Chapter 20. The Door

"Is Ian's body not well?"

"Yes, my lord. He has been complaining of stomach pain since this morning and has been lying in bed all day."

Brats, the viscount, frowned as he fastened his cufflinks. He had thought the atmosphere in the dining room was subtly off this morning. The servants kept glancing at the food strangely.

The viscount misinterpreted the servants' hesitation in reporting as reluctance. In reality, it was because Ian had skipped meals and was in a state of hunger.

"What about the doctor?"

His tone was more concerned about the possibility of a flaw in the peace offering than his son's health. The butler nodded in relief.

"He just finished the examination and said there's no major problem. It seems to be stress-related. He said he will monitor the situation over the next day or two and prepare some medicine."

"Is he faking it?"

"Well, he has been overworking himself lately. He's always been frail, after all."

With his frail body, Ian had been dashing around as if he could be blown away by the wind. It was hard to believe he was the same child who had first come to the mansion. Derga snorted in response.

"By the way, what was the name? Eric?"

"Berik, my lord."

"If Ian wants to meet him, let him. Try to accommodate him as much as possible. He said he was an orphan, right?"

He picked up the letter the teacher had brought last night for handwriting verification. Even a passing dog would have trouble reading the scrawled handwriting. It did get a bit neater towards the end, though.

Derga frowned and muttered to himself.

"There's a saying. Losing a lover is like losing your heart, and losing a friend is like losing your lungs."

Since he had already tied Ian's feet with the bond of his mother, it was time to bind his wrists with the name of friendship. Over the next one and a half months, he needed to prepare everything so that Ian would sacrifice himself for the Brats family even after crossing the border.

"Teach Ian how to breathe. I'm curious to see how much strength a friend can be."

That way, when he tightened the noose later, the pain and fear would double. The butler bowed deeply in response to Derga's instructions.

"There shouldn't be any problems with the management of the mansion, right?"

"Of course not, my lord."

"Butler, I trust you greatly."

"I will not disappoint your trust, my lord."

"I expect you to."

"Understood. I'll take my leave now."

* * *

Ian was lying half-reclined in his cozy bed. He had pretended to be sick to stay alone in the annex, but unexpectedly, the family had been even more attentive. Since the doctor's visit, the servants had brought him all sorts of food, making his morning busier than usual.

"Hana? Are you outside?"

"Yes, young master."

Ian put on his shirt while confirming Hana's presence.

It was 3 PM. The time when the mansion servants finished their late lunch and started cleaning the main house. There were still a few people downstairs, but this was the least busy time.

"Let's go."

"Yes, young master."

Ian decided to search the butler's room with Hana's help. She would keep watch and distract anyone who approached.

"By the way, are you really going to give me silver coins?"

Of course, it was a risky job, so he had promised her a reward besides food. With three central nobles on board, getting a few silver coins shouldn't be too hard.

"Yes, don't worry."

"It's not worry, but I'm thinking about what to buy with the silver coins."

Hana nimbly checked the corridor on both sides. No one was around. Ian quietly descended the stairs, trying to minimize any noise. As they turned the corner to use the less frequented back staircase, a voice interrupted them.

"Hey, does that even make sense?"

"It doesn't, kid. You've been tricked. Haha!"

Footsteps were heard. A servant's door closed, and the sound was getting farther away, suggesting a brief visit. Hana drew a circle to indicate it was safe.

"I'll keep watch from the bottom of the stairs. If anything happens, I'll make a loud noise, so be careful."

"Got it. Thanks—"

Click.

Ian hesitated as he turned the doorknob. It was rare to find a locked room in the mansion. Even the viscount's bedroom was always open, right? There were guards in front, but still.

"Is it locked?"

"…It won't open."

Was it the same for the teacher? He had suspected the teacher's attempt would fail based on his observations that day. But he didn't expect it to be this difficult. As Ian considered using magic, Hana gestured for him to step back.

"Wait a moment."

She then used a hairpin to fiddle with the lock. Ian watched with a skeptical expression. How could a lock be opened like that…?

Click.

"Is it open?"

"It's open."

Hana shook her hand as if it were a simple task. Ian turned back, surprised. The child smiled as she put the hairpin back in her hair.

"Didn't I tell you? I have many brothers and sisters."

"…So?"

"Families with many siblings often lock and unlock doors at random. It's their way of expressing complaints or pranks. Even a simple lock like this can be opened with a fork."

"From what I saw, it seems like a talent."

"If this is considered a talent, the neighborhood kids would be amazed. Hurry up."

Hana, who knew she lived near a brothel but didn't realize how it had influenced her, was familiar with such behaviors. Picking locks, passing secret messages, and swapping alcohol or water were uncommon for commoners.

Creak.

Ian entered the butler's room, leaving Hana behind. It was a modest room with a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. It felt almost barren, so neatly arranged.

"Hmm."

Ian scanned the room.

What was it? What did the teacher want from the butler?

He opened the wardrobe to find a bundle of keys hanging on the wall. There were dozens, maybe more. It seemed to contain all the keys to the mansion.

Jingle.

Each key had a purpose written on it. First multi-purpose room on the left of the first floor, second multi-purpose room… Ian flipped through them to find the bundle for the main house's study.

'Here it is. Study, study annex bedroom.'

Then he noticed a strange key in between. It was blunt, as if a bead was attached to the end. There was no indication of its use, and it was heavier and made of a different material than the others.

Knock knock.

Suddenly, Hana knocked urgently from outside, signaling someone was coming up the stairs. Ian quickly opened a box under the wardrobe. It contained various documents, identity papers, and a free passage within the estate.

Knock knock!

The knocking became more urgent. Ian had no choice but to tidy up the wardrobe and leave the room. As the door closed, he met the eyes of a servant who had just climbed the stairs.

"Master Ian? Hana?"

"Why are you out here? How is your body feeling?"

Hana's eyes darted around. Ian naturally followed her gaze and replied.

"Lying in bed all day is uncomfortable. I just want to take a short walk."

"You can't! The doctor said you mustn't move at all."

The servants bustled around, pushing Ian's back, and Hana followed closely behind. They exchanged glances.

'Did you find what you wanted?'

'Not sure.'

The only things that stood out were the strange key and the free passage within the estate. There were no books, so if the teacher wanted something, it must have been one of these.

"Master Ian, if you don't get better soon, we'll be in trouble."

"Hana, stop bothering Master Ian and come out."

"Uh, wait, sisters! Just a moment—"

Bang!

The servants took Hana away after warning her. The space became quiet again. Ian sat by the window, staring at the flower pot, lost in thought.

The blunt key, the free passage, and the teacher. I should subtly probe what he wanted during the next class.

'Maybe the key itself is the thing he wanted.'

Derga had clearly taken out the brooch without any special action, just by putting his hand in. There might be a magical device like fingerprint recognition, but it was unlikely Derga would have such a thing in this era.

Then, a loud noise came from outside the door.

Thump! Thump!

Footsteps were approaching. Ian finally turned to look at the door.

Is it Derga? Maybe he's angry about the fake illness.

Thump!

The footsteps stopped in front of the door. Soon, the door was pounded as if it would be broken down. Ian frowned and tilted his head.

"…Who is it?"

"Guess that means I can come in?"

Recognizing the familiar voice, the door swung open. A red-haired figure with red eyes appeared in the gap.

"Hello there?"

Berik stood there, looking extremely pleased with himself.