Chapter 11

The only reason I could confidently go gather evidence of Kid’s murders was because of Kid’s insane personality.

Kid never spared any means when it came to tormenting Seniel.

He knew Seniel was tormented by having to acknowledge the crimes he committed, and so he bragged about his crimes to Seniel in all sorts of ways.

Leaving newspapers that sensationalized the Kid murder case on his desk and decorating Seniel’s room with murder weapons or pieces of evidence was just the basics.

To go even further, in order to torment Seniel, he even stored detailed records of his crimes in a hidden space inside a room at the far right end of the first floor of the mansion.

According to the original story, once all the murders were done, he had planned to invite Seniel there.

‘I don’t understand, but…….’

It wasn’t an art gallery or a museum, after all.

Anyway, I needed to visit that place in order to collect evidence.

There might be some murder evidence in Seniel’s room too, but if I wanted to press Kid, I needed solid proof.

For that, I first needed the key that would open that door.

Two keys were needed: one to enter the first floor room, and another to open the hidden space inside it.

Kid had hidden those keys somewhere inside the mansion. After all, since he swapped bodies with Seniel, he couldn’t carry them on himself all the time.

‘Luckily, I remember where those keys are.’

All that time cursing at him for hiding them in ridiculous places was finally paying off.

I pasted an artificial smile for the servants I passed, then moved toward the rear annex.

* * *

On the second floor of the rear annex, I entered a room that had a clear view of the garden fountain.

It must have been well maintained, because even though it was an unused room, it was extremely clean.

‘It’s nice no one’s here, but it’s kind of creepy.’

It was convenient that I didn’t have to bother chasing out cleaning servants, but being alone in an unfamiliar room was scary.

I hugged myself with both arms as if to ward off the feeling that a corpse might suddenly come out of the bed.

Though no one was around, I still cast a glance toward the door before carefully walking to the dresser.

I immediately opened the second drawer. Reaching my hand deep inside, I brushed my palm against the ceiling of the drawer. I felt something like a pouch. When I gently pressed it, a key popped out.

‘That’s right. This is where it should be.’

The small key engraved with a rose pattern was the one that opened the first floor room in the main building. I carefully slipped it into the pocket of my cardigan.

‘But why did they make the entire first floor off-limits?’

In the original story, I never heard that the entire first floor had been restricted. Was I just misremembering?

Anyway, I only needed to record the evidence stored in that room with a vision orb. Luckily, I had even bought one yesterday.

I let out a sigh of relief at the smooth start and tucked the key away. Now that I had the first floor key, I still needed the key that opened the hidden door.

Closing the drawer, I carefully slipped out of the room.

* * *

My next destination was the annex. To reach the rear annex, I could simply follow the connected halls from the main building, but to get to this annex, I had to step outside from the rear annex.

Finding the annex wasn’t too difficult. After walking a short way down a manmade stone path, I found it.

The annex where Seniel was said to reside felt even more desolate than the main building. The exterior was similar, but the darker colors seemed to make it worse. The somber portraits hanging on each central staircase also added to the gloomy atmosphere. I didn’t want to stay here for long.

As I climbed the central stairs to the second floor, I stopped in front of a portrait of Marquis McCurt, Seniel’s predecessor. He resembled Seniel but had thicker, sharper features.

I carefully lifted the portrait to check behind it.

‘Huh?’

Wasn’t it supposed to be here? I counted the stair levels again and checked behind the portrait once more.

My fingertips brushed nothing.

I couldn’t possibly have misremembered. I even lifted the portrait fully to check the wall with my own eyes.

‘What the heck?’

There was only a hook that looked like it was meant to hold a key, but no key itself.

“Damn it. Looks like he took it.”

Sometimes Kid moved the keys to his hideout. Either he had taken it there, or moved it somewhere else.

I had a feeling I wouldn’t be seeing this key anytime soon.

Of course. Things had been going too smoothly.

* * *

But it was still too early to despair.

There was one more spare key for the hidden space.

As I said before, Kid loved to torment Seniel.

His hobby was pushing Seniel into situations beyond his control, just to watch him struggle with despair and helplessness.

He once said he hid a spare key in Seniel’s office.

He said he hoped to see some kind of reaction from Seniel when he found it, though I couldn’t really understand that.

‘But since Seniel wouldn’t know what the key was for, he couldn’t possibly react the way Kid expected.’

Maybe Kid had even engraved some kind of curse phrase on it. Anyway, that didn’t concern me.

In any case, the spare key in Seniel’s office was said never to have been moved, so it was bound to still be there.

Quickly descending the central stairs, I grabbed a nearby servant and ordered a carriage prepared.

* * *

From the mansion to the temple was about a two hour carriage ride. By the time I arrived, what had been morning at the mansion was now nearly noon.

Arriving without having eaten lunch meant I probably wouldn’t be able to eat until three in the afternoon.

‘Now, where exactly was Seniel’s office again?’

From Vivi’s memories, I had a vague sense of the way. She must have gone there a few times before meals.

