Capgras Syndrome (3)

When I heard that Celestina was standing at the entrance of the fortress, I immediately grabbed Raul, forcing him to stand and pushed him forward.

"Ugh, what now?"

"What do you think? It's better if your face isn't known."

And, of course, there was also that bad habit of his—getting irritated whenever he saw a noble. Vittorio, who quickly understood my intent, dashed to the kitchen and threw open the door to the pantry. Oh, hiding him there would be perfect.

Raul muttered in a voice full of betrayal.

"Hey, kid. Are you really going to do this? I made sure you wouldn't see anything disgraceful."

Vittorio blinked twice and simply asked, "Disgraceful?"

Leonardo, who had been watching, stepped forward, pushing me aside and directly guiding Raul toward the dining area while reprimanding him.

"What are you saying in front of the child?"

"No, it was the commander first—ah, forget it. I won't say anything more."

Raul, with a face that seemed ready to explode, was eventually shoved into the pantry, crouched and hidden by the three of us. Letting Celestina in came shortly after.

"Lady Celestina."

Due to the charges placed on Count Ertinez, Celestina's expression was far from cheerful. She seemed like she had been on the verge of tears.

In that moment, I recalled the image of Celestina sleepwalking, wandering barefoot through the castle in a trance. Having already lost her mother at a young age, the thought that she might lose Count Ertinez as well must have been an unbearable fear for her.

Then, with calmness, Celestina rubbed her eyes and spoke.

"The southern tower."

It was a somewhat unexpected remark. Celestina nodded.

"I heard my older brother giving orders. He said he would isolate Father in the southern tower and begin the ."

Before this trial began, at King Godric's command, Archbishop Butier had explained the to everyone.

["The Trial of Fasting was originally a less harsh form, but it has evolved into its current shape to properly distinguish between the corrupted and humans."]

She calmly explained what Count Ertinez would endure.

["On the third day, only a single sip of water is allowed, and no food is given. Each day, his suffering and weakening will be checked to see if he remains human."]

Once the trial concludes, the result typically falls into one of two outcomes.

Either the person stumbles out, emaciated, proving they are human, or, if they are deemed a corrupted being, they will face immediate judgment right then and there.

Butier did not elaborate on exceptions, but the reasoning was simple. There were likely cases where someone who failed the Trial of Fasting would die from thirst, thus proving their humanity in the end.

["The important thing now is to prove Count Ertinez' innocence and ensure he passes the trial."]

I recall the look in Archbishop Butier's eyes when he said this. In other words, the life or death of Count Ertinez would be central to the next part of the scenario.

"Southern tower?"

When I asked again, Celestina nodded.

"Yes. The locked place. It's been set up as a small living space for the workers who manage the correspondence. It's also not easy to access, with only one entrance, making it an ideal place for surveillance."

This was the information I had been looking for. But why was Celestina telling us this? It didn't seem like she was simply sharing news about her father's situation with her younger brother.

Her gaze, when she looked at Leonardo, was full of uncertainty.

"…Last time when we had tea, you were going to show Isaac the southern tower. You have a way to access it, right?"

She was right. We had the key to get in and out of that place.

"I know you don't actually hate father that much."

"…"

"At first, I misunderstood, and later, it was just that father keeps so many secrets from us—those parts, we feel hurt by them."

A child wandering the night in their sleep, the youngest, who looked just like their mother—Celestina was wise.

While all the family members made secrets for their own reasons, telling lies under the pretense of protecting each other, Celestina alone was always objective, clearly assessing the situation.

"I know that everyone cares for each other, but the way they express it is just different."

Just as Leonardo stayed awake late into the night, taking care of his younger sister, Celestina, who wandered in her sleep.

Just as Ferdinand worked tirelessly every day to become a more reliable heir for Count Ertinez, despite always seeming busy.

Just as Count Ertinez lived with a heart constantly outside of his chest, always anxious about his three children.

"Because we're family."

Celestina said. The solid trust in her words shone brightly. Was it because of blood ties? Is it enough to simply be bound by that?

As I felt a sense of distance, Celestina defined it once more.

"Family is about cherishing each other and being by their side even when they're at their lowest."

Her gaze briefly swept past me and Vittorio.

For a moment, I thought that with her sharp mind, she must have already noticed the difference in appearance between Vittorio and me, and perhaps figured out our age difference as well. I could feel Vittorio's hand tighten around mine. I gripped his hand firmly in return.

