Chapter 78
After returning to the room from our walk, we were looking over the report Michelle had submitted and discussing it before dinner.
During the afternoon walk, after consulting with Duke Calix, we had decided to assign someone else from his merchant guild to investigate the gambling den. It was too lawless a place, and we didn’t have the time to stake it out ourselves every day.
As I looked through the report concerning the fourth victim, I tilted my head.
“The fourth victim’s family is also missing. The victim was the son, but the mother disappeared?”
“They say there were no other relatives, and it’s been a long time since they cut ties with extended family, so we’ll have to ask the neighbors.”
Something smells fishy.
“Could his mother also be under the cult’s care? Like the doctor’s younger sister?”
“Since it was said that she was ill, that possibility is quite high. We’ll need to confirm more details, though.”
“When can we ask the neighbors for testimony?”
“Oh, I’ve already arranged that. The day after tomorrow we can go.”
“What? When did you manage that…?”
“If you put your mind to it, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
While I sat dumbfounded, Duke Calix smiled faintly.
Our duke is way too competent!
I sometimes wondered—before I completed the medicine, when the duke was still struggling in his daily life, how in the world did this vast dukedom manage to run? It had seemed impossible that a sickly duke could handle all the work.
But if he can get things done this quickly, then it made sense how the territory managed even while he was ill.
Though honestly… it’s troubling when he’s this perfect.
I firmly suppressed the urge to gush. No, that really would be too much.
“Well then, I’ll rest until dinner. Since the testimony isn’t until the day after tomorrow.”
“All right. Rest well.”
I rose, leaving behind the smiling duke. When in doubt, the best strategy was to escape the scene.
A peaceful day flew by, and before I knew it, we were on our way to meet the neighbors of the fourth victim.
The inside of the carriage was by now not only familiar but almost boring—except for Luca, who had sprawled across the seat with his face on my thigh instead of Duke Calix sitting next to me.
Soon the carriage stopped, and we got off in front of an ordinary-looking house.
I glanced at the small gate.
“So, everyone is gathered here?”
“Yes. The neighborhood ladies usually gather here around this time to chat. Since we’ve already received permission, they’ll be expecting us.”
“Then let’s go in. Excuse me?”
No sooner had Duke Calix spoken than he knocked on the door.
After a short while, a warm-looking middle-aged woman opened it.
“Are you Baroness Fitt from the capital?”
“Yes. I’m Baroness Fitt, as I mentioned before.”
“And the person with you?”
“My secretary.”
“…”
As I answered, Duke Calix gave me a long look.
What? Secretary, physician—it’s all the same. What’s the problem?
“I see. Please, come inside. Everyone is already gathered.”
The woman opened the door wide and beckoned us in.
The inside of the cozy house matched its modest exterior, decorated with cute flowerpots here and there, radiating warmth.
“Please, sit here. Everyone, you heard me, right? This is Baroness Fitt from the capital.”
“Hello.”
“Greetings, Baroness.”
There were three women seated inside, excluding Duke Calix and me. Hearing the word noble, they all looked stiff and nervous.
Which was exactly why I had brought Luca.
“Luca, come here.”
“Woof!” (Okay!)
At my call, Luca wagged his tail and sat by my side.
“Oh my, what a cute dog.”
“And so well-behaved too.”
“Would it be all right if we pet him?”
All three women seemed to love dogs, their attention now fixed on Luca.
He wagged his tail gently but stayed put.
“He doesn’t bite, so please go ahead.”
“I actually have some jerky—would he like some?”
“Luca would love that.”
As Duke Calix said this, two of the women began stroking and cooing over Luca, while the woman who had opened the door went off to fetch the jerky.
Normally, the duke would never allow anyone to touch his dog, but this time was an exception.
Before leaving the ducal estate, when he was debating which dog to bring, I suggested Luca. Nothing works better than something cute to win people over, and I knew he’d help.
As expected, Luca did wonders to ease the nervousness of these common women meeting nobles.
“Here, sweetie, try this.”
The woman set down the jerky in front of Luca, and he happily devoured it.
“Oh my, look at me, forgetting my manners! I should bring something out for our guests. I only have some herbs and such—would that be all right? Forgive me, I don’t have anything more suitable for such esteemed visitors.”
“It’s fine.”
“For me as well.”
She bustled back into the kitchen and soon returned with tea and simple refreshments. From the looks of it, she was fairly well-off for a commoner.
“Well then, may I ask you some questions now?”
“Oh yes, of course! Please, feel free.”
At last, once everyone was seated and had sipped some tea, we got down to business.
“What kind of person was Oliver Sadler in your daily interactions? His reputation suggested he was well-regarded.”
“We mostly just shared food with Oliver now and then, and sometimes kept his mother company.”
“That’s right. Oliver struggled because his mother was ill.”
“He often seemed hard-pressed to afford her medicine, didn’t he?”
“Yes, nearly all his earnings went straight into her medicine, so life must have been tough.”
The three women nodded in agreement.
“Do you know what illness his mother had?”
“We don’t know the exact name. We only heard it was incurable.”
“And without medicine, the pain was supposedly unbearable—she could hardly move.”
“But on the outside, she seemed perfectly fine, didn’t she?”
“Yes, to the point it looked like she was faking.”
Strange. That illness sounded familiar.
“She’d seem fine, then suddenly say she was in terrible pain, even from the brush of a sleeve.”
“But when she said she was in pain, it really did look genuine, so we assumed it must be an incurable disease after all.”
“Because of that, Oliver spent his days working non-stop. At his age, he never even had the chance to meet a nice young woman.”
“Such a shame. But what could he do? He was the only one to care for his mother.”
The women all clucked their tongues in pity.
“But then, one day, she suddenly wasn’t around anymore, right?”
“We heard that someone trustworthy had taken over her care.”
“You don’t know who that was?”
“No idea. Do you?”
“Not me.”
“Nor me.”
They all shrugged and looked at one another.
Could that trustworthy person have been the cult leader?
“So, what happened after that?”
“He just kept working, same as ever. Even if someone reliable was caring for her, surely it wasn’t free.”
“Such a good son. You don’t see that kind of devotion nowadays.”
“Exactly. My own son has a long way to go before he matures.”
“Tell me about it. And yesterday, do you know what my daughter said to me? Well, she said—”
And just like that, the conversation veered wildly off-topic.
Um, excuse me, but your children aren’t what we’re here to discuss.
I was waiting for the right moment to cut in when—
“Did Oliver ever do anything that might have made someone hold a grudge against him?”
Duke Calix suddenly interjected, neatly halting their chatter.
“A grudge? Against Oliver? Never—he was the sweetest boy!”
“Everyone praised him as a kind and diligent young man.”
“He truly was the most devoted son.”
The women, pulled back on topic by the duke’s words, responded with earnest conviction.
If there was no reason for anyone to resent him, then he wasn’t chosen as a sacrifice because of personal enmity. So why was he chosen as a victim at all?
I frowned, thinking. Even Dr. Scott, who entrusted his sister to the cult leader, hadn’t offered himself up as a sacrifice.
If my theory was correct—
“Did you ever see Oliver go out at night, or leave for someplace unusual?”
Just then, as I was forming my hypothesis, Duke Calix asked the question. Judging from it, he must have reached the same thought as me.
At his words, the three women exchanged strange looks.
