Chapter 63
“Viscount Doubt’s younger sister is close with our daughter. According to my girl, she seems to be afraid of her brother.”
“So what? After all, he came back in that condition—it’s no wonder his little sister would be frightened.”
“True, that’s what I told her too. But when I listened carefully, it seemed like something more complicated.”
According to Karin’s explanation, ever since Lord Doubt returned home, he began asking his younger sister strange questions whenever they were alone.
Things like the names and years of service of the household staff, the personal details of visiting relatives, and even which family members got along well or poorly, as well as how they treated him before.
After that, he even made his sister promise never to tell the adults that he’d asked about such things.
“Of course, it could just be that he really couldn’t remember and wanted to ask. And besides, after the young lord was kidnapped, the entire household staff was practically replaced. Him telling her not to mention it to the adults might just be out of embarrassment.”
“……”
“Still, from the younger sister’s perspective, it would be scary. And if things kept dying in that situation, even more so.”
“Dying? What do you mean?”
“Ever since her brother came back, all the goldfish in her room have died. Not just the goldfish, but even the family’s cat and some other pets suddenly died too. That little girl seems to suspect her brother for some reason. I don’t know… is it even possible for a nine-year-old boy to do such things?”
The story was chilling.
If the young lord really did it, was it simply after-effects of the traumatic experience he had gone through?
Lavian drummed his fingers on the edge of the table, lost in thought.
“…How was his relationship with his sister before the kidnapping?”
“Huh? Why?”
“I just wonder why only her pets were targeted.”
Karin blinked blankly at him for a moment, then suddenly widened her eyes in realization.
“You’re right…! Ugh, that gives me chills. I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“Are you even a proper investigator?”
Lavian clicked his tongue and pulled out another cigarette.
“If she says she’s scared of him, doesn’t that mean he wasn’t that kind of kid before?”
“Right. Even though he’s young, Lord Doubt had a good reputation. He was popular among his peers and known as a polite boy to the adults. Up until his kidnapping, they say he was a very kind older brother to his sister. When I asked around, everyone said the family was famous for being harmonious. At the start of the investigation, some even speculated that it wasn’t Hameln who was behind it, but someone jealous of the family’s happiness.”
“What do you think?”
“Me? Well, since it’s already confirmed that Hameln’s responsible…”
“Not that. I mean, when people say a family is ‘harmonious,’ how does that sound to a married woman like you?”
“…That’s a difficult question.”
Instead of troubled, Karin looked intrigued as she studied Lavian.
“What about you then, Lavi? What do you think?”
“I asked first. But while we’re at it, let me ask—would you say your family is harmonious?”
“Wouldn’t you? I mean, I’m satisfied with my life. And maybe it’s just my impression, but my husband and daughter seem satisfied too.”
“Really? I don’t know.”
“You brat, even if you don’t care about these things, that’s a bit harsh—”
“I’m not being harsh. I honestly don’t know. What you said might be true. But if someone asked me whether your family is harmonious, I’d just say, ‘Why are you asking me that?’”
Karin fell silent, thoughtful.
As violet-colored smoke curled upward, Lavian’s sharp eyes darkened.
Though his name had been struck from the family registry by his father, Lavian had never once resented him. His father had been a good man.
And so had his mother, who had passed down her fiery temper. She may have smacked her second son’s head whenever he was being noisy, but beyond that, he never felt deprived or abused.
Even so, the brothers had slowly grown twisted.
Especially Leopart.
Anna’s presence had only fanned those flames.
What you see isn’t always the whole truth.
“By the way, what about the letter Hameln left behind? Was it some kind of threat?”
“Oh, that. It was unbelievable. You’d think, ‘What kind of lunatic writes something like this?’ I copied it onto the next page, so take a look.”
Lavian flipped open the notebook with one hand, cigarette dangling from his lips.
It wasn’t a threat or provocation toward the authorities, but more like a childish prank. Still, reading it made clear why it hadn’t been made public.
[Letter to my parents]
Do you love me?
Do you love me enough to exchange your lives for mine?
Even if I’m not the way you want me to be, will you still love me the same?
If the whole world throws stones at me, will you stay by my side?
If the world collapses, will you hold me tight and never let go?
Please tell me what happened that day.
The child in the closet… was dead.
You killed them.
—With love, from Hameln.
“…Did he think they hadn’t suffered enough?”
“Right? It goes beyond bad taste—it’s malicious. Their child disappears, comes back alive, and then he pulls this on parents who must already be out of their minds with worry.”
Karin clicked her tongue in disgust.
But when Lavian read the words about “the child in the closet,” what came to his mind wasn’t suspicion of the Doubt couple—it was the fairy tale book Nina carried around.
It had some silly title about a northern grand duke. Curious why Nina even slept hugging the thing, Lavian had once looked through it. The ending of that book had come back to him.
The story of a monster living in the wall, with a passage leading to the closet, was a common folktale in the eastern regions, often used to scare children.
It didn’t seem to have any direct connection to the letter.
And yet, he couldn’t shake a nagging sense of déjà vu.
‘Why would she even like a book like that?’
Maybe it was just because it was a popular fairy tale. But knowing Nina’s personality, that explanation didn’t sit right. Judging from the other books she borrowed from the library, she wasn’t the type to be absorbed in children’s stories.
“The whole family is supposed to attend the imperial banquet, right?”
“So I heard.”
“…Interesting.”
Lavian’s absinthe-green eyes glinted.
He had been ready to disguise himself as an investigator and visit the Doubt household with Karin if necessary, but since they’d show up at the banquet on their own, it saved him the trouble.
“And their real identities are still completely unknown?”
At this question, Karin’s face fell.
“Embarrassing as it is—yes.”
“It’s like chasing ghosts.”
“Exactly. Same with Lord Doubt and the other missing children. Most of them disappeared in broad daylight, in public places with friends around. And yet, not a single witness saw the culprit properly.”
“Weren’t there any recording stones around the scenes?”
Recording stones, powered by magic, were expensive and not widely available yet.
Still, it was worth asking.
“As you know, Lord Doubt was found in the plaza, so no luck there. We did check the sites with recording stones installed, but there was nothing useful. The only lead is that the suspect is believed to be a man in his twenties.”
“…I see.”
Rather than mock the investigators’ incompetence like a thug, Lavian shifted the subject.
“Tell me about the other children he took.”
