thrown Jane's book into the Stream..."
Charlotte, leaning against the window, recalled Jane's book, now thoroughly soaked in the moonlit waters, and bit her lip.
"Could there be any legible content if I look closely? Not that I'm particularly interested, you understand—it's simply that I must return the book to Jane eventually, so I ought to check its condition..."
Despite being alone, Charlotte spoke to herself as though offering an excuse, bending down toward the space beneath her bed. That was where she had hidden the "scandalous book" Jane had given her.
"What?"
Charlotte, who had been reaching toward the book, let out a startled cry. That was certainly the book that had plunged into the moonlit stream with a splash. She vividly remembered Leopold wading into the water in the middle of the city center and retrieving it for her. How could she forget the sight of his wet trousers clinging to his firm leg muscles?
"It dried after getting wet, so the pages inside should have been all wrinkled...?"
Yet contrary to Charlotte's memory, Jane's book that she had opened appeared crisp and pristine, as though it had never been touched by water—exactly as Jane had first handed it to her. The only trace of that day was the faint layer of dirt on the back cover, a result of Charlotte's carelessness when she had dropped it while walking along the forest path.
"The dirt marks are still here, so why is there no sign of it falling into the water that day...."
Charlotte's face froze in disbelief. That night, even when she had hidden the book beneath her bed, its pages had been so thoroughly soaked that the text was nearly illegible.
It was just as Charlotte began to examine the book more closely.
Clop—clop—
Multiple hoofbeats, unsuited to the early morning hour, echoed from beyond the window all at once.
Charlotte rose from where she had been sitting at the foot of her bed and approached the window once more. There, she could see Philip Oslo leading what appeared to be a search party—a group of people bringing their horses to a halt before the Augusta Mansion.
"At this hour, with Mr. Oslo and the search party...."
Could there be new information about His Highness Leopold? Charlotte, now alert, hastily concealed Jane's book beneath her bed once more. She needed to hurry downstairs to greet Philip and the search party.
***
By the time Charlotte arrived downstairs, Lydia Augusta—a shawl draped over her nightgown—and George, still wearing his sleeping cap, had already opened the entrance hall doors.
"Pardon? Jane Augusta, you say? What on earth do you mean...."
George adjusted his crooked spectacles as he spoke, having hastily retrieved them. The person George was addressing was Philip Oslo, whose face appeared even paler than usual.
"Mother, Father? What is the matter?"
Charlotte, firmly believing that Philip had come searching for her, stepped forward and spoke. Beyond the entrance, roughly eighteen members of the search party sat mounted on their horses, watching them intently. The horses, having ridden a great distance, snorted loudly and dragged their weary legs roughly against the ground, their momentum not yet spent.
"No, Charlotte... that is to say...."
Lydia Augusta turned to face Charlotte with a bewildered expression. At the same moment, as if hearing the commotion outside, the other Augusta sisters began descending the staircase one by one.
"Mr. Oslo, or rather, Search Officer. Am I to understand correctly? You've come to take Jane Augusta away?"
My father, George, asked precisely from behind his properly positioned spectacles, his voice now entirely devoid of sleepiness.
Philip exhaled softly and replied, endeavoring to conceal his pained expression as best he could.
"Mr. Augusta, I'm deeply sorry to say that is indeed the case."
Charlotte, unable to bear the situation any longer, stepped forward while ushering the shocked Lydia Augusta behind her.
"Mr. Philip Oslo, what do you mean? You're one of the search officers in His Highness Leopold's disappearance case. So why would you need Jane...?"
"...Charlotte."
Philip called out my name with a sorrowful expression. When he met my flushed face, delivering this news seemed to pain him all the more.
"Regarding His Highness Leopold's disappearance, I believe you are well aware that a servant of this estate gifted His Highness apple wine laced with a sleeping draught."
"Of course. That was I—"
I stopped mid-sentence. My family knew nothing of my secret assistance in the investigation with Philip, nor of the lie I had told him about being a necromancer.
Philip seemed to understand why I had fallen silent, and he nodded before continuing.
"The search party and I have investigated all the servants of this estate over the past several days, and we have discovered that the person who gifted the apple wine to His Highness is none other than Terrence Devois, a mercenary employed here and Jane's fiancé."
"What? Terrence?"
Everyone from the Augusta Family present in the entrance hall cried out in unison. I did the same. At that very moment, I realized that Jane, who had joined us last in the entrance hall, had not joined in the family's outcry.
Philip lowered his head deeply and continued.
"Yes, however... the apple wine that mercenary Terrence Devois gifted to His Highness was sent by Jane Augusta herself. According to Terrence Devois's account, he had frequently received delicious apple wine as gifts from Miss Jane while she was away taking bride lessons in the countryside. When a new bottle arrived, he thought to gift one to His Highness Leopold, whom he served."
"That... that can't be..."
I turned to look for Jane. There she stood in the entrance hall, holding a drowsy Katie, her face growing visibly paler by the moment.
Philip slowly raised his head and looked around at the Augusta Family members before him, speaking with measured deliberation. His luminous blue eyes were shadowed by profound sorrow.
"Terrence Devois swears he never put a sedative in the apple wine. The moment he received the gift from Miss Jane, he immediately delivered it to the kitchen to present to His Highness. Therefore, the Search Party believes that not only Terrence Devois, but Miss Jane, who packaged and sent the apple wine, must also be considered a suspect."
"B-but even Terrence didn't know that the nobleman he served was His Highness Leopold, so how could Jane, who was staying in the countryside, have attempted such a thing against His Highness? Moreover, Jane sent that apple wine thinking Terrence would drink it...."
In place of her family, who could say nothing in the face of this shocking revelation at such an early hour, Charlotte refuted passionately. Yet despite hearing her words, Philip responded with composure.
"That is precisely why it is necessary to investigate Miss Jane Augusta to clarify all these circumstances."
Having finished speaking, Philip's expression grew grim. He took a step closer to Charlotte, who stood foremost as the representative of the Augusta Family, and whispered quietly to her.
"I'm truly, truly sorry. I wanted to prevent this method as well, Miss Charlotte. But...."
Seeing the apology and desperation in Philip's eyes, Charlotte realized there was no way to prevent the Search Party from taking Jane. At the same time, Philip was someone who could maintain fairness even toward Harrison, his friend with whom he had carried out the operation together. His trembling voice revealed just how much anguish he was swallowing in this moment.
"This can't be right. Why would Jane...."
As Charlotte staggered from the shock, Philip steadied her. At this signal, two soldiers from the Search Party behind Philip approached the Augusta Family. Unlike Philip, they showed no desire to waste any more time.
"Good heavens!"
"Sister Jane!"
Amid the family's cries mingled with shock and tears, Jane walked toward the Search Party soldiers with trembling steps. To maintain at least the dignity befitting a lady, she had decided to step forward before the soldiers could lay hands upon her.
"Wait!"
Charlotte cried out, supported by Philip's arm. Jane, escorted by the soldiers, was just about to board the carriage they had brought. Behind Charlotte, the sound of her mother Lydia Augusta's weeping could be heard.
Charlotte steadied herself and straightened her posture, then strode forward with purpose toward the soldiers escorting Jane.
"I'm coming with you. With Sister Jane."
In Charlotte's resolute voice and expression shone a solemnity that no one could defy.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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