Capgras Syndrome (5)

I realized only the day before yesterday.

The moon in the sky, which had been gently scattering the light of the spotlight, was suddenly replaced by someone's eye. It was the eye of a giant creature.

I was aware that writers have a perspective that watches over the stage.

But how could one ever experience the strange awe of that giant creature's eyelids rising and watching over humans, a moment that is beyond human perception and unseen by anyone?

[Assistant Writer: Please be careful not to make others aware.]

[Assistant Writer: This may cause a sense of dissonance.]

It was as if we had become trapped beasts inside ourselves, and a strangled sound came from my throat.

I hurriedly pressed my finger to my lips and whispered "Shh," silencing the count's words, before hastily scribbling on the dusty floor.

The count then looked around quickly, as if sensing that someone was secretly watching him.

The sensation of a cold, corpse-like hand sweeping down my spine made me clench my fists. It felt as if a giant eye, pressed close behind me, was widening its pupils to peer deeply into this place through the dark of the night.

The moment I consciously turned around, it would be the end. If I did, Leonardo or the count would look out the window, and they would go mad upon seeing the true nature of what they once believed was the moon…

Count Ertinez carefully glanced around—slowly nodding as if he had come to an understanding. Then, as if to indicate this was a clue, the count spoke.

"The location of the ledger… you should know it, my son."

He briefly held Leonardo back and whispered this one sentence so quietly, as if it might break off at any moment.

With that, the time we were given came to an end, and we hurriedly turned away and had to leave. As we descended the tower, I glanced at the moon outside the window—it formed its usual pale, yellowish circle. But I know the far side of that moon. I know the terror that lurks there.

As soon as we slipped into the underground, I urgently clung to the original Leonardo. This dark underground was a place where strange eyes could not reach.

Even so, out of fear, I had to use .

'Where could the presumed location be—'

At that moment, Leonardo's hand slid across my shoulder. His fingertips gently touched, and eventually, his whole hand softly covered my shoulder and scapula. His careful, tentative touch, as if afraid that his rough hands might startle me, gently approached.

I immediately realized.

「Isaac, where are we?」

The original was already gone.

Since the original Leonardo had died, I knew it would be difficult to control the body for long on the surface. But at this incredible moment, I was about to lose control. The moment my strength failed and my posture collapsed, Leonardo, in a panic, instinctively pulled me into an embrace to support me.

"Leonardo Ertinez came out and helped me meet the count."

Due to the position, my cheek was pressed against his shoulder, and my words became slurred, but I didn't feel like standing properly.

"Ah, let's just go for now. Celestina is stalling for time, but she'll be back soon."

I felt Leonardo's hand on my lower back tighten slightly. The small vibrations of his murmuring seemed to be causing an itching sensation.

"Now that I think about it, you're quite ticklish too."

I knew it wasn't the right time for this, but I threw in a quick joke to muster some strength in my legs. It was time to head back to the ground.

When we reached the door connecting to the count's office, Leonardo pressed his ear to the ceiling, checking the surroundings. The office, dimly lit and silent, was devoid of people.

We both agreed to exit through the window rather than the door, as using the door might lead to an encounter with Ferdinand. Since we were on the lower ground floor, there was no reason to hesitate.

The moment Leonardo tucked me under his arm and was about to approach the window, the door clicked open.

"Don't worry too much about Father. In the end, everything will be revealed."

"It's Big Brother who's wasting away worrying about Father. It's already dawn, and you're not even thinking straight."

"I understand, so you should go back upstairs now."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Celestina."

After seeing Celestina off, Ferdinand, looking weary, rubbed between his brows and sat back down at his desk. He unrolled a scroll of parchment and hesitated before picking up the pen.

After much pondering, he finally wrote the first sentence.

Ferdinand read it aloud as if anguishing over how it would sound to the recipient. It was a message of condolence— a letter to the family of the knight who had turned to ashes at tonight's banquet.

Ferdinand's face, heavy with sorrow, sank deeper. It was clear he wasn't experienced with this sort of task. Even after finishing a single sentence, he lingered for a long time, pondering the next.

I peeked through a narrow gap, observing Ferdinand, and struggled to push away the discomfort caused by the musty dust tickling my nose. Because of Ferdinand's quicker-than-expected return, I had no chance to escape and had to hastily hide…

Could this be the karma of locking Raul in the food storage room?

In the narrow space between the couch and the window at one end of the office, I could quietly peek outside through the gap in the couch, but Leonardo's situation was different. In the midst of awkwardly cramming our bodies together, Leonardo, who ended up under me, was likely feeling more frustrated since his view was blocked. The floor was also covered in more dust.

