Chapter 26 -

 "Arrived, my lady."

The carriage stopped in front of the knights’ headquarters. Marvin, who had stepped down first, extended his hand to me. Accepting his escort, I entered the building.

Even as I walked, I couldn’t help but scrutinize Marvin.

‘Eloise, Boyd, Marvin. If one of them is working for the true culprit...’

It seemed unlikely that Marvin, so oblivious at times, would act as a spy. Yet, I couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility that this was merely a fabricated image.

To think I couldn’t even trust those I had leaned on—it was unsettling. A sigh escaped me, only to deepen my frustration at Amon's absence during such a time.

‘Is Amon safe?’

The memory of the sharp blade aimed at Amon flashed through my mind, sending a chill down my spine. My action of throwing myself to protect him had been almost reflexive.

While the voice helped pinpoint the culprit’s location, I hadn’t anticipated the situation would escalate so rapidly.

If only Amon had Marvin’s large frame, I might worry less. But Amon, though tall, lacked a robust build. His pale skin added an air of fragility, making him seem less dependable at a glance.

‘And yet, when I held him close...’

The memory of unconsciously running my hands over his chest in the alleyway made me shake my head vigorously. Focus! What mattered now was finding the connection between the arson case and the Bolev incident. I still didn’t understand why the true culprit had set the general store on fire.

‘There must have been something to gain from the arson.’

Just as I hurried my steps, Carlyle abruptly stepped in my path.

"My lady!"

"Sir Uste?"

He looked at me with a firm expression, as though waiting for my arrival.

"Is it true that Amon has been summoned to the Council?"

"Yes, that's correct. They said it was urgent."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"No, he didn’t say. Why? Did you have a message for Sir Spencer?"

Carlyle shook his head.

“It’s about someone Amon asked me to find. He insisted I inform him immediately upon discovery.”

Someone he asked him to find? My puzzled look prompted Carlyle to mutter to himself.

"If he’s been summoned to the Council, it might take a while."

"Could this person be… One of Duke Bolev's knights?"

"How did you know? Is it someone you’re familiar with?"

"You’ve already found him? That fast?"

My raised voice startled Carlyle.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"No, that’s not it… Actually, I asked him to be found. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon."

Having already heard about me from Amon, Carlyle nodded without asking further questions.

"Do you know where this person is now?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking of meeting him myself."

If I could meet this person, I might uncover more clues about Russell Bolev. If he truly worked for the true culprit, it would be a significant breakthrough.

Carlyle shook his head with a troubled look.

“You’re not a member of the knights, Lady. It’s dangerous, and even if you went, there’s no guarantee he would agree to meet you.”

“What if you accompany me, Sir Uste?”

"Excuse me?"

Carlyle's face contorted at my suggestion.

“I’m not suited for fieldwork. Do you really need to go to such lengths? Can’t you wait for Amon to return?”

“You said the Council meeting might take a long time.”

I couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that if I didn’t act now, the soldier might fall victim to the true culprit’s silencing tactics. Perhaps it was because I had witnessed the arsonist’s sudden death before my eyes.

“Hmm…”

I pressed Carlyle as he hesitated.

“You said Amon emphasized the urgency. If anything happens to that soldier in the meantime, it might be irreversible.”

"Anything happens? What are you implying..."

Despite his incredulous expression, Carlyle eventually nodded.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, I sought out Carlyle.

While he got ready and ate breakfast, I practically shadowed him until I successfully dragged him into the carriage.

“So, what exactly is this Council?”

As soon as we boarded the carriage, I asked. Carlyle yawned before answering.

"You know there are three knightly orders, right? The Black, Red, and Blue Orders."

"Yes, I’m aware."

“It’s a gathering of the retired leaders of these orders—essentially, the old-timers.”

His rough word choice was oddly fitting. Amon’s reluctance and inability to refuse made perfect sense now—they were his direct predecessors.

“So why did they summon Sir Spencer?”

“That, I don’t know. Probably to lecture him. They’ve retired but can’t seem to stay out of things.”

“And that’s why you said it would take a while?”

"That, and the fact that it’s located far away. Five hours by carriage from the capital, in some remote countryside with ‘fresh air.’”

Carlyle shook his head in exasperation. It seemed he had suffered enough at their hands. Being summoned to such a distant location at midnight gave me a sense of what kind of group they were.

“Well, at least it’s not dangerous.”

“The lectures are hazardous to one’s mental health. Oh, wait.”

Carlyle rapped on the driver’s window, signaling the carriage to stop. Then, he leaped down and gestured for me to follow.

“What is it? We’re still far from Bolev's estate.”

Without answering, Carlyle strode ahead. I hurried to keep up.

“The soldier was the Duke’s guard. Given the Duke was murdered, do you think someone like that would still be at the estate?”

“You’re saying he was dismissed?”

Without a word, Carlyle led me into a densely packed residential area. Despite the similar-looking houses, he navigated effortlessly until we reached one and stopped.

“Here?”

“Yes.”

Carlyle pounded on the door and shouted.

“This is the Blue Order! Open the door!”

When no response came, he knocked again, more forcefully.

“If you don’t open this door, we’ll break it down under the authority of the Blue Order. I doubt you’d want that.”

The door finally creaked open, revealing a burly man with a severe expression.

“What do you want?”

Carlyle displayed his Blue Order brooch.

“We’re here to ask a few questions regarding a case.”

Reluctantly, the man let us in. To my surprise, the interior was tidy and cozy, with a charmingly decorated table.

“What do you wish to ask?”

Carlyle sipped his tea before responding.

“It’s about the incident at Duke Bolev's estate.”

“I’ve already said everything. There’s nothing more to tell.”

“Actually, we do have something to ask.” Carlyle gestured toward me.

The man glanced at me skeptically but stayed silent.

“You were the Duke’s guard, correct? Including the day of the incident.”

“Yes.”

“Yet the butler discovered the body first.”

The man scoffed.

“Are you accusing me of negligence? I was retrieving the key from the butler at the time.”

“You were fetching the key?”

“Yes. I knocked, but there was no response, so I assumed something was wrong.”

“That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?”

“It was the Duke’s bedroom. He could’ve been deeply asleep, changing clothes, or engaged in personal matters. Why would you assume something was wrong just because there was no response?”

The man finally spoke after a pause.

“The Duke ordered it himself.”

“Pardon?”

“He feared someone might kill him.”

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