Chapter 42
The word “fiancée” slipped from Tezette’s lips, and Astaire’s expression stiffened, while Cassian could only move his lips slightly before finally managing to speak.
“A… fiancée…?”
For Cassian, who had no interest in noble society and didn’t even know that Elsez was the famed “Duchess of Rittenhouse’s fiancée,” this was a surprising revelation.
Tezette took a half-step closer to Elsez and murmured almost to himself.
“Following me even to a place like this now, huh.”
“I’m not following you. We just ran into each other by chance.”
“Your chances of coincidence are too high.”
Elsez was at a loss for words.
It seemed the previous Elsez had stalked him relentlessly. While it was pitiable for him to have been harassed, it was equally frustrating to be treated like a stalker for something one hadn’t done.
“This time, it really is a coincidence. I have no reason to see Your Grace anymore.”
“…Reason?”
“We’re going to break off the engagement.”
Elsez spoke firmly and studied Tezette’s expression.
He stared at her with cold, unreadable eyes, revealing no reaction or emotion at all.
‘It’s more unsettling when he says nothing…’
One reason people feared him was that his face was extremely difficult to read.
His expressions gave nothing away, his reactions were unpredictable, and he often acted suddenly. What might have been carefully considered actions from his perspective looked abrupt and confusing to those around him.
‘But from Tezette’s point of view, there’s no reason to refuse a broken engagement.’
With that face, that wealth, that power, and the reputation of a national hero, three years ago, even without wealth and influence, he had countless women desperate for just a word from him.
Now, with all that in place, there would be even more. Among them, there were surely noblewomen with better prospects than the young duchess who had lost her head of the house and inherited only debt.
Tezette could marry anyone she wanted from among them. If she so desired.
“I—”
The moment Tezette parted her red lips, a middle-aged man suddenly appeared from behind and stepped between them.
“Ah, there was an issue with the carriage, so I’m a bit late. I see His Grace the Duke is already here.”
Tezette showed no reaction at all to the man’s greeting. She continued to stare only at Elsez.
The man, short for a man and roughly the same height as Elsez, cleared his throat awkwardly, touched his mustache, and greeted the four of them.
“Pardon the late introduction. I am Hamston Gale, here to assist with the investigation of this incident.”
“Welcome, Count Gale.”
Astaire, recognizing Gale as someone sent by the Crown Prince, gave a formal greeting.
Count Gale looked at Astaire, Cassian, and then Elsez, fiddling with his mustache.
“And this is the hero, Cassian. And…?”
He seemed unfamiliar with Elsez, likely because she was relatively unknown among the nobility.
Before Tezette or Cassian could answer, Astaire stepped forward.
“She’s a guild member I hired. She’s knowledgeable about the Demon God.”
“Ah, I see.”
Count Gale regarded Elsez with squinting, doubtful eyes.
Noticing his disapproval, Elsez glared at him, causing Gale to flinch and slightly hide behind Tezette.
Elsez, catching Tezette’s unwavering gaze, subtly looked away.
Cassian, watching the two, asked again in disbelief.
“So… are you two really engaged—”
Astaire stomped his foot slightly before Cassian could finish, stopping him mid-sentence.
And when Cassian glared and asked, “Why stomp your foot like that?” Astaire simply gestured for him to be quiet.
It was better for Count Gale not to know the details of Elsez and Tezette’s relationship for now.
Ignoring Cassian, Astaire addressed Gale.
“Then let’s first go meet Count Lort.”
When Elsez and her group arrived at a room in the temple and waited, Lancelot brought Count Lort in and seated him before them.
Having grown shabby in just a few days, Count Lort sat down nervously in front of the tall three heroes, who looked imposing with their cold expressions.
He recited an oath of truth before being questioned.
“I, Paydan of House Lort, swear before God, on my name, to speak only the truth from this moment on.”
Reciting the oath wouldn’t necessarily make him honest, but it was a long-standing ritual, so it was done formally.
Seeing the intimidated Count Lort, Gale stepped forward.
“Count Lort, how could you commit such acts? His Majesty is greatly troubled by this incident.”
“….”
“You are commanded to investigate every suspicious aspect thoroughly, leaving nothing unchecked. Therefore, you must speak only the truth, without a single lie.”
As Gale spoke formally, Elsez felt a gaze piercing the back of her head.
She glanced back to see Tezette staring.
‘If you stare like that, my head might split open, you know…’
She couldn’t understand the meaning behind the stare, which made her uneasy and anxious.
