WHCP 29

Chapter 29

‘Well, at least before I leave, I can give Caleb and Wyden a piece of my mind.’

Just like Kiring, with Aletheia tucked under his arm.

Aside from that reason, the nullification ability was useless—a mere unattainable dream. Aletheia’s marriage threat still pressed heavily on the crucial task of “completing the original story.”

“Ugh. Revenge or whatever, it’s giving me a headache.”

The thought of marrying Aletheia and everything else had fired him up too much. Somehow, even the desire to get revenge on the lovebugs had cooled off. Was that really important right now? Mio suddenly felt a pang of gloom.

‘Because of Aletheia, even staying quietly in the garden bushes like this now feels nerve-wracking…’

The thought that he could barge in at any moment made the Duke of Kelt’s castle feel far from safe. At this rate, it might be more reassuring to go to the Moro mansion instead.

‘Wait. Reassuring? Moro mansion? What am I thinking? If I go there, that guy will start talking about marriage again. How am I supposed to handle that?’

Mio ran his hands through his hair and tapped his forehead repeatedly, trying to shake off the obsessive thoughts. Otherwise, he couldn’t get a clear head at all. How was he supposed to proceed to the final stage…

At that moment, small popping noises came from nearby.

“Master! I’m here!”

“Master! Me! I got back first!”

The foxes he had sent on errands had returned.

“Oh, you’re back, huh?”

Rosa and Roy ran as if competing, leaping into his arms. Mio spent some time receiving “cute therapy” from the foxes, recharging his energy. He finally felt a bit relieved.

“Master. Viscount Duon asked me to deliver this.”

Rosa handed him an envelope from her pouch. Glancing inside, it was a letter densely filled with writing.

‘Looks like the investigation on the safe is already complete.’

Mio began reading Viscount Duon’s letter with eyes full of anticipation.

[Dear Mio! This is Baphomet Duon!

I found out that the safe is actually made from an artifact of an ancient temple. Not just any artifact—the safe was made by dismantling a relic imbued with divine power. Blasphemous, isn’t it? Maybe that’s why the king who made it into a safe wasted away and died, and the kingdom fell.]

Died? Then isn’t it cursed? Mio suddenly felt uneasy about the key in his pocket.

Viscount Duon added a few lines of commentary, claiming that such things happen when gods are insulted. According to him, his bloodline ran with faithful clerics, so blasphemy was absolutely unforgivable.

[Anyway, after that, the safe seems to have wandered here and there until it eventually ended up in the Empire as spoils of war. The previous owner was a woman named Mrs. Sailin, who died suddenly, and the mansion was inherited by several children. The items inside were sold off here and there, and that’s how the safe ended up at a strange auction.]

Good heavens. The previous owner also died suddenly? Mio discreetly pulled the key from her pocket. Maybe it carried some ominous energy—but it didn’t. She had no choice but to continue reading the rest of the letter.

[Here’s a question! How did Mrs. Sailin become the owner of the safe? Actually, it wasn’t the lady herself who was into collecting antiques—it was her husband. So the original owner of the safe was her husband! Interesting, right? Exactly the kind of info you wanted, Mio!]

Ah, yes. This is the kind of information she wanted. Mio’s eyes darted quickly to the next line.

[The secret is this~ Mrs. Sailin’s husband passed away early!]

Wait. Aletheia has to die? No way. She couldn’t kill her herself.

[Hehe, but of course, we can’t let Mio get her hands dirty. There’s a story behind this. Looking at the two hints you gave me, some odd things became apparent. Before marrying Mrs. Sailin, the mansion’s staff changed frequently. They were all dismissed for the same reason—caught stealing items. That reminded me of your note, Mio, about the missing items!]

Hmm. If the safe’s function was unknown, that makes sense. Quite unfortunate.

[But do you know what’s really strange? A month or two after marrying Mrs. Sailin, all those issues completely disappeared!]

Mio’s eyes sparkled as she read the letter.

[It’s a well-known story in the Sauton region that the grumpy husband became docile after marriage. But who am I? I’m story-hunter Baphomet Duon! Digging deeper, you know what I found? Mrs. Sailin personally retrieved the lost items!]

So, the safe’s ownership switched from the husband to Mrs. Sailin? How? Mio’s focus sharpened.

[Even after marriage, the husband’s suspicions continued because items kept disappearing. Staff were dismissed continuously. Some fled in fear at the first sign of trouble. Those who remained were put to work—finding new staff was difficult due to rumors. Mrs. Sailin had no choice but to help with the mansion chores herself. There was no part she didn’t touch.

Additionally, the husband, being irritable, often fell ill—requiring care… Thinking back, she was really incredible. Almost like a monk, right?

It was mysterious, but still, the couple’s relationship was good. They dined together daily, happily. Perhaps the husband was smitten with a stunningly beautiful woman.

Anyway, one day during their grueling newlywed life, the lady’s beloved young maid earned the husband’s suspicion.

Trusting the maid, Mrs. Sailin searched for the missing items herself and found them all in the attic within a week. All the items that had gone missing until then! To me, this marks the exact moment the safe’s ownership changed.]

Mio agreed.

‘But it took them a month or two?’

It took longer than expected, but with determination, it wasn’t impossible.

‘Not sure how I should handle this…’

Mio thought while reading the remaining part of the letter.

[Summarizing the collected information, here’s the conclusion:

1. The safe’s owner can change.

2. Once you become the mansion’s true owner, the safe recognizes you.

3. When the owner searches, the safe naturally reveals itself.

How’s that? Satisfied with my investigation?

By the way, come visit the shop when you have time. Watching the foxes run errands is fun, but the shop has flies, so I want to chat. Last time, we didn’t finish sharing stories! This time, we’ll talk about everything—don’t schedule anything else.

I’ll tell you about what happened in the prison! Here’s what went down…]

Viscount Duon’s letter ended with him rambling about the beginning of a prison incident. Mio folded the letter into the envelope and recalled the condition he mentioned.

‘Become the true owner of the mansion.’

Duon described Mrs. Sailin taking care of the mansion and her sick husband as “becoming the true owner of the mansion.”

‘Taking care of the mansion and the sick spouse, huh…’

How perfectly this aligns.

The Moro mansion is now empty, seemingly waiting for someone’s touch. Its owner, Aletheia, is a patient with amnesia. It’s remarkably similar to the situation when Mrs. Sailin first got married.

‘Then, if I go in now and just become the true owner…’

The safe will recognize its owner, and that cursed contract, plus the Wish Stone I wanted… could potentially be mine all at once.

‘A month or two, huh? Fine. I’ll get this done within a month.’

Mio made up her mind and looked straight ahead. Rosa and Roy, now returned to their original fox forms, were chasing each other’s tails and running around. Mio spoke in a determined voice to the baby foxes.

“Rosa. Roy. Starting today, we need some training.”