TTRIA 53

A black car stopped in front of the mansion. As the engine sound died down, the mansion sank into an even deeper silence. The gazes of the servants, who had been peeking from behind window cracks and curtains, were fixed on the car. An intense tension covered the mansion, as if even the sound of breathing had stopped.

The car door opened. The first thing to appear through the opening was the tip of a worn-out shoe. Following that, the man who slowly revealed himself was the private tutor who had once won everyone’s favor, Jeff Lowell. Who could have imagined that he, who had disappeared leaving turmoil in his wake, would reappear at the mansion?

“Is that really him?”

“Look at his state. What in the world happened to him?”

Low whispers flowed from behind the curtains. The Jeff in their memories and the man before them were so different. The young man with a gentle impression had vanished without a trace, and only a haggard and withered man stood in his place. On top of that, his bandaged hand, his limping walk. The sight of him taking short, sharp breaths revealed his suffering in its entirety.

“They’re saying that’s the person who killed Daniel, right?”

“And yet he returns so shamelessly like that….”

Gazes mixed with anger, fear, and disgust poured onto Jeff. However, no one stepped outside the door. As if they were afraid of even meeting his eyes, the servants hid behind the curtains and spied on the murderer’s appearance.

Just then, Jeff slowly raised his head. His deeply sunken gaze passed through the window as if to pierce it. One servant, who had been hiding his body behind a curtain, hastily turned around when his eyes met Jeff’s.

Pausing for a moment, Jeff silently lowered his gaze. The superintendent, who had been waiting in front of the mansion, approached. After a brief conversation with the detective who had escorted Jeff, the superintendent led Jeff and entered the mansion.

The moment Jeff’s foot crossed the mansion’s threshold, someone’s shallow sigh flowed out.

“He was caught in the end.”

“What’s going to happen now?”

Amid the murmurs, the mansion door slowly closed. Along with the cold wind seeping through the crack in the door, Jeff’s shadow was swallowed into the mansion.

“Mr. Lowell.”

Jeff, who had been staring at a portrait with blue eyes, turned his head. The superintendent walking ahead of him was looking at him with an expressionless face.

“After you see the head of the house, we will begin the investigation immediately. Please go in.”

“Yes.”

As the superintendent opened the door, a silent air flowed out from inside the drawing room. The room was excessively quiet, and a faint scent lingered. It was the familiar scent of the mansion, the scent of <Vebrook>.

“Welcome, Jeff.”

A soft, low-pitched voice broke the silence. The man sitting in a Chesterfield armchair stared at Jeff with an elegant smile on his face.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Wayne Gray’s appearance, with his hands clasped over his elegantly crossed knees, was no different from the day he first saw him. Jet-black hair softly framed his pure white forehead, and his blue eyes, through which light passed, were brilliant. A being like a figure from a masterpiece painting.

But Jeff was no longer deceived by such a facade.

“Why don’t you have a seat first.”

Wayne gestured to a chair with his chin. Jeff sat down without a word. The air in the room settled heavily. Wayne silently watched Jeff, maintaining the smile on his lips.

“Why did you do it?”

A blue gaze pierced through Jeff. Jeff stared at Wayne without a word.

“I trust and cherish everyone in this mansion. You were no exception. So why on earth did you commit such an act?”

“You speak as if you’ve been betrayed.”

A dry voice flowed from between Jeff’s lips. With an expression as arid as his voice, Jeff continued to speak while looking at Wayne.

“You were the one who told me not to trust anything in the mansion, head of the house.”

“But to commit murder.”

A faint sigh escaped from his smooth mouth. He shook his head as if it were a pity.

“Daniel was a lovely talent.”

“I did not kill Daniel.”

Jeff said firmly. At those words, a sharpness settled over Wayne’s blue eyes.

“If not Daniel, then who did you kill?”

“If I say I killed no one, will you believe me?”

It was a flat answer, but the emotion contained within it was sharp. Wayne raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I’d like to, but there is a witness, you see.”

“A witness, you say.”

“Yes. There is a servant who witnessed the moment you murdered Daniel.”

Jeff let out a hollow laugh as if it were absurd. On the other hand, Wayne was calm. With a composed face, he continued speaking as if stating an established fact.

“Besides, you had a history of abusing Daniel.”

“You must know that is not true.”

At the words that shot out sharply for a moment, Wayne gave a strange smile.

“Well.”

“……”

“Why would I think that?”

You bastard.

Grind. He gritted his teeth. Jeff swallowed his ragged breath and suppressed his anger. Wayne’s face was still as smooth as a doll’s. A gentle voice continued again.

“Jeff.”

“……”

“I, too, want to uncover the truth. If you have been falsely accused, then appropriate measures must be taken. So.”

Wayne spoke softly with a bright face.

“I hope you will cooperate with the investigation that will proceed in the mansion from now on.”

His words sounded like a request at a glance. However, in reality, they were a clear warning and a demand. From the beginning, Jeff had not been given a choice.

