Chapter 55
*
There is such a superstition in the Empire.
If you fall asleep clutching someone else's belonging, you'll dream of that person.
Charlotte Eschenwald wasn't the sort to believe in that kind of superstition.
But in a world where magic existed, there could always be unknown laws she didn't know about.
So she covered herself with a blanket, clutching a silver coin tightly in her hand.
She rationalized that this was merely an exploration of the unknown, that she was different from ordinary girls.
How long had it been?
When she came to, she was looking down at a waterfall.
'Where am I…?'
The sound of water plunging dozens of meters below battered her eardrums mercilessly.
The spray had turned to mist, rising up to her waist.
Within that dreamlike scene,
she spotted a man standing at the edge of the waterfall.
"Julian Schnabel."
Charlotte's mouth began moving of its own accord.
At her call, the man standing at the waterfall's edge turned around.
He looked like he had just passed twenty.
His black hair, dark as raven feathers, half-covered his forehead.
Beneath that hair, his cold blue eyes, stripped of light, turned toward Charlotte.
"You've come, Miss Hausen. Or should I say, Your Highness Eschenwald? Would you prefer that?"
Charlotte ignored the greeting.
Before she knew it, a scroll was in her hand.
The end of the parchment stretched off into the mist, so long that she couldn't see where it ended.
Charlotte's mouth slipped beyond her control and began reciting the contents written on the parchment exactly as they were.
"Julian Schnabel. Ruler of the Shadow Empire, the mastermind behind every unsolved case in this world, the godfather of corruption."
"And don't leave out the darkest splendor."
The man with the cool expression smiled faintly.
It was the kind of smile that made countless young ladies unwittingly contribute to his crimes.
But Charlotte didn't even change expression at that smile, and continued listing his crimes.
"You pickled the Empire's living wisdom in lead and turned him into a senile old man."
"It was necessary. Humanity can't learn to walk on its own if it only ever leans on a pillar. Once that pillar collapsed, humanity finally began standing on its own feet. The Great Sage saw that and, of his own free will, chose to remain a senile old man."
Charlotte ignored that rebuttal and continued.
"On the charge of being involved in the disappearances of ninety-five nobles across the Empire."
"They were people who had forgotten why nobles receive special treatment. You remember, don't you, Miss Charlotte? Among your clients were even those who used beastfolk tribes as magical target practice, then hired you to exterminate them after the tribes escaped. I merely sent those wastrels off the stage."
"On the charge of corrupting the 152nd class of the Hero Academy."
"That's getting the order of cause and effect wrong. It was the world that abandoned them first."
Julian waved a hand and went on.
"I took them in and gave them a chance to use their talents. So 'corruption' is the wrong word. They were mine before they ever entered the academy."
"...On the charge of having corrupted heroes stir up chaos in the Empire."
"They are the heroes who have conquered the most demon realms in human history and won the greatest support from the citizens. And yet if they are branded corrupt merely because they offended the sensibilities of the powerful, then what, exactly, is the definition of corruption?"
"On the charge of distributing drugs across the continent through your church and organizations."
"There is no absolute medicine in the world, and no absolute poison either. Only the dosage decides it. I'm the same. Evil is nothing more than another definition, one that changes with perspective."
"..."
The sound of rushing water filled the space between them.
Charlotte couldn't bring herself to deny the last statement.
Because at the very least, this man's words weren't entirely wrong.
He was undeniably evil.
But he had carved away the Empire's rotten flesh, and new flesh had clearly grown in its place.
Julian Schnabel was a man too complicated to dismiss as simple evil.
"..."
So she chose to hurl the warrant into the mist.
The parchment was swept away by the spray and vanished over the cliff.
"Honestly, the rest is just insult, defamation, and... the sort of things nobles scribbled down to pin their own filth on your name. It's embarrassing even to recite."
"Now that's more like you, Miss Charlotte."
The man's smile changed.
It was no longer the smile that enchanted women, but one of delight at meeting a dear friend.
Charlotte let out a sigh at him.
"I know you don't lay hands on innocent people. They were all rude to begin with. But there were gentler methods, weren't there? Especially the serial killing... I can't defend that either."
"When a tumor gets too big, medicine won't do, Miss Charlotte. There are times when cutting it out is the only way."
Charlotte looked at him for a moment.
