The House of Willborn

The morning sun cast a golden glow over Roseborn as Charlotte made her way to the investigation department.  Charlotte walked to Lady Kierra's office and saw she was already there, reviewing some documents on her desk. Lady Kierra looked up, her piercing scarlet eyes meeting Charlotte's amber eyes.

"Good morning, Charlotte." she greeted calmly.

"Good morning, Lady Kierra," Charlotte replied with a respectful nod.

"Let us go." the woman stood up, "We are to visit Duke Willborn's estate to gather information regarding the recent disappearance of the Duchess."

"Now?" Charlotte was startled. 

"Yes, your special assignment starts now."

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The journey to the duke's estate was quiet, but Charlotte anticipated what is yet to discover. Lady Kierra explained that the duke had requested the Empire's assistance in solving the case, and their presence was both an honor and a responsibility. 

"We are to inspect the Duchess's living quarters, and gather any relevant evidence," Lady Kierra continued. "You must be prepared."

Charlotte nodded, "Yes, my lady".

Upon arriving at the mansion, they were greeted by the duke's staff, who led them to a lavish drawing room. The opulence of the surroundings contrasted sharply with the uncertainty surrounding the Duchess's disappearance.

As they awaited the duke's arrival, Lady Kierra turned to Charlotte. "Remember, Charlotte, observation and discretion are key in our line of work. Pay attention to every detail, no matter how small."

Their conversation was interrupted as the duke's butler, Gerard, entered the room, he appeared solemn and slightly flustered.

"My apologies, Lady Kierra," Gerard said, addressing Lady Kierra directly. "The duke was unable to attend due to urgent matters, but he requested that I assist you and provide whatever you need that is necessary for the investigation." 

Lady Kierra raised an eyebrow, her scarlet eyes fixing on Gerard. "Urgent matters, you say? Are these matters more important than the disappearance of his wife, the Duchess?"

Gerard hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable. "My lady, the duke has been faced with pressing matters regarding the Empire's political affairs, but he requested that I provide you with this journal. It belonged to the Duchess, and he believes it may contain important information." Gerard placed the journal at the top of the table in front of Lady Kierra.

Lady Kierra's expression remained unreadable, but there was a palpable tension in the room. "I see. Please convey our gratitude to the duke for the journal." she handed the journal to Charlotte and said, "We will conduct our investigation diligently."

"I'd like to see the duchess's room please."

Gerard nodded and escorted them out of the drawing room and into the duchess's bedroom. 

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Charlotte and Lady Kierra were led to the Duchess's private chamber, a spacious room adorned with luxurious furnishings and delicate lace curtains. Yet, the grandeur of the surroundings couldn't mask the unease that lingered in the air.

They began by carefully scrutinizing the room for any clues that might shed light on the Duchess's disappearance. Charlotte gingerly opened drawers and inspected the contents while Lady Kierra examined the Duchess's wardrobe.

As Charlotte ran her fingers along the edge of a writing desk, she noticed something peculiar. A piece of paper had been hastily torn from a journal, leaving behind a jagged edge. She picked it up and examined it closely. It appeared to be part of a letter, but the text was incomplete, making it difficult to decipher.

"Lady Kierra, I've found something," Charlotte said, holding up the torn page.

Lady Kierra approached and studied the scrap of paper. "Interesting. It seems to be a torn letter. We should keep this for further analysis."

As Charlotte carefully placed the torn page into an evidence bag, Lady Kierra continued her search. Her sharp eyes caught a glimmer near the ornate mirror on the wall. She retrieved a crumpled note hidden behind the mirror's frame.

"Charlotte, take a look at this," Lady Kierra called out.

Charlotte went closer to her mentor and examined the crumpled note. It was written in a hurried hand and contained a cryptic message.

"Meet me at the forest, midnight."

The message was signed with a single initial, "A."

"This could be a significant lead," Lady Kierra mused. "Someone wanted to meet the Duchess in secret."

Charlotte nodded; her curiosity piqued. "But who is 'A,' could the duchess be involved in a tryst?"

"Let's continue our investigation and see if we can uncover any more clues." Lady Kierra replied. 

"Gerard." called Lady Kierra.

"I would like to speak to the Duchess's maid, if it's alright."

"As you wish my lady." Gerard nodded and escorted them out of the room and summon the maid.