“A competent superintendent is on standby here. Ah, I suppose you’ve already met. He was the one who guided you to the drawing room.”

“……”

“Well then, I hope the investigation goes well. I will look forward to a good result.”

That too sounded like an elegant blessing, but it was a clear dismissal.

After leaving the drawing room, Jeff was immediately guided to the superintendent’s room. As he opened the door and stepped inside, faint cigarette smoke was spreading through the room. The superintendent, Neil Warden, who had been standing by the window looking down at the garden, turned his head.

“You’ve arrived.”

Neil stubbed out his cigarette and wiped his hands with a handkerchief. While the blue cloth moved smoothly between his fingers, the air in the room grew strangely heavy. He pointed to a chair with a leisurely motion.

“Please sit.”

“Yes.”

As Jeff sat in the chair, Neil’s gaze briefly swept over him from behind his thin glasses frames.

“I heard your physical condition is not good. It must have been a long journey, you must be tired.”

“I’m fine.”

Jeff answered shortly. Neil, who nodded lightly, clasped his hands and leaned his body forward.

“Very well. Then, let’s get straight to the point.”

“Let’s.”

“Mr. Lowell, let’s talk about Daniel Ward. What was your relationship with that child?”

Jeff answered concisely.

“It was a relationship of giving and receiving lessons. I was his private tutor, after all.”

“A relationship of giving and receiving lessons. A private tutor….”

Neil nodded his head slowly.

“Then what do you think of Daniel? Please speak honestly.”

“Daniel was….”

Jeff paused to catch his breath. An innocent boy with buck teeth and freckles. But recalling the child who had been terribly cruel, Jeff opened his mouth.

“He was a playful but clever and smart child.”

“A playful and clever child.”

Neil narrowed his eyes slightly as he repeated Jeff’s answer.

“When I asked the servants of this mansion, they said there was frequent friction between you and Daniel. Was that because of the playfulness of Daniel that you mentioned?”

“The friction with the child was for the sake of his education.”

“Then do you admit that there was friction?”

“…If the discipline intended to correct the child’s behavior was seen as friction, then it is regrettable.”

Neil quietly gazed at Jeff. The silent, prolonged gaze was not a simple observation. It was a pressure trying to pierce through something. Jeff silently received his gaze. Then, Neil, lightly lowering his eyes, took out a small notebook and showed it.

“You’ll have to take a look at this.”

When he opened the notebook, stained writing was visible on an old page. Jeff’s expression hardened after confirming the sentence. Neil, who was sending him a peculiar gaze, slowly read the sentence aloud.

“‘Mr. Lowell is scary. He must hate me. Sometimes, I’m afraid he might kill me.’”

“……”

“This is a note left by Daniel Ward.”

A cold energy brushed past the edge of Neil’s impassively fixed gaze.

“It can be seen as evidence that he was afraid of you.”

“No.”

Jeff denied it firmly.

“Daniel was not afraid of me.”

At those words, Neil tilted his head slightly.

“He wasn’t afraid, yet the child left these words? Well. That lacks credibility. Well, let’s move past this for now.”

Thump. Neil, who had closed the notebook, threw a question in a calm tone.

“On the day Daniel was murdered, why did you leave the mansion?”

“As I keep saying, I did not kill Daniel. The reason I left the mansion was because I was sick and tired of this place.”

“Sick and tired, you say. Of what? Isn’t this place famous for its good treatment of its servants?”

“It has nothing to do with the treatment. The job of a teacher didn’t suit my aptitude, and I was fed up with the closed-off environment.”

“I see.”

Neil said, placing both hands on the table.

“Then I’ll ask again. Is it true that you did not kill Daniel Ward?”

“Yes.”

“Can you prove it?”

“Are you telling me to prove that I did not kill him?”

“That’s right. And you must.”

“Why?”

Neil smiled quietly.

“As you know, testimony has come out that you did.”

“……”

A feeling like he was going to go crazy washed over him, and Jeff swallowed a fierce breath. It felt like his insides were turning over. In contrast, Neil was looking at him with a consistently relaxed demeanor.

“There is testimony that you and Daniel were seen together on the night of the incident. One of the servants said so.”

“Ha, testimony, you say.”

Letting out a bitter, hollow laugh, Jeff looked directly at Neil.

“It’s false testimony.”

“Why are you so certain?”

“The day I left was the day of the full moon, at dawn after the ‘Eden’ event had ended.”

“Please continue.”

“That is the day the talents of the mansion return to their family homes. It’s a rule of the mansion.”

At those words, Neil slowly nodded his head.

“I heard that as well. That the children staying here only return to their family homes on the day of the full moon.”

After finishing his words, a strange smile appeared on Neil’s lips.

“Then why did Daniel remain at the mansion that day?”

Jeff’s expression hardened.

“What are you talking about? Daniel was not at the mansion.”

“Well.”

Neil replied calmly, tilting his head.

