No Secrets (7)

The metal ring and key rattled, drawing the attention of the two. 

Leonardo, who had completely dismissed the latter part of tea time, frowned slightly as if the blankness in his memory was hard to adapt to and asked again, "Have you figured out what it's for?"

"I got some help."

'Leonardo Ertinez.'

The most basic structure of a possession story involves two corpses. It begins with the chance meeting of water in a broken vessel and an empty bowl. However, the peculiarity of this scenario is that the owner of the possessed body knew in advance what their purpose and role would be in this participation.

An image floated in his mind. 'Leonardo,' who exuded a strong sense of boredom, empties the contents of a pot with an indifferent gesture, a scene that somehow gave off a refreshing feeling. He had been thinking about it for a while… but wasn't the corpse content too high in this story?

Writers manipulate the bodies of dead characters like puppets, and the owner of the possessed body was already aware that their corpse would be used. The corpse of Leovald, which I retrieved to use my secret technique, is kept in a large, old clothing chest in my bedroom, giving me a chilly sensation at my feet every time I sleep.

When I first opened my eyes in this world, the greatest shock came from the form of death as ashes. There was a terrifying aspect to death that scattered into grey dust, as if it had fulfilled its purpose. However, as the story progressed, I began to feel and learn much more. Those who stand beneath the light, moving with this decayed flesh and cold blood, exist because there are places for them to be used even after death. Sometimes, I can't tell if the backdrop of the stage is fantasy or occult. I think I would prefer the latter rather than dying without leaving anything behind.

Perhaps all this grotesqueness is a byproduct of the original work sinking and the writers hastily rewriting the script into a possession story. Even after the elements of possession and revenge were added to a traditional heroic epic, it's hard to wish for everything to remain the same as before.

Well… anyway.

If the original Leonardo had been aware enough to leave a long farewell message for Celestina, he might have left something behind the locked door. 

Looking out the window towards the southern spire of the fortress, Leonardo began to assess the situation as if he were calculating something familiar.

"I've already mapped out the patrol routes for the night, so the key will be sneaking out of the castle and returning on time."

Watching Leonardo discuss the operation so cautiously felt absurd. Playing the part of a shadowy figure and dragging others around had turned him into a covert operative. From a national hero who saved the kingdom to a young lord struggling to sneak away from a restraining order—his circumstances had changed dramatically.

"There are a few things I need to do before entering."

Let's see, what tasks need to be addressed before ascending the tower?

Isaac began to list the tasks to complete before the ideal working hours of the night arrived.

First, in the afternoon, he would need to gather information about the southern spire among the servants. He'd have to review all the information regarding the nearby knights and servants to plan their movements accordingly.

At sunset, he should visit the gambling house again to check if everything was proceeding as planned before returning. Ah, and he needed to procure that suspicious black outfit that he had given up on since leaving Sinistra.

Before he knew it, his fingers had folded into a small stack of to-do items. Oh? As he counted, he realized they were all tasks he had to handle.

Vittorio mumbled with a vague expression, "You have a lot on your plate…"

"Yeah, I guess so."

It seemed like there was never a day to relax.

"Don't push yourself too hard. Is there anything I can help with?"

"Not much to leave to you until your confinement is lifted…"

Ah, that was disappointing.

Come to think of it, ever since entering El Dante, Leonardo had only given him trivial tasks or asked him to lie, never assigning any of the grueling labour he claimed was for training.

Why he wanted labour was beyond him. Was he truly a masochist?

As he pondered and looked around, something suddenly caught his eye, prompting him to smile and snap his fingers.

"Oh! I just thought of something. I have a task for you."

"!"

"Have you ever plowed a field?"

***

Early afternoon.

A servant came across the drawbridge, supplying us with blankets and firewood as per the count's orders. It was around the usual time.

The cart filled with firewood clattered and came to a halt in the courtyard of the fortress, and the servant peeked his head out.

"Young master, I've brought the firewood as ordered by the count—"

And then the servant's mouth dropped open.

"Y-young master? Wh-what are you doing right now…?"

Thud! A plow was embedded in the ground. Leonardo, casually dressed and awkwardly wielding the makeshift plow, gazed blankly at the pile of firewood in the courtyard.

"Firewood, huh? Just set it down, and I'll move it inside. Oh, before you go—do you happen to know how deep I should plow for a vegetable garden?"

"A vegetable garden?" 

"…Yeah, a vegetable garden. Is there a problem?"

The servant, almost in shock, picked up the firewood and swung it around.

"Gah! I-I've been enchanted by these guys after all! How insidious they are, to come all the way to El Dante!"

"What?"

"Get back, you wicked being! You can't fool me, not even a little!"

"What, what's going on?"

While the firewood didn't seem particularly threatening to Leonardo, the servant's exaggerated reaction made him jump back in surprise.

"You're not enchanted! Please calm down!"

"….."

"Here, you seem to be overheating. Have a glass of water."

The servant, practically dragged into the inner part of the fortress, still doubted the situation he had just witnessed.

