Ch.272Cliff’s Edge (12)

“…Chloe, what does that mean?”

Leclerc is certainly cynical and mischievous. Back when he was active in service, if I did something impulsive or strange, he wouldn’t give straightforward advice but would mock me with all his might.

But… even someone like Leclerc wouldn’t act that way in a situation like this.

Especially when it concerns Chloe.

He’s not foolish enough to fail to distinguish between those who should be joked with and those who shouldn’t. If he were that foolish, he wouldn’t have become a servant of the House of Bourgogne in the first place.

“In the past, I investigated the incident where the late Duke Charles of Bourgogne and members of the ducal family collectively passed away.”

“…Yes, I remember. But what does that have to do with Chloe? Wasn’t it a tragedy caused by plague, carelessness, and overlapping misfortunes?”

What is he suddenly talking about?

Most of my half-siblings died from the fairy disease that swept through the palace, and the surviving Bourgogne family members were wiped out in an instant by the disaster at the funeral, weren’t they?

At that time, there were many rumors about me killing them, so I ordered a thorough investigation and gathered personnel from various lords and clergy to ensure a fair and definitive investigation. I even selected people who disliked me, so everyone agreed with the findings.

And as a result, it was revealed that no one had killed them. It truly was just an accident.

…So why bring this up now? What does Chloe have to do with it?

“The plague and carelessness are correct. Many young lords and ladies died from the fairy disease, and afterward, at the Bourgogne family’s joint funeral, a major accident occurred because the bishop of Dijon Church neglected safety inspections.”

“Yes, but why on earth—”

“However, it wasn’t misfortune. Miss Chloe caused that incident.”

…What?

This isn’t a joke… nor is it a lie.

Leclerc is looking straight into my eyes with an utterly serious expression and voice. His eyes are filled with firm resolve.

“Is this reliable information? If it’s not certain…”

“If I had seen it with my own eyes, I would say it was certain, but unfortunately, I cannot say that since I didn’t witness it directly. However, there was plenty of evidence that supported it.”

“…Was, not is?”

“Yes, because I destroyed it all.”

After saying that, Leclerc let out a deep sigh and then rose from the bed where he had been lying. The sound of his spine cracking filled the hospital room, but Leclerc showed no sign of pain.

He just stared at me with wide eyes.

“The trigger was truly insignificant. I simply discovered that Miss Chloe was doing night cleaning work the evening before the third young master’s accidental fall. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence and didn’t consider it problematic at all… but unfortunately, further investigation proved otherwise.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Blue dye used in maid uniforms was found on the rooftop railing. Judging from the traces, it appeared that a maid’s uniform had been forcefully pressed against the railing. Such traces would surely have left various contaminants from the railing on the uniform as well, so based on this, I confirmed that the morning after the third young master’s fatal fall, Miss Chloe not only washed her uniform but also mended it. Fellow maids testified that there were grayish marks on the back of Chloe’s uniform as if something had been scraped against it, and the position matched exactly with the height of the railing where the dye was found.”

So what Leclerc is saying is that Chloe cleaned and mended her clothes to get rid of evidence?

…What nonsense.

“Can you be certain that the dye on the railing was made that day? Moreover, isn’t it going too far to be suspicious just because she washed and mended her uniform? As a maid, isn’t it her natural duty to keep her appearance tidy?”

“Your Majesty is correct. When I discovered the dye traces, too much time had passed since the incident to be certain they were made that day.”

“Then why on earth—”

“But that wasn’t all. From the fairy disease to the chandelier at Dijon Church, all circumstantial evidence pointed to Miss Chloe.”

“…”

I want to shout at him to stop talking nonsense. I want to thoroughly curse him and ask if something’s wrong with his head.

But… I can’t. The words won’t come out.

Why?

“The day before the fairy disease broke out in the palace, Miss Chloe was absent from the palace all day despite having only received one day of sick leave. I also secured testimony from fellow maids that Miss Chloe was going around various parts of the palace for her maid duties the next morning. When I checked her route, she had been going around primarily to the rooms of the ducal family members.”

“Maybe… she just went out to clear her mind after seeing the third brother’s corpse, and her walking around the palace was just her working diligently? Are you suspecting Chloe based on just that?”

“…You’re well aware of the investigation into the disaster at the funeral, aren’t you? The investigation concluded that the chains supporting the chandelier were too loose, attributing the incident to the bishop’s poor management. However… when I showed the chains from the disaster to a university professor, a slightly different story emerged. He said there was a high probability that someone had deliberately damaged such chains.”

Someone… deliberately…

Then someone who held a grudge against my father, or someone who would benefit most from these deaths, must have done this—

“Miss Chloe loves Your Majesty, and everyone wishes for their loved ones to prosper. The motive is sufficient.”

“…”

When an assassination occurs, the first thing to consider is who would benefit most from that death.

My ascension to the position of Duke would… certainly bring great happiness to Chloe.

“Miss Chloe must have said something to Your Majesty the day before or on the day of the incident. Could you possibly remember anything, even something trivial?”

At that time…?

What Chloe said to me on the day of the funeral was…

[Just in case… because the fairy disease might still be present… please stay away from the others]

[I’m, I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I… I…]

I didn’t stay away because of Chloe’s words, but rather because my status as a legitimized illegitimate child meant I couldn’t approach the coffin closely. Nevertheless, thanks to being far from my family, I survived.

Of course, surviving didn’t mean I was unharmed—I was badly injured by fragments from the chandelier.

…And seeing me in that state, Chloe suddenly apologized for no reason and trembled violently.

“…It seems you’ve remembered something significant, not trivial.”

“Leclerc, who else knows about this? The evidence?”

“I’m the only one who knows this fact, and as I mentioned earlier, I’ve already destroyed all the evidence. The position of head butler made such actions more than possible.”

“What about the witnesses who testified?”

“The dead tell no tales, so I handled them thoroughly.”

“Handled…?”

Not sending them away or silencing them, but simply killing them—this response is hard to believe coming from Leclerc, who was always cynical in words but compassionate in actions.

“If that fact were revealed to the world, wouldn’t people point fingers at Your Majesty, saying you had your sister kill your family to gain a title? Regarding Your Majesty’s legitimacy… for the glory of House Bourgogne, I could never allow such a thing. The glory of House Bourgogne must always remain high.”

Seeing my reaction, Leclerc seems to realize I’m shocked and says this.

The glory of House Bourgogne…

Glory should certainly be a good word… but why does it sound so empty?

“Haha… I feel relieved. I should have spoken up earlier. Then I wouldn’t have had to live with guilt for at least ten years.”

“Have you ever told Chloe about the truth you discovered?”

“No. From my perspective, Miss Chloe is a witch who assassinated her lord and massacred his family, but she was simply being loyal to Your Majesty, whom she considered her true lord. Besides, there was nothing to gain by questioning her about it, so I didn’t feel the need.”

A very Leclerc-like statement.

If I were Leclerc, I would have immediately rushed to Chloe as soon as I realized the truth, demanding to know if what I thought was correct, but for Leclerc, who thinks about everything coldly, such an act would seem utterly useless.

…I need to see Chloe right away.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I need to go to Chloe immediately.”

“That doesn’t seem like the wisest choice. I recommend waiting at least a day… no, two days before visiting her.”

“…Why?”

“Look at the wall over there, and you’ll understand.”

I look where Leclerc is pointing, and I see a full-length mirror prepared for grooming.

And the face reflected in that mirror is…

…Damn it.

Chloe, what have you done?