A few minutes ago. Randolph had returned to the Royal Military Police Directorate shortly after encountering Farisâ envoy Kendall Levineâs party.
[The Seventh Prince Ulysses?]
Kyle Hughes, who was writing a report on the incident in Melvina with eyes reminiscent of a dead fish, raised his head questioningly.
[Yeah. It looks like he was brought along with the Faris delegation. He hasnât been seen for several days now, havenât you heard anything?]
[Not a damn thingâââactually, now that you mention it.]
Kyle turned around with his eyebrows furrowed in disgust and raised his voice to one of his subordinates who was spreading out a map on the marble workbench in the center.
[Hey, Talbot! Iâm pretty sure you have a copy of the list of Farisâ dignitaries thatâs been sent to the Gendarmerie. Bring it over here for a minute!]
=====
As soon as he checked the handed list, Kyle clicked his tongue uncharacteristically.
[Oh, shit. One of the diplomats brought his kid. Maybe this is Ulysses. The Royal Palaceâs approval date is half a month agoâââwhich means theyâve been planning this for a while. What the hell are they up to this time? Thereâs no way theyâre bringing him along just for sightseeing.]
[âŚ..I canât say for sure, but I have a guess]
Whatâs going on? Kyle gave him a questioning gaze.
[Right now, Faris is currently in the middle of the crisis of succession, isnât it?]
Immediately, murmurs could be heard from the surroundings.
âââSix months ago, the current King of Faris, Hendrik, fell ill. His heart was experiencing complications. Due to his advanced age, the situation was unpredictable.
[If all went well, Prince Fabian should have succeeded to the throne, but he lost his life in an accident just before King Hendrick abdicated.]
During a fox hunt, the Princeâs horse suddenly ran out of control and he was thrown off, breaking his neck. The grief of the King who lost his beloved son was so great that it was said that he collapsed due to being heartbroken.
[Unfortunately, Second Prince Roderickâs mother is of low status and has a weak foundation in the Royal Palace. In this situation, all the younger Princes realized they could aim for the throne and took advantage of itââââ The underground skirmish still continues to this day.]
King Hendrick had seven children with the right of succession, and the Seventh Prince, Ulysses, is the youngest.
[I heard that the diplomatic mission this time was organized by Prince Jerome, the Fifth Heir. The pretext is to strengthen the alliance. Howeverâââ]
[He fell ill, right? I havenât heard anything about him lately, but apparently, heâs out of the succession race, or so they say.]
[Since the Sixth Prince, who was in a similar situation, has already abandoned his claim to succession, Jerome will probably have to do the same. Well, if he is still alive.]
[âââSo, including the Seventh Prince, there are still four claimants left, right?]
No, Randolph shook his head.
[The Third Princess Alexandra was apparently imprisoned by the Fourth Prince Theophilus.]
[Princess� Ah, I forgot that both Prince and Princess could claim for succession over there.]
Faris, despite being obsessed with pedigree, ironically lost a lot of Royal blood during the dissolution of the old Empire. Giving equal inheritance rights to the children of the Royal family born regardless of gender is probably a desperate measure to protect their so-called splendid lineage.
[Though no woman has actually taken the throne. Perhaps, in her case, her high popularity among the commoner was what placed the target upon her back.]
Princess Alexandra is said to be a thoughtful and fair person.
Kyle groaned softly.
[So, if you take it all in, the Fourth Prince seems to have the upper hand. The Second Prince Rodrick is completely overwhelmed by this turmoil and is shutting himself up in the detached Palace, isnât he? The Fourth Prince is probably good at working behind the scenes because his mother is one of the big wigs of the noble society there.]
[I donât know who Kendall Levineâs siding with, but he was originally a teacher of Prince Ulysses. Judging from his distraught manner, it may have been a pure act of trying to protect his former pupil. The Princeâs mother was from a noble family in the Soldita Republic. They wouldnât have that many backers in Faris. Adelbide might actually be safer than his own country.]
It seemed that they encountered a problem here as well. However, Randolph couldnât wrap his head around why they intentionally hid the kidnapping. They should at least ask for cooperation to search for the Prince. Moreover, even if the fact that Ulysses accompanied him was a secret, it was a debacle that happened in the Palace of Adelbide. Itâs a bad way to put it, but he could have used it as a card to denounce the Palace and proceed with the negotiations to his advantage. No matter how upset Kendall was, it couldnât have occurred to him.
âââis there any other reason?
In any case, there is too little information. It would be necessary to ask Faris about the circumstances.
When Randolph thought about arranging for a meeting, a flurry of hurried and panicked noise called out to him.
[Ah, Commander UlsterâŚ!]
