Treasure Hunt (2)

The next morning, I stretched and stood in the kitchen.

As the castle started to come to life again, Leonardo, having finished his watch over the Nidum Tower, naturally joined in. Instead of asking if there was anything he could help with, he seamlessly took over the tasks I had been doing.

I scooped out the centre of a round loaf with a spoon, spread a thin layer of jam inside, and filled it with finely chopped bacon and cheese.

"I'll help too…"

"Just press here lightly to make a little bowl shape."

Before long, Vittorio, now awake, joined in with familiar ease.

After gently pressing down on the filling to make a small indentation, I cracked an egg into the bread, carefully placing it in the oven just as it was about to overflow.

The smell of cheese and eggs slowly cooking filled the kitchen. By the time the soup was simmering, ready to be paired with the sweet and salty bread, Raul suddenly looked up, catching a whiff of the delicious aroma.

Lately, Raul, who had practically taken over the sofa in the reception room of the Lilium Fortress, glanced over at the bustling kitchen and muttered, "Am I dreaming…?" before burying his face back into the cushions.

Leonardo, who had been quietly peeling potatoes for the potato soup, didn't even look back as he tossed a potato at Raul.

Thud! Just before the potato hit Raul's head, he caught it and dragged himself toward the kitchen, his face wrinkled in displeasure as he chopped the onions quietly. It was nice to have more people helping with the prep; it made things much easier for me.

I sautéed the onions in fragrant butter, letting them caramelize to a sweet golden brown, then mashed the boiled potatoes, adding milk and stirring the mixture. As I stirred with the spatula, I made sure to break apart any fluffy potato lumps that formed.

The comforting aroma of creamy potato soup filled the air, and soon, a serving of freshly baked bread, with a soft, pudding-like yolk on top, was placed on the table.

Finally, the guests arrived.

"Hello, Isaac."

It was Celestina. After giving Raul a tray of soup and bread and sending him to another room, Celestina greeted just the three of us as usual. I glanced over her shoulder, noticing that someone was missing.

"Hmm? Isn't Young Master Ferdinand joining us today?"

Ferdinand was nowhere to be seen. I asked with curiosity, and Celestina shook her head with a slightly worried expression.

"Seems like he decided to skip breakfast this morning. He mentioned having a headache," Celestina said with a hint of concern.

"Is that so?"

Ferdinand, much like Leonardo, was quite particular about his health. It was unfortunate.

"You look a little thinner, Lady Celestina. I understand your worry for the Count, but you need to take care of yourself too," I added, gently placing a portion of the soft bread and soup on her plate.

It was understandable that the Count's struggles with food might make her hesitant to eat as well, but during growth, it was important to nourish oneself properly.

As the savoury scent of the potato soup reached her nose, Celestina hesitated for a moment before picking up her spoon. I had also added crispy croutons, made from the leftover bread hollowed out for the egg and cheese-filled breakfast bread, lightly sautéed in butter. It seemed to tempt her appetite, and she slowly began to eat.

The soft soup and the crispy croutons made for a perfect combination, and the moist, cheesy bread was a light but satisfying addition. 

Celestina's face visibly relaxed as she ate, a sense of relief washing over her. Watching her, I decided it was time to bring up the main topic. 

"Actually, Leonardo and I plan to stop by the Rondine Tower tonight."

"The tower?"

"Yes, I just want to check on the Count and see how he's doing," I explained, careful not to share too much about the Count's plans or the ledger. It wouldn't be safe to discuss everything openly.

Celestina, being well-acquainted with Count Ertinez, would likely deduce the location of the ledger immediately after hearing the conversation. If Sub-Writer 1 hears the answer, it could cause trouble. For now, we were still at the stage of creating a smokescreen before visiting the tomb. 

I had only shared with Celestina that I had checked on the count and that he seemed fine, as she had asked. I had heard that since his detention, the count had spent his spare time wandering aimlessly around the southern tower, and a faint smile appeared on Celestina's face as she listened.

"I'll help. We just need to do it like we did the other night, right? I suppose to get to the southern tower, we need to pass through Father's office. Should I distract my older brother? When would be a good time?"

Celestina clenched her fists tightly as she rapidly asked questions. She seemed to understand that this kind of action—going to visit a person currently in trial, to check on them—was unlikely to be overlooked by Ferdinand. Then, suddenly, the child stopped speaking and gave a slightly awkward expression.

"Ah. But it might be a bit difficult during the day. I heard my older brother is busy this afternoon discussing the leap year hunt with His Majesty, King Godric."

Is she going to meet with Godric? I asked if it was a private meeting, and after hearing that it wasn't—just a general inspection of the situation in El Dante—I finally relaxed.

As the king's attendants were always trailing Godric, Ferdinand, who was already entangled in a number of situations, could fall into the worst-case scenario if he were caught in that web.

"Then, shall we proceed around dinner time?"

