TLMS 48

Chapter 48

Meanwhile, Ian had investigated a few things and reported back to me.

“Miss may complain that I suffer because of the baron’s affairs, but I assure you, the 15 flins I receive as information fee are well worth it.”

“Fine, fine. I’m paying you properly without skimming anything, so just tell me what you found.”

“No one appears to have intruded into the mansion that day.”

Ian said he had casually asked the servants whether they had seen any unfamiliar faces inside the estate.

I had hidden the fact that I was chased by a suspicious man, and instead made up something plausible enough for others to accept. I told them, “I asked a male servant to run an errand that day, but I didn’t recognize him, so I wondered if he might be new.”

Of course, there was no new male servant. When Ian asked whether an unfamiliar worker might have entered the estate, everyone said no—no one had seen anyone suspicious that day.

Both the front gate and the back gate were securely locked. Unless it was a day with frequent carriages carrying goods or many visitors, the gates were never left open.

Even if they had been open, the front gate was guarded by an old gatekeeper, making it difficult for anyone to sneak in. The same applied to the back gate. Two gardeners, Matthew and Jack, who commuted from the village, were pruning trees near the back entrance from morning until late afternoon. They even ate lunch under the trees.

“If someone had tried to enter through the back gate, we would’ve noticed, sir,” Matthew said confidently. Even though pruning trees is hard work, it would be difficult for two people to both miss an intruder.

I also asked other servants, but they all said that in such a large mansion, any stranger wandering around would definitely stand out—and none of them had seen anything suspicious.

(Meanwhile, Ian didn’t forget to deliver cheap liquor to Martin in place of the tasks I was supposed to handle. As expected of a butler-type person who never misses the small details.)

“I told the servants that I might have mistaken things, so they shouldn’t be suspicious about me asking around like this,” Ian said.

“It’s possible someone slipped past all those servants… but…”

After thinking for a moment, I spoke.

“Still, it makes more sense to assume it was someone inside the mansion.”

“I agree,” Ian said.

“Ian, I’ve been thinking—maybe that intruder wasn’t a servant, but someone from the Plenigan family.”

Ian frowned at my words.

“A member of the Plenigan family?”

“That day, the east wing was strangely empty. It was almost as if the conditions were set up for an attack. Mrs. McBride is always in the kitchen, so that’s fine, but there are three maids assigned to the east wing besides me. People from the west wing often come and go for supplies or to help with work too.

But if it was someone from the Plenigan household, they could’ve instructed the servants to be elsewhere at that time.

Of course, they couldn’t clear everyone out of the east wing. Ian was still in his room. But guests don’t wander around like servants, so they might have thought it would be fine if they were careful.”

“That’s plausible. However, there is one problem.”

“You mean it only works if Delia had a reason to go to the east wing that day?”

“Exactly. If the attacker was targeting Lady Delia, then yes. But they couldn’t have known when she would appear. They couldn’t just clear the servants out and wait indefinitely.

Otherwise, it would mean the target was you from the beginning. If that turns out to be true, no matter what you say, I will immediately send you back to the Whittington estate.”

“It’s not like I was the target! They probably considered the fact that I go out sometimes. That would still fit into the east wing being empty. Anyway, I’ll check whether Delia had any reason to go there that day.”

Ian accepted my words for now.

“Then, Miss, if the attacker was someone from the Plenigan family, who seems most suspicious? Edward? Or Thomas?”

“Wait, Ian. Why are you only naming those two?”

Ian shrugged.

“If it’s someone who attacked another person, it would most likely be a man, wouldn’t it? And those are the only two male members of the Plenigan family.”

“Oh dear, Ian’s fallen into the pit of prejudice.”

I clicked my tongue dramatically, without telling him I had gotten a hint from Eugenia.

“I didn’t see the attacker’s face clearly that day. I also didn’t see their clothes. Of course, I think it’s more likely a man. A woman attacking directly is risky. If it were a woman, she’d probably use poison instead. Or a weapon that kills instantly.”

“You are the victim here, Miss. Let’s not discuss such disturbing things.”

“It’s fine, Ian. I’ve already gotten over the shock.”

“You’re saying you’re open to the possibility that the culprit is a woman, then.”

“Yes. But surely it can’t be Lady Melissa, right?”

I imagined the face of Melissa, an elderly woman in her seventies.

“Even if she’s surprisingly strong for her age, I doubt she could strangle me.”

“Besides, I can’t imagine any motive for Lady Melissa attacking her own granddaughter, Lady Delia. She has no reason to, aside from Lady Eugenia.”

“Then maybe it’s about inheritance?”

I said uncertainly.

“Her sisters are all dead, right? I heard the father’s inheritance all goes to Delia. The maids were saying it’s quite a large sum.”

“I’ve heard that too. But even that is hard to suspect.”

Ian shook his head.

“If Lady Delia dies, Mr. William’s inheritance is distributed among close relatives—Lady Melissa, Mr. Edward, Lady Helen, and Mr. Thomas. Lady Catherine and Lady Eugenia are ranked lower, and others like Lady Lucy and Mr. Patrick are even further down.”

“So even if someone wanted the inheritance, it’s not like everything would go to one person. The risk of murder would be too high for uncertain gain?”

“Yes. Even if they were tempted, it’s not a guaranteed payoff. It would be hard to justify taking such a risk.”

“I remember when Jane died, the police suspected Delia because of the inheritance.”

“That was understandable. If Jane had died, everything would have gone to Delia.”

“But this situation is different. The inheritance isn’t clearly determined this time.”

“Then what if all the top heirs worked together…?”

“Miss, that seems too far-fetched.”

“Yeah, probably.”

I sighed. I knew it sounded ridiculous even as I said it.

“If only we knew who the attacker was and why they targeted Delia, everything else would make sense…”

“That’s also the problem, Miss. This incident may not be related to the previous ones at all.”

“No, Ian. People have been dying and getting hurt one after another in a mansion that was otherwise peaceful. There must be a connection.”

“There’s still no solid evidence.”

“We just have to keep investigating.”

I said this and was about to leave the room when something occurred to me.

“Oh, right. Ian, you said that was the second most ridiculous story you’ve heard recently. What was the first?”

“Oh, that?”

Ian clasped his hands casually.

“Obviously, the story about you sneaking into the Plenigan estate while pretending to be a detective. Trying to deceive people so openly—that was absurd beyond belief.”

“Enough, Ian. You’re doing the same thing right now, yet you’re criticizing it. No, actually, deception seems to suit you quite well.”

I grumbled as I walked out.