I Have Found the Culprit (1)
I Have Found the Culprit (1)
The Awakening Ceremony proceeded swiftly.
When the Duke declared that I had awakened, the onlookers gasped in amazement, and my mother was overjoyed.
Upon returning to my room, I was told that I would have to undergo a test, just as I had in the previous loops.
After hearing the news, I stepped out of my room.
The test was important, but right now I needed to verify the truth I had uncovered before my last death.
The first person I needed to see was my half-sister, Lady Elena.
No, before that, I had to double-check my facts.
I questioned Flora, who was walking ahead of me.
"Do you still meet with Sister Elena often these days?"
"Of course. Unlike the other young lords, the young lady is always worrying about you, Young Lord. She truly is a kind soul."
Her words left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Is that so? What does she usually ask you?"
"Well, she asks if you are doing well, what you have been up to lately, whether you are having a hard time, things like that. Even after the Awakening Ceremony, she asked what kind of ability you had awakened."
To anyone else, it would sound like nothing more than an elder sister's affectionate concern for her beloved younger brother. In my past lives, I might have been genuinely touched by her interest.
But now that I was looking at it through a lens of suspicion, every single word sounded entirely different.
"But aren't you blabbing about me a bit too easily?"
My words must have carried a bit of an edge. The smile on Flora's face stiffened slightly.
"That is... Ah... I am sorry, Young Lord. I was thoughtless."
She seemed to remember the times when I was still a baby.
Although I had lived peacefully for several years leading up to the Awakening Day, my life had been threatened multiple times before that.
I had even died a few times, but I was the only one who knew that.
I felt I had been too lenient with her lately. I needed to change my approach.
Making people my allies was important, but relying on that alone would turn me into a coddled brat, loved by everyone around him.
I walked on, pondering my next steps, while Flora led the way with a dejected expression.
"Welcome!"
A young girl greeted me with a bright smile in a cute parlor.
It was a luxurious yet adorable parlor, perfectly suited to a duke's daughter.
"This is the first time Alex has come to my parlor, right?"
Since I had sent word ahead, delicious-looking refreshments had been set out on the table in the center of the parlor.
My sister led me by the hand to a chair, and I sat down.
Her personal maid poured the tea, and while she did, Elena gestured animatedly as she continued talking.
"...My heart was pounding so hard as I watched you and Father, Alex. But the moment Father said you had indeed awakened, I was so incredibly happy!"
Her face was still filled with joy.
Could such a kind child have pried for information just to kill me?
Besides, she was still a young child. And not a particularly brilliant one at that.
Still, there were no other suspects.
After that, we made mundane small talk. I gave half-hearted responses while looking for an opportunity to ask my question.
The opportunity presented itself soon enough.
"...Ah! That's right. So, what kind of ability did you awaken? Have you already checked it? Or are you taking some kind of separate test?"
The question had finally come. And it was far from casual.
"Wow, you know quite a lot about awakening, Sister?"
When I asked with an innocent expression, Elena's face turned bright red.
"No, well, that is..."
Hesitating, she playfully stuck out her tongue.
Embarrassed, she leaned forward and spoke in a small voice.
"I don't really know either. Mother told me."
I leaned toward her as well. It was better if the maids didn't hear, so I lowered my voice too.
"The Duchess did?"
"Yeah. After seeing you awaken, Alex, she explained a lot to me. She told me to ask what ability you awakened, saying it might be helpful."
The back of my neck stiffened. I did my best to keep the tension out of my voice as I continued questioning her.
"Then, all those things you asked Flora about before... they weren't your own ideas, Sister?"
At my words, Elena pouted.
"No! Mother did tell me to look into it, but I only did it because I wanted to help you too!"
I stared at my sister, who was passionately defending herself with a flushed face.
There was not a single trace of deceit on her face.
Unless she was an unprecedentedly good con artist or a reincarnator like me, the young girl before me was merely being used.
By her mother.
"Thank you for looking after me all this time."
I hid my stiffened expression and expressed my gratitude to the girl with as much sincerity as I could muster.
"No, there's no need for thanks. As long as we can stay close like this... Hehehe."
I bowed my head and continued speaking.
"If I hadn't known, it would be one thing, but now that I do, I can't just let it slide. I should express my gratitude to the Duchess as well."
"Honestly, Alex, your way of speaking is even stiffer than my older brothers'."
Muttering that, Elena spoke up.
"Should I ask her? Mother will always welcome you, Alex."
"I'll arrange a meeting separately. Ah! That's right. I want to surprise her. Please keep it a secret that I found out."
"Okay! That sounds fun. I wish I could watch too."
"That won't do. I have my test, and you are busy too, Sister. We can set aside some time for the three of us to meet later."
Elena nodded with a disappointed look on her face.
After a bit more small talk, I left her room.
Had she noticed something? Flora looked somewhat confused, but she didn't say a word.
The next day, I underwent the test.
The test took place in the same spot as the first time: the ducal family's training ground behind the Duke's estate.
"Huff, huff, huff. Is the test over now?"
I slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
Miguel and the Knight Commander stared at me in astonishment.
At my words, Miguel quickly replied.
"Ah... Yes. Yes! We have tested your endurance and physical strength by having you run, and we have also assessed your swordsmanship. But your inherited ability is truly remarkable."
Unlike before, I gave this test my absolute all.
I ran with clenched teeth, 'leveling up' several times in the process, and when I swung the sword, I drew on my past memories to deliver the cleanest strikes possible.
