ETDO Chapter 45

Arthur quietly approached her. Lily’s eyes were closed as if she were already asleep. The blanket rose and fell slowly with her even breaths.

He gently stroked his wife’s forehead. He briefly checked her temperature but she didn’t seem to have a fever.

He let out a soft sigh. He had to leave on a business trip for a few days starting tomorrow for the steamship venture.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment, as he had secretly hoped to spend a passionate night with his wife before he left. However, he had no perverse desire to force himself on someone who was unwell.

He kissed her forehead lightly, trying to soothe his disappointment, and then turned off the lamp completely. He quietly closed the door and left the room.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Despite it being early evening, I went to bed early last night. I just wanted to escape into sleep, where I could forget everything.

Fortunately, Arthur understood that I wasn’t feeling well. He sat by my bedside, stroking my hair with a worried look, as I pretended to be asleep, before quietly leaving. When I woke up in the morning, he had already left for his business trip.

Honestly, I was relieved that I didn’t have to face him. I didn’t have the confidence to act as if nothing was wrong while looking him in the eye.

I knew he was disappointed about not being able to spend time with me, but I couldn’t help it. I needed time to process everything. I tried to gather my thoughts, but my mind felt like a broken machine.

Was everything a lie, a fabrication?

Could his talk of childhood first love and his grand affection, which had saved me from debt… could it all have been nothing more than a well-crafted story?

Of course, there was no reason for him to confess such a sordid past to his wife. It would have been more natural for him to keep silent about any unpleasant incidents that occurred during his adolescence.

Yet, I didn’t want to believe that Arthur, of all people, would do such a thing. It felt like my trust in him had shattered. 

Who knew what other shocking truths he might be hiding?

Pacing anxiously in my sitting room, I impulsively jumped up. I needed a change of scenery. I hurriedly left the suffocating Ducal mansion under the excuse of going to buy a hat and gloves.

I even left without Mary. I couldn’t bear to look at her face, as it constantly reminded me of Alice Howard.

I first stopped by my regular dress shop and chose a hat, gloves, and some accessories for my new dress. The excited Madame brought out everything she had to show me.

I was almost overwhelmed by her enthusiastic sales pitch, but it served as a welcome distraction.

I seemed to have overspent a bit more than intended, but it didn’t matter. My husband had more money than he knew what to do with.

After placing my order to be delivered to the Ducal mansion, my steps led me not to the bustling main streets, but towards the darker, shadier alleyways beside it.

The shopping was just an excuse. My destination had always been this place. The back alley at the entrance to the slums, where mysterious shops offering solutions to all sorts of problems were clustered.

I headed towards a shop with a sign that read “Miracle Detective Agency.” It was quite famous among the aristocracy; I vaguely remembered hearing about it. As I pushed the door open, an ominous creak emanated from its hinges, as if it hadn’t been oiled in a long time.

Clang!

An unexpectedly clear bell chime resonated as the door opened. And before me unfolded a dark and dingy interior that didn’t match the clear bell chime at all.

The air was thick with smoke, and the pungent smell of something burning stung my nose. I heard hurried footsteps approaching from within.

“Who is it?”

A potbellied man with a large, handlebar mustache and a receding hairline emerged from behind a dirty curtain, scratching his belly. He stopped abruptly, looking surprised. He seemed astonished to see a noblewoman, out of place in a shop like this, standing inside.

I spoke, trying to keep my voice calm.

“I have a request.”

The man, who had been staring blankly, seemed to finally come to his senses. He closed his mouth and gestured with his chin towards a wooden stool in front of a table. He himself plopped down heavily onto a worn armchair.

“So, what brings a lady like you to a place like this…?”

“I need someone investigated.”

The man raised an eyebrow and nodded. It was a common enough request.

“On a maid named Alice Howard, who used to work for the Beaufort Ducal family. However, she’s already deceased.”

The man’s hand, which had been reaching for a pen and paper amidst the clutter on the table, froze. He tilted his head.

