Tuesday morning.
A dark figure was walking toward the premium housing district in the northwest part of the academy.
It was early summer, and a shower had been falling since morning.
Pitter-patter.
Raindrops tapped on his shoulders, but the man inside the raincoat liked it.
It wasn’t as stifling as midsummer. It was refreshing, and it also helped conceal his identity.
He pulled the hood of his coat lower and kept walking.
The academy’s premium residences consisted of five buildings.
There were also five paths leading to them.
At the first fork, he turned left, then left again at the next.
That’s when a three-story mansion came into view.
The academy staff called it the “Winslet Mansion” after its resident.
The man arrived at the mansion’s front door and pulled the thin cord next to it.
A chime rang clearly from beyond the door.
By the time he had silently counted to fifteen, a small sliding window in the door opened, and a pair of eyes appeared.
They were black, almost as if lacquered.
“Who are you?”
A thin, youthful voice asked.
The man recited the prepared answer.
“I’m from the academy maintenance office. I have something to deliver.”
“Ah!”
The academy maintenance office was responsible for cleaning, maintaining, and restocking every location on campus.
Professor Winslet’s mansion regularly received supplies and foodstuffs from the office.
When he said he was a staff member sent from there, the door to the Winslet Mansion opened without a hint of suspicion.
“Just a moment. I’ll open it right away.”
Clack.
The doorknob turned, and a curly-haired girl appeared.
She was Professor Winslet’s personal attendant.
She was a girl so rarely seen outside that even among the academy’s staff, few knew of her existence.
Some whispered rumors, saying Professor Winslet was deliberately hiding her away, never letting others see her.
Luke thought that was a plausible theory.
The girl’s clothing looked far too expensive for a servant.
And the long gloves that reached up to her elbows weren’t the kind of thing an ordinary housemaid would wear on a daily basis, especially indoors.
When she saw the face of the man in the raincoat, Luke Rousseau, she tilted her head in confusion.
“Huh? You’re not the usual person who comes. And today isn’t even the scheduled delivery day for groceries…”
She eyed Luke warily, scanning his appearance, and slightly closed the door.
But Luke didn’t rush. He simply smiled.
Disarming people with a gentle demeanor was one of his specialties.
“I’m not the regular staff, no. I was asked to deliver something special today.”
“Something special?”
Luke reached inside his coat, then pulled his hand back suddenly as if surprised.
“Oh dear, it can’t get wet…”
At that, the girl opened the door wide.
“Please, come inside. I’ll bring you a towel to dry off.”
“You’re very kind.”
Leaving Luke in the lobby, the girl disappeared to fetch the towel.
Luke, having successfully infiltrated the Winslet Mansion, looked around the interior with a sense of relief. Everything was going according to plan.
So this is what it looks like inside.
There was a time when he’d considered sneaking in to blow the place up while Winslet was asleep.
He had canceled that plan because of the girl who lived here.
To Luke, she was an unexpected obstacle and the last remnant of his conscience.
She soon returned, holding several towels.
“Wow, and such nice towels too…”
“Don’t hesitate to use them. Master always throws them out after just one use. I can’t bring myself to waste them, so I save them.”
“As expected, Professor Winslet is incredibly generous.”
When he praised her master, the girl smiled shyly.
After roughly drying off the rainwater, Luke asked,
“Is the professor not home?”
“No, he went to work today.”
Just as expected.
Tuesday was one of Professor Winslet’s lecture days.
Right about now, he was probably taking attendance in the lecture hall.
Even the timing of Luke’s visit was part of a meticulous plan.
“Is it something I’m not allowed to receive on his behalf?”
“No, not at all. Some things just need to be passed on to the professor, and some can be used right away.”
Luke reached into his coat and took out the package, carefully wrapped in paper to keep it from getting wet.
Three items emerged.
The first was a letter sealed with wax completely blank inside.
The second was a pastel set, typically used for drawing magic circles, and a particularly high-end brand at that.
These two couldn’t be exposed to water. They were intentionally chosen for misdirection.
And finally, the third item which Luke handed over to the girl as if it were nothing of note…
It was a small glass vial containing a clear liquid the color of absinthe.
The girl asked,
“What is this?”
“It’s an essential oil the professor requested. It’s extracted from a special aromatic herb found in the southern regions. Usually, it’s mixed into bathwater or added in small amounts to tea.”
The girl’s hands trembled slightly as she took the glass vial.
Luke looked at her and asked,
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. Then… would it be alright if I added this oil to the professor’s tea?”
