“Oh, no. It’s just that I thought something may have happened along the way because you did not come back with these men. Plus, they abruptly ordered us to close all the gates…”
“I encountered...a mishap. A significant one.”
As Noel’s expression grew colder, the butler slowly realised he had made a mistake.
Looking around at the bleak atmosphere, Noel spoke to the butler.
“You must have memorised all the faces of the servants. Every single one of them?”
“Yes, I do, but…”
“Good, then I will go through the investigation right away. Who is the maid who prepared tea for my wife?”
“Pardon? Oh, it must be Lina...Lina! Come on out.”
The head butler’s cry stirred the surrounding area for a moment. Among them, a maid came forward trembling. Noel glanced at her. She was an ordinary maid who looked nothing special.
“I-I did serve her tea frequently, but…”
She shuddered and clenched her teeth at the frightening situation. Noel looked at her silently for a moment and spoke to the butler.
“There is a person in here who tried to assassinate my wife and I.”
“Oh-oh, dear! Who would do such a terrible thing...!”
“Then, head butler, may I ask for your cooperation?”
“Yes. of course! Please tell me anything you wish for!”
The head butler, who was startled by the word assassination, immediately answered with a determined face. Noel lowered his gaze and spoke in a calm voice.
“Until I announce the case is closed, no one should be allowed to take one step out of their room.”
“...Pardon? What you mean is…”
“If any of you leave your room even for a split second, I will automatically identify you as an assassin and punish you.”
His voice, which was like frost, froze the air. It made not only the servants but also the mercenaries, tremble.
♔♔♔
And so, all of the workers were confined to prevent the remaining assassins from escaping. Aside from that reason, he did not wish to show them an ugly scene. In which, a person who used to work in the same castle was being tortured during the interrogation. After all, these were all the faithful servants who protected and managed the castle when its owner was no longer present. It was Noel’s idea to reduce the distress as much as possible.
In a shady basement, all kinds of torture devices were placed in a tiny room without a single ray of light. And in the centre were two figures of a man and a woman tied to chairs.
One was Lina, the maid responsible for preparing Irene’s tea, and the other was the only assassin whose life was spared by Noel.
The assassin was unconscious with his head drooping, and Lina resented the attachment of her own soul. She wished her soul could be free from this body so that she would no longer need to endure this dreadful agony.
“Who instructed you to put sleeping pills in the Duchess’ tea?”
“N-no, it’s not like that! What do you mean sleeping pills?! The Duchess must have misunderstood! I-I have never...!”
“No one has touched the Duchess’ tea but you, is it not? Then did some ghosts come and put sleeping pills in there?”
At Tag’s words, Lina shook her head. She had suffered so much that she felt like she was about to go mad from the torture.
“Really... I really did not…the Duchess is mistaken. I-I don’t know. I have never touched a sleeping pill or anything like that...”
But despite her earnest voice, Tag carried on; his face, cold. It was not the answer he wanted.
“Argh!”
As the wounds on her body increased, Lina’s screams got smaller and smaller. She did not have the energy to make a sound anymore. Instead, the sound of a hoarse voice leaked out from her lifeless body. It was then that the door creaked open, and Noel came in.
“Did you get the confession?”
“Not yet, she is still saying she has never seen sleeping pills. Did the Duchess wake up?”
Noel nodded at Tag’s question.
“She is now resting in her room after seeing Louiselle’s condition.”
“I see. I’m glad that she woke up healthily.”
Upon saying that, Tag scrutinised Noel’s expression.
Maybe that’s why you’ve become a little more relaxed.
During the three days when Irene was unconscious, his frozen and gloomy aura was no different from being surrounded by the northern wind. Now it had somewhat softened a bit, maybe it was a sign of relief. Yet, it was only for a short while, it only lasted till the point when his gaze reached Lina as she cried out, the maid seemed close to having a seizure.
“Y-your Grace! I truly didn’t put sleeping pills in her tea. It’s unfair! Please call the Duchess, let me meet her.”