Chapter 66
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 66
"Are you the Coachman from House Byon who drove the carriage on the day of the incident?"
"Y-yes. Y-yes, that's correct..."
The Coachman's gaze shifted toward Aiden Byon.
"Y-young master, I swear I've done nothing wrong. I-I merely followed the Butler's orders and drove the carriage, nothing more."
The Coachman insisted on his innocence, his voice trembling violently.
"Before departing from the Manor with the Byon Family's young lady, were there any unusual circumstances with the carriage?"
Cain Maxius ignored the Coachman's pleas and posed the question.
"N-no, there weren't. It w-was just like any other day."
"Then you're saying you didn't notice the bomb installed in the carriage?"
"W-we coachmen always inspect the carriage before driving it. W-we always check to make sure it's clean and that nothing is broken."
"Hmm."
"W-when we're transporting people of high status, we m-must be thorough. Y-young master, I truly did nothing. There was absolutely nothing in the carriage, I swear!"
The Coachman continued his desperate appeal to Aiden Byon, his face etched with indignation.
After hearing the Coachman's words, my head tilted involuntarily.
"Something doesn't add up."
I opened my mouth, looking between the two men.
"What troubles you, my lady?"
"The bomb must have been installed before the carriage departed from the Manor. If what this Coachman says is true, he would have discovered it during his inspection. Yet he found nothing—it simply doesn't make sense."
"I share that assessment."
Cain Maxius nodded in agreement with my words.
"Then the bomb must have been installed after leaving the Manor, not before..."
But the Knights riding alongside would surely have noticed such a thing.
"Aiden, when Adela typically leaves the Manor, how many Knights accompany her?"
"At minimum, four travel with her."
"She must have traveled with the Knights that day as well. So where could the bomb have possibly come from? Is this Coachman lying?"
At my accusation, the Coachman began striking his head against the ground repeatedly.
"I-I would never lie! P-please believe me. I beg you—I truly never saw any bomb!"
Observing the Coachman's expression, tone, and behavior, he didn't appear to be lying.
He genuinely seemed ignorant of the bomb's existence.
Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, the Coachman urgently opened his mouth to us.
"Ah—w-well, that day, while we were traveling, Miss Adela suddenly screamed, saying she'd seen something through the window. So three of the Knights temporarily left their posts."
"What? What do you mean? Explain in more detail."
As this new information emerged, I focused intently on the Coachman's words.
"W-well, you see... we were crossing a bridge some distance from where the bomb detonated. As I was driving the carriage, Miss Adela suddenly cried out. She ordered me to stop the carriage, and through the window, she claimed to see something grotesque staring at her. She asked the Knights to investigate what it was."
Once we began showing interest in his account, the Coachman stopped stammering at some point.
He seemed to have concluded on his own that he was no longer a suspect.
With that, he continued his story as though recounting something quite fascinating.
"So only one of the Knights remained, and the rest rushed in the direction the young lady indicated. Then, after some time, the Knights returned, and I heard them report to the young lady that they found nothing."
"They found nothing?"
I fixed the Coachman with a skeptical gaze as I asked.
"Y-yes, yes. Th-they definitely said that, sir."
The Coachman grew tense and began stammering again.
To look at him, the Coachman was clearly an extremely timid person who couldn't withstand pressure at all.
'Could someone like that commit such a crime?'
I couldn't imagine it.
Of course, this demeanor could have been masterful acting.
But the likelihood that he was performing seemed remarkably low.
Still, as the most plausible suspect capable of planting the bomb, it was premature to exclude him entirely from suspicion.
So I pressed forward with another question to learn more.
"What happened after that? Since they found nothing, what did the Byon Family's daughter say?"
"Ah, Miss Adela asked if they truly found nothing, and with a trembling voice, she said it was so grotesque that it still wouldn't leave her mind. B-but since it was late, she said to leave, so we departed again."
"And not long after, the bomb detonated?"
"Y-yes, yes. That's correct."
The Coachman nodded vigorously in response.
I had heard all there was to hear from the Coachman.
After ordering the Knight to take the Coachman away, we began our discussion based on the information we'd gathered from him.
"What are your thoughts, both of you?"
Curious about the two men's opinions, I spoke first.
"First, we need to find that Knight who was at the Byon Family's daughter's side."
"I agree."
I nodded at Cain Maxius's words and glanced at Aiden Byon beside me.
"Aiden, could we entrust finding that Knight to you?"
"Yes, I'll find him."
"Is Adela still unconscious?"
"...Yes."
"Sigh, she needs to wake up soon."
As Adela showed no signs of waking, and I still needed to hear her account, I exhaled a sigh tinged with both regret and concern.
"It's late today, so let's end here and reconvene tomorrow."
"Very well."
"Understood."
Thus we safely concluded our first day with the investigation team.
I had thought that whenever the three of us gathered, discord would inevitably arise, but it seemed we might manage reasonably well going forward.
Of course, it was only the first day, so such a judgment might be premature.
Rising from my seat and stepping outside the Manor, a Carriage stood waiting.
After greeting the two men, I moved toward the carriage when Aiden Byon approached my side.
"Allow me to escort you."
"Oh, um... yes, that sounds good."
I was about to refuse, but noticing Cain Maxius watching us, I smiled brightly and nodded in agreement instead.
Cain Maxius's expression hardened visibly.
That look confirmed he still hadn't given up on me.
'How tedious.'
I felt suffocated wondering how much longer I'd have to maintain this charade.
Had Cain Maxius not spouted such nonsense about still caring for me or wanting to start over, I wouldn't have resolved to treat him so coldly.
No matter how many times I deliberately hurt someone, I never grew accustomed to it.
'If only I could live more rationally.'
Reflecting quietly on today's events, there were moments when I actually agreed with what Cain Maxius said, and it felt rather pleasant.
Frustrating, absolutely frustrating.
Yet I was absolutely determined never to give him any opening.
And I would never surrender before he did.
"Belita."
"Yes, of course."
Aiden Byon called to me, extending his hand.
I naturally grasped his hand—now familiar to me—and climbed into the carriage.
As Aiden Byon boarded after me, the carriage began to move.
Mary hadn't accompanied me today either.
Suspecting the matter wouldn't be resolved quickly, I'd told her to stay behind and rest.
So the carriage held only Aiden Byon and me.
"I rarely see Aiden Byon riding in a carriage."
"I find horseback more comfortable than a carriage."
"Then you ride horses even when traveling in and out of the Capital?"
"That's correct."
"But what business takes you to the Provinces? It seems House Byon conducts considerable operations outside the Capital."
"We handle various matters—managing the family's territories and also..."
"Searching for the Circus Troupe?"
I broached our shared secret deliberately, meeting his gaze with conscious intent.
"Yes, that's right."
"Still haven't found the person you're looking for?"
I asked him cautiously, my expression guarded.
"No, I haven't found them yet."
"If I asked who you're searching for, would you tell me?"
"...I apologize."
"Still a secret, then?"
"..."
It wasn't that I felt disappointed.
Still, I couldn't help but feel concerned.
So if there was anything I could do, I wanted to help him, which is why I asked.
But he remained steadfast in keeping his secret.
"It's fine. Everyone has secrets, after all. But if you do find that person later, could you tell me that you've found them?"
"...I will do so."
"Good. That's all I need."
"However..."
"Yes?"
Aiden Byon's expression seemed unusually grave.
It was as if I could glimpse the resolute determination of someone who had made a momentous decision.
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