“Yes, that would be perfect.”
Luke answered with a gentle smile.
Everything was going smoother than he’d hoped. Thanks to the trusting and naïve nature of the girl before him.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder:
Why would someone like her serve and follow Winter Winslet?
To Luke, it felt wrong.
The girl suddenly asked,
“Would it be alright if I opened the cap, just once?”
Luke furrowed his brows, and she quickly added,
“You mentioned it was from a southern herb, so I was curious about the scent.”
Now that he looked more closely, her skin was quite dark.
Could she be from the southern regions herself?
A worry crept in. What if she saw through the lie?
But refusing outright would only make him more suspicious.
After a brief hesitation, Luke nodded.
“Just don’t leave it open too long. The scent might dissipate.”
“Okay.”
She opened the cap and brought the bottle to her nose.
Luke’s heart pounded with anxiety at the sight.
“It smells sweet… but also a bit bitter. I think it would give tea a really unique flavor.”
“Right…”
“Then… would it be okay if I tasted just a little?”
“No!”
The word escaped Luke’s mouth before he could stop himself, louder than he intended.
Realizing his mistake, he quickly masked his expression.
The girl looked up at him.
“Why not?”
“Because… it’s far too precious for a servant to put her lips on. If the professor finds it even slightly used, he’ll be furious.”
He’d managed to fabricate an excuse.
But the girl wasn’t backing down.
“Just a tiny drop. You won’t even notice it’s gone.”
“Absolutely not.”
Because the liquid he had passed off as essential oil was, in truth, a deadly poison. It was an alchemic toxin so potent that even a drop could bring down an elephant or a whale.
Realizing his lie had been flimsy, Luke bit his lip.
Even if he had to change his story, he had to stop her from drinking it.
“In fact… it’s not ordinary oil. It’s medicine. You remember when Professor Winslet collapsed recently? This is the remedy that can cure his illness.”
“It can… cure Master?”
The girl opened her eyes wide.
Luke gave a small nod.
“That’s right. But if someone who isn’t sick drinks it, there will be side effects. That’s why I told you not to drink it.”
“But… I do have one question.”
“What are you curious about?”
“Master doesn’t even know what illness he has—so how did you manage to find a cure?”
“……”
Luke and the girl locked eyes.
Neither of them said a word.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Only the pendulum of the grandfather clock standing in the lobby broke the heavy silence.
The girl moved first.
Without warning, without hesitation, she raised the vial to her lips.
“What are you doing?!”
Luke lunged forward and snatched her hand.
Clink.
The green liquid inside the bottle swirled dangerously.
Seeing it nearly spill, a chill ran down Luke’s spine.
It was a deadly poison. So toxic that even skin contact would require immediate removal of the affected area.
But the girl didn’t care. She tried to shake Luke off.
“You’re hurting me! Let go!”
Ignoring her protest, Luke grabbed the stopper from her other hand and sealed the mouth of the vial.
Only then did a sigh of relief escape his lips.
Wham!
The girl shoved Luke hard in the chest and stepped back.
“What the hell was that for?!”
Luke held out his hand.
“I’ll be taking that medicine back. It’s better if I deliver it to the professor myself. Hand it over.”
“No.”
“I said, give it to me.”
As Luke stepped closer, the girl quickly hid the vial behind her back.
Now, she was glaring straight at him.
“You’re suspicious. First you said it was essential oil, then you changed your story and called it medicine, and now you’re trying to take it back.”
“I already told you. You must not drink it. Professor Winslet is the one who has to take it.”
“Why? Is it because this is actually poison meant to kill Master?”
Shock flashed across Luke Rousseau’s face.
“How did you—!”
“I knew it……”
The girl’s voice dropped to an icy whisper.
“Master was right.”
“What?”
“He said a suspicious person would come soon. And that this person would bring something dangerous. Something like this…poison.”
Luke’s face turned pale.
“Professor Winslet… knew everything?”
“That’s right, Mr. Luke Rousseau.”
Those words were the final blow.
He was forced to accept a truth he didn’t want to face.
“Hah… When did I slip up?”
“So you have no intention of making excuses.”
The girl looked at Luke with fear and disgust, the way one would look at a murderer.
And under that gaze, Luke Rousseau felt a small temptation.
Should I silence her and run?
He had failed to execute the perfect crime, but if he eliminated the witness, he might still have another chance.
He secretly curled his hand into a tight fist.
Leave a Reply