Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Delphina discreetly slipped him a Rosentaria silver coin, which I had instructed her to procure by selling some of my dowry. The Captain’s expression shifted. He rubbed the coin between his fingers, glanced around, and then pocketed it.
“Nobody wants to talk about this.” His gruff tone hinted at some underlying worry, but he couldn’t back down now, not after accepting the bribe. “Tell me everything about that day.”
With a stern expression, I asked him about the morning the Peregrino daughter was found. The Captain blinked several times.
“We were on high alert when we entered the bridal chamber that day.”
“Why?”
He sighed, pulled out a rosary from under his tunic, and made the sign of the cross. The hypocrisy, after accepting a bribe, struck me as absurd. “The previous candidates had died… There was already talk of a curse, so it was only natural.”
A curse. Not the answer I wanted, but I nodded for him to continue. He shuddered dramatically. “And the scene… it was horrific. Blood everywhere. Truly…”
He shook his head and waved his hands dismissively. “Cause of death?”
“Th-that’s…” I studied him. He was clearly hiding something. Beads of sweat rolled down his flushed cheeks. “A c-curse, of course.” Frustration welled up.
“What kind of curse?” The Captain’s eyes widened. He darted his gaze back and forth, clearly flustered. “I-I don’t know. A perfectly healthy young woman suddenly dies… how could we know?” I pressed further, keeping my voice calm.
“You said there was a lot of blood. Were there any injuries? Was the body examined?”
He shifted uneasily. “Of course. Any death within the palace grounds is investigated.”
“And there was nothing unusual?” The Captain lowered his head. “I can assure you… the body was pristine. Not a single mark.”
“No marks, but she bled?”
“Th-that was because of the… curse.” He trailed off, avoiding my gaze. It all came down to a curse. Impossible. In my dream, she’d collapsed after ingesting a deadly poison. But I couldn’t mention poison here. I might be seen as the crazy one if I spoke of things I couldn’t prove. I changed tack.
“What about her family? Their daughter died under such strange circumstances. Didn’t they raise any questions?”
She was the only daughter of House Peregrino, wasn’t she? What family would simply accept such a death? The Captain offered a sly smile. “I’m sure the Marquisate received ample compensation.”
“…Compensation.” A sharp pain twisted in my gut. Seeing my reaction, the Captain stammered, “I-I really don’t know anything. I-I have to go, it’s my shift change.” He waddled away. I watched him go.
“Compensation,” I muttered. They’d silenced the family with money. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. I interviewed several other servants—those who had found the bodies or witnessed the deaths of the previous candidates. They all echoed the same refrain, their eyes wide with feigned surprise: I don’t know. It was a curse.
I have nothing to do with it. With each identical answer, my resolve crumbled. My steps grew heavier, until I was practically dragging my feet. “Are you alright, Your Highness?”
My legs ached after a day of traversing the palace. I massaged my swollen calves. “I didn’t expect to find so few clues.”
“It’s a delicate subject. People are hesitant to speak of such unsettling matters.”
“I wish I could speak to their families.”
But I had no reason to contact them. I’d had no prior connection to them, and it would be highly inappropriate for the current Crown Princess to meet with the families of the deceased candidates.
“I’m afraid that would be difficult.”
“They’re hiding something.”
“….”
Delphina lowered her head silently. My mind was a tangled mess, but one thing had become clear.
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