Although I had concealed the mana I had accidentally acquired because I couldn't reveal it just yet, everything else was more than enough to shock the two of them.
Was that why?
Unlike before, the Knight Commander, who had stayed until the very end, questioned me in a slightly respectful tone.
"Have you ever learned swordsmanship before?"
I shook my head.
"Huff, huff. You can ask Flora about that. This is the first time I've ever held a sword."
Though it had been well over two months since I first held a sword, the only one who remembered it was me—or rather, my memories.
When I said that, Flora nodded.
"I will report this to the Duke immediately. Hmm, I believe you will continue to receive training in the future."
Unlike before, the Knight Commander also seemed convinced.
"I will look for a capable knight to take charge of the Young Lord's education."
Was it because I had worked too hard? Or because I had swung the sword too well? The Knight Commander made an unexpected proposal.
No, that was a bit much.
It would be troublesome to receive training from another knight right now.
"No, I want to be trained by Sir Miguel here!"
At my sudden shout, the Knight Commander looked bewildered, while Miguel scratched his head.
"Is that really all right?"
At Miguel's bashful reply, the Knight Commander looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"May I report it to the Duke that way?"
"Yes!"
I couldn't let this chance slip by.
I couldn't imagine there being another pushover knight like him in the Duke's estate.
The day after the training ended.
Just as the Knight Commander had said, it was decided that my training would continue.
The training was scheduled to start tomorrow, and today I had to meet the second Duchess, Maria de Gracia.
After paying my respects to my mother, I headed to Duchess Maria's room with Flora.
I braced myself as I walked down the corridor. This was already my third loop.
The pain of death was agonizing enough, but having the exact same life repeat meaninglessly was far more exhausting than I had ever imagined.
This time, I had to bring things to a conclusion.
Yet despite my hardened resolve, the Duchess's parlor was incredibly serene and beautiful when I reached it after crossing the mansion.
"Alex is here. Welcome."
The Duchess was sitting on the sofa in the center of the parlor.
Seeing her wear her usual gentle smile, I felt the certainty I had held until now begin to crumble.
Though my lives had been short, she had always smiled warmly at me.
Aside from my mother, she was the only adult in the ducal family I felt grateful to.
Pull yourself together!
I steadied my wavering resolve once more and bowed my head.
"I greet you, Duchess."
"I told you, you can just call me Maria. You can even call me Mother."
Her playful words enveloped me in warmth.
I bit my lip and took the chair opposite her sofa.
As always, refreshments were laid out on the table before me.
Once I had taken my seat, Flora and the other maids left the parlor, and the Duchess stood up to pour tea into my cup.
That was just like her; she enjoyed personally serving tea to guests she was close to.
'But if things go this way, wouldn't it be easier to have a private conversation?'
Since all the maids had left, the only ones remaining were the Duchess and me.
'No, surely she wouldn't go that far.'
I shook my head inwardly at my overactive imagination and spoke up.
"You have done so much for me, but I haven't been able to properly express my gratitude. Though they are only words, I came to say thank you."
"What are you talking about? I barely did anything."
At her words, I brought up what I had heard from Elena.
"I heard from Sister Elena that you've been looking out for me all this time. I hadn't realized you were watching over me like that, but now that I know, I have to thank you."
"Ah!"
The Duchess's face filled with surprise at my words.
Yet her surprised expression quickly vanished. In its place, her usual smile returned, even brighter than before.
"You found out? I told Elena to hide it well because I was worried it might make things awkward between us. You aren't upset or anything, are you?"
Her gently spoken words made me feel needlessly guilty.
Had I misjudged her? Was there something in between that I was missing?
The more I talked with her, the more confused I became.
Perhaps it was because of the Duchess's gentle aura.
No matter how I looked at her, I could only see a Duchess who loved everyone and was loved by everyone in return.
I couldn't associate her with a sinister schemer trying to kill me.
I'm doomed.
It seemed I had made a mistake. I had to start all over again.
It couldn't have been her.
My mother liked her, the maids liked her, the mansion's servants liked her, the first Duchess's sons liked her, and I liked her too.
Everyone loved the Duchess.
Even our Duke...
Wait.
Did the Duke love her too?
I had definitely heard that, in the beginning, he loved her so much that he forced the marriage through, even though her family was merely a viscounty.
But what about now?
I had never heard any such stories lately.
Did the Duke, true to his cold-blooded nature, simply treat his wives equally at all times?
Or had his love grown cold?
As my thoughts reached that point, a strange sensation washed over me.
The gentle atmosphere in the room began to feel grating.
And the smile on the Duchess's face before me...
...looked somewhat distorted.
Though my guilt over these absurd thoughts grew, I couldn't stop my mind from racing.
And then.
Thump.
An energy began to writhe deep within my body.
That very energy, known as mana, suddenly surged upward.
It passed through my chest, traveled up my throat, enveloped my eyes, and rushed into my head.
In the next instant.
Crack!
An explosive sound echoed inside my head. A stabbing pain surged through me, then vanished.
A worried voice reached my ears, but it sounded entirely different from before. It was no longer warm; instead, it sounded as if she were merely acting.
I raised my head.
The parlor was the same as before, yet it had completely changed.
The gentle air that had filled the room was gone.
A beautiful but cold parlor.
In the center of that parlor, the Duchess was staring at me with a stiff smile.