‘The Crown Prince must have had two reasons for sending Tezette.’
First, to show people he was paying attention to this matter by involving Tezette, a recently named close aide and national hero.
Second, to warn that the one behind the impersonation of him would not be forgiven.
‘Clever move by the Crown Prince.’
Yet another question arose:
‘Is Tezette really on the royal side?’
After all, someone who had no interest in power suddenly became the Crown Prince’s aide. Why?
Although it was frustrating to suspect someone who might be an ally—or enemy—Elsez couldn’t ask him outright.
Gale asked bluntly,
“Who is behind this incident?”
“I-I don’t know.”
As expected, the answer was predictable.
Cassian slammed the table and leaned toward Count Lort.
Startled, Count Lort and Gale looked at him with frightened expressions.
“What do you mean you don’t know? Do you just blindly follow someone whose identity you don’t even know?”
“You, you! Even as a hero, show respect to a noble! Don’t speak so crudely—”
“Should we show respect to a criminal who lured innocent children to their deaths and led others into a strange cult?”
Count Lort, flustered by Cassian’s icy glare, fell silent, hiccupping through his closed lips.
“So… do you know who’s behind it or not?”
Cassian grabbed Count Lort’s broad shoulders firmly.
“If you don’t, I’ll make sure you remember.”
Realizing what that meant, Count Lort trembled.
“I-I really don’t know! Everyone wears masks at the gatherings, so…”
“Gatherings?”
Count Lort immediately realized he had said too much and shut his mouth, but the words were already out.
Astaire, who had been observing with folded arms, approached.
“What do you mean by ‘gatherings’?”
At the sharp gaze of Cassian, Count Lort began to speak.
“It’s a gathering to discuss future plans. Everyone wears masks, so no one knows who anyone is…”
“When and where are these gatherings held?”
“The dates and locations change every time, so I don’t know.”
He explained that only those invited could attend and that masks were worn throughout so participants couldn’t recognize each other.
Astaire noted the gatherings for further investigation and asked the question he most wanted to know.
“Do you know where the dead boys came from?”
Although the bodies had been recovered, their origins were not revealed, so they could not be returned to their families.
Count Lort denied knowing again.
“I-I really don’t know. I only received the children sent by the guild!”
“Which family doesn’t try to find their missing children for days?”
As Cassian muttered angrily, Tezette, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“They might not have families.”
“But the orphanage forbids child labor.”
“And if the orphanage itself forced it?”
Elsez realized Tezette’s thought.
“So the orphanage could be in league with them.”
Using fragments of dimensions to open dimensional rifts required life as a medium, a form of black magic.
To supply life regularly, it was more convenient to collaborate directly with the source.
Moreover, all the children in the orphanage had no families, so as long as the staff kept silent, it could continue unnoticed.
‘Tezette probably guessed this because of his memories of the orphanage.’
Young Tezette first met Ruel in the alleys where the Dark Guild gathered.
He had survived by pickpocketing there.
The type of children living in the alleys was one: children who had escaped from orphanages.
Tezette rarely spoke of himself, nor did he talk about the orphanage, but anyone could guess he came from one.
Astaire suggested,
“Then Your Grace should inspect the orphanage. With Cassian.”
Using an honorific he wouldn’t use in private.
Elsez understood Astaire’s intent.
‘Since Tezette is the Crown Prince’s aide, he wants to assign Cassian as a sort of oversight.’
Though it was uncomfortable for old comrades to doubt each other, Astaire’s approach was prudent.
Cassian, however, grumbled.
“Why do I have to go with this guy?”
As he referred to Tezette casually, Count Gale interjected.
“Even so, you should speak politely. This is a Duke.”
Cassian gave a wry laugh.
“The person in question isn’t saying anything, so why all the fuss?”
“Hah! Such vulgarity, true to your origins.”
Gale glanced at Cassian and looked to Tezette for approval.
But Tezette didn’t care about titles and continued to stare at Elsez.
Elsez forced a smile at him.
‘Don’t just look, say something.’
Just then, Tezette finally spoke.
“Let’s go together.”
Startled, Elsez blinked.
Astaire frowned, and Cassian rushed to respond.
“Fine, I’ll go. Just the old comrades, quietly—”
“Yes, I’ll go with you.”
Before Cassian could grab Tezette’s arm, Elsez stepped forward and added,
“There’s something we still need to conclude.”