Trying to lessen the weight, I braced myself against the wall, trembling, but then Leonardo slipped his hand in.

'Hey!'

Startled, I looked at Leonardo, who silently gazed back at me. As he gently ran his hand down my spine, which had tensed up from trying to hold firm, he whispered:

「You might make noise trying to hold on like that. It's fine, just relax and lean on me.」

'Uh…'

In the end, I completely sank down onto him, using him as a cushion. The position was certainly more comfortable, but… I still wondered if it wasn't too heavy for him.

Maybe my thoughts leaked out, as Leonardo, with his eyes slightly open, simply replied, 「It's fine.」

Several minutes of discomfort passed. At one point, I nearly choked from the dust, but I managed to twist and shift my body to endure.

Finally, Ferdinand left the desk, blew out the lamp in the office with his mouth, and left—

Click.

The sound of the office door locking. Immediately, I felt my bones turn to mush, and I collapsed. I guess I'm not cut out for infiltration. As my tense muscles relaxed, my whole body tingled. Glancing down, I noticed that Leonardo, seemingly exhausted, had his eyes closed, silently catching his breath.

After allowing him to rest for a moment, I raised my head and surveyed the now-dark office. The underground passage that leads to the southern tower, and since this is also Count Ertinez' office, maybe there's a list here after all?

"What do you think?"

Since there was nothing else to do while we were stuck here, I shared everything that had happened at the southern tower. Leonardo nodded slightly, agreeing that it could be possible.

But even after thoroughly searching the office, I didn't find anything like a suspiciously locked drawer or secret safe, as I had hoped.

"The count said Leonardo would know."

"Perhaps there's an important shared location between the father and son."

"Well… since the original didn't directly tell me, it doesn't seem like it's a place that would immediately come to mind."

In the end, there was no gain, and we had to leave the office before it got too late.

[There are '116 hours 38 minutes and 59 seconds' left until the next scenario input deadline.]

***

Late at night.

Standing by the window in his bedroom, Ferdinand inhaled the cool night air, his mind heavy with worries. A sense of pressure, unlike anything he had felt before, weighed down on the young heir's shoulders.

He was far from experienced, and there were many aspects in which he fell short of succeeding his father, who had been the unshakable pillar of the Ertinez family for decades. At least, that's how he saw it.

Ferdinand Ertinez was unfamiliar with governance. His father had not left the castle for many years, sending Ferdinand in his stead only for minor campaigns or regular territorial inspections. Meanwhile, the Count himself had remained at the castle, overseeing the lands of El Dante.

Thus, the area in which Ferdinand's training as the heir was most lacking was in administration and leadership. But now, Ferdinand had to fulfill his duties as the Lord's representative and young count of El Dante. The moment he had secretly feared had suddenly arrived.

Even Count Ertinez, when he inherited his title, had been supported by the Countess Veronica and his loyal vassal, Baron Roald. But Ferdinand had to stand on his own for the first time. It was no surprise that he found it hard to sleep due to the heavy responsibility weighing on him.

As he approached the window and unconsciously gripped the doorframe, he saw something dark move in the shadows. True to his warrior instincts, he instinctively scanned the path where the shadow had emerged.

'Direction of the office!'

Ferdinand's alertness immediately sharpened. The already dangerous situation, with the intruder having passed the first barrier and hidden in El Dante, was now at its peak.

Just as he was about to call for his knights, a sudden gust of wind swept through, and the clouds parted. The bright full moonlight illuminated the castle.

Then he saw it.

Beneath the slightly draped cloak, dark indigo hair, and familiar facial features, almost identical to his own.

"…Leonardo?"

His younger brother and his close friend were dressed in black, moving stealthily in the night.

At this hour?

"Isn't something strange here?"

It didn't seem so. The appearance was unusual, but Leonardo had always been unpredictable in his actions…

"Why did those two come out of the office at this hour?"

Perhaps they were simply curious about Father's whereabouts and recklessly sneaked in.

"But why did they sneak in instead of coming to find you while you were in the office?"

That was…

"Now that I think about it, it's strange that the sturdy security of El Dante, which had been in place for seven years, was so easily bypassed."

…Is that so?

"Perhaps the attack began a long time ago."

"Could it be that they've been sneaking in for a while now?"

Could that be true?

"One should never trust anyone too easily."

But they're family.

"Whether a friend, family, or anyone else, it's always right to be suspicious."

"Who can truly know who is human and who is not?"

"…"

To some extent, it was a valid opinion.