Selma Keller — her eyes were like a sky, sparkling with stars; her lips made common words sound divine; her touch could turn stones into roses.
But my heart could not linger in such a direction anymore. She had once been Peter's interest, and out of respect for him, I could no longer harbor any feelings for her.
The gate creaked, and a house-paired carriage rolled in, greeted and saluted by the guards. From upstairs, I heard voices calling out:
"WELCOME, SIR — LORD PAUL KELLER!"
It was Paul Keller.
Finally, I can speak with him. I need to find out why he chose not to become king, even though he was officially next in line.
"What are you thinking about, Johannes? Is it about my father?" Selma asked.
"To be honest, yes," I replied.
A grim look crossed her face as she said,
"Don't tell me you still think he killed the king... or had anything to do with Peter's execution."
"I don't think anything yet about your father," I said. "I only want to understand his motive for not claiming the crown immediately after the king's death."
Selma reached out and grabbed my hand, as if to stop me from leaving her room and seeking her father.
I asked her, "What do you think you're doing, Selma? Do you intend to stop me? Do you fear your father might be the culprit?"
She lowered her gaze and sat on the edge of the bed.
"It's not that I believe my father did anything wrong... it's just that, recently, after receiving a letter from the palace, he's been acting strangely — leaving the house more often, and demanding that no one enter the manor without him around."
A letter... could it be the same one my father received from the palace?
"Selma," I asked, "do you know what was written in the letter?"
"Not really. I usually don't pry into my father's affairs," she replied.
What if that letter holds a conversation between Drevail and Paul? It might be a crucial clue to my investigation.
Gently, I walked toward her and sat beside her on the bed.
"I know you say you don't pry into your father's business," I said, "but as you yourself mentioned, he's been troubled lately. Don't you wish to know what burdens him, what weighs on his heart, what shakes his very steps?"
"I do wish to know," she said softly, "but... I don't think prying is the right way."
"You wouldn't be prying. Just leave it to me. All I need is for you to show me where your father keeps his private documents," I urged.
She burst out,
"That's an absurd request, Johannes! That's my father's private archive. I would be betraying his trust if I showed you!"
It seems it will be difficult to get anything directly from her. I'll need to search the manor myself. But with Paul back, it will be far more complicated. I must find a way to convince her.
The only way to convince her to tell me the location of the archive is to assure her that Paul didn't kill the king.
I stood up from the edge of the bed and said gently,
"Your father didn't kill the king.
It was Mrs. Packson — Peter's mother.
Before she died, she left a note confessing she killed the king. I'm the only one in the kingdom who knows this — or so I thought. But I believe someone forced her hand. I need to read the contents of those letters to further my investigation."
Selma immediately stood up, eyes wide.
"What did you just say? This is huge! Why haven't you told anyone before now?"
"Because it wasn't the right time," I said.
"I needed more evidence to prove Mrs. Packson wasn't the true mastermind behind the king's death. I have to do this — to find out who set Peter up for execution."
She hesitated, then said,
"Okay... I'll tell you. But promise me — no matter what happens, you'll put us over them."
"Put us over them? What do you mean?" I asked.
"Put the godbloods over the non-godbloods," she said, her voice firm. "I know Peter was your friend, and so was his mother. But whether they were involved in the king's murder or not, they would have died anyway. That's the punishment for non-godbloods who cross the Wall."
"I don't know how you can think like that," I replied.
"But I'm not putting anyone above another. I'm doing what's right — what my father would do. What I would do for a friend."
She sighed, then finally gave in.
"The archive is on the last floor, the right-side room opposite the corridor filled with male sculptures from Bright Field," she directed.
The moment she finished speaking, I left her room, rushing silently to the last floor.
I made sure not to make a sound, to avoid suspicion.
At my left was a door. At my right, another door. Ahead of me stretched a corridor lined with sculptures — each one a white marble figure of a man engaged in various activities: eating, reading, flying, and more.
Following Selma's instructions, I opened the right-side door.
Inside, shelves and drawers filled with documents lined the room. Each shelf and drawer was tagged with a time period, making the search much easier.
Without wasting a second, I looked for a time period covering the past fourteen days — and found it at the end drawer.
Unsurprisingly, the drawer was locked.
Using "finger torch," I ignited a small flame on my index finger and carefully cut through the metal hinges.
I searched through the drawer with a desperation that felt like my very soul was bound to a document — searching for anything marked with a royal seal.
To my surprise, I found eight documents.
Eight documents with the royal seal. It seems Paul has had frequent correspondence with the royal office. These letters might not contain the same information as the one my father received... but they could hold something even bigger.
Without hesitation, I carefully tore open one of the letters.
The content left me stunned:
---
Kingdom of Ostina
Ostina City – Royal Palace
Office of the King
To: The House of Keller, Waldheim Province
Sir Lord Paul Keller,
REPORT ON THE DEATH OF THE CENTRAL DIVISION COMMANDER, TROY HABSBURG.
Troy Habsburg, brother to the late King Heinrich von Habsburg, was killed during an intensive duel between himself and Sir Lord Mathias Freiburg.
With immediate effect, a proper burial suitable for a king's brother was held behind closed doors for Troy Habsburg, and Sir Lord Mathias Freiburg was officially appointed as the new Commander of the Central Division.
With Royal Grace,
Signed and Sealed by the Hand of His Majesty,
King Drevail of Ostina
---
What... Father killed the king's brother?
But why is Drevail keeping Paul updated about this? What's truly going on in this kingdom?
"Excuse me — what are you doing here?"
The voice was loud and clear.
I turned around — and to my shock, it was Paul Keller.