[What is it?]
The other person was a clerical employee in charge of the reception. When Randolph asked what happened, she said that a message from the Grail family had just arrived.
[âŚ..Grail family? What did it say?]
[Y, yes, actuallyâââ]
Randolph frowned at what he was told. It was that Constance Grail went to the Palace and hadnât come back.
=====
After being sent off by a laughing Abigail, Connie got into the carriage with Randolph.
An awkward silence fell. Randolph opened his mouth indifferently.
[âŚA messenger from the Grail Mansion came to the Headquarters. Apparently, you hadnât returned. So, I went to look into it and found that you went to visit Walter RobinsonâââBut Mr. Robinson said youâre already left, and in a carriage that he lent to you, so itâs strange that you havenât arrived back home already. There was one corpse that had been hit by a bullet. So, I followed the carriage route and found it abandoned in the suburbs, along with a corpse of a man shot dead. âââas you might expect, I was rather unnerved.]
Connie covered her face with both hands. Certainly, it was an outrageous situation.
[After that, I was relieved to find out that you were taken to AbbyâsăFolkvangr Hallă.]
[âŚ..Um, IâŚIâm sorryâŚ]
[There is no need to apologize. I think it was an unavoidable situation. But, from now onâââ]
Randolph seriously told Connie as he turned toward her.
[âââWhen you decide to take action, it would be helpful if you could contact me in advance.]
[YesâŚ]
How to put it into words? Itâs awkward. Very awkward.
[Fortunately, the original coachman was just unconscious. Weâll be able to ask him whatâs going on once heâs treated. Well, he probably doesnât know anything.]
Now that things had calmed down, Connie realized how dangerous the situation was. She was saved thanks to Scarlet noticing the change in coachman and intimidating that man to buy her some time.
[Scarlet?]
Since a while ago, there had been no sign of her. Come to think of it, sheâd been awfully quiet sinceăFolkvangr Hallă.
Looking around, she found Scarlet dozing off with a drowsy look on her face.
[Whatâs the matter? Are you alright?]
Scarlet slowly turned her head to Connie, who approached her worriedly.
ăâŚ..Iâm quite al, right. Just, sleepy. All that happened earlier, took a lot out of me. Deborahâs party, after fending off that rude boor, I grew tired. No doubt, using that power, is what makes me like this. But, for some reason, I feel more sleepy, todayâââă
As she said that, her figure suddenly became fainter. Connie took a deep breath. However, she immediately told herself that it was alright. This is the same state when she takes a temporary rest. So itâs okay. Iâm sureâââit should be fine. she knew it in her mind, but for some reason, she couldnât calm her heartbeat.
=====
The carriage soon arrived at the mansion. The surrounding area was already sinking into darkness. There was an outside light, but it was unreliable, and Randolph, who got off first, took Connieâs hand.
[âââRandolph.]
Connieâs shoulders suddenly jumped up when someone called out to Randolph from behind. Looking back, she saw a man standing still as if blending into the darkness. His features were vague, but his voice sounded young.
[Kyle, huh. âŚSorry, heâs my colleague.]
Randolph apologized to Connie. The young man called Kyle scratched his head.
[I didnât mean to sneak up on you. But, I wanted to let you know in a hurryâââitâs about the body of the fake coachman we examined. He had that sun tattoo on the nape of his neck. Thereâs no doubt, itâsăDaegallusă]
âââa sun tattoo?
[Alright. Iâll be right backâââMiss Grail?]
Connie was groaning with her hand on her forehead.
[What is it?]
[NoâŚthat sun tattoo, I think Iâm forgetting somethingâŚ]
[Have you seen it before?]
Randolphâs gaze grew sharper.
âââshe had a feeling she had seen it before. But, she couldnât recall where. Itâs frustrating. If only Scarlet was awake, sheâd know straight away. Telling Connie how stupid she is while pouting.
At that moment, a scene suddenly popped into Connieâs mind.
[âŚThat woman.]
A very seductive woman in a rose-coloured dress.
[The woman who collapsed at the masquerade ball. She also had a tattoo of the sun on her chest. I donât know if itâs the same as what you saidâŚ]
[âââhold on. Was it like this?]
Kyle took out a wrinkled piece of paper from his chest pocket. He unfolded it skillfully with his free hand, and a design could be seen under the vague lighting. Seeing that, Connie nodded.
[âŚit is the same.]
[Gotcha. âââthat fuckwit Gwyner.]
Kyle then said, [I want to check the investigation materials, so Iâm going back to the Headquarters,] he quickly turned back. He is like a storm.
Connie, who was left behind, raised her voice. She forgot to mention something else.
