43 - The Time of the Blind Beast (15+ Revised Edition)
Chapter 43
As she exchanged mail with his subordinate in place of Ezekiel, Rose learned a little about Captain Moncam. Moncam was his most trusted subordinate, having a long connection with Ezekiel since he first enlisted, and was also the adjutant temporarily leading the King's Army in Ezekiel's stead while he was in seclusion. Furthermore, Moncam also served as an intermediary, relaying Ezekiel's orders to his subordinates and compiling their reports to send back in a single letter.
“...They say the couple who fled from the Valdemara family had a daughter. Major, your speculation was correct.”
He continued to diligently track her movements.
Rose read Moncam's mail with a heavy gaze. Humans truly were adaptable creatures. At first, she would tremble or gasp for breath whenever she read Captain Moncam's letters, fearing her true identity might be revealed, which often drew suspicion. Now, she had grown quite accustomed to this inescapable, overwhelming despair.
“Not many neighbors remembered, as it was a long time ago, but I heard they sent their daughter to a boarding school. She was their only child, so it seems they raised her preciously, relative to their means. However, as is common with boarding schools, she left home at a young age to enroll, so I couldn't find any neighbors who remembered her recent appearance. Still, they said she must have grown into quite a beauty. She was pretty and quite striking even as a child. Most importantly, the description of the woman we are tracking and her daughter are almost identical.”
Rose bit the inside of her cheek to maintain her composure, unaware she had applied a little too much force. A faint taste of blood lingered.
“Brown hair, hazel eyes, a beautiful woman of an age just past adulthood…”
It’s still okay. I expected this much to be discovered anyway.
“It seems the parents committed theft because they needed money, and the daughter negotiated with him to clean up the mess.”
Ezekiel did not falter either. He remained calm, as this was the outcome he had anticipated and instructed.
Rose read the letter slightly slower than her eyes scanned it.
“The name seems to be a nickname, but some people vaguely recall hearing ‘Liz’ or ‘Lisi’.”
If a nickname like Liz or Lisi were to be called, one could list over a dozen names on the spot. This wasn't particularly significant information either.
“Liz, Lisa, Lisi, Lidge. Those are common nicknames for girls.”
“Regarding the school, judging by the fact that she once asked a neighbor for winter bedding to make a padded coat for her daughter, it's believed to be in the cold north. I don't know how many girls' schools there are in the north, but since you are currently in the north, Major, it might be worth searching schools in that vicinity.”
But if all this information were to come together… would that still be alright?
Rose retraced the clues Moncam had found one by one.
A young woman in her late teens to early twenties, with brown hair and hazel eyes, who attended a boarding school in the north, and whose nickname sounded like Liz or Lisi.
When gathered together, the scope felt significantly narrowed. This might be a bit dangerous.
“The closest girls’ school I know of is Milena Girls’ School, which you attended. You weren't classmates, were you?”
Ezekiel, unaware of Rose’s feelings, casually tossed out a chilling guess. Even if it was a joke to him, it was the truth to Rose. She couldn't bring herself to laugh.
“Rose, do you recall any students among your peers?”
“Ah… well.”
She quickly changed her answer from a definitive ‘no’ to a hesitant ‘well.’ Denying it too clearly from the start might seem suspicious.
“I don’t really know. Perhaps it was a different school?”
“How many students are usually in a school? Around a hundred?”
Certainly, perhaps because she was from Claris, his standards were high. Schools with a hundred students were extremely rare even across all of Astria. It was likely only possible in Claris, where the population was large and funds flowed abundantly. Especially in rural areas, most schools operated on a small scale, with anywhere from a few to a few dozen students.
“No, far fewer. About thirty. If you count only the currently enrolled students.”
“Then they would all know each other.”
Rose quickly understood Ezekiel's intention. He was investigating Milena Girls’ School through her.
“...Most of them.”
“If you, who were at the school for several years, don't recall such a description, then it's not at Milena Girls’ School. It's unlikely to be the only girls' school in the north, though.”
Ezekiel, quite easily, fell for her lie. It stung her heart, knowing the reason for his absolute trust.
“I’ve been pondering lately. What exactly is a human?”
The man, who had had far too much time to contemplate, posed a fundamental question.
“Rose, while there are people like you who don't forget past connections and rush to my aid as soon as they hear from me, there are also people like that woman who readily try to harm others. Humans are truly strange. You and that woman share similar names, but your paths are entirely different.”
And each time Ezekiel caught her off guard like this, Rose found herself confused as to whether she should be grateful or unfortunate that he couldn't see her face.
How utterly enraged would he be if he realized the woman who rushed to his side without forgetting past connections and the woman who readily tried to harm others were one and the same?
“People have so many facets. How can one possibly know their true depths?”
Her own contradictions were difficult for her to understand. Nowadays, she was constantly realizing how reckless she had been, seeking atonement from her past self who had come seeking it so presumptuously.
Rose lowered her gaze back to the mail.
“There is still more news. I will continue reading.”
By the way, Major, has the person writing your letters changed from Madam Serva? The handwriting is beautiful, like that of a young woman. I didn't know you kept someone other than Madam Serva by your side. Who is she?
Her heart was already shrinking with dread. Moncam had, of all things, posed a burdensome question.
Rose quickly skipped over that part. She didn't want to ask Ezekiel any questions that might unnecessarily remind him of who she was.
“The problem is that there are signs of unrest in Dabis. It seems intelligence has been received that there is a problem with your personal safety, Major. Well, those Dabis fellows gave us a lot of trouble. In any case, due to the symbolic significance of our company, it's not good to leave the commander's position vacant for too long, but I don't know how the Valdemara family will explain your absence. Of course, we do not want a new commander. Therefore, we plan to visit you soon to discuss the next steps, so please give us instructions on when would be good….”
Before she could even finish speaking, Rose scanned Ezekiel's face.
He's coming? To meet him? Here?
Moncam was a subordinate who had served as the focal point among the pursuers who scoured Astria, chasing her and her family.
The shock that washed over her was no less than when she heard the news of Achenaus, who had raged after being threatened by soldiers of the 37th Regiment and had immediately tried to descend upon Derosa.
Back then, she had expected a bloodbath the moment Achenaus appeared, recognizing Rose at a glance.
Then, if Moncam appeared…
A soldier who had been investigating young women with similar descriptions would undoubtedly pay close attention to a strange woman who was in the closest relationship with his superior. Hadn't Merlo, the errand boy from the main family, secretly watched her and collected gossip simply because she was by Ezekiel's side? Moncam would monitor her every move more persistently and suspiciously than Merlo.
“Could you perhaps remove that headscarf?”
Or, he might request it as the easiest way to confirm her identity. It was only natural to think about it. He was someone who knew the characteristics of 'that woman' better than anyone, except for Ezekiel and Achenaus. If he claimed to be identifying young women working in the mansion as part of his professional duty, Ezekiel would have no reason to find the request strange.
As a sharp-eyed soldier, Captain Moncam wouldn't misperceive colors like Madam Serva, and it would only be a matter of time before her lies, which were reassuring Ezekiel, were exposed once she cooperated with his investigation. While Achenaus had been stopped with the intervention requested from the main family, there was no justification to block Moncam's visit.
“Moncam is coming?”
Watching Ezekiel's face light up with the joy of meeting his subordinate, Rose felt a chilling cold.
She wasn't ready yet. This was too soon.
