Chapter 20. The Door

"Ian is unwell?"

"Yes, Count. He has complained of stomach pains since morning and has remained in bed."

Count Bratz frowned as he fastened his cufflinks. He had thought the atmosphere in the dining hall was strange this morning. The servants kept glancing at him oddly as he ate.

The Count mistakenly assumed the servants were hesitant to report the news. In reality, it was because they were hungry due to Ian skipping his meal.

"The physician?"

His tone was more concerned about a flaw appearing in his peace offering than his son's health. The butler nodded in relief.

"He just finished his examination. He said it's nothing serious, likely stress-related. He will observe the progress today and tomorrow and then prescribe medicine."

"Is he feigning illness?"

"Well, it is true he has been overexerting himself lately. He is inherently frail, after all."

His body, which looked like it could be blown away by a gust of wind, had been darting around so much lately that it was hard to believe he was the same boy who first arrived at the mansion. Derga snorted in response.

"I heard there was a commotion at the front gate yesterday."

"Yes, Count. Shall we prepare a punishment?"

"Punishment? What for? Just keep the physician close and ensure he is well taken care of. He still doesn't understand that any lingering attachment will only be a burden once he crosses the border. Tsk, tsk."

Does he not realize that everything connected to him now will become a shackle?

It was just as well. It was becoming a bother to control the boy with just his mother. For some reason, his mother, Philia, had become quiet.

She no longer caused a fuss, demanding to see her son, and Ian did not inquire about Philia's well-being as often as before.

'It's clear if you compare it to the beginning when he would throw himself on the ground, wailing that he missed his mother. His emotions are gradually dulling.'

Moreover, Ian had been meeting with Molin separately two or three times a week. The old man clearly had a hidden agenda, yet the brooch was always clean.

At this point, he was starting to suspect he was falling for some kind of trick. It was like a sharpened, instinctive sense.

"What was his name? Eric?"

"Verick, Count."

"If Ian wishes to see him, allow it, and accommodate his circumstances as much as possible. He's an orphan, correct?"

He picked up the letter the tutor had brought last night for handwriting verification. Even a passing dog could tell it was the writing of an illiterate person. Though it did become neater towards the end...

Derga muttered, frowning.

"There's a saying. Losing a lover is like losing your heart, and losing a friend is like losing your lungs."

His feet were bound by the rope of his mother, so now it was time to bind his wrists with the name of friendship. In the remaining month and a half, everything had to be firmly prepared so that even after he crossed the border, this boy would sacrifice himself for the Bratz family.

"Teach Ian how to breathe. I'm curious to see how much strength a friend can provide."

That way, when his breath was later constricted, the pain and fear would be doubled. At Derga's order, the butler bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"There will be no issues with the management of the mansion?"

"Of course not."

"Butler, I trust you greatly."

"I will not disappoint your trust."

"I expect nothing less."

"Then, I shall take my leave."

Thud.

The butler left. Derga lit the fire under the wax holder. As the red wax inside began to melt slowly, he opened a drawer.

Creak.

He reached inside familiarly. A round groove. He twisted the diamond ring on his index finger and pushed it in.

Click.

A clear sound followed, and a secret compartment opened. It seemed like a simple mechanism from the outside, but an electric current flowed within. Carelessly shoving anything in would result in being electrocuted on the spot.

For instance, the fake key Derga had given to the butler.

'This butler is lasting quite a while.'

Once, a long time ago, a butler was found dead in Derga's office. The Bratz family's mousetrap, passed down for generations, had worked perfectly. He was suspected of communicating with the Thousand Calamity Tribe, but the dead tell no tales.

'He might know, as he is more perceptive than the previous butler.'

Derga had not explicitly stated that this was where he kept the seal, but he had subtly hinted that he stored valuables here. Hadn't he openly taken out the brooch in front of Ian?

Swoosh.

Derga poured the wax onto the envelope and lightly pressed the Bratz family seal onto it. The image of a tiger, representing the family, was vividly engraved.

* * *

Ian lay half-reclined on the cozy bed. He had schemed to be left alone in the annex, but unexpectedly, the household members were even more attentive. After the physician's visit, the servants had brought all sorts of food, making the morning more bustling than usual.

"Hanna? Are you outside?"

"Yes, Young Master."

Ian confirmed Hanna's presence as he put on his outer garment.

It was currently 3 PM. It was the time when the mansion servants finished their late lunch and began cleaning the main building. Although a few remained on the lower floor, this was the time with the fewest people around.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Young Master."

With Hanna's help, Ian decided to search the butler's room. She would keep watch and distract anyone who approached.

"But, are you really giving me silver coins?"

Naturally, since it was a risky task, he had promised compensation besides food. With three nobles from the central province on board, how could he not get some silver coins?

"Yes, don't worry."

