Treasure Hunt (3)
Why is Ferdinand here?
Pressing my ear to the door and holding my breath, I eavesdrop. Ferdinand's voice sounded dazed, as if he hadn't expected to meet Leonardo here.
"What brings you here…?"
"Well…"
And then Leonardo's voice gradually changes.
"I don't know. I couldn't sleep, and for some reason, I wanted to come here."
The flow from the Leonardo I know to the original Leonardo seems very natural. Ferdinand, seeming to agree, makes a sound and slowly starts to walk.
"I think I understand what you're feeling. Father is at the castle, but it's so strange that he's not in this tower. It almost feels like the events of the past few days are a lie, so I wanted to check here for no reason. It seems like our feelings are aligned."
"Seems like you can't sleep either, Brother?"
"Yeah. I can't focus on anything, have no appetite… and I couldn't sleep, so I was just wandering around."
Ah, so Celestina's offer to eat was politely declined, and he quickly returned. I lowered my body even further and suppressed my breathing.
"It's rare to see you worry about Father like this."
Ferdinand speaks with an expression of surprise, as if he had never expected this.
"…Yeah."
'Huh?'
This isn't the original Leonardo.
"I was just reminiscing for the first time in a while."
No, this time it's definitely the original Leonardo again. It was then that I realized what was happening and froze in horror.
'This is bad.'
Earlier, the original Leonardo had mentioned that he only had a limited amount of time or opportunity to control his own body. And now, the consciousness of the original Leonardo and Leo seemed to be flickering in and out, like a blinking light.
'The original Leonardo barely has the strength to maintain control of the body now.'
On the other hand, while the original Leonardo is in control, Leo's consciousness is absent, and he's clumsy in dealing with the Ertinez family, so the situation is becoming increasingly tangled.
'I need to get out of here soon, or I might cause some misunderstandings.'
「I know. But in this state, it seems like he's already emotionally immersed, so it's difficult to just leave.」
The original Leonardo murmured as though he was losing his mind.
"Back in the day, Leonardo, you hated sword training so much that you often ran away and hid under Mother's bed. I still can't understand how you managed to squeeze into that tiny space."
"…"
Flicker, flicker. The personalities switched again. To fill the silence, the original Leonardo responded in a slow, nostalgic tone as if he were lost in the past.
"Back then, I couldn't stand things I didn't like."
"Father would catch you and take you to the training grounds… Haha. Later, he always said that the three of us had to protect Ertinez, El Dante."
"…"
The conversation shifting toward old memories felt strangely unsettling. Ferdinand took a few steps, and his footsteps stopped. It seemed like he had stopped in front of the door, and I held my breath. A soft sound, like something being brushed away, sharply pierced my ears.
"Would things have been different if Mother were still alive?"
It was a voice full of deep self-reproach.
"When Mother was still here, everything was better than now. Father, you, and Celestina… back then…"
It was a pained tone, as if he believed he had ruined everything.
"That's…"
The original Leonardo tried to continue, but flickered.
"…"
"It was my fault for realizing too late. I was fumbling around as a poor successor, not even knowing the state of my precious family."
"Ah."
As soon as Leonardo understood the situation, he spoke, but again, flickered. Only Ferdinand's slow voice echoed down the hallway.
"Now, I can't even remember what Mother looked like in the end. No one was allowed into her room for her care. The funeral was over so quickly… It was so sudden that no one could be by her side when she passed."
"…"
"I still feel guilty about that."
「No.」
Then, something else was heard.
「I saw her final moments.」
It was as if Leonardo's innermost thoughts were poured into me like a stream.
「That day, I ran away because I hated sword training.」
「I wanted Mother to stop Father, so I secretly unlocked her room and went inside. I thought she was asleep, and when I heard voices searching for me outside, I hid under the bed.」
「That day, I wanted to act like a child.」
「I dozed off for a moment.」
「I woke up to the sound of the door opening.」
The voice flickered like the faint light of a firefly. But, like a stream of consciousness, the echoes of thoughts came quickly, overlapping with the sound.
「Father opened the door and came in. He saw my feet under the bed. He must've thought I was hiding. But he didn't come for me.」
「He came in holding the large sword he used to take on his expeditions.」
I listened intently to the monologue, which flowed into my ears, shallow breaths barely escaping.
