It was the eighth day since Mio had left, taking a ten-day break. Her return was a bit earlier than expected. I thought she would take it easy for the remaining days, but she was dressed in her usual maid's attire, completely in work mode.
I tilted my head.
"A bit earlier than planned, isn't it?"
"Yes. On the way back, Thomas and I took turns, and I rode without rest except to let the horses rest. There was a matter of some urgency."
Mio glanced at Lord Cyrus. I immediately realized I was in the way. Though it's not something to be proud of, I'm used to such treatment and have a good sense of things.
"You have business with Lord Cyrus, then. I'll return to my room."
"Wait, no, but—"
Lord Cyrus tried to stop me, but Mio, to my surprise, agreed.
"Lord, if you would come alone, that would be fine. Lady Marie, please stay here."
"Really, is it that urgent?"
"It is."
Mio, addressing Lord Cyrus, who asked with a sulky voice, was firm.
"I have brought a 'guest' to the hall. Thomas is waiting, so please hurry."
... A guest? At such an early hour, who could it be? Lord Cyrus's expression stiffened. It didn't seem to be a good guest.
My curiosity was piqued, but it would be presumptuous for me to interfere. I decided to return to Lord Cyrus's room. As soon as I turned, Mio was reporting something to Lord Cyrus. I closed the door, telling myself not to eavesdrop.
However, before I could get to bed, Lord Cyrus appeared again.
"Marie, after all, you should come too."
"...What?"
I looked at him in surprise. His expression had changed from the sweet smile he usually wore to a stern one, his brows furrowed and his face slightly pale.
"What is it? Isn't it work-related?"
When I asked, he maintained his grim expression and took a fur mantle from the closet. As he wrapped it around my body, he answered.
"Yes. ...It's not a pleasant matter. But you should hear it. Not from me, but with your own ears. Your sister... Anastasia Shaduran is your family."
Wrapped in Lord Cyrus's large mantle, I walked down the corridor before dawn.
The hall Mio mentioned was the hall just inside the castle gate—a mere space with no chairs or carpets, only a cold stone floor. It was certainly not a place to keep guests waiting.
There were two men in the hall. One was the young gatekeeper, Thomas. The other was a man in shabby clothes.
They were kneeling on the stone floor, waiting for their master—no, that wasn't right. Thomas was forcibly holding the man down. I could see his hands were bound behind his back. Who is he?
I stiffened. Thomas, usually gentle and meek, had a completely different, stern expression.
Thomas, still holding the man down, looked at me and lowered his eyes.
"...Well, I'll be going then."
He mumbled and left the castle. Mio didn't call out to him and instead stood next to the man. I tried to approach but was stopped by Lord Cyrus just short of the man.
"Stay by my side."
His words, which should have been passionate, were cold and rigid like an ice wall.
Mio spoke to the man.
"Look up. I will introduce you to the Lord of Granado Castle, Lord Cyrus Granado."
The man kept his head down. He was short but sturdy, with gray hair and a yellowish complexion... a foreigner?
Mio grabbed the man's shoulder and forced him to look up. He had round, bulging eyes and a large nose. Indeed, he was a foreigner.
... Oh? I've seen this man somewhere before...
"State your name."
Even when prompted by Mio, the man shook his head and protested with meaningless words. Perhaps he didn't understand the language. Mio's gaze sharpened.
"Mr. Jacob. Don't try to fool us. You came to Bandari for work many years ago and have been living in the kingdom ever since. There's no way you can't speak the language."
"Ah... Ah, no... I can only understand a little..."
"Didn't you speak fluently in Shaduran territory? You boasted about it for a gold coin. You just need to say the same thing here."
"Ah... I don't understand. What are you talking about? I don't remember saying anything. I don't understand at all."
"...Where would your bones be missed? We'll start by breaking them."
"Stop it! Ah, the kingdom people are barbarians!"
"Mio, stop."
Lord Cyrus stepped forward, hiding me behind him, and knelt in front of the man. He then spoke in a different language.
"Jacob. I apologize for my servants. Welcome to Granado Castle."
The man shuddered.
"You can... speak Bandari...!?"
It's no wonder he was surprised. Bandari is a language completely unfamiliar in the kingdom, and I can only pick up a few words. Lord Cyrus probably only knows a few phrases, but he used simple words correctly.
"I've already heard from her. You are a carriage driver. On that day, you drove Anastasia Shaduran, didn't you?"
"Ah... Ah..."
"And the accident, where you fell into the river. That's what you told the police, right?"
"Ah..."
"The truth?"
The man didn't answer. Lord Cyrus's questioning didn't stop.
"Did you kill Anastasia?"
I gasped.
...What's going on? What are they talking about here?
"Ah... No, I... I'm just a driver, that's all."
"Huh? What did you say? Say it again."
