Episode 102
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 102
Chapter 8: Case 3: tout contact laisse une trace
Elysia squinted at the mountain of clothes hanging in her room. What is this, the scene of a shopping spree?
She’d had a bad feeling when Siene grabbed her hand and said they were just popping into town for a bit. But Siene had claimed she was going to buy art supplies, so Elysia, as her patron, had agreed. “I’ll go with you, then,” she’d said, taking her hand.
The moment they took an unfamiliar route, Elysia had thought, Huh? In the next instant, Siene had abruptly changed their destination to a clothing store and shoved her into a fitting room.
“What is this?”
“I can’t stand it anymore. We’re buying you some clothes today.”
“What nonsense is this? I have plenty of clothes.”
“Yes, I’ve seen them all, and there wasn’t a single thing I liked.”
…That was a week ago. And that massive shopping trip had now snowballed into an avalanche of deliveries that filled her entire room.
As servants bustled about, putting everything away, Siene sat down next to her and chattered away, handing her a few sheets of paper.
“From now on, dress according to the combinations drawn here. I’ve organized everything to match, from hats to shoes.”
“Isn’t this a bit much…?”
“You walking around dressed like a beggar is what’s much. I avoided anything too flashy so it wouldn’t clash with your personality, so at least wear this stuff.”
“What do you mean, like a beggar?”
“I’d rather die than see people find fault with you.”
Find fault? Elysia raised a thick eyebrow, and Siene pouted.
“A rumor has spread that Senior Sylvester has been accepted back into his family.”
“Ah…”
“Which means he’s back on the list of desirable husband candidates.”
Elysia immediately understood. True, if I were a parent, he’s the kind of man I’d want my daughter to marry. Looks, personality, family background—he wasn’t lacking in any department. It was impossible not to covet him. As Elysia nodded, Siene poked her in the waist.
“But the way that senior looks at you makes it obvious what’s going on between you two.”
That was also true. Evan expressed his affection for Elysia at every opportunity. He would stare at her intently before suddenly showering her face with light kisses, and his beaming smile whenever their eyes met was proof enough.
Siene, who often found herself next to them when these displays happened, was the primary victim.
“It means a group of people might form with the sole purpose of tearing you down.”
“Can’t I just beat them up?”
Siene, who almost instinctively agreed with a ‘Good point,’ quickly furrowed her brow and shouted.
“Of course not!”
“I’ll try, but if they keep getting in my face, I might actually hit them.”
With an indifferent expression, Elysia carefully took the papers from Siene and tucked them onto a bookshelf. The two sat side-by-side on the sofa, staring into space for a while.
“Oh, right.”
It was then that Siene clapped her hands as if remembering something. Pointing toward the desk, she stretched and said.
“The person who came up to help organize a minute ago told me. Said they were letters for you?”
♥ SYSTEM: You have ‘3’ unread mail! Would you like to check? Yes | No ♥
As if on cue with Siene’s words, a notification window popped up, making Elysia tilt her head. Three of them?
The first letter was from Lucian. Skimming past the trivial greetings, she got straight to the point.
「I finally have some time, so I think I can start on that project Siene passed on to me.
Since I have to draw a portrait based on your words, I’ll need you to provide the information first. Send a document with a rough summary to this address. Once the sketch is done, I’ll show it to you and we can make revisions.
P.S. I think the final piece would be of higher quality if Siene Reve came along.
…Just saying.」
“Wow, this sly dog.”
Elysia tapped her nail against the postscript, which was dripping with ulterior motives, and let out a disbelieving laugh. She tossed the letter onto the desk and tore open the second one.
Her puzzled expression at the unfamiliar address soon softened when she spotted a familiar name. At the very bottom of the letter was Ian Sylvester’s signature. The contents were brief, befitting a soldier.
「Record, September 2nd, 1849.
1. I have made contact with the Linton family. When I mentioned I was introduced by ‘Elysia Hemming,’ they cooperated immediately. Although this war has dragged on longer than necessary and has had little effect on national sentiment, they are still a family from an enemy nation. I expected contact to be difficult, so things progressed surprisingly quickly.
While they are a family that suffered damages from Alma Heron, this level of swift cooperation is unusual. It seems to be your doing, so I thank you.
2. In partnership with the Linton family, we are conveying our opinions to the city guard and coordinating the crackdown process. It seems we will need that drawing you called a composite sketch, so I ask for it at your earliest convenience.
3. One related individual died during pursuit. The total number of related deaths is now four. We must approach this with caution, so I advise you to be careful as well.
