Chapter 26

The exchange took place in Emily's hospital room.

"This is Grace Martinez. She's a student who conducts research on acoustics at the laboratory on the grounds."

"Nice to meet you, Grace."

"Oh, nice to meet you!"

Cecilia shook the hand that was offered to her. Mordred, who had been pointing at Grace, now turned his palm towards Cecilia.

"This is one of our students, Cecil Admina. She's a year ahead of you."

"Is that so? Nice to meet you, senpai."

"S-senpai? Isn't Grace a researcher?"

Cecilia frowned, looking confused.

"Grace isn't a researcher. She's a student at the same academy as you. However, her ideas are so remarkable that she's been given special permission to enter and leave the laboratory."

"I spend most of my days at the laboratory."

"Wow."

She must be a prodigy. Not only is she allowed to enter and leave the laboratory, but it seems she's also exempt from her studies at the academy.

"The quality of the phone lines in this country was much worse a few years ago. She improved them to the current quality. Now, she's working on phonographs, right?"

"Yes. Large ones already exist, so I'm trying to make them as small as possible."

"Wow, Grace is really amazing! But why does a teacher who researches 'hindrance' know someone who researches acoustics?"

When Cecilia asked this simple question, Mordred also tilted his head in confusion.

"Wait, did I tell you that I research 'hindrance'?"

"Ah! No, no! I heard it from Gil!! He said you went to the Sylvie family's cottage! I wanted to go too!!"

The latter part of her response was delivered in a monotone, but she managed to get through it. Mordred had told "Cecilia" and not "Cecil" about his research on 'hindrance.'

"Ah, I see. You two really are close, aren't you?"

"Ahaha... Thank you..."

Cold sweat trickled down her cheek. That was a close call.

"So, how do you know each other?"

She raised her voice to cover up her slip. Mordred then looked down at Emily, who was lying in bed.

"Well, it's because Grace helped Emily."

"Helped?"

"Yes, when Emily was attacked by someone, Grace rushed to her aid."

Emily was attacked early in the morning, before the sun had even risen. She was hit with a stone while she was outside getting the newspaper. Just as the attacker was about to strike her again, Grace arrived, and the attacker fled. Thanks to the quick response, Emily survived.

"Grace saved my sister's life."

"I see."

(That's why Mr. Mordred trusts Grace so much...)

Cecilia nodded, recalling the way Mordred's face had lit up when he first saw Grace. Then, as if she had just realized something, she suddenly looked at Grace.

(That means! Grace must have seen the killer?)

She took a small breath. This might be an unexpected source of information.

Cecilia chose her words carefully.

"But it's scary that the attacker hasn't been caught. Did you see what they looked like?"

"That... I'm sorry."

Grace shook her head and bit her lower lip slightly, clearly frustrated.

Mordred placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. Even if we caught them, they probably wouldn't remember anything."

"What do you mean?"

"The attacker was someone who had been invaded by 'hindrance.' There were other witnesses who said they saw black mist coming from the attacker's body."

(What!? The attacker isn't the Killer?)

There was no setting in which the Killer was invaded by 'hindrance.' At least, Cecilia didn't know about it.

"Perhaps the reason Emily hasn't woken up is also due to 'hindrance'..."

As he said this, Mordred gently stroked Emily's head.

Gilbert joined them after the visit was over and they had parted ways with Mordred and Grace. On the way back from the hospital to the dormitory, the two walked side by side. The topic, of course, was Emily.

"So, there's a possibility that the person who attacked Emily isn't the Killer?"

"Yeah, we don't know yet. I haven't completed the game, so there's a lot of unverified information..."

As Cecilia spoke, Gilbert stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After a moment of deliberation, he spoke.

"Hey, I have a question. Why was Grace able to help Emily?"

"Huh?"

"Isn't it strange? The incident happened early in the morning, before the sun had even risen. It doesn't seem like her house is nearby. Why was she walking around the teacher's house so early in the morning?"

"You're right."

Thinking about it, that did seem odd. From the conversation, it seemed that Mordred and Grace met for the first time during this incident. It was unlikely that she had a reason to be at his house.

"Maybe Grace is hiding something."

At Gilbert's words, Cecilia's heart began to race.