Chapter 27 -

 “Is it true that the Duke received death threats?”

“That’s correct. So, naturally, I couldn’t help but worry. And it wasn’t exactly a time of day conducive to sleep.”

Russell had apparently been aware of the attempts on his life. This fact suggested quite a bit.

“Could it have something to do with the fire at the general store?”

“Fire?”

“Yes. I heard there was a fire at a general store near the Duke’s estate, and explosives were found in a cart intended for delivery to the Bolev Ducal House. Perhaps that’s why the Duke was frightened?”

“Ah, yes, I heard about that too. His Grace was indeed very unsettled. As a precaution, he decided to halt all deliveries for the time being.”

“Completely halted? Not even sourcing from other suppliers?”

“He seemed to believe that no other supplier would be without its own risks. Besides, the estate was already well-stocked with provisions, so it wasn’t an immediate issue.”

Halting deliveries meant nothing new was coming in from the outside. This implied that the available food supplies were finite.

So, they had to eat the same type of food repeatedly...

'Could that have been how they planned to poison him?'

The idea seemed too straightforward and far-fetched. Surely, there had to be more to it.

While I was lost in thought, the man spoke again.

“But as far as I recall… His Grace seemed afraid even before that incident occurred.”

“Before, you say? He was worried someone might kill him even before the fire?”

“That’s right. It seemed to start several months ago.”

“Was there any particular event around that time?”

“I’m not sure. To be honest, from my perspective, it seemed… excessive. He appeared overly anxious. Given the estate's stringent security, it seemed impossible for anyone to assassinate him. And yet, here we are… Hah…”

The man buried his face in his large hands.

“If only I had gone in sooner. Or if I had just forced the door open... It’s my fault. I failed to protect him.”

He soon started to sob. Even though I knew that Russell was likely already dead by the time the door could have been forced open, I couldn’t say that out loud. Instead, I simply patted his broad shoulders in a gesture of comfort.

Carlyle, who had been silently listening nearby, stood and motioned with his head. I gave the man a few more consoling pats before following Carlyle out of the house.

As we returned to where our carriage awaited, Carlyle began to speak.

“That soldier resigned voluntarily after the incident. He seems to feel a great sense of responsibility.”

“I see.”

I had wondered why he’d recklessly attempted to force the door open, but it turned out to be pure loyalty.

I understood the man’s guilt deeply, though it felt ironic that the person he had been so devoted to protecting was someone like Russell.

A few hours earlier, Amon had arrived at the Council of Elders and was seated at a table with its members.

The elders, though varied in gender, experience, and fields of expertise, all shared one thing in common: their stern expressions as they gazed at Amon.

In a composed voice, Amon broke the silence.

“There’s a mountain of work waiting for me. Please get to the point.”

To an outsider, his tone might have seemed simply formal and rigid. But anyone who knew Amon would detect the irritation underlying his words.

Indeed, Amon considered himself remarkably composed under the circumstances.

The elders had kept him waiting until now—sacrificing his time and comfort for their own rest and breakfast—despite his hasty journey from a remote countryside. Outside, the morning sun was already blazing red.

Suppressing a sigh, Amon waited until one elder finally spoke.

“Do you truly not know why we summoned you?”

“I don’t. Please enlighten me.”

“It was concerning the murder of Duke Bolev.”

Another elder quickly interjected.

“And why were you involved in the arson case? I heard it wasn’t under your jurisdiction.”

“You just said I was summoned about the Duke’s murder. Why are you suddenly bringing up the arson case?”

“Because important testimony came out while you were pointlessly investigating that arson!”

Testimony? Amon frowned. For the first time, genuine curiosity flashed across his face.

“Testimony? What testimony?”

“Are you feigning ignorance?”

“Why would I do that?”

“You detained the suspect yourself and had him placed in the knights’ custody!”

“I… detained someone?”

“Lord Hayden Bolev.”

When Amon murmured the name to himself, one elder nodded.

“That’s right. He provided significant testimony! Yet you’ve completely ignored it.”

“Hayden is still incapacitated. What are you talking about?”

“He regained consciousness and already testified!”

“What?”

Hayden had testified?

“You must have been so engrossed in the arson case that you missed it.”

Another elder chimed in, his tone dripping with derision.

Amon, however, didn’t process their mocking. His mind reeled.

Just before he left for the arson investigation, Hayden had been unconscious. In just a few hours, he had awakened and testified?

And how had that testimony reached the Council of Elders without Amon being informed?

One elder, brimming with self-satisfaction, delivered the revelation.

“Hayden claimed that a woman asked him for a way to sneak into the Duke’s estate. He confessed to telling her about the secret passage leading to Russell’s bedroom.”

“Did Hayden truly say that? Himself?”

“Do you think I’m making it up?”

Such testimony was tantamount to a confession and would undoubtedly implicate Hayden as an accomplice. Why had he changed his mind?

“Hmm.”

The eldest among them, seated at the head of the table, cleared her throat. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to her.

“Amon Spencer.”

Her voice carried the weight of a judgment as she called his name and revealed the crux of their summons.

“We have received information that you are harboring the culprit within the Order. A woman by the name of Julia Reitz.”

Julia’s identity and her location within the knights’ quarters were known.

Beneath the table, Amon clenched his fists. So this was their true intention—to frame Julia and accuse him of covering for her.

“You do not deny it. Does that mean you admit to hiding the culprit?”

“No.”

“No?”

“Julia Reitz is indeed staying within the Order, but only because she is connected to another case—not because she is the Duke’s murderer.”

Amon’s unhesitating response caused some elders to exchange glances. He could tell they weren’t entirely convinced of Julia’s guilt themselves.

'They merely want to close the case by pinning it on someone.'

“What other case?”

“I cannot disclose that.”

“Unbelievable.”

“So is the claim that she’s the culprit. There is no evidence.”

“There is testimony!”

One elder slammed the table with his fist, unwilling to listen further.

“I will speak directly with Lord Hayden. Until then, I cannot trust this testimony.”

“You’re saying you don’t trust what we’ve conveyed?”

“Exactly. Not until I hear it myself. Or, you could tell me the source of this information.”

Tension gripped the table as Amon spoke, his voice low.

“Has it not occurred to you that someone might have deliberately leaked information to mislead you?”

“Are you suggesting we’ve been manipulated?”

“Yes.”

The elders erupted in indignation.

While they accused him, Amon focused on one pressing thought.

Who?

Who had leaked the information to the Council?

The only ones aware of Julia’s presence within the knights were the knights themselves. If the news had spread, then...

Julia’s earlier words echoed in his mind,

“I’m just saying it’s a possibility. One of them could be working for the real culprit.”

Eloise, Boyd, Marvin. Among the three knights, one had leaked the information to frame Julia and bring the case to a swift conclusion.

Amon’s face grew colder and more resolute.

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