Ian Sylvester.」
So the heat is on. And witnesses keep getting eliminated. At this rate, even Lucian could be in danger. It seemed it would be better to deliver the information in person rather than by letter.
“They say to strike while the iron is hot. Should I go now?”
Putting down the letter, Elysia hurriedly prepared to leave. Just as she was about to throw on a random dress and head out, Siene quietly snatched her, stood her back in front of the wardrobe, and placed the bundle of papers she’d given her earlier neatly in her hands. With one chilling remark.
“If you go out looking like that, I’ll kill you.”
Startled into submission, Elysia chose an outfit according to the papers. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to her, she turned around.
“You want to come?”
“Where?”
“To the House of Violante. I’m going to commission the drawing.”
“Umm…”
Siene didn’t look particularly thrilled. Elysia tore up the envelope she was holding and said flatly.
“They’re a rich family, right? Let’s go and get what we can out of them.”
“Why must you phrase it like that…”
As Siene shook her head in exasperation, Elysia asked.
“So, you don’t want to?”
“No. Let’s go. Rumor has it they own enough paintings to rival a gallery. Like you said, we should take what we can get.”
Placing the unread letter on her desk, Elysia walked briskly toward the door. It closed with a thud, and silence fell upon the room.
A breeze drifted over the last letter, which Elysia had opened but not read. The paper fluttered, revealing a familiar recipient’s name and a sentence written in a frantic hand.
「Lady of Minerva,
Please help me. Something strange is happening. I couldn’t think of anyone else to ask for help.
Zenia Morris.」
*
Lucian watched with a drained expression as his demanding client scrutinized the painting with the eyes of a hawk. Finally satisfied, Elysia rolled up the finished artwork and tucked it under her arm.
“Done. I’ll deliver this myself.”
“You could just send a servant.”
“I told you before, didn’t I? Several people connected to this case have died.”
Ah, right. Lucian recalled what Elysia had told him with a serious expression before he had started painting.
“What you’re about to draw is the face of a murderer and the head of a criminal organization that distributes illegal drugs. The subordinates we captured all died under mysterious circumstances during interrogation. Therefore, the fact that you drew this picture will be kept an absolute secret.”
“…What is this all of a sudden?”
“I really don’t like asking an acquaintance for such a difficult favor, but it’s not something I can entrust to just anyone. To be honest, Siene was the first person who came to mind, but considering her family background, I figured it would be better if you drew it.”
“Why?”
“Because the level of security you’re afforded is on a different dimension.”
After long deliberation, he had accepted. He trusted her promise to never reveal the artist’s identity, and with the Sylvester family also pursuing the organization, he judged it was safe enough to get involved.
Besides, as Elysia had said, the Violante family was not one to easily show weakness.
Standing with a slight slouch, Elysia double-checked the string tying the rolled-up painting and spoke with a displeased look.
“But still.”
“What is it this time?”
“Aren’t you being a little too obvious about trying to keep her here?”
She said it while looking at Siene’s empty seat.
Elysia recalled how Lucian had looked at her with an indifferent face when she’d arrived unannounced, only for his expression to brighten the moment Siene appeared from behind her.
It had gotten worse once they moved to his studio. He had immediately pressed a set of solid watercolor paints that Siene had been eyeing into her hands and even suggested they go shopping for supplies together next time.
I said we should get what we can, but I didn’t think we’d clean him out this well. The man was literally making a move on her in his own studio.
What is that sly bastard doing to an innocent girl? In truth, however, that barely even counted as a move. As he was finishing the painting, Lucian had uttered the fateful words.
“Want to see the gallery before you go?”
That was when a crazed look had entered Siene’s eyes. Announcing that she would go look around first and that he should show her more when he was done, Siene had dashed out.
Elysia, who was now suddenly heading home alone, ground her teeth. She stood up first and said.
“If you don’t send her home on time, I’ll kill you.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll see her home safely.”
“Don’t go sweet-talking an innocent girl into anything weird.”
Lucian, who had kept his mouth shut as if suppressing his irritation, asked back, his pride clearly wounded.
“Do you think I’m… anything to her?”
“No?”
“How could I be trying to sweet-talk her when she doesn’t even see me as a man?”
Ah… right. Sensing something off in Lucian’s resigned tone, Elysia asked.
“What, you’d already given up? Then why were you trying to woo her like that?”
“I was just being nice.”
“You practically handed over everything in your studio and even offered a tour of the gallery.”
“That’s… because it would be helpful for her art.”
A natural question arose.
“Didn’t you used to hate her paintings?”
He answered with a bitter smile.
“I did. Because they were too brilliant.”