HPL 35

chapter 35

The person sitting in the lord’s reception room was Countess McCallin. She had her back turned, so she didn’t notice us, but Cal, who was standing next to the sofa, paused when he saw us.

When Cal signaled with his eyes, the Countess turned her head back. Seeing us, her delicate face contorted.

Lord Beck misinterpreted the reason for her surprise.

“You’re surprised because Wayne is here. Like mother, like son. Wayne came too, along with others, to report Baron Uriel.”

The Count chuckled wryly as he spoke, and the Countess forced a smile.

“Did Wayne come to report ledger corruption like I did?”

“No.”

When the lord shook his head, the Countess furrowed her brows and cautiously asked,

“Then, for what reason…?”

“Don’t be surprised. Baron Uriel allegedly joined forces with thugs to kidnap a non-human, cut off parts of their body, and then kill them.”

The Countess’s brown eyes were filled with shock and hostility. But to my eyes, the shock and hostility didn’t seem directed at Baron Uriel.

“I wish I had realized it a little sooner.”

The Countess spoke word by word as if chewing each one, staring intently at Wayne.

“They say you can know the depth of water, but not the heart of a person. Ledger corruption is one thing, but who would have thought he would do something like that?”

Lord Beck failed to notice the Countess’s true intentions and tried to console her. But beneath her regret lay a hidden, cruel intent.

If I had known a little sooner, Wayne… you would have been killed.

That must be what she meant. She’s wearing quite the mask.

But Wayne was not to be underestimated.

He, stiff as ever, casually rested a hand on his cheek. Then, quietly meeting the Countess’s gaze, he said,

“Indeed. It would have been better if we had known sooner. Then you wouldn’t have had to come all the way here.”

To me, Wayne’s words sounded like: “You would have been in prison, not here.”

The Countess squinted one eye, perhaps sensing Wayne’s intent. But she quickly smiled faintly and turned her gaze toward me.

“I didn’t realize Miss Dyna was so close to Wayne.”

Countess McCallin’s eyes and mouth smiled, yet beneath that smile was a dangerous aura, perceptible only to those who understood her true nature.

I suddenly remembered Dyna’s last diary entry:

<It’s okay. I probably wasn’t noticed. Yes. I wasn’t noticed. Even if I were, a fool like me wouldn’t matter. It’s okay. It will be okay.>

For reasons unknown, Dyna must have glimpsed the Countess’s true face. So she wished to be seen as a fool and simply let it go.

But I wasn’t Dyna. I wasn’t going to be intimidated so easily. I wanted to approach casually, pretending to know nothing and look for an opening—but now that was impossible.

“It just… happened that way.”

I shrugged and looked at her challengingly. The Countess pulled her lips sideways. At first glance, it looked like a smile—but it wasn’t.

Lord Beck and Priest Leman didn’t notice the subtle tension between us. Their attention was fully on the non-human incident.

“Miss Dyna nearly died and survived. Wouldn’t it be better for her to realize the value of life a bit more?”

The Countess’s words sounded like: “Should I just kill her?”

I wasn’t the only one who heard it that way. Roy stepped protectively in front of me. Behind Roy’s shoulders, I could see the Countess raising an eyebrow.

“You look familiar.”

Her voice carried a mix of surprise and sarcasm. Seeing her now, I realized again that the Countess had bought Roy over.

“I think I’ve seen you somewhere too. With a mask, you look exactly like someone I know.”

“Is that so? What an interesting coincidence.”

The Countess spoke softly, almost artificially.

{That woman is poison.}

Tommy was right—Countess McCallin was poison. But the real danger wasn’t her venom; it was that almost no one noticed it.

The Countess glanced Roy up and down, then smiled faintly.

“Our guild knows a lot about people who are sick because we sell medicines. You’re fine during the day, but don’t you suffer terrible pain at night?”

What is this insane woman babbling about? Who made Roy suffer?

As the Countess provoked him, Roy’s aura grew sharper. Yet he still didn’t move from in front of me.

When Roy glared silently, the Countess pointed at Cal and said,

“Cal came under me and his ailment was completely cured. Right?”

Cal responded politely and precisely,

“Of course. I will never forget your grace, my lady.”

Their exchange felt like a play.

“Hearing Cal’s words, why don’t you come by our guild once? Then you won’t be in pain.”

The Countess turned to Roy again, both coaxing and threatening—but Roy didn’t fall for it.

“No, thank you. My body might survive, but my mind would be ruined.”

Roy’s cold aura seemed to freeze the air. I supported him.

“Don’t worry. We’re going to exterminate insects a hundred times more dangerous than cockroaches.”

