Episode 45

“Well, I feel a bit guilty toward the late butler,” she began hesitantly.

“Guilty? About what?”

“…I borrowed something from the mansion when I left.”

She put it nicely instead of saying she stole it. Ian let out a dry chuckle, silently urging her to continue. His reaction wasn’t anger—it was more like disbelief.

“I had no choice. You told me to quit, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah. I did say that.”

“I had to leave the mansion, and I needed money until I found a new job. But I went into the butler’s room a few times on your request.”

She meant she took something she had her eye on when she quit. Quite audacious. Surely, if something went missing, suspicion would fall on the one who left, right?

“Besides me, over a dozen others quit around that time. For different reasons, but the lady had become extremely irritable. The beatings got worse every day, and the atmosphere in the mansion was a mess.”

“Lady Mary? What happened to her?”

“I never got hit myself, so I don’t know firsthand, but it seems she was under a lot of stress. Strange spots appeared on her arms and legs, and honestly, I thought if I stayed any longer, I’d be beaten to death.”

Since she was leaving anyway, she figured she could slip away unnoticed among the others. The butler’s belongings were all unlocked except for one locked box, which she assumed was valuable, so she took it.

Ian guessed and asked, “But it seems it wasn’t worth it. Your expression says otherwise.”

“Yes. It was just letters and drawings she’d collected over the years. It felt like I was stealing memories. If it had been money, I wouldn’t feel this way.”

Hana confessed she couldn’t sleep from the guilt. Then, after setting her sister down, she opened a lower drawer and pulled out a stack of paper envelopes.

“If you’re going to hold a funeral, could you take these and burn them? I feel like I’d be cursed if I kept them.”

Ian nodded and handed them to Beric, who habitually rifled through the envelopes, as if hoping to find something useful.

“Beric.”

“Huh? Why? Can’t I look?”

“Don’t trouble yourself. Just put them away.”

Ian was about to click his tongue, but a single sheet slipped through Beric’s fingers. It was a detailed aerial map of the mansion, used by the newly hired butler to get a handle on his duties.

“Give it here. I’ll put it away.”

“Wait a minute.”

“Wow. You told me not to look.”

“Quiet. Just stay still.”

The map was no different from what Ian already knew about the Bratz mansion. It was divided floor by floor, showing every window and door perfectly. But why…?

“I don’t know why, but something feels off.”

“Off? What do you mean?”

“It just doesn’t feel right. Something’s not harmonious.”

“Let me see. Hmm.”

At Ian’s words, Beric and Hana leaned in, eyes sharp. Hana compared it carefully with her memories of working there but found no major differences.

“Nothing particularly strange. It’s the same as now.”

“If anything, it’s this—the garden was barren back then.”

“Barren garden?”

Beric pointed to a single tree drawn on the map. It was a simple sketch, but Ian recognized it as the willow closest to the annex.

“Usually, these maps skip landscaping. If you start drawing every bush and tree, it never ends…”

Ian trailed off. Yes, it was common to omit landscaping on such maps.

But why was this tree drawn here?

It could be a meaningless doodle, but this was a document for the mansion’s manager. It made more sense to assume it had significance.

“Beric, let’s hurry back to the mansion.”

“Why? Tell me too.”

“Hana, I’ll contact you again. Once the mansion is settled, we’ll need help. If possible, I want the servants who quit to come back.”

“I’ll ask around. Of course, I’d be happy to. I was wondering how we’d survive otherwise.”

Ian smiled at Hana’s words and unbuttoned a cuff on his sleeve. It was the outfit he’d worn at the peace ceremony. Just one button could buy a meal for now. Whether there was still a place willing to accept jewels was another matter.

“Consider it a kind of down payment.”

“Th-thank you. You’re truly amazing, sir. You always show up to help whenever we’re starving.”

“Maybe that’s why I met you.”

“Then I’ll find a reason to meet you too. I think the stableman’s okay. I saw him passing by yesterday.”

“Ah, yes. I saw him too.”

“Please go in. I’ll contact you right away.”

“Alright. Take care.”

After saying goodbye to Hana, Ian dashed back to the mansion. Without even dismounting, he headed straight to the annex to find the tree on the map.

‘This must be it.’

The branches hung low, drooping peculiarly. Beneath it, a few Cheonryeo tribesmen gathered in small groups, chewing on dried leaves.

“Ian?”

“What is it?”

“Could you keep watch for a moment?”

“Watch? Hey, you go.”

The annex was charred and pocked with craters. The bodies of servants who died in the fire were probably buried there.

Maybe because of the eerie atmosphere, the central army and investigation team hadn’t even glanced toward the annex, but you never know.

“Make sure the central army and investigators don’t see.”

“Understood. Are you handling this here?”

“Yes. Step aside for a moment.”

The Cheonryeo tribesmen didn’t question and moved aside. Ian pressed against the wall, entering a four-way watch stance. Beric held the map upside down, comparing the tree to the drawing.