She couldn't refute him because he wasn't wrong, and she had swallowed too much to admit it.
She looked down at the empty hand where the scroll had been, then raised one finger.
"Then I'll ask just one thing."
"Any question you like, Miss Charlotte."
"Can you honestly say you felt no personal emotions while doing all those things?"
The man laughed.
It was a silent laugh, just a small shake of his shoulders.
"While serving the greater good, there's nothing wrong with satisfying a bit of selfishness and appetite on the side. I merely gave rude people one last chance to become useful."
"That usefulness means on the dinner table?"
"That's right."
"As expected."
Charlotte took a step forward.
Charlotte moved toward the cliff, her feet sliding over the moss-covered rock.
As the edge of the cliff drew one step closer, the spray soaked her ankles.
"You're someone I have to stop."
"That's exactly what I wanted. For the Empire's brightest star to personally step forward as my adversary."
The man's smile deepened.
"But there's one thing you've forgotten, Miss Charlotte."
"..."
"There was a girl who had been shunned in the imperial palace. Because of her eyes that looked into the past, no one would approach her; she was a child steeped in boredom in a corner of the palace."
"..."
"Who was it that manipulated the Great Sage into teaching that girl magic, cleared away the rude people blocking her path, and made her stand here today?"
"..."
"Don't forget, Miss Charlotte. You too are my creation. Whatever choice you make, that too is part of my plan."
Charlotte shook her head.
"No. There's one option you haven't anticipated yet."
Before he had finished speaking, she shoved off and lunged forward.
She pulled him into an embrace, burying her face in his chest.
The rock beneath her feet vanished.
As the roar of water turned into wind, as above and below flipped over, and as the man's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"Huff!"
With a dizzying sensation of falling, Charlotte opened her eyes.
What she saw was the familiar ceiling of her room in the detached palace.
When she woke, she habitually checked the window.
The sun hung high in the sky.
'...I slept in today.'
Probably because she had fallen asleep too late yesterday.
But Charlotte didn't mind.
She was a forgotten imperial royal, a child half cast aside.
She hardly had any public engagements, so sleeping in a day wouldn't be a problem.
After pulling back the blanket, she shivered as the cool air brushed over her bare skin.
Charlotte lowered her gaze to the hard object in her left hand.
When she spread her fingers, a silver coin lay in her palm.
'A silver coin?'
At that moment, a certain person's face flashed through her mind.
'...I think I dreamed about that person.'
She couldn't remember what it was about.
But there was one thing she could be sure of.
Even in a dream, being by that person's side would never have been boring.
***
A little while after the dust had settled from the case.
That day too, five people sat in the dining room of the Nihirit manor as always.
While the servants prepared today's dishes, our family, already seated at the table, exchanged light conversation.
"Brother. I heard about your achievements at today's tea party."
Noble young ladies and gentlemen around that age usually mingled with peers their own age, like Freya did.
I'm the odd one out.
Though there were reasons for that, like not really matching the other kids' level and being too busy with other things to have time to meet them.
And today, it seemed Freya had heard about me through those friends.
"What did she hear?"
"Word has it that at Count Belheim's house, you saved a baby even the healers couldn't do anything about, and provided the crucial clue that caught the real culprit."
According to Freya, identifying the baby's condition and treating it first became the decisive clue in solving the case,
and Lady Hausen was able to reach the truth by using that as her lead.
'Looks like Miss Charlotte told the story well.'
For me, it was exactly the right amount of rumor—no more, no less.
Since I hadn't solved the case myself, there was no need to worry about political pressure, and at the same time it made it seem like I had contributed no small amount.
On top of that, my skill as a doctor was emphasized even more, so it ended better than I could have hoped.
"Brother, you're amazing after all. Did you know you even got an epithet?"
Freya said, her eyes sparkling.
In this world, they like to give epithets to sixteen-year-old noble scions who stand out in high society.
It's basically the same as giving epithets to promising youngsters in wuxia.
"In the sense that a hidden genius has finally taken flight and soared into the sky—."
Oh. Like Hidden Dragon.
"Yeah. If you're the protagonist, you should at least get one epithet like that...."
"They call you <Black Swan>."
"...Black Swan?"
"You know how swans are said to be ugly when they're young and then suddenly become beautiful when they grow up? That's why they gave you that epithet. Conveniently, your hair is black too, and your face also…."
