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Chapter 29
The moment she heard what the janitor said, Marienne thought she had better change clothes first.
Even from a brief description, it sounded like she’d have to crawl around in a pit of dust. There was no way she could do that in a dress sprinkled with crystals.
She borrowed an old outfit from a young errand maid of similar build, put on gloves, and picked up a lantern covered with glass.
As they descended the basement stairs, Cloise clung tightly to Marienne’s side, trembling all over.
“Advisor, ma’am, I–I really think we should… call for people…”
“If it’s a basement storage room, it’ll be sealed off, right? Probably full of all the junk people have been shoving in there for 250 years because they were too lazy to sort it out.”
“Ad… advi… sor…”
“It’s probably full of invisible toxic substances.”
Marienne strode down the stairs without hesitation. The first basement level was fine—though not beautifully decorated, it was clearly swept and scrubbed daily by the janitor.
The problem was the second basement.
As soon as they turned the landing, Cloise gasped sharply at the sight before them.
“The errand boy who did that courage test five years ago stayed in the storage room for thirty minutes, right?”
Marienne kept descending the stairs, ignoring Cloise who had frozen in place. Cloise hurried after her.
“My lady, there’s no disease that causes hallucinations in thirty minutes. There’s no incubation period. So it’s not an illness, it’s probably…”
“Pro–pro–probably, p–pro–probably…”
Poor Cloise. She had finally short-circuited. Marienne had told her she didn’t need to come, but she’d insisted out of loyalty.
“It’s probably oxygen deficiency or toxic gas poisoning.”
Cloise blinked rapidly—another kind of breakdown.
“No one’s died yet, so I guess it’s not that serious. Hmm, or maybe they survived because they only stayed for a short while.”
“Advisor, ma’am, I…”
“Are you a liberal arts major?”
“Pardon?”
“Sorry, just a joke. You looked so terrified, I thought I’d lighten the mood.”
Marienne stopped before the basement storage door. Both of them put on the gas masks Cloise had borrowed—bulky, but essential for the job.
Creak.
Marienne opened the door. Cloise decided to wait just outside.
“Keep an eye on the clock and call out to me every ten minutes. I’ll search for ten, rest for five. Repeat.”
“D–Didi Advisor…!”
Cloise grabbed Marienne’s arm as if parting with a friend heading to war.
“If you start hallucinating…”
“Then drag me straight outside. No need to call a priest—fresh air’s all I’ll need.”
Marienne walked into the storage room without hesitation.
It was fairly spacious. Thankfully, only the area near the entrance was piled haphazardly with things; the deeper sections were neatly organized on metal shelves.
Let’s get started.
Ten minutes later—
Marienne stormed out of the room, cursing every profanity she knew.
“I’ll cut him into as many pieces as the years I’ve lived! Think I’ll ever forget this outrage? I’ll hang him upside down and soak him in compost—!”
Dark, scary, and dirty?
Reality was even worse—it was dangerous.
She was irritated that that northern bastard was as fearless as she was. Would it kill him to believe in a bit of superstition?
Then at least he would’ve been too worried about a curse to hide the envelope deep inside!
“My lady, another ten minutes please.”
“Yes!”
“If you’re scared, sing something.”
“C–can I really?”
Cloise began singing a cheerful children’s song on purpose. Meanwhile, Marienne had nearly fainted upon confronting a giant fake spider, then gone right back to rummaging through boxes.
“Why are there so many spider props? Did they ever stage a play starring spiders?”
Hallucinations didn’t scare her.
After all, even that irritating Cain Blackwood had come down here to hide evidence of his crime.
The real horror would be if, between the fake spiders she had pushed aside, one of them suddenly started moving.
“A pink envelope… I’ll find it no matter what! Ugh, damn centipede prop! Haa… I’ll see with my own eyes the moment Sir Beers puts on those earrings!”
An hour passed since she had gone into the basement.
By the thirty-minute mark, Cloise had shrunk into herself, but as time went on, she grew calmer. Eventually, she even volunteered to search near the door.
Another hour passed. Cloise went upstairs to check on the situation.
“Two hours already wasted.”
Impatient, Marienne stepped on an overturned bucket to climb up—and slipped.
She fell to the floor, and a heavy clothing rack toppled onto her.
“Ah…!”
The pile of old clothes was crushingly heavy. No matter how she flailed, she couldn’t escape.
No one was calling her every ten minutes anymore. Anxiety built up as she searched without resting. And now this.
Her mind knew she should move slowly and carefully, but her heart refused to cooperate.
What do I do? I can’t breathe…
She must have kicked something, because the pile grew heavier. Vailleon’s face flickered before her eyes.
I haven’t even made you happy yet… or found Odette’s earring…
Vailleon, who had thanked her for caring enough to cry for him. She didn’t want him to smile sadly anymore.
