Chapter 18 - Right Path?

 The hands resting on my lap trembled at Selena's unexpected response. Amon, too, was unable to conceal his expression.

'He's giving up his right to inheritance?'

Hayden Bolev. As Russell's younger brother, he possessed a greater incentive than all potential suspects. The incentive to inherit the Dukedom following Russell's death.

But Selena was saying such reasoning was now gone.

“Oh, I guess you didn’t know.”

Our baffled reaction seemed to help Selena regain her composure. She crossed her arms.

“Hayden gave up his inheritance rights, so the duchy is in discord. It is unclear who will be the one to take over the Dukedom."

“Does this mean Lady Selena also expected the Lord to give up his inheritance rights?"

Amon resumed his calm expression and proceeded to ask.

"Of course. Isn't it a fact everyone is aware of? Someone like him does not have the guts to inherit such a large title."

When Russell passes, the inheritance will automatically transfer to his younger brother Hayden, but Hayden is going to undeniably relinquish his right. If all members of the duchy are aware of this…

'That means anyone has a motive to kill Russell.'

With that being the case, the situation could lead to suspicion of more individuals than we anticipated. Amon's face stiffened as if he shared the same thoughts as mine.

“Even if it is unclear who will inherit, there are likely candidates. There must be some sort of ranking. Isn't that the case?"

"Well. Wouldn’t it depend on how quickly Sir Spencer catches the criminal?”

"What does that mean?"

“Even if there exists a strong candidate, all of it will be for naught when the police catch the culprit."

Selena continued as she refilled her glass.

“If the culprit is not caught, the struggle for the inheritance will turn into a big fight. Isn't that the best cause for opposition? Whoever becomes the next heir will be accused of murdering Russell for the inheritance."

Only then did I comprehend the reason Selena spoke of the right to inheritance, despite the potential accusation towards her.

'Even if one does receive the right to inherit, if they are pointed out as a culprit they would almost certainly be deprived of it.'

In short, the act of murdering Russell for the sake of inheritance was a reckless and ill-considered action.

"Lady Selena..."

As I parted my lips to speak, everyone's eyes turned to me.

“You seem to be convinced there is someone to blame within the duchy."

Selena nibbled on her plump lips thoughtfully. Her sunken red eyes fixated on me. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and she asked.

“What did you say your name was?”

“I never did tell the Lady."

“Then do so now. What is your name?"

I hesitated for a moment before coming up with an awkward name.

After a brief pause, I introduced myself.

“My name is Julia Reitz.”

“Julia Reitz?”

She pronounced my name, savoring each syllable before flashing a relaxed smile once more.

“That is a pretty name. It suits you well."

Her response was too vague to label as a thank you, so when I remained still, she abruptly stood up from her seat.

“Now, now. I must go and lie down to rest this exhausted body. Do ask the butler for anything else.”

Selena passed by us swiftly.

“Ah, and meet Baldi. He's apt to do foolish things. That is my answer.”

Selena cast a glance in my direction and playfully winked.

Click— As soon as the door closed, I turned to Amon. He was quickly skimming through the notes he had jotted down.

“When I asked for a culprit within the duchy, she mentioned Baldi Bolev. what do you think? Could Baldi be the culprit?”

“I don't know, but it seems like we're going in the right direction. If the inheritance issue is this complex, one of the members of the ducal family may be the culprit."

"Inheritance…”

Amon stood up from the sofa and asked me.

“How about you, Lady? Did anything come to mind?”

“I have no memories related to her being an accomplice. I just thought she was a very calculating person.”

Amon nodded slowly. It seemed he felt the same way.

“Perhaps she deliberately brought up the inheritance rights.”

The stunning chandeliers and intricate golden reliefs gave off an air of transparency. If all this was Selena's creation, one cannot help but wonder if there are ulterior motives behind her work.

Much greater than the right to inheritance.

“You said you met Lord Hayden, right?”

“Yes, though a long time ago.”

A lush green forest zoomed by through the window. We were on our way to meet Hayden, the final suspect, after our encounter with Baldi Bolev.

The meeting with Baldi didn't yield much. He did not show any significant reaction toward my appearance or name, and when I inquired about the secret passage, his response was minimal.

He claimed an alibi of his own, but like Selena's, it was the kind that could easily be tarnished.

"Hayden Bolev. What kind of person is he, seeing everyone expected he would relinquish his inheritance rights?"

Amon shrugged. As Selena claimed, Baldi was also expecting Hayden to renounce his inheritance.

The papers stated that Baldi's gain from Russell's death was power. Russell had no successor, and Hayden was too weak to claim inheritance. This provided Baldi with the opportunity to strengthen his position.

'Though he also seemed to harbor personal feelings towards Russell.'

Baldi, the brother of Russell's father, harbored a bitter inferiority complex towards his direct descendant. That ugly feeling seemed to have been passed down to Russell.

The reasoning behind Selena's statement of 'foolish things' was likely to be accurate.

“By the way. If the culprit committed the crime ten or more years ago, there's a good chance it's not Lord Hayden.”

“I guess so. Unlike Lady Selena or Lord Baldi, Lord Hayden would have been ten at the time.”

That seemed to be the reason why Amon's expression appeared brighter than before. Even if Hayden was the culprit, he wouldn't be Amon's enemy.

As I gazed out of the window, the lush greenery filled my view. The scenery remained unchanged for hours as we traveled away from the island. Hayden was said to be recuperating on the outskirts of the empire.

“How much further do we have to go?”

“We're almost there… I see it."

Where Amon's finger pointed was an ivory-colored building. Its appearance was so unique that it would be difficult to locate without prior knowledge of its existence. The outer wall of the building was heavily draped with ivy, giving the impression it was intentionally camouflaged among the tall trees.

The carriage slowed down.

“Let’s go.”

Amon quickly left the carriage and escorted me. To enter the ivory-colored building, they had to walk through a narrow alley that carriages could not pass.

'It's well-hidden.'

It was exactly as written in the document. Hayden was weak from birth and considered a disgrace to the family.

He had been residing on a remote outskirt of the island under the pretext of recuperation, but in fact, everyone in society knew that the youngest was the shame of the Duchy.

“The floor is bumpy, so be careful.”

Amon looked back and advised me.

“Yes, don’t worry—”

As I responded with confidence, my foot caught on a stone ledge and my body leaned forward.

I held my breath and clasped my eyes shut, anticipating pain. However, nothing was felt. When I opened my eyes, I saw that Amon was gently holding onto my shoulder.

“Don’t think about anything else and just walk while looking at the floor.”

“…Alright."

It was only a simple fall, but I couldn't help the feeling of regret for not heeding Amon's advice. Amon withdrew his hand from my shoulder and balled it into a fist.

“Shoulders...”

"Yes?"

"Nothing."

He shook his head, his expression conveying a sense of pity toward a weak person.

'I didn't possess this skinny body because I wanted to.'

As I looked towards Amon, who was walking ahead, I noticed him clearing away stones and tree branches to make it easier for me to follow. Seeing his efforts, my eyes naturally relaxed.

How long did it take for us to walk until the road split in two? I suddenly halted.

“Isn’t it that way?"

"Pardon?"

Amon, who moved towards the left road, looked back at me with a puzzled expression. It was then that I realized I had said something outrageous.

"What do you mean?"

'What?'

For a moment, I thought, of course, that the correct path was right. I suddenly had the notion we were to proceed that way to reach the ivory building and meet Hayden. Even though I've never been here before.

“Have you ever been here?”

Amon returned with a determined gait, his expression stern.

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