Aiden, who was beside me, answered for me while I stood still, unable to speak. Rex hesitated and nodded.
Aiden murmured, âWhat day is it today?â and pulled closer and hugged me. Although I could tell he was trying to calm me down first, I assumed he must be confused himself.
âBut why do they want to meet you?â
As he patted my shoulder, Aiden uttered these words. He spoke in a somewhat irritated tone.
âBecause we were the last people to meet Baron Bruno.â
âHa, maybe I should have gone.â
âNo, I think it was appropriate for you to be in the castle given that the Grand Duke awoke today.â
âWhatâs going on with our youngest.. Mary, are you okay?â
Aiden gave me a worried-looking look as he and Rex were conversing.
I nodded weakly. I didnât want to cause any more concern amidst the chaotic situation, but I couldnât help but feel exhausted.
âIf itâs too much for you, Iâll come and see them.â
âNo, letâs go togetherâŠâ
âDonât push yourself.â
âNo. Itâs not like Iâm not acquainted with Baron Bruno, so of course I have to cooperate.â
It would have been nice if we werenât acquainted.
But something still seemed off. Undoubtedly, they were the same person I had been speaking with just moments earlierâŠ
Of course, I didnât have good feelings for Baron Bruno, but it was strange to think that I would never see him again.
After making such a desperate plea to find Sophia Bruno, I canât believe he did so easily?
âUh, are you okay?â
As I walked, lost in my thoughts about Baron Bruno, my leg became tangled, causing me to stagger for a moment, but Aidenâs expression, who supported me by the side, became serious.
If it had been normal, he would have teased me for being flimsy, but instead, he appeared concerned about the condition of my ankle.
âDoes your ankle hurt if I touch it?â
âNo. Itâs just a little slip.â
âBe careful. No, seriously, your ankle can fit in my hand. Itâs so fragile.â
Aidan clicked his tongue, appearing dissatisfied with how my ankle could fit in his one hand as he examined it .
Maybe itâs because you have big hands. Feeling awkward for no reason, I slipped my ankle out of Aidenâs hand. Itâs not the time to do this.
âPeople will be waiting.â
âSister, Iâll go alone.â
âYes, Mary. You donât have to go.â
âNo.â
Once more, Aiden and Rex attempted to stop me, but I simply shook my head.
If I went into the room and rested, I felt my mind would be filled with the thoughts of the Grand Duke, which would only make me more uneasy.
However, why did Baron Bruno suddenly commit suicide?
Baron Brunoâs eyes twinkled as if he had seen his last hope when I earlier promised that I would find a way to bring Sofia Bruno back.
It was difficult to imagine that the same individual would come to such a conclusion on their own.
I felt like he wouldnât die until we found Sophia.
âAt a time when father is not completelyâŠâŠ.â
As we headed to the hall where the servant was waiting, Aiden murmured in a troubled manner. The moment I heard the murmur, my heart ached.
I suddenly felt like a sailing ship adrift on a vast ocean; there is no Grand Duke Estin to help me now, no matter what happens.
I have Aidan and Rex by my side, and if necessary, Gilbert or Theodore, and even Lucas would support me wholeheartedly. ButâŠ
You said youâd clear out any obstacles in my pathâŠâŠ.
It may be presumptuous, but I resent Grand Duke Estin for losing his memory, and the kindness in his eyes as he looked at Tia Bluea.
I should be grateful that Grand Duke Estin woke up like this, but how can he lose his memory?
With a complex heart, I arrived at the hall, where the man who seemed to be an employee of Baron Bruno and Logan were engaged in a serious conversation. It seemed that Logan talked to Baron Brunoâs man first because he used to be his aide.
âOh, youâre here.â
I greeted them politely, noting their grim faces.
Come to think of it, Logan was the baronessâ sister. He must be more confused than anyone else here.
