Chapter 44
“That temper is really something else.”
Chloe tsked, treating the Young Duke MacMilden like an immature brat.
“Sorry, Jeremy. I showed up so suddenly, didn’t I?”
At Chloe’s apology, Jeremy offered a soft smile and shook his head.
“Not at all. I actually sent you a letter, Sister, but got no reply, so I was wondering if I should pay a visit to the Viscount Lloyd household myself.”
“Huh? You sent me a letter? I didn’t receive it.”
“I checked because you said you sent me a letter by express mail that day, but there was no letter addressed in the name of Bianca Lloyd. So I immediately replied that there was nothing—I used express mail, too.”
Chloe’s expression became severely rigid at the fact that not only did the letter she sent fail to reach Jeremy, but his reply hadn’t reached her either. Jeremy, who had grown equally serious, spoke in a low voice.
“It seems someone is intercepting the letters going back and forth between us, Sister. More precisely, I think they’re intercepting letters with the name Bianca Lloyd on them.”
“I guess so.”
It must be that guy, the culprit who killed the maid, secretly followed me from the post office, and left that strange note under the medicine bowl.
“From your expression, it looks like you have a suspect in mind.”
“Well, about that…….”
She briefly hesitated, wondering if she should tell him—it felt like it would worry her cute younger brother too much—but realizing she had to share what she knew to get proper help, she told him everything.
Jeremy’s eyes widened as if they would pop out after hearing the entire story.
“If such dangerous things were happening, you should have told me right away!”
“I didn’t know it would come to this either. And the note only happened the day before yesterday.”
Chloe stroked her chin and asked, almost muttering.
“Judging by how quiet he’s been until now, it doesn’t seem like he wants this woman to die. What could the culprit’s real goal be?”
“Well. Since the note asked why he’d aimed for you, Sister, it seems certain that there was a different original target…… did you find anything else in her diary?”
“No. It was just full of passages about hating someone and wanting revenge, and passionately loving someone.”
But she couldn’t mention that she experienced the diary’s contents through dreams. How could she tell her brother that she was having such lewd dreams? That was a secret she had to take to her grave.
“Dark magic that’s temporarily lifted if a wish is granted…… I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Jeremy muttered with a look of both bewilderment and wonder.
“Could it truly be dark magic?”
“Probably, right? Drawing a magic circle using the blood of a living creature can only be dark magic.”
“That’s true.”
Jeremy’s expression, after nodding, instantly darkened. He lowered his head deeply and spoke in a voice heavy with guilt.
“I looked into dark magic right after returning to the temple…… but I couldn’t find out a single thing. I’m sorry, Sister.”
“No. It’s not your fault, so why are you apologizing? If anything, I should be apologizing. I got caught in a strange scheme and worried you and the family.”
Chloe Elena was taller than Jeremy, but Bianca Lloyd was about the same height, so their eye level was perfectly matched. Jeremy raised his head at Chloe’s comfort, and as their eyes met, he smiled bitterly.
“As expected, I can’t get used to this look.”
“It’s the same for me. I look in the mirror several times a day, but I just can’t get used to it.”
As Chloe grumbled and complained, Jeremy’s smile brightened a little.
“So, did you bring the medicine and the note fragment?”
“Of course. Here.”
Chloe handed the small medicine bottle and the note fragment, which she had carefully kept in her coat pocket, to Jeremy. Jeremy looked bewildered upon seeing the medicine, with only two or three drops remaining, and the fragment, which looked like a completely burnt pile of black ash.
“How…… am I supposed to investigate this?”
“It’s going to be difficult, I suppose?”
“Well, I will certainly attempt it, but…… it doesn’t look like it will be easy.”
For the usually optimistic Jeremy to say that was practically saying it was impossible. Just as she’d feared. Chloe slumped her shoulders in disappointment.
Jeremy, who comforted her by saying something might still turn up and that she shouldn’t be disheartened, shifted the topic to the sapphire Ian had given her.
“By the way, what is this sapphire?”
“Oh, that was something I was trying to pocket as emergency funds…… but wouldn’t you know it, I got caught by that bastard at that exact moment.”
“So you used me as an excuse.”
Jeremy chuckled knowingly, and Chloe smiled awkwardly, scratching her cheek.
“Sorry. Were you offended?”
“No. I was a little flustered, but I’m actually happy it helped you, Sister.”