Marienne Didi, you promised today would be different. That today you’d finally do your part properly.
So she had to calm down. Breathe slowly. Move her limbs in alternating motions and inch her body upward.
Even if exhausted—bit by bit.
Just a little more.
Kick one more time.
It felt like an eternity, but finally, her head poked out of the pile.
“Advisor, are you all right!?”
Cloise came running just in time. She grabbed Marienne’s shoulders and tried pulling her up, then switched tactics and started frantically digging through the clothes.
Marienne used her last strength to push herself upward. When she was finally free, she didn’t even have the energy to thank Cloise.
That Cain bastard… he wasn’t lying, right?
If he was, she would not forgive him. Sweat—or maybe tears—dripped down inside her mask. Marienne pushed herself up with one hand.
Huh?
The sensation through her glove was unusual. She picked up the object and lifted it to eye level.
An envelope.
Marienne, trembling with excitement, tore off her gas mask. Inside the stiff envelope was a single dazzling earring.
No words could describe her rising joy. Her sweat-soaked face broke into a radiant smile.
“Found it!”
“…Oh my god, it’s real.”
“I found it. It’s over. All we have to do now is bring it to Sir Beers.”
Marienne pushed herself up. The joy of success gave her strength again, and Cloise, delighted, walked with her.
“My brother’s on the first floor. He was worried you disappeared, so I told him you were still searching.”
They climbed the stairs together.
“But he kept pressing me about where exactly you went…”
Marienne stopped abruptly on the landing. Cloise turned back.
“What’s wrong?”
Marienne looked down at herself. She hadn’t noticed in the dim basement, but now in the brighter light, she could see the state she was in.
Even from the landing, she looked terrible—once she reached the brightly lit ground floor with chandeliers, it’d be even worse.
“Look at me, my lady. I can’t go near the Princess like this. The guards will block me at the hallway.”
She handed the envelope with the earring to Cloise.
“Please deliver this to Sir Beers for me!”
“What about you?”
“I’ll wash up in the restroom. I’ll catch up right after.”
“But…”
Cloise hesitated.
“Hurry, my lady. This is a once-in-a-lifetime joy! Run!”
Marienne clapped her hands loudly to urge her on. Cloise, looking uncertain, turned back several times but finally hurried up the stairs.
◇ ◆ ◇
“My aching body…”
Marienne sat down on the basement floor halfway up the stairs. She wanted to lie flat but feared she’d never get up again.
She couldn’t even lean against the wall—it was too clean, and she’d only stain it.
Apparently, what had spilled over the clothes earlier was some kind of dye. Her outfit was now blotched all over.
“I have to get up there soon… but now that it’s over, all the tension’s gone. I can’t even move a finger…”
Her eyelids grew heavy. Just then, someone ran down the stairs—Cloise again, flushed and breathless. Marienne looked at her, puzzled.
“Why are you back, my lady? Were you worried about me? I may look dirty, but I’m fine, really.”
She told Cloise to hurry to her brother—hand him the treasure they’d found, bask in the princess’s praise.
Cloise shook her head.
“Most of the credit belongs to you, Advisor. You worked so hard to the point of ending up like this.”
Indeed, Marienne’s condition was awful—her hair a tangled mess, her borrowed clothes in tatters, fit only to pay the owner for new ones.
“I’m fine, my lady.”
“I’m not fine. I’d feel like a disloyal, thoughtless, heartless person if I left you behind.”
Cloise stepped closer and offered her hand.
“Let’s go together, Advisor.”
A halo of light glowed behind her head.
“You’re the one who found it. You deserve to hand it to Her Highness yourself and receive your reward. But if you’re set on giving credit to my brother, at least you should be the one to give it to him.”
“Ah…”
“It just doesn’t feel right if the person who worked the hardest isn’t there.”
How could this family be like this? Vailleon alone was enough to make her dizzy with admiration, and now his sister was just as wonderful.
Marienne rose with a moved expression. Cloise added briefly:
“But you should probably wash your face and hands first.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Apparently, she smelled—quite a lot.
◇ ◆ ◇
Since Cloise had insisted on waiting, Marienne wanted to at least change clothes too—but Cloise was adamant.
“You have to go exactly like this.”
“Even though I’m sweaty and filthy? I might be a hair cleaner than before, but still?”
“You don’t smell anymore, I promise.”
She wasn’t even allowed to retie her hair. Cloise wouldn’t say why.
So Marienne was dragged along toward Vailleon. For once, she hated the bright lights of the ground floor.
“Um, Sir Beers… I found the earring.”
Her voice was so small he didn’t even turn around. Cloise cleared her throat.
“Brother, Advisor Didi found the earring.”
Then, Vailleon whipped his head around.