âThank you for forgiving us for coming to the Grand Duchy on such short notice. I will not forget your kindness for opening the castle gate. There is something written about Grand Princess Conler in the will, so I thought I should show it. And since you were the last person he talked to, before heâŠâŠ.â
He was pale as if he was sorry to have come to the Grand Duchy in a hurry. I was a little surprised too when I found my name in Baron Brunoâs will.
Baron Bruno suddenly stopped his carriage and disappeared, saying he wanted to take a walk along the river banks.
He left a will inside the carriage. With trembling hands, I took the note from the servant.
The note was obviously written in a hurry. Logan, who peeked at the note beside me, spoke.
âThatâs the baronâs handwriting.â
Itâs not a pleasant thing to read someoneâs suicide note, but I was curious about Baron Brunoâs mental state.
The contents of the suicide note were simple. The main content was that he could not live after losing his only daughter.
There were also brief reflections and regrets about his younger sister. It was so plausible. Therefore, I felt even more uncomfortable.
And there was a firm request not to dig into Sofiaâs whereabouts, with a sincere apology for changing his mind.
He hoped there were no more sacrifices, and he said he would pay for the sins he had committed in hell.
âWas the Grand princess, by any chance, able to find out the whereabouts of Lady Sofia?â
I hesitated for a moment at the servantâs question. Baron Bruno had said something about it all being up to me, but I was still trying to figure out how.
But why did he suddenly change his mind like this? Thinking back to his glistening gaze earlier, he wasnât someone who would easily change his mind. No matter how much I thought about it, it didnât make sense.
He showed such an immense obsession in finding Sophia, so it was unthinkable that he made this choice. It bothered me more because he was a person I just talked to.
Moreover, the last time we saw him, he was not the Baron Bruno we usually see, but just a father worried about his daughter. My stomach sank a little as my mind naturally thought of Grand Duke Estin.
âHuh?â
Looking at the contents of the suicide note with mixed feelings, I found a very small X at the corner of the note.
âNow, please return itâŠâ
As I stuck my nose in the note in panic, the servant fidgeted and held out his hand. I handed it over as if possessed.
âThank you for your cooperation.â
âI didnât help much.â
The baronâs servant eventually left, unable to resolve his frustration.
When Aiden muttered that he hoped they wouldnât come back hastily like this again, they hurriedly left, leaving only apologies behind.
As soon as they were gone, Logan grabbed my shoulder and asked.
âWhat was written in the suicide note earlier? Can you find Lady Sofia?â
âItâs just⊠Baron Bruno asked me to find Sofia, and he also mentioned his sister in the noteâŠâŠ.â
âThat was it? Why did he ask you to find Sofia Bruno?â
I looked away at Loganâs sharp question. My mind was racing.
Having seen the âXâ sign on the note, I was certain that Baron Bruno didnât take his own life on his own.
âThe note said not to look for Sofia anymore.â
I didnât want to talk about this topic any more. Logan looked like he wanted to say something, but when I continued to evade him, he finally gave up and turned away.
As I turned to leave, Rex grabbed me.
âYouâre not going to tell Logan?â
âYes, never.â
âWhy not? You know, youâre in danger right now and so is the Grand Duke.â
âRex.â
Rex, who was trying to persuade me with an earnest voice, looked at me with his blue eyes. Those sparkling blue eyes were as transparent as a pristine sea.
âYou know, if I ever disappearâŠâ
âIâll go talk to Mr. Logan.â
âWait!â
Rexâs expression hardened at once when I brought up the supposition. I turned around and desperately held onto Rexâs arm.
âNo, donât tell him.â
âThen should I tell brother Gilbert?â
âNeverâŠâŠ. Donât tell anyone.â
âWhatâs going on?â
âActually, I wish youâd forget.â
Logan knows a lot about the underworld. X killed Baron Bruno. He left a mark in the suicide note that I could recognize.
Donât let anyone else know about Sofiaâs whereabouts anymore. It was a warning to me.
âEvery time sister does something like this, I reallyâŠâŠ.â
âRex, no.â
âIt breaks my heart because Iâm still like a little kid.â