"Lord, I can't speak well. I'm from Ujugiostura."
Lord Cyrus frowned. The man smiled, perhaps because of his terrible accent or because he was just making meaningless sounds. We couldn't tell.
When Mio ordered him to speak in the kingdom language, he remained silent. Lord Cyrus sighed.
"...Well, well. It seems you have something you absolutely don't want to talk about."
...I vaguely remembered this man, Jacob. He was a hired driver at the only rental stable in Shaduran territory. I occasionally visited the stable to send letters or goods to distant places. I had seen him there.
He drove Anastasia?
Father hates foreigners. They are all poor, barbaric, and untrustworthy. Yet, on a significant day for Anastasia, he hired a foreign driver...
And he killed Anastasia?
In any case, the interrogation was at a standstill. What to do—when suddenly,
"I've brought them!"
Thomas, who had just left, rushed in with Johan, who was in his usual gardening clothes. They seemed to have been brought from the courtyard.
Why Johan? The answer was soon clear. Johan spoke to the man fluently in Bandari.
"Jacob... From the intonation of your name, you're from the West Coast region, right?"
"Ah!"
The man, startled, stared at Johan, who continued calmly.
"The island nations indeed have several languages with strong dialects. But it's impossible for the common language of Bandari not to be understood... but never mind. Jacob, try speaking again."
"Ah... That... Ugojar..."
"Ugojar? What dialect is that? There's no such language in the island nations."
Jacob groaned and fell silent.
"I've been to every land in the island nations. Tell me, where are you from? What island and city? I can adapt to any language."
Johan, a native of the Bandari island nations, was the real deal. The man couldn't claim he didn't understand the language. He groaned in fluent kingdom language.
"Damn... Why is an islander working in the castle... How did you get in?"
Johan sat down in front of the man. I thought he would threaten him, but he smiled, a crude and vulgar smile unlike his usual self.
"It's a simple story. The lord of this castle is of our kin."
"Kin? A noble of the kingdom?"
"Yes, as you can see, he has foreign blood. His mother was a refugee from a foreign land, and he, like us, grew up being insulted by the kingdom people. We are comrades."
"No... That's a lie... Nobles..."
"My presence here is proof. Besides... the lord has no intention of condemning you."
"Huh?"
Not only the man but also Lord Cyrus and Mio raised their eyebrows. They quickly hid their surprise.
Johan looked at Lord Cyrus and me, then back at Jacob.
"...You are mistaken. The Lord of Granado Castle, Lord Cyrus Granado, called you here to reward you. 'Thank you for killing Anastasia'—"
...What!?
I almost screamed but held it back.
The man, wide-eyed, asked for an explanation from Johan. Johan responded.
In the middle of his explanation, Lord Cyrus pulled me closer. —It's okay, he conveyed with his eyes.
I know it's all a lie, a complete fabrication.
—For Lord Cyrus Granado, Anastasia Shaduran was, in a word, 'in the way.' The reason was simple—he loved her younger sister, Marie.
As a duke's son, he was obligated to marry Anastasia. However, he fell in love with the tall, red-haired younger sister. The younger sister also fell in love with the green-eyed young man and dreamed of life in the capital.
Though their love was mutual, breaking the engagement with the eldest daughter and switching to the younger one was not easy. They reluctantly parted...
The eldest daughter died in a tragic accident on her way to her wedding. The baron hurriedly made the younger daughter, Marie, a substitute.
On the surface, it was a political marriage between a grieving lord and a 'disadvantaged younger sister.' In reality, it was the birth of a loving couple.
They rejoiced at the fulfillment of their love and the death of Anastasia Shaduran.
"Lie! There's no way!"
Jacob shouted.
"Anastasia's younger sister is that 'ragged girl.' I've seen her a few times. She looks nothing like her sister, with messy red hair and dirty black clothes, and she's tall like a boy..."
He met my eyes. His eyes widened as he looked me up and down.
"...No way. But, indeed, the height... No, it can't be...!"
"Yes, this beautiful lady is Marie Shaduran. She's being embraced by the lord, aren't they a happy couple?"
Johan continued, explaining that I was ragged because I was bullied by my sister. Even without the lord, I hated Anastasia so much that I wanted to kill her.
This seemed to be a very convincing argument to the man, who readily accepted it.
"I see... Indeed. Compared to the sister..."
"The lord told us, 'I am grateful to the carriage driver. I can't reward him openly, but I want to give him a reward.'"
"Really?"
The man's face lit up. Johan also smiled.
"Yes, it's true. And he also said, 'If it weren't for him, I would have had to poison Anastasia myself. He killed her in my place.'
...Jacob, you did nothing wrong. In fact, you will be rewarded. You might even be taken in by Granado Castle."
"Huh!? Haha, that's a bit too good to be true..."
"What are you saying? Look at me, living in the castle. You can