Chapter 56 – Code Red: The Kidnapping And Killing Of Infants

“Don’t do that, Sierra. Those involved will not be disposed of.”

“Th… thank you, Your Excellency.”

Sierra closed her eyes before opening them again. Fortunately, her scheme worked. Seeing that, Cassius whispered quietly to her.

“No matter what, you shouldn’t get down on your knees.”

“….”

She gazed at him with a worried face, wondering if her act had been exposed by him, though Cassius had a rather painful expression on his face. As Sierra’s lips pouted in embarrassment, he whispered to her quietly so only she could hear it.

“You are my pride.”

Hearing those words for the first time, Sierra stiffened for a moment.

No one had ever told her that until now. She had many records as to when she was looked down upon as a commoner, but it was only Cassius who comforted her that she was his pride. Sierra unconsciously stopped and looked at Cassius.

He put his lips near her ears again and sighed.

“I’d rather get down on my knees.”

Sierra quietly bit her lips at his words.

‘What should I do with this man who values her kneeling rather than his own authority…?’

She was afraid of this man, who liked her continuously, as she would have to leave someday.

* * *
That afternoon Sierra was investigating ‘The Murder Case of Icarus’ that Ijiel talked about, she was frustrated, and once again, frustrated.

‘No… There should be related materials in the famous Duke’s library, right?’

Duke Ideos’ mansion’s library in the capital was quite famous even for ordinary people. The number of its collections was so large that it was said that all the books in the world were there. And, what about its sorting? It had an incredibly amazing classification system.

Because of that, Sierra naturally thought that she would be able to find an overview of ‘Icarus Murder Case’ if she looked through the Duke’s library in moderation.

However, her faith was just shattered.

There was no data she wanted in the library. Ishifar’s mansion murder, Heborg’s manor murder, Inspector Leonard’s disappearance — There were all kinds of cases, but there wasn’t a single piece of information about the Icarus serial murder case that she wanted.

“It’s late at night, Lady Sierra.”

Sierra nodded her head slightly at the friendly handmaid’s words.

The handmaid glanced down at the desk with a puzzled expression when she saw her sighing in annoyance of not achieving her goal. As Sierra gazed upon the desk full of murder cases, the handmaid threw her a question.

“Miss Sierra… it seems like you’re interested in murder cases?”

“I’m not that very interested… Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of mystery novels, so I am just curious about actual murder cases. Especially something like an unsolved murder case.”

“Ahh…”

Her face must have played a role, too, as the handmaid started nodding her head, saying I see, at her crude excuses. She opened her mouth again, admiring her face that looked fragile even today.

“By the way, this library doesn’t have any information about the case I’m curious about.”

“Ah, but there are all sorts of books here! You must be looking for something else.”

“Yes, it’s an unsolved murder case.”

Sierra thought it would look suspicious if she said she was looking for specifically ‘The Murder of Icarus’, so she properly wrapped her words like that, and it seemed like a good strategy. Suddenly, the handmaid clapped her hands.

“Records of murders are usually kept in the Imperial Palace. Something like an unsolved case record…”

“…Yes.”

At that, she swallowed her saliva and looked at the handmaid.

“It must be in the Imperial Palace’s Library that only high-ranking nobles who hold official positions can look at it.”

“Ahh…”

“Because it is dangerous.”

The handmaid spoke in a fairly cheerful tone, but there was only one person around Sierra who could enter the Imperial Palace Library — Cassius Ideos.

‘In the end, should I ask for his help this time? I don’t feel like it, but…’

“Thank you for letting me know.”

…She couldn’t give up on finding the case records as it was a case her sister was a suspect. Moreover, it was all the more repulsive to ask Ijiel, who seemed to be suspecting her and her sister. The next moment, Sierra carefully opened her mouth.

“By the way, where is the Duke?”

The maid’s complexion quickly brightened. She was staring at her with a satisfied look on her face.

“I’ll take you to him right away!”

“Ah, yes. Let’s start with organizing the data.”

The Head Lady-in-Waiting shook her head with a deep look in her eyes.

“Let this humble Handmaid sort this out.”

“Though the Duke must be busy right now…”

“Oh my, that’s impossible.”

Those eyes are like telling her — ‘The love between you is finally blooming!’ so Sierra smiled awkwardly. She only wanted to ask him about a murder case, although it was a unique experience to be misunderstood as them dating.

* * *
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