Chapter 19
Despite the warmth in the room thanks to the fireplace, a chilly tension filled the air.
Clearly, things hadn’t started off this way. Not for Jerry, Tom, or even Calix.
“It’s fine if you want to exercise your right to remain silent, but you still need to provide an alibi, Your Grace.”
“…”
Calix quietly raised his teacup to his lips. He certainly had an alibi. He just didn’t think this was the right time to reveal it.
“My lawyer hasn’t arrived yet.”
“…”
They’d been stuck in the same loop for a while now. Calix kept repeating that same line, using the absence of his lawyer as an excuse to maintain silence, while Jerry tried to get anything out of him.
“Haa… Your Grace, no matter how noble you are, this is troubling. We don’t want to suspect you either.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not the culprit.”
“How can you say it doesn’t matter? If you’re officially listed as a suspect, it will damage your family’s honor. Are you really okay with that?”
“My house won’t fall over something like that.”
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to hide. We’ll find out anyway once we question your servants.”
“Then why didn’t you start with them instead of coming straight to me?”
Calix responded calmly as ever. Jerry hadn’t expected him to be this stubborn, and the irritation crept up on him.
‘If he’s as frail as the rumors say, wouldn’t it be easier to just give his alibi? Why’s he being so secretive?’
Jerry couldn’t understand Calix’s behavior. Even if he had done something shady, it couldn’t be worse than being suspected of serial murder. So why act like it was nothing?
“Then we’ll have to postpone your questioning until your lawyer arrives.”
“My apologies for the inconvenience.”
“It’s fine. It’s not often we get to meet someone as distinguished as yourself. In the meantime, we’d like your permission to question your staff.”
“Feel free. Not like you’d stop just because I said no, right?”
“Still, it’s proper to ask. Thank you for your consent. We’ll take our leave now.”
Jerry and Tom bowed to Calix and left the room.
“Whew…”
Left alone in the sitting room, Calix exhaled deeply.
Inspector Jerry. He was the same tenacious investigator who had tracked him in the previous timeline. Back then and now, he was the last person Calix wanted to deal with.
Just as he managed to catch his breath, the door burst open without a knock.
“Your Grace!”
“Lady Elena?”
Elena entered, breathless and pale, looking absolutely distraught.
*
“What brings you here so suddenly… More importantly, are you alright? You look pale.”
Duke Calix stood up and approached. She had rushed here on impulse, but now that she was in front of him, the words wouldn’t come out.
“I— That’s not it!”
“…”
“I mean, I…”
She kept stammering like a fool, unable to get to the point.
“Please, speak freely. Why don’t you sit down and catch your breath first?”
“Ah, yes.”
His voice was unusually gentle, as if trying to help her calm down.
Elena fidgeted as she sat down, glancing around nervously. Thanks to Calix’s patience, she was finally able to collect her thoughts and began to speak slowly.
“Um, Your Grace… I’m so sorry for asking something personal, but when you went away to recuperate… what exactly were you doing there?”
“Recuperate?”
“Yes.”
Calix appeared to be thinking for a moment. Elena held her breath, trying to ignore her pounding heart.
After a pause, he replied, with a tone that sounded slightly displeased.
“I was with the dogs. As you know, I recently brought in Black.”
“That’s… that’s all?”
“What else would I be doing while recuperating?”
“Then where did you get Black?”
“You’re unusually full of questions today, Lady Elena. Have you taken a sudden interest in me, or is there another reason?”
“It’s just…”
To check your movements. To confirm whether you’re really the serial killer or not!
But she couldn’t just say that. If his movements lined up with the locations of the bodies, then she’d have no choice but to believe he was the killer.
“And what would ‘just’ be?”
“I-I was just curious if Your Grace spent your time well… while away, I mean.”
“But you never asked me that after I returned.”
Was it just her imagination, or did he actually sound hurt?
Her plan to trace his whereabouts had failed.
“As you know, Lady Elena, the only things I care about are my dogs—both the ones I have now and those I’ll take in in the future. Whatever happens out there in the world, it has nothing to do with me.”
“Well, that’s a relief…”
“Oh, but I can’t say I’m completely unconnected to… ‘dark affairs.’ Importing dogs from abroad can be incredibly tedious and complicated.”
Calix added that with a pleasant smile.
After hearing his explanation, she couldn’t help but gape.
What the heck does he mean, “dark affairs”?! What is he even talking about?! Does he feed dog hearts or something?!
She had briefly blacked out earlier, but came straight to him as soon as she woke. She’d sprinted over and summoned every last ounce of courage to ask those questions, and now he says—what? He might have some connection to shady dealings?!
Was this his way of confessing to being a criminal?
Her heart, which had only just calmed, started to race again.
Why would he tell her this? Was it a warning? Was he saying, “You’re next”? Elena had no idea what was going through his mind—and frankly, she didn’t want to know. Who cared about the inner thoughts of a serial killer?
Forget it. Just tell him about the ingredients and get out of here. At this point, the medicine was her only hope.
“By the way, Your Grace, I have a request regarding the drug development.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I want to try switching out one of the ingredients. But it’s a rare one, and quite expensive…”
“Don’t worry about the cost. Just bill it to the duke’s estate.”
He replied with a kind smile.
“Oh, but I think I’ll need to go through a bigger merchant group than the usual apothecaries…”
“Here. Show them this badge, and most of the large ones should help.”
Calix pulled a badge from his inner pocket and handed it to her. It was proof of his identity as a member of the ducal house.
“Is it really okay to use something this important so freely?”
Holding it made her feel oddly guilty, and her hand trembled slightly. In the wrong hands, this could be used to buy just about anything.
“You’re doing this for me, Lady Elena. I want to make sure nothing stands in your way.”
“…Thank you. I’ll gather the ingredients quickly and finish the medicine.”
“Thank you.”
“Then I’ll be going now.”
She bowed quickly and left the mansion, immediately preparing for her outing.
If it’s the same merchant as last time, it should work again.
Now that the duke had given her his badge, she decided to order a more generous quantity. Without financial limitations, she felt strangely excited. It wasn’t even money being spent on her, but it still made her fearless.
Finding the merchant group again wasn’t difficult. She gave the strange password like before, was guided downstairs, and once again found the same woman.
“Welcome. What brings you here today?”
“I’d like to place an order for some ingredients.”
“What kind?”
“White mistletoe flower and blue lynx blossom.”
“You do realize those are quite expensive?”
“That’s why I brought this.”
She pulled out the badge Calix had given her and showed it.
“This is… the duke’s badge.”
“Yes. Price doesn’t matter—please get me as much as you can.”
“Hmm, understood. Shall I have the ingredients delivered to the duke’s estate?”
“Yes, please.”
“We’ll send them over as soon as they’re ready.”
“Thank you.”
There was nothing else to do, so she left right away. Everything was going smoothly, and that put her in a great mood. Maybe this way, she could slowly move further away from the “sacrificial ending”…
“Hm?”
She saw a familiar figure at the end of an alleyway—then it disappeared.
Was that… Dr. Scott?
But he said he was away on a business trip…
“I should follow him.”
She quickly dashed in the direction she’d seen Dr. Scott.
