Chapter 19: The Charm? — Part 1
My brother kicked his chair back with a clatter and sprang to his feet, leaning toward me.
“How?
What do you mean?”
“I died… and returned to myself from two months ago.
I don’t know why or how it happened.”
“It’s… difficult to say I believe that on the spot.”
He dropped heavily back into his chair, pressed his lips tightly together, and groaned.
“I understand.
Even I wondered whether this world was the dream.
Without clear proof, no one would believe it.
One piece of proof is that I already knew about Jason’s scheme this time.
The letter story was a lie.”
My brother whipped around toward Lloyd.
“You said there were many letters recently.”
“I am not privy to the contents of the letters.”
Lloyd answered calmly.
I slowly thought, searching for something that could serve as proof.
It made my heart race to realize I was making my brother wait while I considered my words.
I had never done such a thing before.
Then I gasped.
“The Second Prince’s puppy will go missing.
A few days after the wedding.
Jason found the puppy and received a reward.
Has it gone missing yet?”
“I heard that at the barracks today.
I’m on standby at home, so I probably won’t get the chance, but they told us to catch it if we see it.”
He let out a long sigh.
“I guess I have no choice but to believe this.
Fine.
I believe you.”
“Thank you.
They said it was found drinking from the fountain at the central square in the Reine district during the day.
Why not go tomorrow?”
My brother stared at me and spoke as if squeezing the words out.
“…You actually experienced all that?”
To my surprise, he looked as though he might cry.
“What should I do?
I’ll do anything.”
“I want Grandmother’s keepsakes back.
They are precious to me.
And I only brought the ones I particularly liked.”
Grinding his teeth, he muttered, “Of course I won’t let them escape.
And Jason—I’ll go kill him right now.
He’s not even worth challenging to a duel.”
His eyes were bloodshot.
“Stop.
I’ll never have to see him again.
Merry’s death may already cause a greater scandal.
We must not stir things further.”
He stood and began pacing, then took out his frustration on his polished leather boots.
That rough streak of his had not changed.
Lloyd approached and quietly said, “There is whiskey as well.”
My brother immediately returned.
Truly, his behavior was far more doglike than my hair ever was.
He downed a gulp of whiskey and seemed to calm somewhat.
“Does anyone else know?”
“No.
This is the first time I’ve told anyone.
Before now, you wouldn’t have believed me.”
“That’s true.”
“I want this to remain a secret among the three of you here.
Please.”
“What about Father and Mother?”
“I don’t think they could handle it.”
“Yeah.
It would just be troublesome.
Why tell me?”
“After seeing how you moved today… I thought you might be useful.”
He froze.
Lloyd turned away.
Bell had been in shock for some time, quietly wiping her tears.
My brother awkwardly resumed movement and sighed.
“Use me however you like.
Better than being treated as useless like Father and Mother.”
I told the three of them about what I had seen in my dreams.
I left out the part about my death and focused on Grandmother’s accessories.
How Merry and the man had been searching for a gemstone with an eye-like pattern.
How in my previous life they never found it and took everything after I died.
And that Merry had been killed then as well.
“So in both lives, she was destined to die,” my brother muttered.
“Perhaps… that could not be changed.
But this time, I brought fewer accessories.
Did the man accept that?
That concerns me.”
“No one knows how many accessories Grandmother had.
Do you think that man might break into this house?”
I thought for a moment.
“He seemed obsessed.
I doubt he would give up easily.
If he doesn’t find it among what I brought, he might try.”
“He’d come here?
That would actually save us the trouble of searching for him.
You think it wasn’t among what you took?”
“Yes.
In my previous life, he took everything in the end because he couldn’t find it.
So I don’t think it was there this time either.”
My brother asked Lloyd and Bell if they had ever seen a jewel with an eye-like pattern.
Both said they had not.
“Grandmother said she passed it to me, didn’t she?
Hmm… I don’t remember.
Did she ever make a wish upon it, Lloyd?”
“She once laughed and said she had never been able to use it.
She tried asking it to produce jewels, but nothing happened.”
“That’s troublesome.
We don’t know where it is, and even if we find it, how do we use it?”
He sounded exasperated.
I was more worried that until we found the charm, the danger might not truly be over.
“Leave it to me,” my brother said loudly when he saw my concern.
“We catch the culprit and make him talk.
Otherwise we’ll never know what’s going on.
Right.
We’ll catch him.”
His words were as blunt as ever.
Yet this time, they felt reassuring.
The next morning, accompanied by Bell and escorted by my brother, I went to the Royal Guard headquarters.
It was my first time in such a place filled with men.
I walked slightly behind my brother, almost hiding behind him.
Bell stayed at my side protectively, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
Since hearing yesterday’s story, she had become excessively overprotective.
“Hey, Carp Eric.
You’re early.”
“Morning, James.”
My brother greeted him.
…Carp Eric?
The man named James noticed the two of us.
“Oh?
You have company.
Sorry.”
He straightened immediately and glanced at my brother for an introduction.
“My sister, Maria.
She’s here to confirm her stolen belongings.”
“My name is James Hariton.
I’m Eric’s colleague.
Ah… I’ve seen you before, Lady Maria, but you seem different somehow.”
So he had attended the wedding.
He likely avoided mentioning it directly.
“Pleased to meet you.
I am Maria.”
I offered a strained smile, but my brother cut in.
“Let’s go, Maria.
See you, James.”
He strode off quickly.
I bowed lightly and followed.
“Sir Eric is clearly warning off any men who approach you.
How dependable,” Bell whispered.
Now of all times?
I had just broken off an engagement under scandal.
Such caution hardly seemed necessary.
“Oh, please.
It’s not that.
He was just annoyed at being called Carp Eric.”