It was possible that Sub-writer 1 might attempt to approach us earlier, but since the space was restricted to the Ertinez family, just like the previous day, it would be impossible to send attendants to thoroughly search the place.

While helping Celestina come up with an excuse to pull Ferdinand out of his office, I continued to plot in my mind.

And then night arrived.

It was time to venture out again. Leonardo and I exchanged quiet glances, knowing the truth as accomplices.

Vittorio, who had been sitting close to the window, gestured toward it.

"Look, it's the signal."

From Celestina's room, the light of a lamp flickered twice. It was the signal that Celestina was heading out to persuade Ferdinand. After telling me she would be leaving, she headed down the secret path Leonardo had pointed out, making her way to the Rondine Tower. Hiding quietly in the shadow beneath the balcony, Leonardo whispered.

「They're both heading to the kitchen.」

Today, Celestina's excuse for luring Ferdinand away was to force him to eat when he had been skipping meals. As their footsteps receded into the distance, we slipped into the room through the window that Celestina had already opened for us.

The Count's private quarters were located on the upper floors of the Rondine Tower, far from the office on the ground level. We carefully climbed the stairs, passing by several libraries and storage rooms, until we finally reached the top floor. There, two large doors stood open on either side.

Click, click.

I tried the left door's handle, but it wouldn't budge—it seemed locked. Meanwhile, the door on the right, where Leonardo had approached, opened smoothly. I checked the locked door and noticed a plaque attached to it.

It was a small, floral design with elegant script carved into it: Veronica.

It seemed that the tradition of inscribing one's name on a door plaque was not one followed by the Ertinez siblings.

The locked door led to the Count's wife's room. The open door led into the Count's own room. I followed Leonardo inside.

"Do you think it's hidden somewhere in here? I hope we can find it easily."

'Let's just pretend to search.'

「Agreed.」

After whispering through , we began to scan the room. The overall structure was similar to Leonardo's original room, with a large space consisting of a bathroom, library, and bedroom. While it was grander, befitting the lord's personal space, it still held familiar elements.

Ah, but there was another door. It creaked open with a stiff sound, revealing a dusty room where everything was covered in white cloth. The air was thick with neglect. Leonardo, who had silently approached from behind, whispered quietly.

"This is the couple's bedroom. It seems connected to their individual rooms."

"Over there…"

One corner of the bedroom revealed something that looked like a bandage used to restrain a patient's wrist. 

Could this be…?

'Is this where the Count's wife was isolated under the pretense of convalescence?'

"…Maybe the clue is here," Leonardo murmured. "The Count definitely hinted that this would be a place of great significance for someone from the Ertinez family."

The room was thick with dust, and we treaded carefully, stepping lightly. It felt as though time had stopped at some point in the past—the placement of the furniture and objects was oddly ambiguous.

Pretending to search the room, I quietly stepped toward the bathroom. There were no windows.

Seizing the opportunity, I discreetly pulled out a fake clue from beneath my gloves. Since I had come to find the , I needed to show the clue that Sub-Writer 1 was expecting.

I looked around, deciding where to focus my search, and lowered myself under the bed. Surprisingly, there was less dust in this area.

'Slash marks?'

It looked as though the mattress and frame had been deeply pierced, leaving a jagged split in the wood about the length of a finger. I studied the marks for a moment before rising.

"There's something here…!"

Without hesitation, I pulled out a piece of paper from my gloves and showed it to Leonardo. It was a map.

"This… is a map of Ertinez Castle, isn't it?"

"It looks like the Count's handwriting. It says, In honour of Veronica," he remarked.

The paper appeared aged, as though it had been stained with tea to give it a weathered look. The Count's handwriting was familiar, as I had copied it from a telegram he had written.

"This must be the real clue. Could they have hidden the ledger here?"

I held the map up to the moonlight to get a better look.

"It seems like the ledger wasn't kept in the same place, but moved between several locations. There are about five possible spots."

"That's more extensive than I expected. If we're going to search, we'll need to divert people's attention," Leonardo said.

We exchanged a serious look, and then, with a subtle shift in focus, we spread a little false information, ensuring that the moonlight illuminated the map just enough for us to continue our plan.

"Let's go back and plan it out. I've got a good idea."

With that, the performance for the onlookers was over.

I carefully folded the map and tucked it into my clothes, exchanging a glance with Leonardo. The time Celestina promised wouldn't be long, so it was time to leave.

'With this, I can have the sub-writer 1 send them to multiple locations, and in the meantime…'

I quietly reviewed the upcoming plan in my head.

"!"

Suddenly, Leonardo seemed to sense something, his head lifting sharply.

「Someone's coming.」

I could hear the sound too, just in time. We were already in the middle of the corridor, and there was little time to hide. We could get into the room, but it would definitely make noise.

In that moment, Leonardo quickly stripped off his black outfit and threw it over me, pushing me into the room.

The door clicked shut behind me.

"Leonardo?"

It was Ferdinand's voice, echoing from the other side of the door.