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Chapter : 27
With those words, Noah gathered the papers he had spread out. He aligned the corners, organized them neatly, and pushed them back toward Cedric.
“This is everything. Compared to the investigation, there’s not much we’ve discovered…”
“No, it’s enough. I apologize for keeping you late. The sun won’t rise for a while, so rest here for now.”
“I-I’m fine, though…”
“Don’t refuse. It’s better to be cautious, isn’t it? You’ve been digging into a cult.”
Cedric spoke firmly and stood from his seat. He called for a servant outside, instructing them to prepare the guest room and dinner.
“Consider this your home. Relax. You seem tense.”
He lightly patted Noah on the shoulder, then turned his gaze toward Lauren.
“I believe we have some matters to discuss privately. Don’t you agree?”
“…I think so too.”
Lauren left the dining area with Cedric. She could feel Noah’s gaze following them from behind.
They didn’t exchange a single word on the way to the study. Only the sound of two pairs of footsteps echoed down the hallway.
The uneasy feeling hadn’t faded.
Cedric seemed to have been investigating “Idmon” for quite some time. Yet how could he not know that the spider was a symbol of a cult?
Lauren stared at Cedric’s back as he walked ahead.
He looked embarrassed.
When Noah had said “cult,” Cedric’s face had shown a clear expression of dismay—even though he usually hid his emotions behind a smile.
“Shall we go in first?”
He opened the study door. The heavy wooden door creaked as it swung open. Inside, not a single lamp was lit, leaving the room extremely dark. Lauren stepped cautiously.
“You might trip if we’re not careful… We should light something first…”
Cedric spoke as he struck a match and lit a candle on the wall. Even with just a couple of candles, the study filled with light.
Unlike other rooms with magical lamps scattered around, the study had only a few candlesticks. Lauren leaned against the bookshelf.
“Alright, Cedric. Let’s get to the point. I think half of what Noah said is correct, and the other half isn’t. Seeing your reaction, and knowing my father… he’s not the type for that. It doesn’t seem like a simple cult.”
She looked Cedric straight in the eyes. He was the one who had avoided exposing her to “Idmon” even using extreme methods like kidnapping.
And now he’s telling me it’s just a cult? That doesn’t make sense. Especially with a “follower” appearing now for the first time—it’s strange.
“You know more, don’t you? You’ve been trying to hide something all along. You even went so far as to call ‘Idmon’ ‘they’.”
Silence fell. Cedric tapped the floor with the tip of his shoe, a habitual motion. The sound was as rhythmic as a ticking clock. Lauren waited patiently for him to answer.
“…This is my matter, Lauren.”
Finally, a low voice emerged from his lips, as if they might never open again.
“It’s no longer only your matter.”
Lauren extended her left hand. The loose ring on her ring finger gleamed in the candlelight.
“Have you ever heard that the veins leading to the heart are closest to the ring finger? I always thought it was romantic nonsense… but it seems to make sense.”
A physical connection—an unbreakable link of wounds, veins, and heart.
The ring on their hands held far more meaning than an ordinary engagement ring. Cedric fiddled with the ring on his own left hand.
“Cedric, I don’t want to die. If this only risked your life, I wouldn’t care. I could live my life freely as a widow, so why would I stop you?”
Her words were filled with sincerity. He made a peculiar expression.
“But… now it’s different. We’re about to be buried in the same grave. Now, tell me everything you know.”
Cedric shrugged lightly. His gaze lingered on the ring on his left hand.
“Very well, Lauren. You chose this.”
After a long pause came a definite, affirmative answer.
“It really feels like we’re in this together now.”
Cedric murmured softly.
He turned toward the bookshelves, reaching out to count the neatly arranged spines with his fingers.
Is he trying to pull out a diary? Lauren wondered, watching silently.
“I’ll explain later, this is—”
“Explain what?”
“You’ll understand when you see it.”
He began selecting books in order and pulling them from the shelves. After removing about six books, a clicking sound was heard.
Click. A purple sheen unique to magical stones gleamed from the empty space where the books had been removed. Simultaneously, the bookshelves filling the wall began to shift.
“…!”
Lauren’s eyes widened. The bookshelf turned like a door. Behind what she had assumed was just a wall was a staircase leading down. Cedric stacked the six books he had taken and carried them carefully.
“It’s a kind of false wall. Just memorize the order in which you remove the books.”
He glanced at Lauren and cleared his throat. She, who had been staring blankly at the entrance to the basement, finally looked at him.
“Was there nothing like this in your original place?”
“A basement or a bookshelf that opens only when books are removed… aren’t those unusual?”
“I heard that creating secret spaces in mansions used to be a trend about 200 years ago. Back when people were fascinated by magical engineering. They probably wanted to test how far they could go.”
Cedric spoke gracefully and stepped onto the stairs.
“The stairs are steep, so take your time.”
“Wait, Cedric.”
She hurriedly picked up a candle from a wall sconce. The faint flame was enough to illuminate the stairs. She could make out the steep shape of the steps.
“Why carry the books with you?”
“It’s a double lock. So…”
He picked up the blue-covered book at the top and wedged it into a slot in the wall. The same purple glow from the bookshelf shone from the wall.
“Similarly, the order is fixed. Even if you force open the study door, not just anyone can enter the basement.”
“What if we make a mistake?”
“The door to the surface closes, and the basement lights up. You’d be trapped on the stairs until death.”
A grim warning. Lauren instinctively pressed close to Cedric. He chuckled awkwardly.
“Why? You think I’d deliberately place the books incorrectly?”
“No… not exactly, it’s just that…”
Cedric looked back, and she frowned sharply.
“Focus. One wrong move could be dangerous.”
“Yes, of course.”
The books were inserted into the wall slot in order. Clicking sounds followed. Five books went in, leaving only a red hardcover book in Cedric’s hands.
They reached the end of the stairs. He rotated the book in his hands.
“This one’s tricky… Could you stand beside me?”
Cedric pressed close to the wall, making space just enough for Lauren to stand. The staircase was narrow; reluctantly, she stepped down one stair and stood beside him.
“…Like this?”
She could faintly feel Cedric’s warmth through his clothes.
“Yes. Don’t move… just a moment.”
He reached over her head, wedging the red book into the upper slot. Lauren naturally leaned against him.
The collar of his shirt brushed her cheek. She tensed, holding her breath.
“The final step matters for which stair you’re standing on.”
Cedric confirmed the book was properly in place and pressed a brick two steps away. The purple light flashed again.
With the creak of a rusty pulley, the door at the end of the stairs opened.
It was an old basement with the scent of aged books. Lauren looked around awkwardly.
“Shall we go in?”
He stepped over the threshold first, placing his left hand on his chest and gesturing to the room with his right—a bit like an actor presenting a stage. Lauren gathered her dress and followed.
The secret space was neatly arranged. In the center were a small table and chair, with a few large wooden crates on the floor. One wall was filled with drawers.
