Rattling, the carriage swayed along the same path we came on. Words wouldn't come out. Despite this, I couldn't bear the continued silence and groaned, spitting out the words.
"…Lady Marie's mother, she went mad, didn't she…?"
Lady Mio was silent. I muttered to calm myself down.
"…Madame Shaduran believes the doll is Anastasia. …Surely, it's from the shock of losing her daughter."
"No, she's sane."
Lady Mio stated firmly. When I asked in surprise, she continued to look out the window, speaking as if to herself.
"That doll was placed not in Lady Anastasia's room but in Madame's bed, and it has never been taken out. Cedric might have misunderstood that his sister had come back to life because he had never seen the real thing."
...That's right. When the family went out earlier, 'Anastasia' was left behind alone. Normally, they would take her along. If she wasn't brought out for meals or baths, and Cedric is only six, he wouldn't suspect that his mother had gone mad.
"Then, is it just a doll's play?"
"Anyway, I think you understand it's not human."
"Madame doesn't believe the doll is her daughter, then?"
Lady Mio smiled.
"Yes. Nothing has changed since Lady Anastasia was alive."
Oh, I see. I felt relieved. I'm not sure if it's right to say that an adult talking to a doll isn't 'mad,' but it's much better than I expected.
Finally, the tension in my shoulders eased. Lady Mio spoke kindly to me.
"That doll was made very recently, probably by Madame herself. The hair is real human hair—Lady Anastasia's."
"Wh-what!?"
"The base was a ready-made product, but real blonde hair was tied to it. Normally, human hair used for wigs is carefully cleaned, but this was rough."
"Wh-what? You mean, cut from the body!?"
"…Given the length of the hair and the sand on it, it seems there's no other explanation…"
Lady Mio frowned. Oh, right. Anastasia was swept away in the river and went missing. There's no way to get her hair.
Then, someone else's? Such beautiful blonde hair is rare. But if it's Anastasia's hair, how did Madame get it…?
Wait, no, that can't be. I had a very scary thought. No, that can't be true, because Madame doted on her eldest daughter. But if that's the case…
My thoughts were in a whirl. Beside me, Lady Mio whispered softly.
"…Oh well. I thought it would be better if it turned out that Lady Anastasia's return was a false report…"
She whispered and stood up in the narrow carriage, leaning forward to give instructions to the driver.
"Before we return to the castle, I want to see one more person. They probably work in the city center, so please head there."
"Who is it?"
"The real culprit. The one behind the 'Anastasia Shaduran Murder Case.'"
The driver was startled and involuntarily pulled the reins. The carriage stopped and shook violently. I was upside down in the overturned carriage. Lady Mio, who remained seated as usual, said nonchalantly.
"Now that the mystery is solved, we can't just leave it be. We've done quite a bit of bad things so far. To avoid being the villain, we need to clear Lady Anastasia's name."
"Mystery… No, wait, Lady Anastasia was murdered!?"
"I'm not sure how intentional it was. We'll find out more from him."
Him? Who is he? I asked Lady Mio, confused. Anastasia Shaduran was murdered. And only her hair and clothes were returned to Madame Shaduran. Why, by whom.
"Considering the situation, it can only be this man."
Lady Mio answered.
"The hired driver of the carriage rental service."
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
"Wow, so cute! Cyrus, what is this made of?"
I held the bracelet made of small white beads in my right hand and turned to Cyrus, holding his left hand. He first answered that it was made from processed shells, then whispered softly.
"Formal titles and polite language are forbidden."
"Oh, r-right—Cyrus. Sorry, I forgot."
Ah, I can't convert the language properly! I thought I would be scolded for not following the rules, but Cyrus just smiled. I blushed and looked away at the merchandise. The stall owner, looking puzzled, put on a business smile.
"Welcome. We buy directly from the island nations, so the quality is good and the prices are reasonable. You won't go wrong here."
"Island nations… I remember, they are known for shell jewelry."
"You know a lot, miss. I'll give you a special discount. The regular price is thirty yuoros, but I'll give it to you for twenty-five."
Twenty-five yuoros? That's about a day's worth of food for an average family. Hmm, maybe it's expensive because it's imported.
Looking up at Cyrus beside me, he had a mischievous look on his face. He pointed to the other side of the street and pulled my hand.
"Marie, let's go back to the store we saw earlier. The same item was sold for fifteen there."
"R-really? Let's go then!"
"Wait, wait, that's probably a fake. You'll just waste your money!"
The owner tried to stop us. I cleared my throat. Alright, let's give it a try.
"But I'm not that good at telling the difference. They both look very cute to me."
"An expert can tell. Okay, I'll sell it to you for twenty. If you buy it, you'll be a step up and that handsome guy will be head over heels."
"That line won't work, I'm already in love."
The owner chuckled. Seeing that I was better at it, he turned back to me.
"Is there any reason not to buy this great item for twenty?"
"Well… I'm sorry, I want to buy other things too… If I buy this, I'll run out of my allowance."
"Ah, I see, I see. I understand. I'll make it fifteen. Then you can buy a hair clip with the rest. Good, good, my dear."
"I really want a shawl today. Can you make it thirteen yuoros?"
The owner's eyebrows twitched. He shrugged and sighed, looking annoyed.
"Alright, I give up, miss. It's fourteen."
"Fourteen, then I'll buy it. Thank you."
"Thank you, then it's fourteen."
"By the way, I want to buy one more as a gift for a friend. How much for two?"
"Huh? Well, let's see… Two for twenty-six yuoros."
"Can we make it an even twenty-five?"
"Alright, alright, two for twenty-five."
"Thank you! It's a really beautiful bracelet. I'm so happy! By the way, how much if I buy one more?"
"Wh-what!?"
Cyrus finally burst out laughing.
In the end, we negotiated the price down to thirty yuoros for three. We had two wrapped in bags. While the owner was packaging them, we whispered to each other.
"Hehe, we did it. I'll give these to Mio and Tunica. Maybe a hair clip for Tsery."
"Surprising, you're quite good at it."
"Hehe. I used to negotiate with merchants and tenant farmers at home. This is my first time at a market stall, so I tried what I read in books."
"I see. As long as you're enjoying it, that's fine. But you don't need to haggle so much. We have money."
He showed me a heavy leather bag. I shook my head and took out some copper coins from my pouch.
"Let me pay for it today. I have some money, not a lot, but I have some."
"Hmm? Did you bring that much from the Shaduran family?"
"Actually, I received an allowance from Madame Rieu Rieu. It wasn't charity but payment for work. I helped with letter writing and translation a few times."
"…I see. That's right."
Cyrus nodded and pulled out his wallet. His kindness was very touching, but I always felt hesitant about asking for things. To enjoy shopping without reservation, I needed to use my own money.
Cyrus seemed to understand. He released my hand and patted my head.
"Tell me if you need more. I want to give you what you want. It's something I want to buy, so I want you to tell me for me."
"…O-okay, thank you…"
"Formal language again."
"Ah!?"
I quickly shut my mouth.
After the payment, I put on the new bracelet on my left hand and held hands with Cyrus again.
Every time we walked, the shell bracelet made a small sound.