Chapter 51 : Clue

“Fortunately, it seems there’s nothing serious to worry about,” the butler said, gently pulling a blanket over the lord.

“Really…?”

I let out a sigh of relief. 

For a moment, I thought something catastrophic had happened, but hearing it wasn’t anything major brought immense comfort.

After the lord collapsed, I’d immediately started panicking, trying to figure out how to manage the situation. 

If anyone else had walked in and seen him like that, it would have undoubtedly caused a major misunderstanding.

I had paced in circles, racking my brain for a solution. 

Unfortunately, none of my ideas were feasible. 

In the end, I gave up on trying to cover things up and called for the butler, who had been standing by the door.

“No need to worry too much. This happens rather frequently,” the butler said, calm as ever.

“Is that so?”

His nonchalance put me further at ease.

Thank goodness. 

I had worried he might accuse me of causing the lord’s collapse, but judging by the way things were unfolding, it seemed this would pass without issue.

Apparently, fainting spells like this weren’t uncommon for the lord. 

That explained why the butler didn’t seem particularly alarmed earlier.

It was a stroke of luck for me—this meant I wouldn’t have to deal with unnecessary drama.

Feigning hesitation, I spoke up.

“Then… would it be alright if I left now?”

“Of course. Leave the rest to me,” the butler replied with a kind smile.

Internally, I celebrated. 

If the butler was taking care of everything, my involvement was effectively over.

With a lightened step, I headed for the door, ready to move on to our next task—finding this so-called young master.

Just as I reached for the door, though, I paused.

I realized something critical: I had no idea where to find the young master.

Turning back to the butler, I asked,

“Would it be possible for me to meet the lord’s son today?”

“Ah, I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” the butler replied, his tone polite yet firm.

I was taken aback. I hadn’t expected a refusal.

“May I ask why?”

“The young master isn’t in his office today. You might need to try again another day.”

“I see… Thank you,” I replied, barely keeping my frustration in check.

I left the room and headed back to our quarters, dreading Bliss’s reaction to the news.

As expected, the moment I told Bliss, her response was explosive.

“Goddamn it! Nothing’s going our way!”

She stomped one foot down in frustration, her temper flaring. 

And with every stomp, those two, uh… waves on her chest seemed to bounce in agreement.

Wait, waves? No, more like milk balloons…

My thoughts wandered as I watched the mesmerizing movement. 

Like the rhythmic ebb and flow of the ocean, it was hard to look away.

It was at that moment I found myself oddly emotional—realizing that the calming “sea” I’d been searching for might actually exist in a different form.

I let my gaze linger for longer than I should have, savoring this discovery.

The next day.

We attempted to meet the young master again, but once more, we were told it wasn’t possible.

The reason? “The lord’s permission isn’t enough.”

What? Are you serious?

The absurdity left me speechless.

In short, our mission to rescue Arctorius was a failure for the second day in a row.

Bliss, visibly seething, stormed off to the church, muttering that she had things to take care of.

With nothing else to do, I returned to my room with Reina.

The moment we stepped inside, I flopped onto the bed, desperate to ease the soreness in my body after days of non-stop work.

As my face sank into the soft mattress, its plush comfort enveloped me. 

Pulling the blanket over myself, I felt warmth seep into my tired limbs. 

The cozy embrace of the bed left me drowsy, my thoughts blurring as I drifted into a hazy half-sleep.

But that tranquility was short-lived.

My face buried in the blanket, I soon found myself struggling to breathe. 

I tried holding out, unwilling to part with the comfort, but everyone has their limits. 

Eventually, I turned my head to the side and exhaled deeply.

Cool air rushed into my lungs, bringing a wave of refreshing relief.

I smiled, marveling at how something as simple as breathing could feel so blissful.

Is this the beauty of life itself?

Content, I lay still for a moment, savoring the calm. 

But as I prepared to finally succumb to a nap, something odd happened.

The blanket beside me began to stir.

At first, it was just a faint rustling, but the movement grew steadily closer, shifting from the edge of the bed toward my side.

Curious, I lifted my head slightly and watched as a small, round “mochi” popped out from under the blanket with a soft poof.

Reina.

With wide, ruby-like eyes, she looked around before spotting me. 

Her face lit up, and she rolled over to my side, settling in right next to me.

What now? I thought, watching as her tiny hands reached for mine. 

She grabbed my hand and gently placed it on her head, then began rubbing her face against it like a kitten seeking affection.

Her cuteness was overwhelming. 

A smile tugged at my lips as I watched her.

