Chapter 52 — In which some information is shared

“Lady Mimosa, Young Lady Saffra, our daughter mentioned you’re here to investigate something?”

“We’re not good in the investigations, but we have good ears and like to listen to all sorts of stories. Maybe we can be of help.”

After the dinner, when the dessert was brought to the table and cold drinks were prepared, Tangeri’s parents stopped their attempts in convincing Craya to accept a handmade hairpin in the shape of a dragon and switched topics.

Hearing their words, Tangeri groaned.

“Mom, Dad, really? You have to bring up such a topic when we’re about to eat dessert.”

“Isn’t it best to bring it up now? There needs to be a balance to everything, dear child.”

“Are the two ladies here to investigate something ugly?”

Apric’s parents turned to their daughter with eyes full of questions.

On the other hand, Apric frowned as if she struggled to come up with how she should explain it.

But there was someone who didn’t hold any of her worries and simply said:

“How could there be an investigation if something is not ugly, Elder? If it was pretty, we would call it an examination.”

Citrie smiled slightly and explained:

“Lady Mimosa and Young Lady Saffra are here to investigate the background behind a terrible murder that happened in the General’s manor.”

It was a simple explanation, but both Saffra and Mimosa gave Citrie weird looks.

Though it wasn’t much of a secret that they’re going to investigate the murder of Golderodis, Saffra and Mimosa talked about it only to their closest confidants.

Mimosa also informed Ochre about it, but that guy knew better than use that information to spread rumors.

So how did Citrie know about it?

Did someone tell him?

Saffra’s gaze landed on Apric and Tangeri.

And the two girls quickly shook their heads.

“I only said you’re here to investigate something!”

“I didn’t even say anything! And even if I did, I always told them to keep it a secret!”

“Huh? Was it a secret?”

Tangeri’s parents paled and covered their mouths in unison

Citrie just chuckled and shook his head.

“Please don’t worry, Elder. That isn’t a secret, but it’s not something that is widely known.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m curious how do you know about it.”

Saffra tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

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“I actually didn’t know.”

But Citrie didn’t seem to be afraid of heavens and telling jokes.

What you ‘didn’t know’?

“I was also planning to investigate that case, but then I was surprised to learn that Lady Mimosa chose to spend her vacation close to the deceased’s hometown. After considering it for a while, I got to the conclusion that maybe Lady also plans to investigate, so I threw a shot here to confirm it.”

“And what if you were wrong?”

“Then the atmosphere would turn very awkward, and I would be so ashamed of myself that I would have to leave the room and really go on a vacation.”

“… I suddenly really want you to be wrong.”

When Saffra started to consider if she should pretend that they never planned to investigate the Golderodis’ case, Mimosa looked at Citrie with an expressionless face and asked:

“And why would you risk making a fool out of yourself?”

“I wish to also participate in this investigation, Lady Mimosa.”

“Reasons?”

“Personal.”

The two looked at each other for a moment.

A weird silence hung between them.

And then.

“By the way, Elder. The chilly stew you made was the most delicious thing I had in a long time. Please feed us it every day. A lot.”

Saffra suddenly addressed Apric’s father, out of nowhere, talking about the stew they had for dinner.

Apric’s father, who watched the scene with tension, blinked in confusion and then burst out laughing.

“I’m most happy to hear that. Yes, I’ll do as Young Lady wishes and do a lot of it. I’ll make it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper!”

“I’ll be grateful.”

Citrie’s face fell when he heard that.

Thanks to this light exchange, the chilly atmosphere that crept in for a moment dispersed.

And Mimosa decided to answer the question that started all of it, while sipping her own special red drink.

“As Sir Citrie said, we’re here to investigate the background of a murder, that happened in the manor.”

“Ah. I recall that our daughter mentioned something about it…”

“Was it that terrible case when they filthily used you as a scapegoat, dear?”

The two pairs of parents turned their heads towards Craya.

Craya pressed her lips into a thin line and just nodded.

It seemed that the topic was still uncomfortable for her.

“Indeed. That’s the one.”

“But is the victim’s hometown here?”

“No, in the neighbor town. And it would the hometown of both the victim and murderer.”

“They were from the same hometown?”

“Ah, they did mention that it was a murder out of passion. So the victim and the murder must have known each other…”

Tangeri’s parents seemed to try to put two and two together.

Mimosa calmly continued after they ended their out-loud musings.

“I can’t provide any further details, but we’re looking for information related to the girl named Golderodi.”

“Golderodi, Golderodi, Golderodi…”

The elders chanted the name under their breaths as if trying to summon the memory of it.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Apric’s mother stood up.

“Didn’t ‘those people’ have a daughter named Golderodi?”

“Those people?”

“The recommendators.”

“Ah, those bastards…”

As if ‘recommendators’ was some sort of a keyword, the faces of all elders darkened.

“Can I ask who those ‘recommendators’ are?”

“It would appear they’re Miss Golderodi’s parents… or they were. Poor child.”

“Were you acquainted?”

“They just sometimes visited our town. We talked a few times.”

… But looking at the elders’ dark faces those ‘few times’ were quite significant.

Mimosa observed them and then gently said.

“There seems to be a story, but if Elders do not wish to speak about it, I won’t press you.”

“No, no, Lady Mimosa doesn’t have to be considerate of us. It’s just…”

Apric’s parents glanced at their daughter.

And Apric’s eyes widened in sudden realization.

“No way, Golderodi’s parents were those bastards?!”

“We aren’t sure if they were involved in this…”

“No, even if they weren’t, they were foolish bastards.”

Apric’s parents tried to soften the image of the ‘bastards’, but Tangeri’s parents cut them off.

They turned towards Saffra and Mimosa.

“If the two Ladies will let us explain. We were bystanders for most of this affair, so it may be the best for us to tell the story.”

“If you please.”

“So it all started when those fools here fallen for a scam and fell into enormous debts…”

The story went as follows.

Apric’s parents fell for a scam and were in debt.

Though they could still make their living, they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to provide their daughter with adequate education.

This was when they heard from Golderodi’s parents about the foundation, who helps and supports education of young noble children.

According to them, they were in a similar situation about a year ago, but with the support of the foundation, they sent their daughter at a yearly tuition.

‘She was a bit of an unruly child when we sent her out, but now that she returned a year later, she is like a changed person! She grew up into such a fine young lady.’

Those were apparently their words.

With such a good review and full of desperation, Apric’s parents reached out for foundation’s support and were about to send her away…

“But it was all a scam! It was fine when we were still in the town, but the moment when got on the road and far from other people’s gazes, the so-called drivers and instructors drugged me and tied me up! I was almost kidnapped! If Tangeri wasn’t secretly following after the carriage and didn’t call Teacher, I would have been kidnapped…”

Apric stared down at a translucent jelly with pieces of passion fruit, with a pale face, her voice gradually dying out after the initial outburst.

It seemed that the memory of it still haunted her.

There was a moment of silent, while Apric’s whole family calmed each other down.

Finally, Mimosa asked:

“May I ask what was the name of the foundation?”

“They called themselves ‘Eternal Happiness Foundation’.”

The unlucky name that Saffra heard just a short while ago came out.

*~*~*