Freya trailed off.
Hearing that explanation, I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
I wanted to be known as a genius, not famous for my looks.
"That's my brother. They say a gold coin stands out even among silver coins; I thought you'd be able to make your name known right away, Brother."
But seeing how happy Freya was, the title didn't seem all that bad.
"But about that case, I heard some spice was poison...."
"It was star anise."
"Right, star anise. Is that spice really that dangerous?"
"No. The problem wasn't star anise itself; it was just an accident because it looks similar to poisonous herbs. Mushrooms have cases like that too."
"I think I get what you mean. Then do you know how to tell them apart?"
"Just be careful with the star anise that comes from Sector D."
Glug.
Hearing that, Eri spat the water she was drinking straight back into her glass.
She looked at me, shocked.
"Huh? I ate star anise every day when I was living in the alleyways."
"...How?"
"I was hungry, so... I just picked up and ate whatever was lying around in places like slaughterhouses."
"Why?"
"No... um... it smelled kind of like the seasoning they use when restaurants make Dongpo pork sometimes... so I thought it might be some leftover ingredient from cooking... I was hungry..."
My God.
"How much did you eat?"
"So much I couldn't count it?"
"Did you know it was rat poison?"
"No wonder. It tingled a bit every time I ate it."
"Did you ever vomit?"
"No? Other than my urine turning black, nothing."
Leaving aside the fact that the change in urine color was apparently a chronic condition,
"Any other symptoms?"
"Nothing else comes to mind?"
What is this?
Charlotte too, and Eri too.
Are girls from another world just born with all-poison immunity as a basic skill?
"Ahem."
At that moment, Father cut off our conversation with a cough.
Because the dishes were starting to come out.
We stopped our pre-meal conversation and focused on the dishes being placed before us.
Today's menu was butter-sautéed veal thymus.
The dish was also called sweetbreads (ris de veau).
Naturally, I was the one who made it.
Who in this world would even cook with something like this?
And naturally, I made it with the resolve to brazen it out even if my parents caught me.
Besides, the plating style was different from our family's exclusive chef's style anyway.
Sure enough.
Father's eyebrow twitched when he saw the unfamiliar-looking dish on the plate.
"Julian."
"Yes."
"You don't have the slightest intention of hiding it, do you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
This was my new tactic.
Blatantly bulldoze ahead.
No one had ever seen me go into the kitchen, so all I had to do was act innocent.
"..."
Father glared at me, but I put my napkin on my lap as if nothing had happened.
But the next thing Father said was enough to freeze me in place.
"Fine. Since your marriage has already been arranged, there's no point trying to stop you now. That family doesn't seem like they'd care even if you cook, so from now on do as you please."
...Huh?
I almost said something stupid.
Clink.
Freya, seated beside me, dropped her fork.
Father, unfazed by Freya's reaction, moistened his lips with the pre-dinner drink and continued.
"I was going to tell you after the meal, but since it came up, I'll tell you now. Julian, your betrothal has been arranged."
"Just like that?"
I'm still barely sixteen, you know?
I haven't even had a chance to make myself known yet?
Wasn't it supposed to be decided a year from now?
"It's not sudden. You've met the other party already, haven't you?"
"Who... ah."
A woman's face flashed through my mind.
A blonde, gold-eyed detective with a rather peculiar personality.
"Don't tell me... Lady Hausen?"
"Yes. I hear that young lady is completely head over heels for you."
No sooner had Father finished speaking than Freya's stare drilled into my temple.
"Brother, you didn't say you met a young lady there!"
Freya puffed out her cheeks.
They were the kind of cheeks you just wanted to poke once.
"Didn't you hear it in the rumors? I said the daughter of Inspector Hausen solved the case. Since I obviously provided the clue, wouldn't I have met her?"
"Th...that was... I wasn't interested in stories about other young ladies, so I didn't listen properly."
Oh dear.
Looks like Freya was the type to hear only what she wanted to hear, just like me.
I hope she didn't get that from me....
Then, all of a sudden, she must have gotten curious about her future sister-in-law.
Freya's unexpected interrogation began.
"The Hausen marquis family? I've never even heard of them. Is there something wrong with that family?"
It was Father, not me, who answered.