What Celestina was speaking of wasn't the bond tied by blood, but rather those who genuinely care for one another. In an odd way, that thought brought me comfort.

As the content of the original story overlapped, I realized once again why I found it so regretful that the Ertinez family had not been able to officially accept Leovald into their fold. It was something that I kept thinking about, something that lingered. They would have truly been a good family for him.

"Let's help Father."

For the first time, Celestina spoke like a child. Only then did she seem like a normal fourteen-year-old girl.

I saw Leonardo's gaze flicker. In his deep ash-grey eyes, something like resolution lingered, and I witnessed the emotion that forms through affection. Thus, our late-night outing plan was set.

After Celestina left, I pulled out the crumpled-up Raul from the storage room. He grumbled a bit, but I called out to him in a soft tone, trying to soothe him despite my own guilt.

"First, Raul, I have something to ask of you."

"…What is it?"

Raul, who seemed to be expressing his displeasure at being locked in the pantry, slouched as he sat. When Leonardo silently gave a nod of acknowledgment, his attitude quickly shifted to one of defeat, and he responded accordingly.

"Do you know that the King and his entourage are staying at Nidum Tower? The Count's knights are lodged near Nidum Tower as well. Please keep an eye on Nidum Tower."

"Didn't you tell me before to stay out of sight?"

"This is a more important matter, so I'm asking you. Actually, all the hundreds of attendants the king brought are involved in it."

The air freezes. Since this is the first time this information is being shared, everyone stiffens and stares at me. I can understand their feelings. I felt the same way when I first realized it, scared and stunned.

"The incident at the banquet earlier was actually when they captured a knight from the hunting party and framed him. The real enemy is casually walking around the castle, not even imprisoned."

"How do you know that?"

I gave a faint smile and tapped my temple.

"I wasn't just aimlessly pacing on the castle wall earlier. It's one of my many skills."

"…Then why do we need a leader? You could handle it all on your own."

"Come on. We complement each other's weaknesses."

Leonardo is a warrior, after all.

And I'm not a character here, and if I get injured, there's no way to recover with the powers of this world— that's a fatal flaw I carry with me.

I felt a faint sting in the scar on my right arm.

"First, you monitor the people, and if you notice any suspicious activity, let me know. If people inside the castle keep disappearing too obviously, it'll be suspicious to anyone, so they'll probably hold back on their own."

Raul gives a half-hearted nod. I've started to realize that even though he acts like this, he's someone who can get things done, so I decided to trust him.

Vittorio then volunteered to watch for any strange signs, asking if something felt off.

When Raul responded with, "What's the kid doing playing a watcher?" and gave him a subtle jab, Vittorio fired back, calling himself the one who can judge the situation, and the two of them began bickering quietly. Surprisingly, they seemed to get along pretty well, huh? Thanks to them, the tension eased just a little.

"Well then, please take care of it."

"Yeah."

Leonardo and I once again donned the black attire.

If Raul had seen us, he probably would have flinched and remarked about the outfit again. Due to the tense atmosphere and the freezing cold, the night air felt even colder than usual.

「The surveillance is tight.」

The southern tower with the blue roof was the place I had been heading to earlier, following the clues left behind by the original Leonardo. I clearly remember what it looks like.

The window was narrow, and apart from the stairs and the room at the top, there was nothing else resembling a facility. The entrance was a door leading to the stairs. It was the perfect place to imprison a person.

The door was guarded by a knight from the count's household and a royal guard.

The count's knight had a dark expression, seemingly uncomfortable with the fact that he had to watch over his lord, while the royal guard stood with a neutral expression, exuding an air of control and precision, as though nothing could penetrate him.

'How do we get past that?'

At that moment, Leonardo placed a hand on my shoulder. It was the same person's hand, but the sensation was subtly different.

Since I knew that Leonardo's touch was always gentle and protective, I immediately realized that the person beside me was someone entirely different.

「I know.」

The original Leonardo whispered softly into my ear. There was no need for him to get that close if we were going to use stealth, but his voice was still low and intimate.

'…It feels like I've been seeing you a lot today.'

「It's a matter of finding the old man, so it can't be helped. I'm using up what little time I have left.」

'What's the plan?'

「The tower wasn't sealed off for no reason. My father must have had some secret tasks involving correspondence. He made it look like it was closed off, but it was really a cover for something else. So, there must be a hidden passage somewhere. I have a rough idea of where it might be.」

'Where?'

In response, Leonardo pointed towards the Rondine Tower, the count's study.

It was currently a lit space being used by the young count, Ferdinand.