‘If Seniel is in the office, I’ll just have to send him out somehow.’

As I wandered inside the temple, someone tapped my shoulder.

“This is an area where the public is not permitted. If you’re lost, I can guide you……”

‘Not permitted? But no one stopped me outside?’

A man with pale green hair and gentle brown eyes widened his eyes at me.

“Greetings, my lady.”

With a delicate air about him, he smiled gently as though he knew me.

“Do you remember me? We’ve met before. I’m Sansi Nepin, the High Priest’s aide.”

“Ah…….”

‘Sansi Nepin.’

Of course I knew him. No wonder he seemed so familiar.

He existed both in Vivi’s memories and in mine. He was the one who helped Ezette capture Kid. He was also the first person to realize that the heroine of the original story was not a man but a woman.

He was too important a character not to know.

Sansi smiled warmly as he spoke.

“If you’re on your way to see the High Priest, shall I guide you to his office?”

There was no reason to refuse.

“I’m worried I might be troubling you when you’re busy. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I was on my way to the office myself. Shall we go together, then?”

Sansi smiled brightly and stepped forward. Though I knew he was in his early thirties, he radiated the freshness of someone in their twenties.

He knocked confidently on the office door. No sound of movement came from inside. Sansi knocked once again.

“High Priest, it’s Sansi Nepin. I’m coming in.”

Unable to wait any longer, Sansi opened the door wide and looked around the office. I poked my head in as well.

It was empty.

‘It’s plainer inside than I expected.’

One solid wood table, a five tier bookshelf covering one wall, two sofas, and the symbol of the Imperial Church, the inverted rose, mounted on the wall. That was all.

For the office of a High Priest revered by the nation, it looked meager.

“Looks like the High Priest stepped out for a moment.”

Perfect.

“He normally wouldn’t be out at this time… but since it’s nearly lunchtime, I expect he’ll return within ten minutes. Shall we wait on the sofas?”

Blinking gently, Sansi gestured toward the sofa. He wasn’t just suggesting I sit, he sat down himself as well. For an attendant priest to invite me to sit in the High Priest’s office, it seemed relationships in the temple were rather egalitarian.

I didn’t sit, but gave Sansi an ambiguous look.

‘I’d rather just find the key quickly and leave.’

I didn’t want to sit and wait for Seniel with Sansi.

Sansi looked up at me.

“Not sitting? Ah, and if you haven’t had lunch yet, you should eat here at the temple. I hear today’s meal is quite good.”

Just as the original story described, Sansi was effortlessly sociable. And just as in the story, I found it uncomfortable.

“Ah, did you come to have lunch with the High Priest? Newlyweds indeed.”

“……Well…”

How do I get him out of here?

As I let his chatter wash over me, my eyes darted around. While plotting how to send him away, something caught my eye.

Ah, there it is.

I stepped closer to the desk, picked up an empty water bottle, and shook it lightly.

“I’m parched from coming all this way, but there’s no water here. Where could I fetch some?”

At once, Sansi rose from the sofa.

“I’ll bring you some.”

“You don’t have to……”

Right, I’m the superior here. Hurry out and fetch me water.

“I’ll be right back. Please sit while you wait.”

Without the slightest trace of annoyance, Sansi smiled like sunshine and left the room. Ordering around someone so good natured left me feeling oddly guilty.

Once the door was shut, I rushed to the bookshelf and crouched down. I immediately pulled out a book from the very bottom corner.

The book was thick with dust, as though it had never been removed since being placed there.

The dust flew up, making me cough. I rifled through the inside cover at once. As soon as my fingers touched cold metal, I turned the book upside down and shook it. A key dropped out.

‘I thought it might have some kind of curse inscription.’

All it said was ‘Nectar.’ Nothing else unusual.

I inspected the key, then slid the book back into place. Brushing the dust off my hands, I stood up.

Click .The door opened.

‘Ah, damn, that startled me.’

Though I hadn’t committed any crime, I flinched like I had. Forcing myself to look calm, I turned around.

“……Lady…… no. Vivi?”

The moment I turned, I locked eyes with Seniel.

“Ah, well……”

“What brings you here? ……Could it be because of Kid? Did something happen……?”

“No, no. I came for some time to pray, and while I was here, I thought I’d stop by to greet you.”

I smoothly made up an excuse and shuffled a few steps away from the bookshelf.

“I was just browsing the books for a bit. They all seem difficult.”

“……They’re books I haven’t read either.”

Ah, I see. Smiling awkwardly, I began walking slowly toward the office door.

In the odd atmosphere where we were both watching each other warily, I grabbed the doorknob. Seniel opened his mouth as though to say something.

“Lunch……”

I didn’t need to hear the rest. It would only waste time, but somehow I still held the doorknob and waited.

“Never mind.”

That rare moment of patience only drew out a flat reply. Deflated, I rolled my eyes and offered a stiff farewell.

“You must be busy, Seniel, so I’ll be going now. I’ll see you later at dinner.”

Turning my head immediately after saying that, I couldn’t tell whether Seniel nodded at my words or gave any reply.