「That day, it was the first time I heard Father cry.」
「He called out Mother's name over and over.」
The sound of a deep breath, as though recalling fear.
「And then the sword came down. It passed over Mother, through the mattress, and into the wooden frame of the bed, so deep it could have split it. It stopped right in front of my eyes.」
「I almost got stabbed.」
Suddenly, I recalled the small scratch I had seen from under the bed.
'That must have been from that time.'
「There was no blood, but I was so shocked back then that I only knew one thing.」
「That day, Father killed Mother.」
「Father pulled away the bedspread and took her in his arms. I thought he was trying to preserve her body, but looking back, it must have been to cremate her.」
「Later, I realized that what I had assumed was wrong.」
And then, his thoughts scattered.
Leonardo Ertinez, having poured out all the memories he had kept to himself for the past seven years, spoke again, calmly.
"Brother, maybe it's okay to let go of it and live a little."
Flicker.
Now, there was complete silence. Since neither of them spoke, everything was quiet. I, too, remained perfectly still, fearing that Ferdinand might open the door to the room where I was hiding, pulling my cloak tightly over my head and huddling in place.
After a moment, Ferdinand's muffled voice sounded faintly.
"I've had a slight headache since the afternoon, but now that it's cooler in the evening, I feel a little better."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Now, it was completely Leonardo.
"It seems it was just because I couldn't sleep. I should drink something before going to bed. You can have a drink too, if you want."
"I decided not to drink anymore."
"Ah… that's right. I should head in now. Leonardo, you shouldn't be wandering around so late, either. Get some rest."
"Yes."
Then the sound of footsteps gradually faded. It was Ferdinand heading down first. The door clicked open, and someone's hand pulled the cloak away. Leonardo placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Shall we head back now? I'd like to hear what happened on the way."
I nodded as I looked at Leonardo.
For some reason, perhaps because I had used
***
Ferdinand moved heavily, descending the stairs as he pondered.
'Who exactly was that?'
"It was indeed strange."
He replayed the conversation in his mind. 'Leonardo is clearly thinking about the family,' he thought, reflecting on how foolish he had been the night before, filled with doubt and anxiety about his younger brother.
As his headache began to clear, like mist lifting, and his worries faded, he lightly retrieved an old memory. After all, the entire conversation from that night had been a reflection on the past.
[It seems it was just because I couldn't sleep. I should drink something before going to bed. You can have a drink too, if you want.]
But what did Leonardo reply?
[I decided not to drink anymore.]
[Ah… that's right.]
What was that answer about?
Ferdinand knew very well that Leonardo must have remembered. When they were young, if they had trouble sleeping, their mother would often dry lily bulbs, brew them into a thin tea, and have them drink it.
The first person who had introduced him to the bitter taste of the lily root tea was their mother, who had a fondness for brewing tea. As a result, Celestina and Leonardo had also developed a passion for tea, and their tea-making skills were exceptional.
But who was that suddenly talking about alcohol in their conversation?
If the person had been a knight or a soldier, the discussion would have been quite natural. It was the chilly season, and when camping in the cold, a sip of alcohol to stave off the chill and ease the discomfort of sleeplessness was common practice. But even though others might think that way, they shouldn't have.
Once again, doubts, confusion, and suspicion surged within him. The fear everyone felt when the disaster struck the land ten years ago resurfaced with full force.
'Who is that?'
"Impostor."
Could it be? Is that really the case?
"You must be suspicious."
Yes, that's right. That person didn't seem to be his family… The voice and face might be the same, but it was a perfectly crafted imitation. It was a completely different being.
"Don't trust it."
The words were correct. Nothing could be trusted. Caution was necessary. He had to protect the castle.
That was Ferdinand Ertinez' role.
***
Since fake news had already been spread, it was time to proceed with the next plan.
While the other side of the operation was wandering around, searching for the ledger, we had to head straight to the grave and seize it without delay.
'Tomorrow is the fourth day.'
It would be the day before the trial of the ordeal was over. At noon on the fifth day, the count would once again be brought before the people, and the content of Scenario Note #21 would be decided.
'The scenario notes reflect the unsaid things between the lines.'
Therefore, the remaining time had to be used wisely to finalize everything.
Not too fast, but not too slow either.
[There are "23 hours 59 minutes 58 seconds" left until the scenario writing deadline.]
I have a feeling that it will be a treasure hunt where lives are at stake.