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IBP 105
According to Jjek-jjeki, the investigative office was protected by ancient magic.
With an exhausted expression, Jjek-jjeki muttered as if sighing.
“I tried to sneak in with wicked intentions, and I almost became a lump of charcoal. As expected, the Imperial Palace side cannot be taken lightly...”
Not only was Jjek-jjeki unable to deliver the letters, but she was even injured. As I stroked Jjek-jjeki's wing, I felt a bit gloomy.
“Don’t be sick, Jjek-jjeki.”
“Still, those investigator guys aren't bad people. They're investigating diligently, but it seems they lack evidence. That's all the information I could find.”
Jjek-jjeki touched the area near her heart with her wing and collapsed with a groan. I relayed the conversation I had with Jjek-jjeki to Caligo.
Then, Caligo spoke.
“Don’t be too disappointed.”
“Hmm?”
“There will be a way. Let’s think step by step, starting with whether the letters sent in the Young Lady's name are truly all the ones the Imperial Palace has collected.”
“...Huh?”
“There might be noble ladies who haven't opened their letters yet. Or... could there have been any misdeliveries?”
In an instant, my mind spun.
My eyes sparkled.
“Now that I think about it, there might still be remaining evidence.”
“Yes?”
“That day, an invitation came to me as well.”
The letter sent to me was from Lady Miru. The sender wasn't Lady Delécant.
But... there was definitely a suspicious scent to it.
“Caligo, let’s make full preparations and check it out.”
“...What full preparations?”
I stood up resolutely.
“Get up, there's somewhere we need to go!”
* * *
Meanwhile, Dahlia, upon learning that the head of the Melomande family had declared default, moved quickly to a secret location.
Before she could even act, all the opportunities given to her had vanished.
“That person has abandoned you. Whether you find a way to survive or beg for mercy, it is now up to you.”
After hearing that cold declaration, she was half-mad.
She had heard everything about the atmosphere of the conference hall.
She never imagined that Grand Duke Rivera and Duke Ardos would defend someone like Chloe.
And she never knew her father would abandon her so easily, despite her efforts to save the family.
‘It’s all because of Chloe, that damn thing. Just because she was born with a lucky umbilical cord...’
A festering inferiority complex was eating away at her.
‘This is all because I couldn't manifest my distortion ability more powerfully!’
If only she could use her distortion ability over a wider range and more strongly.
If she could make Chloe go berserk again, she could kill her completely this time!
‘But I no longer have the bead that person gave me.’
Just then, a thought flashed through Dahlia's mind.
She remembered. That person had bestowed several beads containing supernatural abilities upon the Master of the Assassins' Guild.
And that those beads were being crafted at the edge of the bamboo forest at Address B, Midtown of the Byron family, and that the Master often visited the production site.
Arriving immediately at the edge of the bamboo forest at Address B, Midtown, she took a deep breath and shouted.
“Master, I know you are here. I will pay any price, just give me one bead. Now!”
Dahlia looked around and shouted loudly.
But it was right then.
“Fancy seeing you here, Dahlia.”
A familiar, indifferent, yet chilling voice.
Dahlia turned her gaze as if she had seen a ghost.
“Are you looking for the Assassins' Guild member you hired?”
The person behind her was...
None other than Chloe Ardos, whom Dahlia loathed so much.
A man, enveloped in deep darkness, floating in the air and suffering.
Dahlia recognized the face well.
It was Den, the member of the Assassins' Guild who had delivered the bead to her!
“Why, does a familiar face bother you?”
“You...”
As Dahlia fixed a ferocious gaze on Chloe, Chloe smiled softly.
“Dahlia, no matter how much I think about it, you have a tendency not to use your head. I've always suspected you.”
“You...”
“Did you not consider the possibility that I was monitoring you and following you?”
Dahlia, pushed into a corner, had no room to care about such things.
Furthermore, she believed that Chloe, who would be glared at as an attempted murderer, would be secluded in her mansion in agony.
Dahlia grit her teeth.
Looking at her, Chloe was recalling the letter-type magic tool sent by Grand Duke Rivera.
[The location where the beads are crafted is Address B, Midtown of the Byron family. I heard it's a field. I will join you after confirming.]
Dahlia ground her teeth.
“You, you... You're crazy. You're harassing an innocent person right now.”
“The bead.”
“...”
“I have that.”
At the mention of the bead, Dahlia's heart sank.
“And Dahlia, try using your head now. Why do you think I tolerated someone as useless as you for so long?”
Chloe moved her hand, forcing the Assassins' Guild member to slump to the ground.
Meanwhile, a complete bead was held in Chloe's hand.
“By the way, isn't it surprising? That it's this difficult to secure a single intact bead.”
“I-I don't know anything about this.”
Dahlia faltered and stepped back.
“Spill the identity of the bead or what you've done. Then I might be able to help you a bit.”
“I-I... have no intention of telling you anything.”
“...”
“You're staying loyal. How foolish.”
However, Dahlia only glared at Chloe with bloodshot eyes.
“I might tell someone else, but to you, you... cough, cough...”
Suddenly, as Dahlia coughed, blood splattered onto the ground.
Dahlia's eyes widened as she muttered.
“W-why on earth...!”
Chloe also quickly noticed as she watched Dahlia cough up blood.
“A magic seal?”
“Cough, cough...!”
Blood poured from the corners of Dahlia's mouth.
The magic seal had manifested even though she hadn't spoken.
The mechanism of the seal was unclear, but...
‘It seems she really is a discarded pawn.’
Perhaps it was because she had been discovered in this secret space.
But Chloe didn't feel a shred of pity.
‘When I think of our Coco.’
Watching Dahlia vomit blood and collapse on the ground, Chloe cast dark magic at her fingertips.
“Seeing as the magic seal has activated, she'll probably die soon.”
Immediately after speaking indifferently, the darkness flowing from her hand struck Dahlia's body violently.
Boom!
Right after a loud crashing sound.
“H-haaa...!”
As if feeling a pain that would bruise her entire body, Dahlia rolled on the ground, letting out a painful groan.
“K-keuugh...”
“Does it hurt?”
“...”
Staring at Dahlia, who looked at her with bloodshot eyes, Chloe whispered lowly.
“My poor baby, whose abuse you stood by and watched, must have hurt more than this.”
“That son of a bitch is dea—”
Before she could finish, Chloe grabbed Dahlia by the collar.
“Shut your mouth. Try saying one more word about my baby.”
Dahlia glared at her with all her might.
“Cough, cough... B-but, I left a tag behind your back, so that's enough.”
“Ah, the rumors?”
Dahlia no longer seemed interested in hiding her tracks. It was because she was too preoccupied with vomiting blood.
Objectively, Dahlia's words weren't wrong.
If evidence wasn't found, the <Letter Incident> would remain an unsolved mystery forever.
It was a curse to live forever suspected as a suspect in the letter incident.
But Chloe didn't care.
“I don't care. People fear me anyway, even if you didn't do such a thing.”
“Ha. Don't make me laugh. You're starved for affection. You always wanted people to love you, didn't you? You craved Gillen's affection too. Am I wrong?”
At those words, Chloe's expression changed instantly.
Affection deficiency was Chloe's only weakness.
Dahlia, who had once been her friend, knew that fact all too well.
But right then.
From afar, the bright voice of a small girl was heard.
“Dahlia is a dummy! My big sister has really, really lots of love! Because I love sister the most in the whole world!”
Chloe instinctively looked back and paused.
Coco, riding atop a tiger, was rushing over with Caligo.
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