The Cursed Land
"Do fairies know how to cast curses too?"
At Rood's question, Isabelle answered.
"Abandoning the nature they once managed and leaving is itself a kind of curse."
Isabelle sighed as she gazed at the meadow dotted with black blades of grass. The land abandoned by fairies tended to become desolate before long. If many fairies departed from a territory where farmland made up most of the area, it would trigger a phenomenon akin to a curse in and of itself.
"Of course, since fairies live through nature as their medium, they are also a race skilled in sorcery."
Fairies considered the joy and happiness of cultivating the nature they wished to resemble as one of life's greatest pleasures. If they abandoned even that happiness and left, and if they left behind a mark, the curse would swell until it brought misfortune across the entire territory.
"In short, the leaves turning black is a sign that they are angry. If this rage has spread to multiple places, it means the target of the curse is not an individual."
The field of grass dyed black continued for several minutes as seen from the carriage. From the fact that it was not merely a localized phenomenon, Isabelle quickly deduced the situation.
"Then why exactly are the fairies so enraged?"
"Well, I cannot say for certain... but does it not seem deeply related to the phenomenon where only people's existence vanishes?"
At Isabelle's words, Rood gave a slight nod. The wife had commissioned Isabelle because of the bizarre occurrence where she could not remember what kind of person her own maid had been. As Isabelle had initially inferred, fairies did play pranks using human memories from time to time, but such effects had never persisted nearly permanently before.
"If fairies become enraged, is it possible for them to completely erase memories?"
"No. For a single person, perhaps, but to edit memories from multiple people—especially only regarding their identities—is artificial. And disturbingly so."
Isabelle rolled her eyes. It was a phenomenon connected to fairies, yet difficult to believe the fairies themselves had caused it. However, if one hypothesis were established, a naturally impossible event could be easily explained. What if humans were using the power of fairies to freely manipulate people's memories?
Isabelle closed her eyes and shook her head, ending her train of thought.
But that is impossible for several reasons. I must not jump to conclusions.
Isabelle eventually shook her head and spoke to Rood.
"I still do not know the exact details. We will need to hear more from the wife."
At Isabelle's reply, Rood nodded lightly. Before they knew it, the carriage had arrived before the city's gates.
The carriage crossed the wide-open road and entered the grounds of a luxurious mansion. Rood had not intended to compare them, but he still noticed the differences from the Voenac family mansion where Isabelle lived. Grand and opulent decorations, a three-story building, and annexes extending like wings on both sides for the main residence and servants' quarters. While the Voenac mansion had all three elements clustered within a single structure, this place resembled the palace of a small kingdom, prompting Rood to let out a short sigh of astonishment.
Upon entering the mansion's interior, Rood narrowed his eyes at the decorations embroidered with gold and crystal. Behind marble busts stood a row of portraits depicting their subjects, lining the corridor. It's so dazzling it hurts the eyes.
This was the residence of one of the few ducal houses in the Kingdom Alliance, belonging to someone who had risen to the position of Minister of Finance. For the dwelling of a high-ranking official within the Alliance, this scale was quite appropriate.
"You've arrived..."
Rood was surprised upon meeting the lady of the splendid castle once more—the very wife who had requested the commission from Isabelle. Her face was far more haggard than when they had first seen her. With one corner of her lip trembling, she forced a smile of relief. It was not an expression that seemed to belong to someone living in such a lavish mansion.
"I greet you, Lady Mallet, the noble mistress of Helpm Territory."
"Enough with the formalities. Follow me. Leave the servants behind."
"Lady Mallet, if I may be so bold, would it be acceptable to bring one person with me?"
When Isabelle bowed her head, the duchess glared at Rood standing behind her.
"Yes, tell him to follow. The situation is urgent."
Rood followed Isabelle into the drawing room. The wife took the seat of honor, Isabelle sat at the far end of the long sofa to the left of the seat of honor, and Rood stood behind Isabelle.
"Lady Mallet, has something unfortunate been happening in the territory?"
The moment Isabelle spoke first, the wife jumped in surprise and asked,
"Who told you? No, I was certain I had kept it secret..."
"It was not something I heard from anyone. I simply saw it on the way here."
When Isabelle briefly explained how she had observed the interior of the territory from the carriage, the duchess let out a laugh as if astonished.
"A problem has arisen that cannot even be compared to such trivial things. The commoners' lives have become a little harsher, yet everyone is making such a fuss about it."
Derision.
As expected, that's what nobles are like.
Rood clicked his tongue inwardly. Even if the lives of the vast majority of those living in her territory were in crisis, she paid them no mind. Rood once again felt a sense of revulsion toward the numerous artworks and decorations hanging throughout the mansion.
