Chapter Title: The Assassin
What happened next was almost too fast for Adele to process. First, the man began running toward her. He was still smiling. Just before his hand could snatch her, she rolled across the bed and slipped off the other side. Her knees slammed into the floor. Breathlessly, she looked up and saw a large window and veranda opposite. Adele stood and stretched out her hand. At that moment, her feet—overused for too long—screamed in pain.
"...!"
Adele fell heavily. She tried to rise again, but the man was already at her back. Large hands gripped her neck.
"Ugh...!"
The man's laughter grew louder. She couldn't breathe. She scratched at his hands with her fingernails, but to no avail. All she confirmed were the numerous nail wounds already marking the backs of his hands. Tears flowed down her cheeks from physiological response alone. Her head felt hot, as if it might explode. Her tear-stained vision began to fade. She was on the verge of losing consciousness.
"...Miss!"
A loud shout and the sound of shattering glass rang in her ears. There was a rush of wind, and hot liquid poured down the back of her head and upper body. The grip on her throat relaxed.
"Gah...! Hah. Hh..."
Adele gasped for breath. She shook her body frantically to throw off the man, crawling across the carpet with her elbows and slipping between the furniture. The shattered glass cut into her, but she felt no pain. *I want to live. Live...*
"Miss!"
It was a low cry that awakened Adele's spirit. She was crawling on the floor when she finally stopped in place. All she could see was her mangled forearm with glass embedded in it. The blood-stained carpet beneath her.
"......"
A shadow fell over her side. Adele raised her trembling head.
"...I'm sorry."
"......"
Aegir sat before her. His face was full of guilt. Adele looked behind her, still exhaling heavily.
"It's better if you don't look."
Aegir spoke hastily, but Adele had already seen the corpse hanging limply like a leather sack. The man who had attacked her had died from a large cut to the carotid artery.
"......"
"...I'm sorry. I should have... I should have come sooner."
Aegir turned to face Adele as she stared blankly at the corpse. His eyes were as blue as the sea. Adele's lips trembled amid a storm of emotions, then her eyes widened.
"...Body. Cough!"
As soon as she opened her mouth, a cough erupted again. She spoke in a cracked voice.
"The body... we have to search it."
"Pardon?"
"The one who hired him... clues or tattoos... markings that show where he belongs. Check the arms or ankles. He's from Kimora."
Adele said haltingly. Aegir's eyes widened in surprise, but then his expression grew more complicated than shocked.
"...Stopping the bleeding comes first."
"No... it has to be done before anyone comes."
"......"
After a long moment of eye contact, Aegir yielded first.
"...Understood."
Adele straightened up as Aegir searched the corpse. When the weight on her bloodied arm pressed down, she nearly groaned. *Pathetic.* She should have been on guard the moment the door opened without a knock. Playing at being a lady had made her soft... when she wasn't even a real lady.
Fierce self-loathing surged within her. She feared that even if Cesare released her, she would no longer be able to survive on her own. *I need to be more level-headed.* Adele gritted her teeth and pulled a piece of clothing from the drawer, wrapping it around her arm.
"No tattoos."
Aegir said, having finished his search. Adele, leaning against the wall, nodded.
"Then he wouldn't be part of a Familia... Someone hired privately, most likely."
At Adele's words, Aegir looked at her with a strange expression. Adele replied without emotion.
"Is it strange that I know this well?"
"...It's not strange."
"I thought Lord Aegir would be familiar with such things, but perhaps someone else handles that."
Aegir shook his head and continued searching the corpse's pockets.
"Someone else is in charge of that. I just carry out orders."
He seemed to be avoiding mentioning specifics to her. Something was found in the body's coat. Scarlet paper. The content was simple: *Thank you.*
"Scarlet is the color of the Genobl family, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Then it won't be Palmina."
Just then, a loud noise came from the entrance. Adele and Aegir's heads turned simultaneously. Eponi had dropped her basin and stood pale as chalk.
"Miss!"
---
Adele looked in the hand mirror. There was a dark red bruise in the shape of a hand around her neck.
"Wouldn't it be better to cover it with a scarf?"
Taking the mirror, Eponi spoke. Adele shook her head at her worried tone.
"Let's sort out the situation first."
Eponi had spoken to the servants, and they would arrive soon. Almost as soon as she thought this, three men burst into the room.
"Miss Adelaide!"
When Ezra saw Adele and the corpse covered with white cloth, he turned white with shock.
"What on earth...! Never mind that now. Please sit down first...!"
"I said I'd remain here. I need to explain the situation."
"Your neck... Oh, goddess. And your arms..."
Luca della Valle reacted like Ezra. His already anxious face turned white, making him look even more delicate and sensitive.
And Cesare... the moment he entered the room, he stopped. Those golden eyes spotted Adele's neck and widened. He stood there, staring at her neck long enough to make even his enemies uneasy.
"Prince Cesare?"
"...Ah."
Luca called his name, and Cesare came to his senses. He still looked somewhat dazed. Luca looked at him and spoke.
"Prince Cesare. There's no question. I intend to handle this..."
"First."
Cesare cut off Luca's words.
"...Let's hear the situation."
Cesare said this, and his mouth remained tight. The languid air he usually wore like sea fog had vanished as if washed away. He was simply deep and heavy.
At this, Luca let out a short, strange sound from his throat. He trembled violently before jerking his head toward Adele. His eyes were desperate.
"Miss Adelaide. I will certainly settle this matter. I apologize for the lack of security. If there's anything you want, tell me, and..."
Luca, who had been speaking hurriedly, looked at her with anguished eyes.
"It's true that you need rest right now, but I've heard you wished to explain yourself... Can you tell us what happened?"
Adele nodded and briefly recounted the situation.
"...He suddenly ran at me. I rolled across the bed to escape. I was going to jump out the window, but I tripped and fell."
While everyone focused on her words, Cesare was looking at the carpet near the vanity—unlike the others.
*What is he seeing?*
Following his gaze, she noticed pale stains soaked into the carpet. It was blood and fluid from her feet.
Cesare retraced the trail with heavy eyes. His gaze then moved to Adele's bandaged feet. He paused, worked his jaw and the corners of his mouth as if suppressing something, and let out a heavy breath.
*......*
Adele finished quickly, feeling inexplicably unsettled.
"...I fell, the window broke, and the assailant climbed onto my back and strangled me. Lord Aegir, who arrived just in time to find me, intervened."
"So the window was broken by you, Miss Adelaide?"
"Yes."
Everyone stared at the shards of glass scattered across the room but said nothing. That was when Aegir stepped forward.
"I found this in the assassin's coat. There were no other traces."
What he held out was a scarlet card. As soon as he saw it, Luca's mauve eyes sparked with a strange light.
"That's the color of Genobl! The handwriting matches too. Yes. I'm certain Madame Palmina bears a grudge against Miss Adelaide."
Ezra, who had been grimly silent the whole time, also spoke.
"...Come to think of it, on the way to Miss Adelaide's room, I met Madame Palmina. It looked like she had snuck in."
"Madame Palmina? I didn't invite her this time."
"She said she had made an appointment with Miss Adelaide through Lucrezia's arrangement. But Miss Adelaide said she knew nothing about it."
Luca stiffened at this chatter. He paced the room for a long time before speaking in a strained voice.
"...Attendant. Bring Lucrezia here."