Chapter 25

Chapter 25

* * *

Time passed hectically once the police arrived, and Percy’s body was taken away after a brief examination.

“It’s such a shame,” the policeman said. “The boy had a promising future ahead of him, but he cut his life so short with a dagger to the wrist. As the wound was deep, he most likely bled out within a matter of minutes.”

“Percy excelled at sword fighting. With such abilities, he was probably able to sever both his veins and arteries at once,” Jax stated morosely.

I eyed him closely.

The policeman then turned to Kallen. “You seem to be getting caught up in a lot of strange cases lately, Your Grace.”

“It’s a mere coincidence. What can I do when this city is rife with strange occurrences?”

The policeman nodded. He was the same man who had questioned us outside the tailor shop, where one of the redheaded ladies had died from a heart attack.

“What was your name again?” the duke asked him.

“Oh, right. My name is Sheldon, sir. You can call me Inspector Sheldon.”

“Well then, Inspector Sheldon, may I leave now that I’ve finished giving my statement?”

“Of course, Your Grace. Thank you for your cooperation.” The officer named Sheldon bowed respectfully as he spoke.

“Let’s return home, Leticia,” Kallen said, offering me his hand. Even as I grabbed it, my gaze remained fixed on Jax.

“W-we’ll be on our way as well, then,” Ryan announced, bowing and wiping away his tears. He appeared to have a tender heart.

I grabbed Kallen’s sleeve. “Your Grace, I feel very sorry for Lord Ryan.”

“Do you?” Kallen canted his head and stared at me.

Jade, who had just finished speaking with a different police officer, approached us. “What’s going on?”

“My heart aches for Lord Ryan, especially after hearing the story of his sister’s death. Can’t we give him a ride home? I’d like to offer him words of comfort along the way.”

Jade and Kallen exchanged silent glances.

“First his sister, and now her fiancé,” I continued. “He must be hurting very badly, right? I believe Lord Jax, too, could use some alone time to think. If they’re left to their own devices, I fear they’ll blame each other for not noticing Percy’s loneliness sooner.”

I trembled as I snuggled into Kallen’s arms. “It’s so sad,” I whimpered.

The duke stroked my hair. “My daughter has such a kind heart, doesn’t she?”

Jade then leaned forward and stared into my eyes as I clung to His Grace. “Aren’t you scared?”

I shook my head gently. “Can we please help Lord Ryan as I suggested?”

“If that’s what you desire, I suppose we have no choice.” Jade turned around and waved to his academy senior. “Ryan, could you please come over here?”

Ryan paused a moment before walking over, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Yes?”

Then, not giving him the chance to refuse, Jade shoved him onto the boat.

This is better than leaving him alone with Jax. This way, I can save him… If my guess is right, that is.

Jax stood on the shore, his eyes wide with surprise as he watched us leave. As the servant rowed the creaky boat, Jax’s pitiful figure gradually shrank. No one spoke during the boat ride back.

The hill on Lenoch Island, where the blue roses had been stained red once more. The moment we left that mysterious place and crossed the river, we were transported to a different world—people bustling around, the capital’s buildings towering above. The carriage Kallen had ridden already awaited us on the riverbank.

“We shall take the carriage that Master Jade and Lady Leticia rode back to the manor,” the servants said, bowing before leaving. Ryan watched their retreat, his eyes darting around.

“I can make my own way from here,” he said. “I’m not feeling very well…” His face became increasingly pale. He appeared uneasy with House Lewelton’s kindness.

“No, Lord Ryan! You mustn’t! Your face is completely ashen. You could collapse at any given moment!” I quickly turned to Jade. “Jade, could you hurry and help him into the carriage? After everything that has happened, the least we can do is deliver him to his destination.”

However, it was Kallen who propelled Ryan toward the carriage. “Why don’t you get in? Our family’s rule is to always allow our daughter to have her way. We can easily give someone a ride if she requests it.”

“But—”

Before Ryan could respond, the duke had already closed the carriage door. His Grace then leveled me with a suspicious look, as if asking if I knew anything pertinent. I gulped nervously beneath his gaze.

In the next moment, the carriage took off. Ryan fidgeted in his seat, looking anxiously at each of us in turn. Meanwhile, I quietly organized my thoughts.

If this is true, everything will add up. My deduction is straightforward: Ryan killed Percy using a simple trap. But what I really want to know is why. Why did he use such a method to murder his friend, Percy? If my guess is correct, I want Kallen to know the reason, too. Otherwise, I’ll feel uneasy.