"Are you sure that wicked being isn't imitating Young Master Leonardo?"

Seriously, what kind of life did the original Leonardo live to provoke such a reaction? 

'Did I make a mistake by suggesting to create a garden?'

Having to come up with excuses for just putting a vegetable patch in front of the fortress felt absurd. The original really needed to reflect on this.

"Every time we go to the market to buy ingredients, it's a waste given our current situation. I thought it might be nice to plant some quick-growing vegetables or herbs in the courtyard since it looks quite barren."

"Th-that makes sense. It's just hard to believe that the Young Master would be doing something so… hands-on."

"Haha, everyone has to try something new at some point, right? It certainly wasn't easy. I spent quite a while just deciding where to place the garden. I realized that around lunchtime, that building over there blocks a lot of sunlight."

As I gestured toward the southern tower of the Ertinez Castle visible through the window, the servant responded with a short, "Ah."

He seemed to have regained some composure, adjusting his posture before subtly steering the conversation back to the main topic.

"That's quite a tall tower. It seems to be the highest in the castle."

"Hmm, yes…"

His reaction was a bit ambiguous. It seemed like there was some significance to that place.

"It caught my eye. Does it have a name?"

"It's a place that's not used much these days, so you don't need to worry about it. Older castles tend to have those kinds of places."

"Is that so? When Leo gave me a tour of the castle today, he didn't mention it… I suppose he might have just forgotten to explain, but I find myself wondering a lot. After all, I'm still an outsider, so if I ask too many questions, it might put Leo in a difficult position."

I briefly showed a contemplative expression, considering whether to add a sigh. No, that might be a bit much, so I decided to keep it at that.

"Oh dear, I seem to be rambling on too much."

I glanced at the servant with my eyes half-open. As the atmosphere became more subdued, he fidgeted, looking to me for cues. His reaction was exactly as I had expected. Since I had only recently entered the castle and there were few people who recognized my face, I had discreetly wandered around, trying to gauge how my reputation was spreading among the staff.

'They seem to be betting on when I'll finally crack and leave the castle.'

Perhaps due to the lack of dopamine in everyday life, everyone seemed incredibly interested in the trivialities of life. In any case, I suppressed my presence and listened in on various conversations. Now, my presence had grown to about 30%, which meant I was no longer treated as an invisible person until I spoke, but I still went unnoticed for the most part.

What I learned from this process was that among those making bets, some were wary of the original Leonardo, while others genuinely believed the recent Leonardo was attempting a complete turnaround. This servant, in particular, was someone I overheard last time in the stables, expressing that if the reckless heir could be tamed, he could potentially paint Leonardo in a better light right in front of me.

"An outsider, you say! Don't think like that. It seems you've adapted wonderfully to the castle already. Thanks to you, the young master is also becoming more amiable, so no one is worried about you disappearing suddenly."

"Is that so…"

I gave a faint smile. It was more of a gesture of gratitude than a genuine expression of joy, lacking energy and clarity. The implication of my smile was simple: 

I don't really feel that way.

I still feel like someone who knows nothing and cannot blend into this scenery. At this rate, I might end up leaving Leonardo's side, unable to withstand the pressure and insecurity. If I just up and leave like this, Leonardo might show his temper again, right?

So I guess you could say I'm expressing it by turning the phrase 'just speak the truth' over and over. As expected, the flustered servant quickly set down his glass and cautiously glanced at Leonardo, who was sweating profusely while tilling the ground outside the window, before finally speaking up.

"It's really no big deal! Everyone knows this, it is a public fact. Perhaps they are just reluctant to explain it themselves."

Then he continued, saying, 

"That tower was originally a space for raising falcons."

As I calmly listened, waiting for what would come next, the servant hesitated and continued his story.

"Before the calamity, it was due to the beast, and afterward, because of the wicked ones— the count often went on expeditions. In El Dante, it was just the young masters and ladies. Of course, the countess was there too. The young count was still not of age at that time, so essentially, the Countess fulfilled the role of the head of the household."

He lowered his voice even further when speaking about the Countess.

"The Countess used to spend a lot of time in that tower, looking out at the castle walls, missing the Count who was fighting far away while taking care of El Dante every day. It was a place where she could receive any telegrams right away."

"That sounds a bit sad… and somewhat romantic."

"Yes, indeed. Upon hearing that, the Count was filled with longing, and he made sure the Countess could have a comfortable time there. But…"

The servant's voice grew very quiet, almost inaudible unless one leaned in closely. Still, I knew that the keen-eared Leonardo would catch every word.

"After the Countess passed away, the Count locked that place up with a latch. It's the only spot in the vast Ertinez castle that he closed off."

Not even the bedroom or more intimate family spaces, just that one place?

"It's not the role of a servant to gossip about the master, but some say that the Count locked it up as a symbol of the long time he spent away from the Countess while fulfilling his duties. And others…"

The servant now seemed to be choking on his words, as if someone were squeezing his throat.

"Some say that the ghost of the Countess haunts that place."