Moments later, a young woman named Annelize entered the drawing room, her eyes filled with nervousness and anxiety.

"Good day Miss Annelize." Lady Kierra greeted her warmly. "I am Lady Kierra and this is my apprentice Charlotte Reinheld, we are here to investigate the duchess disappearance."

Annelize curtsied politely. "Good day my lady, Miss Reinheld."

"We would like to ask you a few questions. Please have a seat." Lady Kierra offered, gesturing to an empty chair.

Annelize's face slightly paled, but she complied and took a seat. Charlotte, observing Annelize couldn't help but notice that Annelize seemed nervous, as if she was hiding something.

"Lady Kierra," Annelize began, her voice quivering, "I truly wish I could help but, I don't know anything about the Duchess's whereabouts, she disappeared without a trace and I don't have any idea about what happened that night she disappeared."

"We understand Miss Annelize, we are not here to accuse anyone." Lady Kierra reassured her. "We are merely trying to ask you a few questions about the duchess."

Annelize nodded; her fear was somewhat eased because of the lady's understanding demeanor. "I'll do my best to answer them my lady."

Gerard came back holding a tray with tea. "Here is tea my lady." he then proceed to pour the tea on each cup.

"Could you tell us if you noticed any changes in the Duchess's behavior in the weeks leading up to her disappearance?" Lady Kierra started. "Something unusual?"

Annelize hesitated for a moment, weighing her words carefully she started "Yes my lady. Normally, the Duchess is quite composed and calm, but recently, she became quite increasingly agitated and unpredictable."

Charlotte and Lady Kierra exchanged knowing glances. "What do you mean 'agitated'?" Charlotte inquired.

Annelize continued, "The Duchess would spend long hours in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection, she'd mutter to herself, and her eyes held an intensity I have never seen before." clenching her hands Annelize added, "When we ask her to have something to eat, sometimes she would lash out, throwing and breaking things in her room."

Lady Kierra nodded thoughtfully, "What about her interest on the forest in the duke's estate?"

Annelize grew more somber, "She would often gaze out of her window towards the forest, mostly during evenings, it is almost as if she were looking for something beyond there."

"And the duke...what was the duke's reaction to this?" Charlotte questioned, "reading this journal it seems that the duke and duchess are experiencing some difficulties recently." 

Annelize looked hesitantly at Gerard as if asking a permission to reveal the private matters of the duchess and the duke. Gerard stared at Annelize, he then sighed and nodded. Annelize finally spoke "My lady, it is true that there have been tensions between them, the duchess and duke had disagreements about various matters, but the most notable one was when the duchess received a letter a few days before her disappearance. I didn't see its contents but, it appeared to upset her greatly."

The mention of the letter piqued Lady Kierra's interest, "Do you happen to know who the letter was from?"

Annelize shook her head, "No, there wasn't anything written outside the letter, no seal, no name, nothing."

Lady Kierra nodded, "I see, thank you for sharing this with us Miss Annelize, your insights have been invaluable."

"Yes, I hope that the duchess will be found safe and unharmed." Annelize continued, "Will you do anything in your power to bring the duchess back?"

Lady Kierra stilled. The teacup she held where put back on the table carefully. She remained silent. "Lady Kierra?" Annelize peered at her.

Charlotte waiting for Lady Kierra to answer was puzzled. What's taking her so long?

"Of course, we'll do our best to find the duchess Miss Annelize." Charlotte reassuring Annelize and taking a side glance at Lady Kierra. "Then I shall be on my way to do my cleaning duties, miss, my lady." with that Annelize stood up and quietly left the room.

Gerard quietly standing at the side of the room asked, "Is there anything else that you would like to do and check Lady Kierra?"

Lady Kierra shifted her eyes at Gerard. "We shall take break first and analyze all the information we have gathered this morning."

"Alright my lady, please inform me if there are anything else you might need." Gerard nodded then walked towards the door and left the room.

"Charlotte..."

"Yes, my lady?" Charlotte looked at Lady Kierra.

"Perhaps do you remember what I told you the first day, regarding this case?" Lady Kierra lifted the teacup and took a sip.

Charlotte stared at her own untouched teacup. "About the body?"

"Yes." Lady Kierra took another sip. "The duchess's body."

"What do you mean the duchess's body, it appears as if the duchess is..." Charlotte's forehead wrinkled.

"The duchess is dead."