I know that His Grace is a vigilante killer, but that doesn’t mean he listens to everyone’s justifications and stories. I could have guessed as much from what I read in the novel. I’m not sure how it ended, but from what I remember, it was a somber tale, and Kallen wasn’t the happiest protagonist.

The carriage continued bumping along the riverbank. No wonder Ryan looked so familiar. If I’m right, we’re almost there.

I stared outside, and in due time, a familiar place came into view. It was an empty alleyway. We were now in the slums.

We’re here.

I tugged at Kallen’s sleeve and yelled, “Y-Your Grace!”

“What is it, dear?”

“I think Teddy’s ribbon flew out the window.”

Teddy was the name of the bear doll Kallen had gifted me.

“Did it always have a ribbon?” he asked.

“Marianne gave it a ribbon this morning that matched the one in my hair.”

Kallen knocked on the carriage wall, bringing us to a stop. The coachman soothed the horse before jumping from the coach box and walking up to the duke.

“Is something the matter, Your Grace?”

Kallen handed the coachman a silver coin. “My daughter dropped a ribbon along the way. Would you mind locating it for me?”

At that moment, Ryan startled and looked at me, as if he’d returned to his senses.

“I believe I’ll get off here,” he said, yanking his hat down to cover his face. Every action he took matched my predictions.

“But such a rarely frequented area is dangerous,” I said.

“I’ll be fine, really.”

I raised a brow at his response. He must have a reason for getting off near this alleyway.

“Wait, Lord Ryan! Before you leave, I’d like to ask you a question.” I clutched the skirt of my dress and glanced around.

“A question? For me?”

“Yes. It’s not of particular importance, but…”

He stared bemusedly.

“Have you ever seen me before?” I asked.

His eyes widened in response. “Pardon? I believe not. How could I possibly forget such an adorable face?”

“If not, then I’m wondering: who are you right now?”

“Excuse me?”

Everyone looked at me in surprise.

“The truth is, Lord Ryan, I’ve met you before. Though it was a very long time ago.”

“Whatever do you mean, Leticia?” Jade asked, wrinkling his brow.

“Let me ask you one more question,” I continued, staring straight at Ryan.

“What color is the train station’s clock tower?”

Ryan cocked his head. “Gold,” he answered. “But isn’t that common knowledge?”

It was true—the train station’s largest clock tower boasted a glittering golden color. But that wasn’t what Ryan had said on Lenoch Island.

“I still remember how I felt on my first day at the academy… The way my heart pounded as I stepped out of the train station, the pigeons perched atop the blue clock tower’s ringing bell.”

I repeated his words in my head before slowly opening my mouth. “You mentioned earlier that the clock tower was blue, didn’t you?”

“Oh, uh… Did I?” Ryan tensed. “I must have been mistaken after a few too many drinks.”

“But that can’t be,” I said. “The tower is blue, so it can’t have been a mistake.”

“I’m sorry?” Ryan’s face continued to contort in confusion, but his slip of the tongue had made solving this mystery much easier.

“The clock tower glows blue at night, and the slum children often gather there. If we say, ‘Let’s meet at the blue clock tower,’ what we mean is, ‘Let’s meet at the train station after dark.’”

The train station’s tower was a small but beautiful clock painted in gold. It had also been coated in a special dye that caused it to glow blue in the darkness of night. I knew this because the other kids had once tricked me into sneaking into the station to watch the trains during the day.

“I swear this clock tower was blue the last time I saw it…”

The clock tower had gleamed that beautiful gold in broad daylight. It could have been magic.

Even though I was caught by a station employee that day and severely reprimanded… However, no regular person would visit the train station at night. The kingdom’s trains stopped running at six o’clock in the evening, and access to the station was restricted from then on. Once the sun went down, the station became a meeting place for people from the lower village, most of whom were pickpockets.

“I’ve seen you at a clock tower meeting before, Lord Ryan.” I smiled at him. “I was raised in a neighborhood similar to yours. You’re from the lower village, right? That’s why I was worried about you after what happened today…” Then I paused. “Oh, but didn’t you say you were from the countryside?”

The muscles in Ryan’s face stiffened.

“Now I’m confused,” I went on. “Would you mind explaining the situation? I mean, it’s not like there are two of you.”

At that moment, Kallen’s face shifted. “Two of him?” he sang in a whisper.

Jade, too, raised his eyebrow.

“I-I…” Ryan stuttered, his hands fidgeting nervously. I watched Jade slip his hand into his suit jacket.

Clack!

The carriage door abruptly swung open and someone clambered inside. The next thing I felt was a cold blade against my neck.