"It's only natural you wouldn't know. They're an inspector family. Inspectors are obligated to maintain political neutrality. They must not join any faction, and they rarely show their faces in high society. The Hausen marquis family is a newly established one even among those inspector families."
"Newly established?"
"The current head's innate magic and talent suited the inspector role, so the family was promoted all the way up to marquis rank in one go. But because inspector work is classified, there isn't much known beyond that. I've only exchanged greetings with them a few times for work."
Whatever part of that answer Freya disliked, she pressed her lips together.
Then, after thinking hard about something, she asked Father again.
"Then why would such a family choose my brother? Is there some issue with them?"
"That's a sharp question, Freya."
"What? So it was true?"
"Yes."
Father paused for a moment, then looked around the dining room.
After checking the faces of the servants stationed in the dining room one by one, Father spoke again.
"The young lady of that family has a number of circumstances in more ways than one."
"Circumstances?"
"She's a bit peculiar in personality... Apparently, other families don't much want to get close to her."
At that, I could only nod.
Charlotte is unusual, all right.
She sprang it on me on our very first meeting and dug up my entire past with her deductions.
Especially since most nobles have some hidden backstory of their own.
And between spouses, implicitly not prying into those backstories and secrets is even considered a sign of respect.
In such an age, Charlotte, who could figure everything out about a person just by looking, would inevitably be hard to deal with.
Besides, if Charlotte happened to have the personality of some brilliant detective...
'Hmm. That would be something to worry about in a marriage partner.'
A great detective is always cool from a distance, but to live with one is, to put it kindly, not exactly pleasant.
They'd probably rush in when they saw the marquis title, but after meeting her in person they'd have no choice but to back off with a 'this is a bit...'
"Then why would you even send my brother to such a troublesome woman...!"
"The last time I saw you, the two of you seemed to hit it off. Maybe with someone else it would be different, but I figured Julian would be fine."
Hmm. That's fair enough too.
Great detectives do tend to be a little difficult as roommates, though.
I'm not the type to care all that much about that sort of thing, so...
"Just look at your brother's room. I haven't known that young lady very long myself, but I imagine it's probably similar to Julian's room."
...
"Inspector Hausen also seems to have thought highly of Julian's performance from this one case alone. I suppose it wasn't a coincidence that he became a marquis at that age."
From my perspective, it was an excellent match.
A marquis, no less. A marquis.
That's just one rank below a duke.
A duke is a title granted only to families that have achieved feats on par with my master, the Great Sage.
Naturally, it's a rank ordinary nobles couldn't even dream of.
So a marquis is the highest title a noble can realistically reach.
The marquis took a liking to me.
Honestly, I had no idea what part of me had caught his attention.
But in a misunderstanding story, don't protagonists get recognized without even realizing it all the time?
Besides, it wasn't bad news for me either.
'An engagement to Charlotte...'
Setting aside the status of being the marquis house's young lady, what I liked even more was the simple fact that the other party was Charlotte herself.
Honestly, it was only a brief meeting, but meeting her had been worth it.
Maybe not for others, but to me she felt like a pretty ideal match.
'And if it really doesn't work out, we can just break off the engagement.'
And there was always the option of ending the engagement.
An engagement isn't as light as dating, but it's not as absolute as marriage either.
The institution of engagement was created precisely so people could check whether there were any problems before marriage.
So if they don't suit each other or the circumstances are bad, breaking it off isn't all that strange.
You can see that clearly just by looking at my biological parents and my current parents.
Above all, in the arena of noble engagements where there are no real options, this was honestly the best possible catch.
"Understood."
"Good. We'll coordinate a date with the marquis and just have a simple meal together."
Father also calmly wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin as he spoke.
Beside him, Mother gave a small clap, saying we'd found a truly excellent match.
Only Freya's expression in the dining room had darkened a little.
Clink.
Then Eri, having emptied her plate and reaching for another, said,
"Hmm. Then do I have to go along too?"
"Of course you do. You're part of our family now, too."
At least, we needed to make it clear to the other side that Eri was a member of the Nihirit barony.
Especially if you viewed marriage as an alliance between noble houses.
With a fork in her mouth, Eri muttered,
"Nobles are complicated. They're already preparing for marriage at this age. Well, all I need is delicious food."
"Big sis... haaa...."
Freya let out a deep sigh beside Eri.
Eri snickered at Freya.
And so, with the engagement talk, dinner came to an end.