Chapter 47

"Family is a younger brother. The surname is Pajer, that's it."

It's a combination that brings to mind Andert's sister in many ways.

But is it really reliable information?

After all, she had already fabricated her identity once. The identity of Daisy Pajer was likely also a fake.

Raphaelo once again recalled the woman's face, which was etched in his memory with an unusually clear impression.

Berti, or rather, Daisy, was a rare beauty with a simple and innocent appearance.

That was the only point of similarity with Andert.

Daisy had few facial expressions, giving her a somewhat vacant air, and her voice was also soft. Because of this, it was hard to gauge her personality.

'That's why I can't connect her to Andert.'

Andert was a cheerful man.

He was so sociable that he could make even a passing ant a friend, and this made his human charm even more pronounced.

Anyone who had ever conversed with Andert was curious about him, acknowledged him, and tried to maintain a connection.

"Master. The mansion is short of cleaning staff."

In contrast, the woman named Daisy seemed to be missing a screw.

She didn't seem like Andert's biological sister at all.

'Yes, that's definitely the case.'

But what truly puzzled Raphaelo himself was...

Despite this, his eyes were drawn to her.

Raphaelo had scrutinized the woman's face in detail for this very reason.

How else could the cool and collected Dzerro have been flustered and avoided looking at him?

Moreover, he wasn't the only one having such thoughts.

Raphaelo recalled the conversation he had with Dzihark 7 hours earlier at the Irigel villa's airfield.

Dzihark was silently watching the airship of Lady Weatherwood, which was disappearing behind the clouds.

As he approached, puzzled by Dzihark's motionless stance, Dzihark turned around as if he had been waiting and called out softly.

"Raphaelo."

Dzihark often called him 'Raphaelo' rather than 'Duke Raphaelo' when they were alone.

Raphaelo didn't find this title uncomfortable. They were comrades who had fought together on the battlefield.

"Yes."

"Can I ask what exactly happened with Lady Weatherwood?"

"It's as you know, Duke. There was a minor disturbance regarding the investigation of survivors from the southern imperial archipelago."

"But you're not the type to cause a commotion in a public setting."

Raphaelo didn't respond.

Dzihark, who had been staring at his face, wore a strange expression.

"That maid caught my eye. I know it sounds ridiculous, but... for a moment, I thought of Andert. If his sister were alive, she might have had a face like that."

Raphaelo remained silent again.

He had no other intention. He had thought the same as Dzihark.

"There was another person at the noble assembly who gave me a similar feeling."

"Who?"

"Lord Gray Weatherwood."

While Raphaelo looked at him with a strange expression, Dzihark said with an inscrutable smile.

"Remember the story I told you earlier? About Jin's defeat in the duel with Lord Weatherwood?"

"Yes."

"Jin is the best among the swordsmen I've trained. If he weren't a sword demon, I would have had a hard time choosing between him and Garosh."

"..."

"Now, to be honest. While training Jin, I often thought of Andert. Yes, I often thought of that heartless fellow's sword style."

Heartless fellow.

It was such an apt description that Raphaelo couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is it because Lady Jin Berkeleygrayton is a sword demon?"

"Do I wield the sword, or does the sword wield me? I believe the answer to this question is very important. This question changes the path of the sword and its end. Jin and I often clashed over this. The child is bad at lying. He acts as if he has absorbed all my teachings, but his sword movements tell a different story. Jin is unhesitant to be controlled by the sword."

Dzihark had aged.

He talked more than he used to, especially when mentioning the successors of the Berkeleygrayton family.

"Since Jin is trying to take a path opposite to what I teach, his eyes no longer belong to me. He needs a new master to guide his sword to its path. The only one who could captivate Jin would be a fellow sword demon."

"..."

"Jin was defeated and captivated by Gray Weatherwood."

Dzihark, who had been speaking calmly, suddenly burst into a small laugh.

Raphaelo was inwardly surprised by the innocent laughter, which was something he had never seen from Dzihark since the end of the war.

"Ha ha. Did you know? Lord Weatherwood's hands were so soft that they couldn't be imagined as a swordsman's. They were like a cat's paw. Of course, he said he had never learned swordsmanship. But..."

His deep, green eyes turned cold.

"Even if calluses can be hidden, bones cannot. His palms were deformed from long-term training. Specifically, only his left hand, not his right."

"..."

"Raphaelo, do you think I'm delusional?"

Dzihark didn't specify what his delusion was about.

But Raphaelo immediately understood. He believed there was a clear connection between Lord Weatherwood and Andert.

This fact irritated Raphaelo.

'Gray Weatherwood...'

A left-handed swordsman with exceptional sword skills, trying to hide his abilities.

A sword demon who captivates other sword demons.

The insight and intuition of a sword master.

But that alone wasn't enough to connect Lord Weatherwood to Andert.

No, it was clearly insufficient.

A left-handed sword demon. Even though they are rare, if you search the world thoroughly, you could probably find twenty or so.

Raphaelo recalled Dzihark's rapidly receding back.

'Delusion.'

Dzihark wasn't someone who easily deluded himself.

His rationality was colder and more ruthless than Raphaelo's. Without significant evidence, he wouldn't voice his suspicions.

That means...

'Is Dzihark also aware that the maid from Weatherwood is a survivor from Queen Island?'

The southern imperial archipelago consists of 19 islands.

It is a large archipelago with over 200,000 residents, and Queen Island is a small island located at its southernmost tip.

'I clearly said Daisy Pajer was a survivor from the southern imperial archipelago, not specifically from Queen Island.'

Raphaelo's eyes narrowed.

All information about the southern imperial archipelago, including Queen Island, is military classified.

'The one who intercepted my message in the middle... was Duke Dzihark.'

The person who attacked the message sent from Queen Island twice was none other than Dzihark.

Raphaelo's messages are treated as important military secrets. This was natural, given that he is the commander-in-chief of the imperial military.

Dzihark was one of the few people who could secure the route of such messages, directly or indirectly.

"Dzerro."

"Yes."

"Investigate the connection between the Irigel villa terrorist attack and Duke Dzihark."

Dzerro, who was looking at him with a surprised expression, asked cautiously.

"Are you suspecting him as a suspect?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any evidence?"

"No, it's just a hunch."

Dzerro didn't mock Raphaelo's answer, which seemed like a joke.

He knew that Raphaelo's animal-like intuition had never been wrong.

"I will look into the connection."

Raphaelo slowly straightened his back from the chair.

A new plan, which he had never considered before, was rapidly forming and collapsing in his mind.

His head was still cold, but his body was filled with blood, making his heart race.

His vision became clear, and the hair on his skin stood up.

To suppress his instinct to act, Raphaelo exhaled slowly and lazily.

This heartbeat. How long has it been since he felt such excitement?

Raphaelo laughed to himself.

'I'm such a fool. To still have hope after being deceived like that.'

He had only recently vowed to expel Andert from his heart.

Andert.

Are you really alive?

"Dzerro, send someone to Midwinter. Ask the responsible person to conduct a thorough investigation into the Weatherwood family and Daisy Pajer. Additionally, send a new investigation team to Queen Island. I will personally oversee this matter."

Dzerro bowed with a stern face.

"Understood."

"…I am looking forward to the reunion with Lord Weatherwood."

A deep smile spread across Raphaelo's lips.