Raising my hand, I hesitated for a moment. 

Reina looked up at me, her expression puzzled, almost like a child who had just had her favorite toy taken away.

Adorable.

Despite the mischievous thought to prolong her confusion, I gave in and patted her head. 

Relief washed over her face as she closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

We stayed like that for a while, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the room. 

Outside, birds chirped softly, and a cool autumn breeze wafted through the window.

Before I knew it, Reina had drifted off to sleep, her soft breathing filling the quiet space.

Listening to her, I felt a calm settle over me as well.

I let my hand fall still and relaxed into the bed, ready to join her in a well-deserved nap.

But just as I was about to slip into slumber, an annoying thought popped into my head.

“…Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, sitting up abruptly.

So much for enjoying a moment of peace.

The absurd reason I couldn’t enjoy my long-awaited rest was simple: I couldn’t fall asleep.

Had my body grown so accustomed to constant action that it now rebelled against peace?

Despite finally having some free time, I found myself restless, my muscles practically itching for activity.

Fine. If I can’t rest, I’ll at least do something useful, I thought.

Sitting up in bed, I decided to organize the information we’d gathered so far. 

It seemed like a productive way to spend my time. 

Careful not to wake Reina, I slipped out of bed and headed to the desk in the corner of the room.

Taking a seat, I pulled out some blank sheets of paper, dipped my quill in ink, and wrote the word “Summary” in bold letters at the top of the first page.

Now we’re getting somewhere, I thought with a satisfied smile, ready to put everything in order.

1. The Order of the End

This one was simple enough to summarize: a scam.

I wrote the word “cult” under the heading and moved on.

2. Interrogation Results

Recalling what Arctorius had told me, I jotted down two key points:

• Memory loss: Every individual we interrogated seemed to have lost parts of their memory for unknown reasons.
  
• Sudden personality changes: According to witnesses close to these individuals, their behavior had shifted dramatically.

The second point stood out to me—it wasn’t information we’d gotten directly from the perpetrators but from their acquaintances. 

Arctorius had mentioned how several witnesses had insisted that these individuals were not violent people and would never resort to aggression.

I wrote down the findings as “Memory loss, personality changes” and moved on.

3. Conversation with the Lord

Reflecting on yesterday’s talk with the lord, I identified three major points:

1. His son was originally a devout follower of the Church of the Origin.
   
2. The lord was entirely unaware of what his son had been doing lately.
   
3. The estate’s decision-making power was divided between his son and the butler.

I decided to summarize this section as “Sudden shift in beliefs.”

However, as I was about to write it down, something clicked in my mind.

Wait a second.

I paused mid-sentence and redirected my quill to the earlier section where I’d written “personality changes.” I circled it.

Then, moving back to the lord’s section, I circled “sudden shift in beliefs” as well.

Sitting back in my chair, I stared at the two circles, my mind racing. What’s bothering me?

After a moment of silent thought, it hit me.

There’s a connection.

The interrogation results and the lord’s story bore a striking similarity:

• The acquaintances of the culprits claimed they would never act violently, yet the culprits had attacked us.
  
• The lord was adamant that his son was a devout believer in the Church of the Origin, yet his son had turned to the Order of the End.

In both cases, the behavior contradicted the expectations of those who knew them.

At first glance, it seemed like the witnesses were lying or mistaken. 

But what if they weren’t?

What if they were telling the truth?

If that were the case, it would point to one glaring conclusion: these people had been changed.

I leaned forward, quill poised, and wrote two words at the bottom of the page:

Mind Control.

The thought sent a chill down my spine.

Mind control, one of the many branches of mental magic, included techniques like suggestion, hypnosis, and brainwashing. 

While each method varied in strength, they all had the same effect: overriding the victim’s will to serve the caster’s desires.

If mind control was at play, it would explain everything. Victims under such influence prioritize the caster’s commands above their own thoughts and morals, leading them to act out of character.

And if this theory was correct, it confirmed one grim reality: There were demons in Birren.

Specifically, it pointed to one kind of demon.

Nightmares.

Demons who infiltrated dreams to manipulate minds. 

These loathsome creatures were infamous for their mastery of mental magic.

If my suspicions were right, there was only one person who could be behind this:

Lilia Forsythia, Duchess of Nightmares.

All nightmares served under her banner, making her the prime suspect in this entire situation.

I leaned back, resting my chin in my hand.

But why? I wondered. 

Why would she meddle here, in Birren, during such a chaotic time? 

What was her goal?

I didn’t have the answers, but one thing was clear: I needed to meet the young master, no matter what.