[Scarlet probably knows who that woman was.]
Randolph hesitated for a while, then slowly shook his head.
[I doubt it⌠Theyâd have nothing in common.]
[But, Scarlet really seemed to know her. She called her âJaneâ, and she looked quite nostalgic when mentioning that name as wellâââ]
âââOh, itâs Jane. How nostalgic.
Scarlet certainly said so when she saw that woman.
At that moment, Randolphâs complexion changed.
[Really?]
Connie involuntarily backed away as he approached with sharp eyes.
[Y, yesâŚ]
[Is Scarlet here right now?]
Connie shook her head.
[Whatâs wrong?]
[âŚthat woman, did you smell something sweet when you were near her?]
[Eh?]
Unable to answer that question immediately, Connie slowly traced her memory. Earl John Doeâs Soiree. If she remembers correctly, at that time, she was picking snacks by the wall of the hall. That woman allegedly named Jane was not in sight from the beginning. If so, how did she leave an impression on her? Then Connie finally remembered.
âââthe scent.
Itâs because of her scent. Sweet, like flower perfume.
When Connie affirmed, Randolph narrowed his eyes.
[âââItâs Jackalâs Paradise.]
Connie looked up.
A freezing cold voice split the silence of the night.
[Have you heard of it? Itâs a hallucinogen that was banned ten years ago. People on the street also call it âJaneâ.]
=====
ăâJaneâ? Oh, I was about to say it in the carriage on the way to Eldabaid Palace. You see, right before, Kimberly Smith brought up the topic of the Jackalâs Paradise, didnât she? I didnât know Jane was banned up until then. I was going to tell you, but we ended up arriving at the royal palace, so I left it there.ă
The next day, Scarlett had revived in a spectacular way. Connie, on the other hand, is easygoing, even though she couldnât sleep because she was worried about Scarlett, who had suddenly disappeared.
ăBy the way, Iâve never seen the girl in that rose-coloured dress.ă
[I seeâŚ]
As Connie dropped her shoulders in disappointment, head maid Marta came and informed her about an unexpected visitor. Connie opened her eyes. Thinking she didnât hear it, Marta repeated it again.
[Miss Kate Lorraine is here] , she said.
âââKate Lorraine, who Connie thought shouldâve hated her, had a somewhat tense expression on her face. She could tell from the look that it was not a story of reconciliation.
[âŚLast night, an errand came from the Grail family. Saying Connie hasnât come back yet, and if I know anything.]
Because Connie was coming home too late, her family probably called out not only Randolph but also the Lorraine family, who she had a close relationship with.
Kate opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind to Connie, who had suddenly fallen silent.
[âŚHey, Connie. What in the world is going on with you? Are you doing something dangerous? If so, please stop doing thatâŚ!]
Connieâs heart trembled at Kate who seemed like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.
[Why wonât you tell me anythingâŚ!]
However, Connie couldnât convey the circumstances. Because if she does, Kate will try to help her. Without a doubt.
[âŚIâm sorry, Kate.]
[Why?]
Kate shouted. Connie felt like her heart was going to burst at the sorrowful voice.
[âââsorry.]
Even so, Connie pushed Kate away. Kate looked at Connie in disbelief. Connie bit her lip tightly but still said it firmly.
[If thatâs all you have to say, then go home.]
=====
On the same evening.
[âŚ..Young miss.]
Martaâs voice was filled with some tension.
[A messenger arrived from the Lorraine family earlier. WellâŚthey said that miss Kate hadnât arrived back home.]
[Eh�]
The sun is already setting. It was before noon when Kate returned. Marta, who saw her off, probably knows best. She had a worried look on her face.
Because they didnât exactly separate in a good term, Connie wondered what happened. She couldnât stand still and rushed outside. Walking through the courtyard to the main gate. As she was about to go out to the street, she suddenly stopped.
In front of the gate, there is a parcel tied with a hemp string. It was as if someone had thrown it through the gate. It was the size of two hands and had no postmark. No address either.
ăâââwhat could it be?ă
Scarlet muttered.
Meanwhile, Connie had a bad feeling about it.
=====
Connie entered the room without saying anything to anyone and untied the string with trembling fingers.
The moment she opened the package, her heart jumped.
Inside was a lock of maroon-brown hair.
Connieâs favourite, fluffyâââ
Connie didnât know what was going on. Her heart was pounding. A delicately decorated invitation was placed under the locks of hair.
With a blank head, she read the words written there over and over again, and finally, the meaning connected.
In short, the content was telling her to come alone to the lakeside of Bernadia at noon the day after tomorrow. It says not to tell anyone with threatening words.