Chapter 86
Chapter 86. Aina, Please Explain Yourself
Rol departed the sitting room together with Serela.
"Are we moving on to the next step? I'm coming too!"
After stuffing every last pastry on the tea table into her mouth, Anya's lingering sulk had finally dissipated by a good measure. She wiped her hands, hurriedly rose, and fell into step behind Rol and Serela.
The three of them arrived at the room adjacent to the sitting room. Rol swept a glance across the assembled staff and announced in a clear voice: "Members of the Duke's household — thank you for your cooperation. I now have a thorough grasp of the situation. You may all return to your posts."
"I give you my assurance that the true mastermind behind the attempts on Luo Nan von Medillion's life will be found with all due haste."
"Captain Grego, in a moment please receive the visitors from the Arcane Association and escort them to Miss Peini's location……" Rol leaned close to Grego's ear and murmured the rest.
"Mm, understood. No problem." Grego gave a nod, then turned and left the room to receive the Arcane Association's professionals.
Rol stepped across to where maidservant Pati and maidservant Aina stood, and addressed Pati: "Miss Pati, I have one further request."
"Please go ahead." Maidservant Pati maintained her usual demeanor, expression unreadable.
"Would it be possible for me to……have a look at Luo Nan von Medillion's bedchamber?" Rol voiced his request.
"For what reason? The Young Master's bedchamber is not somewhere just anyone may enter."
As one of the highest-ranking rooms in the Medillion Duke Manor, Luo Nan's bedchamber naturally could not be opened to outsiders without good cause.
Rol understood this perfectly — under normal circumstances, his current standing would make entry impossible. But right now……Serela was right beside him.
"Miss Pati, what Mr. Rol means is that he intends to conduct a further search of Luo Nan's room for leads, in order to advance the investigation."
Even without any signal from Rol, Serela had read the situation and stepped in with a reason of her own accord. She continued: "In my name — may I ask that you bring us to Luo Nan's bedchamber to conduct the case investigation?"
'Serela, worthy of you!'
'I knew you would understand my meaning.'
'Unlike a certain "Hero" who can't even follow simple conversation.'
Thinking this, Rol couldn't help but steal a glance behind him at Anya, who was busy scrutinizing the large wall-hanging and the vase in the room.
"Since it is Your Highness's request, but of course." Pati nodded in assent.
"Please follow me."
……
Luo Nan's bedchamber.
As the eldest legitimate son of the current Duke Medillion, Luo Nan von Medillion's status was as noble as it could be.
Further considering the authority of Duke Medillion — the "Ironheart Duke" — and the power the family held, one could say that Luo Nan's actual standing yielded little even to that of the imperial princes.
Yet his bedchamber was surprisingly plain and unadorned. Beyond the status-befitting essential furnishings and one enormous bed, there was not a single unnecessary statue or ornament, nor any other lavish decoration.
"So this is that fellow Luo Nan's bedchamber? First time I've seen it!"
Anya, the last to enter Luo Nan's bedchamber, came in and immediately looked left and right, her expression suggesting she wanted to imprint every detail of the room in her mind.
"Miss Anya, you're quite interested in Luo Nan's bedchamber?" Catching Anya's curiosity from the corner of her eye, Serela remarked casually.
Anya reached out and touched Luo Nan's writing desk, feeling the texture of the agarwood. "Hm? No no, I'm not interested in Luo Nan's bedchamber, I'm just……just interested in the bedchambers of the great nobility!"
The girl hastened to explain herself to Serela, terrified of some misunderstanding arising.
Rol did not join in the two ladies' exchange. He focused his mind, and through his "Magic-Sight" talent began a careful survey of the bedchamber interior.
If everything were normal, then through his Magic-Sight, the colorless current of Magic would be uniformly distributed and clinging to the room's floor.
He knew there was a defensive magic array beneath the floorboards.
"Something's wrong — there's a problem!"
Rol strode quickly to the bedside and stared intently at the carpet below and the bedding on top.
Both spots……were unmistakably tinged with an abnormal color.
That was not Magic.
That was Abyssal aura!
Rol's eyes sharpened, his brow furrowed, and his expression turned pensive.
"Mr. Rol, have you found something?"
Serela had noticed Rol's gravity. She moved to his side and asked softly.
Rol did not respond to Serela. Instead, he turned to face Pati — the maidservant standing expressionlessly by the doorway — and asked: "Miss Pati, I'd like to ask……who has been responsible for cleaning Luo Nan's bedchamber these past two days?"
He actually already knew the answer, but the necessary process still had to be followed.
"It was Aina. Aina Anjiru." Pati answered without hesitation.
"Would you be able to call her over? I have some questions I'd like to ask her."
"Certainly."
Knock knock knock —
"Sister Pati, you called me……you called me here, is something the matter?"
The little maidservant Aina, summoned in a hurry, arrived with her chest rising and falling slightly from the exertion. Her modestly developed bust rose and fell with her breath; the faint contours and fair pallor, cast in the warm-toned light of the bedchamber, were sharply defined by light and shadow — a rather attractive sight.
"Mr. Rol has something he wishes to ask you."
"Mr. Rol?" Aina turned her head toward Rol, and for some reason she found this tall detective gentleman strikingly familiar — strikingly……intimate.
This feeling, she had only ever experienced with the Young Master.
Especially after the Young Master came back that evening from the welcome banquet held by Princess Serela — that sense of closeness originating from somewhere deep in the soul had grown ever more pronounced.
‘No no, he's not the Young Master, I have to keep them straight!’ The little maidservant gave her head a little shake, quietly correcting herself.
Rol focused his attention on Aina and, having confirmed there was not the slightest trace of Abyssal aura on her, smiled slightly and spoke:
"It's like this, Miss Aina — Miss Pati tells me that you have been responsible for tidying and cleaning Luo Nan's bedchamber these past few days. Is that correct?"
"Yes — yes, that was me."
Aina didn't think much of it and answered straightaway. In her mind, being the one to help the Young Master tidy his room was work that could only belong to her — it was something she took pride in, and no one else……was permitted.
"Mm." Rol nodded, then drew a transparent crystal from his pocket and placed it on the bed. "This is an Abyssal Detection Sample — it is extremely sensitive to Abyssal aura."
As he spoke, the originally transparent crystal gradually took on a wriggling, abyss-colored tinge.
"So……Miss Aina, can you explain why Luo Nan's bedchamber would contain Abyssal aura?"
"The Abyss?"
Upon hearing that word, everyone present — Serela included — froze, their faces betraying shock.
"Wait wait wait wait — Mr. Rol, are you saying……that Luo Nan's room contains Abyssal aura?"
Anya was the first to find it unbelievable. As a direct participant in Luo Nan's two assassination attempts, she knew full well that the assassins were followers who worshipped the Abyssal Great Lords — and now……
Luo Nan's room was actually tainted with Abyssal aura?
Could it be that the mastermind had already extended their reach to Luo Nan's side?
No wonder the moment he stepped out this afternoon, the second assassination had come for him.
Even with Anya's intelligence, she instantly grasped the gravity of the situation.
"The quality of the Detection Sample in my hand should not be in question." Rol responded with a blank expression, then continued to fix his gaze on the somewhat flustered maidservant Aina.
"Miss Aina, can you give me a reasonable explanation?"
"I — I……I don't understand……I don't know why there would be Abyssal……Abyssal aura — I clearly……followed every standard in the Maid's Glory Handbook when I cleaned……"
The girl's upper body curled inward, both arms tucking tight, head lowering, a pair of large emerald eyes shimmering with the glint of tears.