TYMC 14

Chapter 14

“It’s still early, but… we need to seriously consider the possibility that the target really doesn’t have any power.”

From everything I had observed so far, Ris possessed none of the power that people outside referred to as that of a “monster.”

The investigation period hadn’t even reached a month yet, so it was far too little to present as solid evidence, but in my opinion, if Ris truly possessed such terrifying power, he wouldn’t be getting hurt this often.

Just this morning, for example…

‘I fell out of bed while sleeping. My back hurts. What do you think, Ail?’

‘…You look fine on the outside. Does it hurt a lot?’

‘Yeah. Help me walk, will you? And could you bring me my meal? Stay and eat with me too.’

Despite not looking injured at all, Ris insisted that his entire body was aching and kept me by his side for the entire morning.

‘Should I call a physician?’

‘No. Having you look after me is enough.’

Whenever I suggested calling a physician, he refused outright.

And this wasn’t an isolated incident.

One day he cut his hand on a sheet of paper and bled.

Two days ago, he suddenly fell off a horse he had been riding perfectly well and injured his ankle.

Three days ago, he strained his back during sword training, forcing me to take care of him for the entire day.

If he were simply clumsy, that would be one thing, but the target seemed even more ordinary than an ordinary person.

Because he got injured so frequently, I had started carrying ointments, bandages, and other medical supplies inside my maid uniform.

Still, it was too early to submit a report, so I planned to continue observing him for a while longer.

For now, I would put this matter on hold.

Lastly, the third point wasn’t related to the assignment at all.

It was simply a matter of personal curiosity.

I wanted to know why access to the Black Forest had suddenly been forbidden.

Since I hadn’t been checking the forest every day, I couldn’t say exactly when it started, but one day, without warning, entry became impossible.

A thick door made from walnut wood, famous for its durability, had appeared at the alley leading to the forest entrance, which had always stood open.

As if that weren’t enough, it had been wrapped tightly with heavy iron chains, making it impossible to enter without a key.

“Of course, you could still get in without using the gate, but…”

It wasn’t exactly a normal route, and if I got caught sneaking in, I would have no excuse.

Moreover, since it had nothing to do with my official mission, I couldn’t afford to act recklessly without a backup plan.

‘And of all people, the head maid is in charge of the lock.’

The head maid had served in the estate longer than anyone else and was notoriously sharp-eyed.

Stealing the key would have to wait for another day.

After finishing my cleaning duties, I headed straight for the annex to carry out an errand Ris had given me.

There, I happened to run into the maids who had welcomed me when I first arrived at the estate.

“Oh my, isn’t that Ail? What brings you to the annex? It’s been a while!”

“Hi, Ail! Come visit us whenever you have time. We’ll make something delicious for you!”

I was about to exchange greetings and move on when a thought suddenly crossed my mind, causing me to stop in my tracks.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t it the maids who handle all the miscellaneous work around the estate that know the most about what’s happening outside?’

Lady’s maids usually worked indoors or attended to their masters, so they tended to be less aware of things happening in the gardens or outside areas.

But ordinary maids were different.

Their main duties involved maintaining the annexes, tending livestock, and caring for the landscaping—tasks that mostly took place outdoors.

There were flower beds near the Black Forest as well, which would naturally fall under their responsibility.

I had a feeling they might know something.

“Sisters, do you happen to know why entry to the Black Forest has been forbidden?”

“…Hmm, I wasn’t expecting that question.”

Several maids looked surprised.

Still, their reaction was noticeably more relaxed than when people were asked about the duke.

“Ail, are you thinking of going into the forest?”

“I’d say that’s not a very good idea.”

Reluctant responses came from the group of maids who were sitting together folding towels.

Naturally slipping into their circle, I refused to give up.

“Of course not. I’m just curious.”

Only after I asked again with an innocent smile did one of the maids finally speak in a low, ominous voice.

“You wouldn’t know since you’re new here, Ail, but once late summer ends and the cool winds begin to blow, nobody is allowed into the Black Forest. We sometimes go in to gather wild berries or medicinal herbs, but that’s only permitted during the summer.”

“Is it because it’s dangerous?”

Certainly, during winter the Black Forest became significantly more dangerous than during any other season.

Even I cut my visits in half during winter.

Besides, winter was terrible for making money anyway.

With the cold freezing the Black Forest, the already sparse flow of visitors nearly disappeared altogether, allowing magical beasts to roam more freely.

The beasts multiplied like a flooding river and occasionally descended upon nearby villages.

As a result, knights dispatched by the Imperial Family often stationed themselves near the forest to maintain order.

‘I nearly got caught by them once while wandering around the area.’

The presence of the knights was one of the reasons I avoided the forest during winter.

They considered assassins a complete nuisance, and the feeling was entirely mutual.

“That’s not entirely wrong, but the Black Forest was always dangerous. That’s not the only reason.”

The maid paused briefly.

She seemed to be debating whether she should really tell me.

But after meeting my earnest gaze, she finally gave in and continued with a solemn expression.

“Don’t be shocked. Every winter, ghosts appear in the Black Forest!”

“…Huh?”

Ghosts?

Ghosts?

The words were so unexpected that a dumbfounded question escaped me before I could stop it.

Wait, where did ghosts suddenly come from!?

“It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. There have been plenty of witnesses. Betty saw one, and so did Shama and Ram…”

“That’s right. I don’t even believe in ghosts, but I saw one! As soon as the cold winds start blowing, sightings begin popping up everywhere. Eventually they just block entry during winter. Besides, magical beasts become more common then anyway, and there aren’t any fruits on the trees, so it doesn’t really cause problems.”

At first everyone seemed hesitant to speak, but once the topic came up, stories poured out from every direction.

“Its eyes were red, and it was covered in blood!”

“It looked terrifying! It was all pale and swaying around. I fainted the moment I saw it!”

“It felt like the ghost was trying to lure me deeper into the forest.”

“Exactly! Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I kept finding myself walking farther inside.”

“If you don’t stay alert, the ghost will eat you!”

“I heard quite a few maids have gone missing in the forest. It’s probably because of the fog.”

Listening carefully to the flood of stories, I eventually arrived at one common conclusion.

The ghost had red eyes, wore pure white clothing, and wandered through the mist.

“The reason everyone avoids talking about this is because Duke Cassio dislikes these stories spreading around the estate. It’s fine since it’s just us here, but…”

“Ail, don’t go around talking about ghosts, okay? If the Duke found out, you’d be in serious trouble.”

“The master doesn’t usually come to this side of the estate, but if you ever happen to meet him, watch your words.”

So the reason they had been so cautious was Duke Cassio.

That unexpected discovery felt like a valuable lead, and I quickly nodded.

For some reason, whenever the duke was involved, the servants all seemed to fall silent as if they had agreed to it beforehand.

The maids appeared less nervous only because they rarely encountered him directly, but…

This duke is becoming more and more interesting.