Even as he thought this, Rood glanced once at Isabelle. Would Isabelle be any different?
Rood had believed Isabelle was different from other nobles. She did not treat those beneath her harshly. She remembered each of their lives. But in the end, as a noble, she could not help but hold a position that set her apart from commoners. Honestly, Rood could not be certain that if he had been a noble, he would have cherished commoners and regarded them as precious beings any differently than they did.
No. Even if he did cherish them, he could not claim he would treat them without drawing a distinction between commoners and nobles. Rather, would he not interpret his own goodwill from the perspective that a magnanimous person such as himself was graciously embracing them?
Isabelle did not refute the wife's words and simply asked in a relaxed tone.
"What is this even more difficult matter you speak of?"
"Recently, several disappearance cases have occurred within the city. In every instance, like my own maid, we do not know who they were, yet they were definitely people who had existed."
The wife continued.
"However... starting about a week ago, they stopped being simple disappearances and became murder cases. Serial murders, to be precise."
"It seems you're quite troubled by these serial killings. By any chance, are these incidents related to the commission?"
The wife rose from her seat as if shuddering.
"According to the investigation, the victims remained in other people's memories. It was simply... horrific."
At the wife's words, Isabelle bit her lip and muttered.
"To commit crimes in such a manner."
Rood felt goosebumps rise all over his body as he watched Isabelle's expression. Even though it was a murder case, the corners of her mouth were lifted in a smile.
"How interesting."
"Pardon? What did you just say, Lady Solver?"
"It is nothing, madam. Nothing at all."
Isabelle waved her hand and claimed she had said nothing of importance, but Rood, who was close by, had heard it clearly.
Interesting.
The moment he heard those words, Rood thought that the Isabelle he knew and her true self might be completely different people.
Even stories of people living and dying might be nothing more than entertainment to this person.
Perhaps it was the same as when she had taken the mad dog who had rolled across battlefields as her personal guard knight. The suspicion arose that she might have shown interest in that guard knight several times, pretended to give him her heart, all while simply treating him as a way to relieve her boredom.
"In any case, I would like to slightly change the terms of the commission. Would that be acceptable?"
At the wife's request, Isabelle readily agreed.
"Are you saying you wish to change the condition to capturing that murderer, Lady Mallet?"
"O-of course. I will reward you with something even more valuable than a ticket to Tleque."
Isabelle shook her head at the wife's words.
"No. That ticket is absolutely necessary to me. Therefore, there is no need for you to offer anything else of value."
"As someone from a ducal house, I cannot commit such an act of rudeness. You must at least take something as a token."
Faced with the wife's stubborn attitude, Isabelle pondered for a moment before speaking.
"In that case, under the condition of capturing the murderer, would it be acceptable for me to take one item I desire from Helpm's treasury?"
"Yes, let us do that. However..."
Lady Mallet let out a long sigh.
"Not everything. There are items that belong to my husband as well. I will set the condition that you may only choose from within the warehouse I permit."
"Understood. If I catch the culprit under the revised conditions, I will receive my reward as an item from within the warehouse."
"Very well. Until the matter is resolved, you may stay in the mansion's main annex. Now, you may withdraw."
The wife covered her mouth with one hand and let out a small gasp.
"Oh, and make sure to instruct that servant you keep with you to keep his mouth shut. I wish to keep these serial murders as secret as possible."
The wife stared directly at Rood as she urged Isabelle to keep her promise.
"We shall take our leave."
Isabelle exited the drawing room and, guided by a rather elderly steward, headed toward the annex. Rood followed behind her.
"Tsk."
Rood clicked his tongue as he walked down the corridor.
"Hm? What is it, Rood?"
"It is nothing."
"Come now, do not be like that. Tell me what you are holding inside. It is obvious you have something on your mind."
Rood nearly spat out the words he had been suppressing in a surge of emotion. He had almost asked if the matter of people living and dying was amusing to her. If the lives of commoners were worth less than those of nobles. If every appearance of hers that he had seen in the territory had all been an act.
"It really is nothing."
"I-is that so? You seem angry for some reason..."
I really cannot trust her.
He could not even imagine the Isabelle who had just been smiling while listening to the story of serial murders. Rood looked down at her with her innocent eyes and restless demeanor.
"We have arrived. Excluding the other servants, the two of you will be staying here."
After finishing his guidance, the servant from Helpm Territory bowed and departed.
"Let us go inside."
"Wait. I have not yet been assigned a bedroom to stay in. I will go ask and return."
Isabelle looked at Rood as if puzzled.
"But Rood. Did you not just receive guidance?"
"What do you mean?"
"Here. From now on, you must stay with me in this room for the time being."
Excuse me? What did you just say?