After everything went down, Adrian had decided to end the party early and asked everyone to leave. Edwin Voller was sent to the dungeons for interrogation while Felix and Marianne hadn’t said a peep afterwards.
Due to that, Rian’s first morning as an eighteen-year-old was quite pleasant. Except for the fact that he was currently staring through the window at servants carrying his coffin away.
"What a waste," he muttered. "I was starting to like that coffin."
"Have you always been one to joke like that?"
Charlotte’s voice came from in front of him. The imposing heiress from yesterday’s party was now in bright pink pajamas, drinking tea across from him like nothing happened.
"You seem quite comfortable in my house. I thought you’d be sleeping in the main mansion..." Rian frowned.
"We’re engaged, aren’t we?" Charlotte took another casual sip. "What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine. Besides, I dislike the main manor. It feels too exposed."
’She really is trying to act like my fiancée, isn’t she?"
At first, Rian had hypothesized that Charlotte had been maintaining the engagement for political reasons. But now looking at her like this, he wasn’t so sure of his guess anymore.
And since when did she get so...friendly?
This was only their second time properly meeting. The first had been little more than a formal exchange of signatures, yet she made herself at home quite quickly.
His image of a rigid, strait-laced heroine was breaking down bit by bit.
But before it could fracture entirely, Charlotte suddenly straightened. Even if she was in her pajamas, she exuded a serious aura.
"Now," she reached into her pocket and pulled out the two letters he had sent. "Why did you have me stage that entire charade?"
"Someone as smart as you would probably have realized it by now, haven’t you?"
Charlotte raised a finger to her chin in thought. "Well, when you claimed that you would survive, I didn’t believe it at first. But after your maid convinced me, I started thinking about what would be next."
"Frankly, all the guests were. They just didn’t ask it aloud."
"And what were they wondering?"
"Now that Cordelia’s branch once again had a viable heir..." Charlotte studied him. "Did Rian Rosenheim intend to compete for the title of duke?"
"You’re on the right track." Rian nodded.
"Not to mention," she continued. "The youngest who they thought had nothing...still possessed the support of House Lowenhardt and the Blue Magic Tower."
"You used us as a shield."
"It was a gamble, after all." Rian shrugged. "You could have refused—but you showed up, didn’t you?"
Charlotte sighed, taking and eating a breakfast biscuit. "Do you have any idea how much trouble it was to coordinate with the Blue Tower Master himself?"
She pointed the remaining half of the biscuit at him. "Suffice it to say, I expect compensation. And if Master Aldrich weren’t so busy, he would already be knocking on your door and demanding an explanation of his own."
"Before that, however..." Charlotte’s gaze swept over Rian from head to toe. "I need to know one thing."
"Was the declaration true?"
Rian glanced to the blue panel hovering beside him.
[Estimated Lifespan: 29 days, 18 hours, 1 minute.]
"Every word."
Charlotte released a quiet breath and leaned back. Whether it was relief or something else, Rian couldn’t quite tell. But before long, she spoke up again, looking at the letters in her hand.
"According to this, a new mana-crystal mine has been discovered within Rosenheim territory."
"That’s correct."
"And in your exact words, you offered House Lowenhardt ten percent of its annual yield, free of any Rosenheim levies."
"I did."
Charlotte then sat up straight and glared straight at him in the eyes. "Well, some of my people told me that the mine currently belongs to no one? Lord Rosenheim had ordered it to be sealed off..."
"Well, that’s what I was going to go over—"
"So you promised me ten percent of a mine you don’t actually own?"
"I prefer to think of it as an investment opportunity."
"You described it in your letter as ’guaranteed compensation’, did you not?"
"It will be guaranteed once I acquire the mine."
"And if you fail?"
Rian shrugged. "Then I suppose you’ll have to settle for having saved your fiancé’s life. Goodwill goes a long way, you know?"
"You—!"
But before Charlotte could burst into a flaming wrath, the door to their room opened. Alicia hurried inside, breathing heavily.
"Young Master!"
"What? What’s going on? Are you—?"
"Edwin Voller is dead."
***
By the time the three of them reached the dungeons, everything was already a mess.
Guards had sealed every exit, while the dungeon keepers were separated and questioned one by one. A physician crouched inside Edwin’s cell, examining the body.
Nearby, two mortuary attendants waited beside a covered stretcher, forbidden from entering until the investigation was complete.
Adrian Rosenheim was already on the case, speaking to one of the knights as Rian approached.
"How did he die?"
Adrian glanced toward him. "Take a look yourself."
Rian did just that, and regretted it immediately.
Edwin’s blackened body lay slumped against the wall of his cell. Everything above his neck was simply gone. Blood and fragments of bone covered the stone behind him, leaving only one possible explanation:
His head had exploded.
Like a balloon.
"Urgh..." Rian covered his mouth and turned away.
’Yeah. Let’s not think about how it happened.’
"What of the dungeon keepers?" Rian turned to ask. "With a wound like this, surely he would’ve been screaming loudly in pain."
"They heard nothing."
"Nothing?"
"No scream, explosion, or anything else," Adrian sighed. "The guard outside discovered him only after he failed to respond."
"Anyone seen entering or exiting? Or maybe even anyone who even got close to the scene?"
Adrian nodded. "After Edwin was confined, only four people entered. The two guards who escorted him, a dungeon keeper who searched him, and a knight assigned to question him."
"Right, so can’t we just ask them—?"
"Those same four people are dead as well."
"...What?"
"All four were found dead in their homes just after dawn," Adrian explained. "The reports reached us shortly after Edwin’s body was discovered."
"Tch..." Rian clicked his tongue. "They really had to take care of all witnesses..."
"Father, what do you think—?"
But as soon as Rian spoke the words, he realized that Adrian was already turning, walking away from the scene.
"This is your business," he said simply. "Last night, you proved you could survive. That was a beginning, nothing more."
He stopped and turned back just enough for his gaze to settle upon Rian.
"Show me your worth."
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