Chapter 18
I didn’t have any close acquaintances within this ducal estate.
That’s why I was flustered when the people here suddenly started speaking to me in a friendly way. Since when were we on such familiar terms…?
“My medical opinion, you say?”
“Yes!”
“It is possible to extract just the heart. But the issue is that the victims’ bodies weren’t simply missing their hearts—they had a clean, round hole in the chest area. Like a cookie cutter had been used. That kind of precise removal isn’t something a human could easily do.”
There were things like ribs and other complications to consider.
“I see. Then do you think the culprit could be a doctor, Lady Elena?”
“I’m not sure about that. If they could subdue the victim and use a sharp saw-like tool to carve it out in one go, it wouldn’t necessarily have to be a doctor…”
“As expected, you really do think like an expert! See, I told you! I said it might not be a doctor!”
“But isn’t it suspicious how Dr. Scott always goes on a trip after each murder?”
“Hey, keep your voice down.”
The two quickly said goodbye and left, likely because I was Dr. Scott’s assistant and they felt awkward.
Was everyone suspecting Dr. Scott? It was understandable. But in the original story, Dr. Scott wasn’t the culprit.
If I thought about it, it was actually more suspicious that the Duke would disappear before each incident rather than Dr. Scott disappearing after. I knew who the real culprit was, but no one here did.
Maybe they were keeping their opinions to themselves because of the difference in social status. I couldn’t exactly report anything without evidence either.
“This is frustrating.”
I had come out for a walk to clear my head, but I just ended up feeling more uneasy. Next time the Duke goes on a retreat, maybe I should insist on going with him no matter what. Thinking about it alone wasn’t helping, and if I was going to die anyway, it would be better to see things for myself and at least feel somewhat at ease.
With that firm resolve, I headed to the apothecary. Either way, completing the medicine as soon as possible was the most urgent task.
* * *
“It doesn’t make sense that we haven’t found a single clue. This is the third time! Not once, not twice—three times!”
In the middle of the day at the guard station, a large man was stomping around angrily, his thick mustache fluttering with each exhale.
Despite his bald head, he had a bushy mustache. He was Marceau Toulet, the chief of the guard. In front of him, Inspector Jerry stood with his head bowed, enduring the chief’s fury.
“What the hell have you been doing to come up with nothing? Are you sure you investigated properly?”
“Yes, the autopsy was thorough, and we followed all procedures carefully.”
“Then you must have missed something! Didn’t we even have a witness for the second case? What about their testimony? Nothing useful from that?”
“There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy. We did receive a tip about a suspicious person, but they’re someone we can’t easily investigate…”
“What? Who?”
“It’s Duke Calix Fitzellardin.”
“…Well, that’s just great.”
Marceau let out a defeated sigh and thumped his broad chest in frustration with his clenched fists.
Others who had been watching quickly averted their eyes when Marceau’s gaze swept over them.
“Hey, Inspector Jerry.”
“Yes, Chief.”
Marceau stepped closer to Jerry.
“Look, I’m saying this because I care, alright?”
“Yes, please go on.”
Marceau leaned in and whispered directly into Jerry’s ear.
“Would someone that important do something so unnecessary? Huh? The Duke isn’t even in good health—how could he possibly be involved in something this rough?”
“Even so, I think it’s still worth looking into…”
“Oh, come on! Do you want to get blacklisted by a high noble and lose your job forever?”
“……”
Jerry fell silent. As expected, Chief Marceau had no intention of allowing any investigation into Duke Calix.
“We can’t just keep dragging this out. If we can’t find anything, we need to make something and close the case, understand?”
“But that’s…”
“If we can’t narrow down the suspects, then investigate everyone one by one. You’re telling me there isn’t even one suspicious commoner out there? You get what I’m saying?”
“……”
“This is the third time now! We need something to show for it, or the guards will be seen as completely useless!”
“…I’ll look into it.”
“Good. I’m counting on you, Inspector Jerry.”
Marceau patted Jerry’s shoulder and walked past him, the pungent scent of his cigar lingering in the air.
“Sigh… Tom.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s go.”
“Right.”
Jerry called Tom over and put on a thick coat.
‘Still, even just once…’
Even if the Duke wasn’t the culprit, it didn’t feel right to ignore the tip completely. It would be better for everyone’s peace of mind if he was at least investigated.
“To the Duke’s estate.”
As Jerry boarded the carriage and gave the destination to the coachman, Tom looked shocked.
“What? The Duke’s estate? Didn’t we already get the full testimony from that witness?”
“It’s not about testimony.”
“Then what is it?”
“We’re going to verify an alibi.”
“Eh?”
Tom had no idea what Jerry was thinking. There were more than a few people living in the Duke’s estate, so whose alibi were they even going to check?
Jerry didn’t bother to explain further, and the carriage departed for the ducal estate.
* * *
“Ah… so it wasn’t this herb either?”
I muttered to myself, comparing the test results with the report. Something always went wrong at the final stage—clearly, the problem was with the ingredients.
“If I had something similar, but slightly different…”
White broomroot and blue lynx flowers came to mind. The problem was that both were extremely hard to come by.
“No regular apothecary would have them.”
The only way to get them easily was through the black market. Maybe I could use that merchant group again?
But this time I wasn’t selling—I needed to buy something. And because both herbs were so rare, the price would be outrageous. I couldn’t just purchase them without permission.
In the end, I’d need to get Duke Calix’s approval.
“Would he really invest that much into a medicine that might not even work?”
Still, I decided to strike while the iron was hot and headed straight for the Duke’s quarters.
But as I left the annex and walked toward the main residence, something felt off. The atmosphere in the estate was different—chaotic, tense.
“What’s going on? Did something happen here?”
I stopped a passing servant and asked.
“Ah, the inspector has arrived. He’s investigating everyone in the estate, including the Duke.”
“What?”
“For the serial murder case. He’s currently in a meeting with the Duke.”
“……”
I was speechless.
If they were investigating in order of rank, the Duke would obviously be first. The former Duke was long deceased.
There couldn’t be any evidence yet. Could he really be a suspect based solely on his retreat schedule?
Things were moving faster than I’d expected.
If the Duke ended up being identified as a suspect… then he’d be executed before I died. That would mean I could survive—but this strange feeling in my chest… wasn’t pleasant.
Thinking of the man who had treated me kindly getting beheaded made me feel deeply unsettled.
No—he’s the one who’s supposed to kill me. I was scared of him. If the truth comes out early and I get to live, that’s a good thing. This is good… it is.
That’s what my head was saying, but…
“Is the Duke really that kind of person? Someone who’d lead a cult and sell human hearts…”
If—just if—something had been wrong with the original story from the start, something I never knew… and the Duke had been wrongly killed all along… and if he was a Duke instead of a baron because the story had changed somehow…
The confusion made me nauseous. My head throbbed as if it would split open.
And then—my vision began to flicker.