“Is this the right spot?”

“Yes. So stop standing around and start digging.”

“Ugh, really digging now? Lucky to have such a good boss!”

They’d identified the tree, but that was as far as they got. There had to be something hidden, but no trace remained. Beric pulled out a dagger and carefully scraped the ground.

“But if we find Mary and Chel, will you kill them yourself?”

“No way. I can’t just kill them like that.”

Ian ran his fingers over the grass. The texture was different—tougher.

“It’s better to keep them alive for now.”

“What do you mean?”

“So they can run away. Far away.”

The grass was fake.

Ian took the dagger from Beric and slid it into a crack in the ground. The earth gave way like a lever. Even the Cheonryeo chewing leaves looked up in surprise.

Creak.

A spiral stone staircase appeared, leading down to a basement. The floor was damp to the touch, meaning the seal between the door and ground was recent.

In other words, someone had used this place not long ago.

“Found it. Beric, get ready.”

“Got it. Why the rush?”

“Pathetic. We’re not the only ones chasing Bratz.”

“Who else? Erika?”

“Yes. Bring a lantern, but don’t let anyone notice.”

---

Mary stared blankly at the burning wick.

The noise echoed along the ceiling and walls. It was probably outsiders who had taken over the mansion. Otherwise, her husband Derga would have come for her and their son.

In this tunnel where no light or breeze entered, Lady Mary felt the deepest despair of her life.

“Mom, I’m hungry.”

“Eat some jerky.”

“Is this all there is?”

Chel sat on the cot, whining. She was too old for such childish complaints, and Mary felt, for the first time, a pang of disappointment in her own son.

“Should we try moving the back door?”

“It’s sealed with molten metal. Don’t hurt yourself. Just sit tight and save your strength.”

The underground prison-like space had a secret door to the outside, but Derga’s father had sealed it off to prevent intruders. Given the tense relations with the Cheonryeo, it was understandable, but it was a self-inflicted trap.

“How long are we going to stay like this?”

“Just a little longer. There’ll be a chance in a few days. Once we get back to Pontrollo, we can rest. Hang in there.”

Mary planned to return to her family estate through Mereloff. Though branded a traitor and forced to live in hiding, family would help her somehow.

She rubbed the jewels off her nails against her dress. The gems she once dismissed as cheap would now serve as precious funds.

Footsteps.

Suddenly, like a phantom sound, footsteps echoed. Mary instinctively blew out the lantern, and Chel hid behind the bed. In the pitch-black space, a faint yellow light flickered in the distance.

“Gasp!”

Someone was coming! They had discovered the mansion’s secret space and were tracking their trail! Mary gripped her dagger tightly, holding her breath.

‘Derga, is that you? Hurry, hurry…’

If it was him, send a signal.

But despite Mary’s desperate hope, the voice that came was unfamiliar yet strangely familiar. Shadows stretched darkly over the stone walls.

“Are you there? Mother, Chel.”

“…How did you find this place?”

Though it had been months, she recognized the voice immediately. It was Ian.

Ian looked around the secret space, frowning in surprise. Behind him were men with red pigment painted on their faces—the Cheonryeo tribesmen!

“Ho-how did this happen…?”

“Wow, so they’d been digging tunnels all along. Delgado really is something else.”

“Isn’t it typical for imperial nobles to have at least one secret escape route? They’d rather run than die fighting.”

“But it doesn’t look like there’s any way out the back.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too.”

Mary felt her mind freeze. She had been certain the troops stationed in the mansion were from the investigation team and the central army. So how had Ian and the Cheonryeo tribe shown up here?

But that thought lasted only a moment.

“Iaaaan!”

Ssshhh!

Reflexively, Mary let out a sharp, panicked scream and lunged at Ian. She was convinced he was the one who had betrayed Delgado by colluding with Mollin, and the one who had tricked the Cheonryeo tribe into breaking their alliance.

Caught off guard by her sudden attack, a Cheonryeo warrior quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Ah! It hurts!”

She struggled, trying to pull her hand free, but there was no escaping the warrior’s iron grip. The warrior easily snatched the dagger from her hand and tossed it aside, then bound Mary and slammed her against the wall.

Thud!

“What kind of disrespect is this? You lowlifes! You worthless scum!”

“Mother, I heard you’ve been acting a bit extreme lately, but this is worse than I expected.”

“Shut up! Shut up! It’s all your fault! It’s because of you!”

Ian raised his lantern to get a better look at Mary’s face. Dark circles hollowed her eyes, her skin was sallow and bruised, her yellow eyes bloodshot with veins standing out, and her lips cracked and peeling. Not a single part of her looked well.

In contrast, Chel looked mostly the same—just a bit thinner and covered in dust.

‘…What’s going on here?’

Ian frowned, sensing that Mary’s condition was far more serious than it appeared.