“Already deceased, you say?”

I nodded.

“She disappeared from the Ducal mansion a few years ago, but she’s actually dead. I want you to find out everything you can about her. Her personal information, family, death, background, anything. And I’d also like you to investigate Mrs. Wilson, the head housekeeper who works for the same household.”

Since all of this couldn’t have happened without Mrs. Wilson’s knowledge, requesting an investigation into her was also essential. The man, who had been diligently taking notes, raised his eyebrows again and looked at me intently.

“You’ll have to pay for the two fees then. The cost is the same, whether they’re alive or dead.”

“Of course.”

I took a small pouch from my sleeve and placed it on the table. It contained some of the jewels I had bought at the dress shop. The man quickly snatched the pouch, its clinking sound clear, and opened it. He nodded with a satisfied expression.

“This is the down payment. If it’s not enough, I’ll pay the balance when you bring the information.”

The man nodded, beaming and rubbing his hands together like a fly, pleased with the commission.

“Then where should I contact you when the information is ready?”

“Bring it to the Beaufort Ducal mansion.”

The man hesitated momentarily at the unexpected answer, but then he nodded. I stood up abruptly, holding the rainbow-colored business card he politely handed me.

I took the rainbow-colored business card he offered politely and stood up abruptly.In fact, I had no other choice.

I left the shop and began walking slowly back towards my carriage.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Charlotte waited until Lily turned the corner and disappeared completely before stepping out of her carriage. Wearing a hat with a heavy lace veil, like a widow in mourning, she entered the shop called “Miracle Detective Agency.”

Clang!

The man, who was examining a large sapphire ring in the sunlight by the window, turned around excitedly at the sound of the bell. His cheerful expression changed to one of surprise and his eyes widened as he saw a completely different noblewoman standing there. 

“May I help you?”

Charlotte, ignoring his question, slowly looked around the shop instead. She could tell what kind of place it was. She looked directly at the man.

“That woman who was just here, what did she want from you?”

The potbellied man quickly closed his gaping mouth and adopted a serious expression.

“Why do you ask?”

At his curt reply, Charlotte raised an eyebrow and smiled coldly.

“Just answer the question.”

“I apologize, but our detective agency strictly adheres to the virtue of confidentiality.”

She chuckled at the man’s blatant lie. 

The audacity of this man. These people would blabber anything for the right price.

“Virtue of confidentiality, my ass. Virtue of money, more like.”

“Hey, what’s with the sudden attitude? A-anyway, I’m busy, so please leave…!”

Thud!

The man, waving his hands dismissively in the air, couldn’t finish his sentence. A pouch suddenly landed on the table with a loud thud, having traced a clear parabolic arc through the air.

His eyes widened. The gleaming black silk pouch looked heavy. Perhaps it contained even more than the previous pouch.

He gulped and slowly reached for the pouch. The moment his fingers touched the string that tied its opening, he snatched it towards him like a squirrel grabbing a nut.

Charlotte didn’t bat an eye as she watched the man untie the pouch, glancing at her nervously. The man’s eyes bulged as he peeked inside.

Seemingly satisfied with the contents, the man snapped his mouth shut. He quickly tightened the string, clutched the pouch to his chest, and looked at her with a grin.

“Well, well, of course, confidentiality is important, but the most important thing is to be compensated for one’s labor. So, what can I do for you?”

Just as I thought. Charlotte smiled coldly.

“What did the woman who just came in want from you?”

“Uh, she wanted information about a maid and a housekeeper who worked for the Beaufort family.”

The man answered quickly.

“A head housekeeper?”

Charlotte tilted her head.

“A woman named Wilson, or something. She wanted me to investigate her background and personal information…”

“Aha!”

Charlotte nodded. Then, looking directly at the man, she added,

“Good. I’ll buy the same information. You just have to sell me all the information you gathered for that woman. In return, I’ll have you deliver what I want to her as well. What do you say?”

“O-of course.”

Charlotte then spoke to the man with a sly smile.