How could he speak so sweetly? Chloe wanted to hug Jeremy tightly right then and there, but she held herself back, knowing it wouldn’t be right in the body of a strange woman.
“If you need emergency funds, gold coins would be better than a gem, right? I’ll prepare some for you.”
“Huh? No. I can just sell that sapphire and use it.”
“I don’t think that will be possible.”
Jeremy said, after checking the translucent crest engraved on the inside of the sapphire.
“The House of Duke MacMilden’s crest is engraved here.”
“What? Let me see that.”
Although she wasn’t doubting Jeremy, the words were hard to believe, so Chloe checked the sapphire herself.
The House of Duke MacMilden’s crest was truly engraved translucently on the inside of the blue gem. Since it was engraved with magic, it was only visible from a specific angle.
Engraving a family’s crest on a gem or accessory was common practice. It proved ownership and made it easier to track and recover the item if it was stolen by tracing the engraving. For A-grade or higher gems, the crest was engraved on the inside with magic to prevent scratching the surface.
That meant this sapphire was A-grade or higher.
She had thought it was just a cheap gem kept aside like an emergency stash, but it wasn’t. To make matters worse, it even had the crest of the House of Duke MacMilden engraved on it.
An old memory flashed through her mind as she stared at the crest engraved on the sapphire with a bewildered look.
It was clearly around Chloe’s birthday in September of last year. Chloe Elena was quite the celebrity at the Academy and was immensely popular. There were countless people who wanted to be friends with her, regardless of status or gender.
As a result, whenever her birthday approached, presents piled up like a mountain on her desk starting a week in advance.
‘How am I going to carry all of this?’
That day was no different. Ian said gruffly towards Chloe, who was seriously worrying.
‘You can just throw away the useless things, like flower bouquets, even if you take them.’
‘How can I do that? Someone gave this to me after thinking of me.’
As Chloe spoke, almost scolding him that he shouldn’t disregard people’s feelings and sincerity, the corner of Ian’s mouth slanted upward.
It’s not like you’ll remember who gave you what anyway.
Why is your personality so twisted today?
Ian MacMilden’s personality had always been twisted, but today it was worse than usual. Was something wrong? Instead of getting angry at his sarcasm, Chloe looked at Ian with worried eyes.
At that, Ian pressed his lips together, stared at the presents piled on the desk, and then asked her again.
‘Do you remember who gave you what present?’
‘It would be a lie to say I remember everything, but I definitely remember the ones from family or a special person. And I remember special presents, too.’
Before she could finish her sentence, Ian held out a sapphire the size of a pinky fingernail.
‘Then is this a special present?’
‘What is this? Were you just setting the stage to give me a birthday present?’
Chloe let out a small laugh at Ian MacMilden’s uncharacteristic behavior and picked up the sapphire.
Since her birthday was in September, she often received sapphire gifts, but Ian MacMilden was the first jerk to hand it over like a simple stone instead of putting it in a box or a jewelry case.
‘You’re the renowned Young Duke MacMilden, so isn’t the present too small? You should at least give a fist-sized sapphire.’
As Chloe asked playfully while fiddling with the sapphire, Ian let out a small chuckle.
‘That’s hard to use as emergency funds.’
‘Emergency funds?’
‘You said you needed emergency funds to get up to mischief behind your parents’ backs. I thought this size would be perfect to use as emergency funds.’
To think he remembered even that. Chloe was slightly surprised and looked down at the sapphire. She’d thought it was a trivial present, but it wasn’t. Ian MacMilden’s meticulous consideration was contained in this sapphire.
There was only one problem, though.
‘How can you engrave the House of Duke MacMilden’s crest inside the gem when you told me to use it as emergency funds?’
As Chloe asked in bewilderment, Ian was uncharacteristically flustered, took the sapphire, and checked it.
‘What? Looks like you didn’t know either.’
Ian, who confirmed the House of Duke MacMilden’s crest was engraved on the sapphire, nodded with a slightly clouded expression.
‘I’ll prepare a different one and bring it to you.’
‘It’s fine. I’ll just keep this one.’
She wasn’t so hard up for money that she had to return a gift he’d prepared specifically with her in mind, and she wouldn’t be using a birthday present as emergency funds anyway, so there was no need for the hassle.
Chloe stood in front of the window and held up the sapphire. The blue color, bathed in the warm autumn sunlight, sparkled with a chilling beauty.
‘It’s definitely a special present. A special present I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.’
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