"It's not worry, I'm just excited thinking about what to buy with the silver coins."

Hanna moved swiftly, checking both sides of the hallway. No one was there. Ian also descended the stairs as quietly as possible. He was about to turn the corner and use the less-frequented back stairs when...

"No, is that even possible?"

"Of course not. Hey, you got scammed. Ahaha!"

He heard voices. The door to the servants' quarters closed, and the voices faded away, indicating they had only stopped by briefly. Hanna went down first and made a circle with her hands, signaling it was clear.

"I'll keep watch at the bottom of the stairs. If anything happens, I'll make a loud noise, so be careful."

"Alright, thank-"

Click.

Ian paused as he turned the doorknob. It was rare to find a locked room inside the mansion. Even the Count's bedroom was always open, though there were guards stationed in front of it.

"Is it locked?"

"...It won't open."

Was it like this for the tutor too? He had guessed from the tutor's reaction that day that he had failed. But he hadn't realized he couldn't even get in. As Ian was debating whether to use magic, Hanna gestured for him to step aside.

"Please wait a moment."

And then, she started fiddling with the doorknob using a hairpin. Ian tilted his head, a dubious expression on his face. How could that possibly open the door...?

Click.

"It's open?"

"It's open now."

Hanna dusted off her hands as if it were a simple task. When Ian looked back at her, astonished, she smiled and put the hairpin back in her hair.

"Didn't I tell you? I have many siblings."

"...And?"

"In a house with many siblings, doors are constantly being locked and unlocked. That's how they express their complaints or play pranks. You can open a simple doorknob like this with a fork."

"It seems like a talent to me."

"If you call this a talent, all the kids in the neighborhood would be laughing. Go on, get to work."

Hanna was aware that she lived near the red-light district, but she didn't realize how it had influenced her. Picking locks, secretly delivering messages, and swapping drinks were unfamiliar practices to commoners.

Creak.

Ian, leaving Hanna behind for now, entered the butler's room. It was a modest room with only a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. It was so plain that it felt almost shabby.

"Hmm."

Ian strode across the room, looking around.

What could it be? What did the tutor want from the butler?

He flung open the wardrobe door, revealing rows of key bundles hanging on the wall. There were at least ten bundles, each with dozens of keys. It seemed like all the keys in the mansion were here.

Jingle-

Each key had its purpose written on it. First utility room on the left of the first floor, second utility room... Ian skimmed through them, searching for the main building's office bundle.

'Here it is. Office, office attendant's cot.'

And then, he noticed a strange key tucked in between. It was blunt, as if a bead was attached to the end. It didn't have a label indicating its use, and it was significantly heavier than the other keys, suggesting a different material.

Knock, knock.

Just then, Hanna urgently knocked on the door from outside. It meant someone was coming up to this floor. Ian opened a box under the wardrobe. It contained miscellaneous documents, identification papers, and a free pass within the estate.

Knock, knock-

The knocking became more urgent. Ian had no choice but to tidy up the wardrobe and leave the room. As soon as the door closed, he met eyes with a servant who had come up the stairs.

"Lord Ian? Hanna?"

"What brings you out here? How are you feeling?"

Hanna's eyes darted around. Ian, following her gaze, answered naturally.

"I felt stuffy lying down all day. I was just going for a short walk."

"You mustn't! The doctor said you absolutely shouldn't move."

The servants fussed, pushing Ian's back, and Hanna followed closely behind. They exchanged glances.

'Did you find what you were looking for?'

'I'm not sure.'

All he could remember was a strangely shaped key and the free pass within the estate. Since there wasn't a single book, if the tutor wanted something, it had to be one of those two.

"We'll get in trouble if Lord Ian doesn't get well soon."

"Hanna, stop bothering Lord Ian and come out."

"Oh, um, sisters! Just a moment-"

Bang!

The servants urged Hanna and pulled her out. The space became quiet again. Ian sat by the window, staring at a potted plant, lost in thought.

The blunt key, the pass, and the tutor. It seemed he would have to subtly probe during the next lesson to figure out what he wanted.

'Maybe there is no key at all.'

Derga had clearly put his hand in without any special action when he took out the brooch. There were magical devices like fingerprint recognition, but it was unlikely Derga would possess such an item in this era.

Just then, a loud noise came from outside the door.

Thump! Thump!

The sound of footsteps echoing in the hallway was approaching. Only then did Ian turn his head to look at the door.

Was it Derga? Perhaps he was coming to scold him for faking illness.

Thump!

The presence stopped in front of the door. Then, a fist pounded on the door as if to break it down. Ian frowned and tilted his head.

"...Who is it?"

"I assume that means I can come in?"

Before he could even register the familiar voice, the door burst open. Red hair and eyes were visible through the gap.

"How ya doin'?"

Standing there, with a triumphant expression, was Verick.