“In that case, why would the servant testify that you and Daniel were together that day?”

“Because the servant is lying. I have never seen Daniel.”

“But Mr. Lowell. That cannot be possible.”

Neil’s gaze quietly held Jeff’s.

“Because Daniel Ward was an orphan.”

“…What did you say?”

A crack appeared on Jeff’s face.

“He was an orphan. That child had no family home to return to. So the child had no choice but to remain at the mansion.”

That can’t be. Daniel, an orphan. That child wasn’t an orphan, just a talent from a poor family. Weren’t there documents he received from the head of the house’s representative? Yes, the documents. Jeff collected his breath and opened his mouth calmly.

“I believe you are mistaken about something. Daniel was not an orphan. His circumstances were difficult, but he has a family. He returned to his family home every full moon.”

“No, Mr. Lowell.”

However, Neil answered firmly.

“This part has already been confirmed by the mansion.”

Jeff shook his head, denying it.

“That’s impossible. I have the children’s personal documents. The children’s files are in the teacher’s office, so if you check…!”

“Yes, I have checked.”

Neil slowly adjusted his glasses and continued in a cold tone.

“In those documents, it was stated that Daniel Ward was an ‘orphan’.”

“No, that’s impossible. The Daniel in the documents I definitely checked was….”

“Then do you remember Daniel’s information?”

Neil cut Jeff off.

“His address or family relations, I mean. Can you explain it right now?”

Jeff was at a loss for words. As if his mind had gone blank, the memory did not surface clearly. Neil, who had been watching his silence, let out a dry breath.

“Mr. Lowell. You are currently denying all charges, but you are unable to present a single piece of evidence to defend yourself.”

Within the calm tone, a sunken accusation was distinct.

“Let’s stop here for today. You look pale.”

Neil, who shrugged his shoulders lightly, cast his gaze upon Jeff’s hand. Blood was faintly spreading on the tightly clenched bandage. What a personality. Neil smoothly swallowed a sneer and threw out his final words of parting.

“The investigation will continue. I hope you will prepare sufficiently.”

Ironically, the mansion gave the murder suspect the private tutor’s room. However, the label of ‘suspect’ followed him heavily. Before entering the room, Jeff had to have his belongings confiscated and undergo a body search. The entire process was dry and somewhat formal, but the distrust and wariness towards the suspect were clearly contained within it.

In addition, the man assigned as his guard was large and expressionless. He relayed Wayne’s instructions one by one.

First, there would be restrictions on his range of movement. During the investigation, he must remain only within the second-floor area, and heading to other areas is prohibited.

Second, a guard will be attached to him. From the moment he leaves the room, a guard will accompany him and control all his movements.

Third, he must attend an investigation with Superintendent Neil Warden once a day. The time and place of the investigation are at the superintendent’s discretion.

Fourth, he must summarize and report his daily activities. This must be conveyed verbally to the guard or submitted in writing at a designated time.

Fifth, contact with the outside world is prohibited. Letters, phone calls, or any form of communication is not allowed. It was the head of the house’s firm policy that the affairs of the mansion must be resolved only within the mansion.

As if to prove this policy, the private tutor’s room was in a perfectly cleared state. Documents and materials had vanished without a trace, and the telephone had also been removed without a sign. The rest of the appearance was unchanged. It remained a damnably luxurious and beautiful room. Jeff looked at the scenery he was facing again with a sense of futility.

I’m tired.

Jeff wrapped his arms around his waist and laid his body down on the bed. The high-end mattress that supported his body stably was not welcome at all. Rather, the old, hard hotel bed in the small town felt cozier and more comfortable.

He buried his face in the sheets, which felt completely devoid of warmth, and curled up his body. A stinging pain spread from the wound where the knife had wedged in. It barely held onto his mind, which was exhausted from fatigue, but his head was still a complete mess.

Jeff quietly closed his eyes. Behind his closed eyelids, memories and questions rise up, tangled in layers. The feeling of holding an unsolvable skein of thread. If you pull one, another knot gets entangled, and you can’t even tell where the end of that thread leads. However, one thing was certain.

It was a trap.

This mansion was a giant snare that had trapped Jeff. A trap that digs deeper the more you move. Moreover, with his body not in a good state now, what could he do amidst all the restrictions? What was the first thing he had to solve? That would have to be.

“…Daniel.”

Clearing the murder charge of Daniel Ward.

Here, another question arises. Why Daniel and not the butler? Why does no one bring up the story of the butler? Had he seen the old man’s figure in the mansion? No. He was not visible. It couldn’t be helped. Because he was dead. Because he had personally confirmed the moment his breath stopped.

But why isn’t anyone saying anything about his traces? Why are they saying that Daniel is dead? Is it really true? Is that little bug really dead?

Why?

How on earth did it happen?

And by whom?

“Teacher!”

For a moment, Daniel’s image came to mind. An innocent child with freckles and buck teeth. But a young ‘bug’ who spat out terrible words without hesitation.