The Countess frowned at our words, then, as if nothing had happened, smoothed her brow and approached Lord Beck.

“Well, I shall be going then.”

After bidding farewell, she gracefully left the reception room, escorted by Cal.

If I leave her be, this world will continue steadily down the path of destruction, separate from her intent to kill Dyna. The root must be eliminated.

When the lord’s knights arrived, Baron Uriel was already dead, coughing up blood. Seeing his lips and fingertips turn purple, the knights suspected poison—and indeed, poison was detected in the half-drunk tea.

The slave traders, who were his accomplices, had disappeared. People assumed the traders poisoned Baron Uriel and fled.

But I didn’t think that.

“The end of a fool.”

I glanced at the book in front of the whispering crowd.

It was the book that had been in Baron Uriel’s room. People were curious about it, as it was rumored he had looked at it before his death.

{The title is ominous.}

Tommy muttered, looking at the title.

It was clearly a warning aimed at me. Neither Baron Uriel, who barely knew me, nor the slave traders would have left that book there by chance.

It must have been someone connected to the Baron, who knew about me.

As I recalled Countess McCallin, Liz, the host of the book club, frowned deeply.

“How could Baron Uriel—no, that man—do such a thing?”

Everyone at the book club criticized the Baron, claiming he was no longer human. Lena scowled and raised her voice.

“Wearing a human mask… I wonder if Miss Karin knew about this.”

When Karin was mentioned, people split into two camps: those who doubted she knew, and those who felt something suspicious.

Karin and her mother were stripped of their status and expelled from the guild for not participating in guild matters.

They went to Karin’s mother’s family home, but even there, they were subjected to harsh criticism for the rest of their lives.

Still, they were lucky. Most people connected to the Uriel family or the guild were executed or imprisoned. The Black Dog gang was completely eradicated.

As people chatted about Karin, they eventually turned to discussing those who had solved this incident.

I, Wayne, and Roy became famous as those who solved the case. Since fame made it easier to handle Countess McCallin, I didn’t insist on keeping my identity secret. But the Red Scorpion organization preferred to remain anonymous and only collected a huge reward from the lord.

Naturally, the book club’s attention turned to me.

“Miss Dyna, you’re incredible. How did you notice such things?”

“I would have been too scared to step forward.”

“You even helped Sir Wayne take down the criminal organization?”

“So cool.”

I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

I covered my mouth with one hand and sighed deliberately.

“Actually, I’m still worried about a suspicious part.”

The club members pricked up their ears. Yes, that’s how it should be.

I continued,

“Did the escaped slave traders really kill Baron Uriel? Even if they killed him, many people would know they were involved. Usually, someone who cuts off tails would kill anyone who might expose them, right?”

Suspicion and confusion spread across their faces. I could guess who they were thinking of.

Countess McCallin was known for her kindness. She had directly reported Baron Uriel and voluntarily submitted to a McCallin guild investigation.

So people couldn’t easily accuse her. But in their hearts, this doubt lingered:

Uriel’s guild supplied goods mostly to McCallin guild… could she really be uninvolved?

I continued sowing seeds of suspicion among the people, and this time too, the seeds took root in their minds.

The chatterers remained silent until the book club ended, each lost in thought about someone.

After the book club, I rode back to Baron Tail’s estate. Entering the annex, I was greeted by serene silence.

Normally, Nene would have rushed to greet me—but she wasn’t there. Roy would know where she was, I thought.

I trudged to the room Roy often used. It was spacious and empty, a place where he practiced swordsmanship daily.

As I opened the door, a cold sword was pointed at my neck.

“Familiar. I even feel a longing.”

I tapped the sword with my fingers.

“Sorry. I felt your presence and reacted out of habit…”

Roy’s flustered voice came from nearby.

He quickly withdrew the sword, and I turned my head to look.

Sweat was on Roy’s forehead, and his breathing was heavier than usual. He must have been training furiously, sensed my presence, and immediately drawn his sword.

When we first met, he had no sword, yet strangled my neck with his arm. Not too long ago, yet it feels like ages.

As I reminisced, Roy’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Sorry.”

Roy’s face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed confusion and anxiety.

He must have thought my silence, as I recalled the past, meant I was angry.

When I called his name and stroked his head, Roy softened a bit.

He had always treated me more gently than others.

After that night, his final defenses seemed to melt, making him even gentler. I didn’t mind—it felt like trust.

Roy kept glancing at me, so I smiled to show I wasn’t angry.

“It’s okay. My neck is fine, so no problem. By the way, where’s Nene?”