—Her only relative is a younger brother, and her surname is Fager. It was a combination that in many ways reminded him of the existence of Andert's sister. But was the information reliable? Had she not already lied about her identity once? Daisy's identity was also likely to be false.
Raphael recalled the woman's face, which remained strangely clearly engraved in his memory. Bertie, no, Daisy, by definition, was an uncommon beauty who gave off a simple vibe. That part was her only similarity to Andert. Perhaps it was due to the fact that her expression hadn't changed much, but at times she seemed a bit distracted and her voice was also weak. Because of that, her personality seemed hard to measure.
That's why I find it harder to relate her to Andert. Andert was a cheerful man. He was so sociable he could strike up a friendship with any ant passing by. He had a unique human charm. Anyone who had had any conversation with Andert couldn't help but think about him and often tried to talk to him again and strike up a relationship with him.
—My lady, the mansion is lacking cleaning staff. On the contrary, it seemed that the woman called Daisy had a few loose screws. She didn't seem at all like someone who could be Andert's older sister.
Yes, I'm sure it's not like that. However, Raphael could not rid himself of that suspicion at all. This is because there were several factors that influenced this. The reason he had such a clear memory of the woman's face... Had the usually serene and stoic Desherro not looked at her bewildered? Furthermore, he had not been the only one who had considered the probability.
Raphael recalled the conversation he had had with Duke Jurian a few hours ago at the Iregiel airfield, where the ships were. Jurian silently watched Viscountess Weatherwoods' ship as it disappeared into the clouds. When Raphael approached him, seeing the sword master standing so still, Jurian turned around, as if he were waiting for him and said his name in a low voice. —Raphael.
When they were alone, Jurian often called him Raphael, instead of archduke. It wasn't very comfortable for Raphael to use formalities with Jurian either. After all, they were comrades who had fought together on the battlefield. —Yes. —May I ask what all that fuss with Mrs. Weatherwoods was about?
—Only what you already know. There was a small discussion about whether the survivor from the southern islands should be investigated once more or not. —But normally you're not one to make a scene in public. Raphael didn't answer.
Jurian, who stared at his face, put on a strange expression. —I managed to catch a glimpse of that maid. You might laugh at me for saying this, but at that moment, when I saw her, Andert suddenly appeared in my mind. I thought that, if Andert's sister were still alive, she would probably look like that.
This time once more, Raphael kept his mouth shut. There was no reason for it, except for the fact that he also thought the same. —In the noble council meeting there was another person who shared that similarity. —Who… is it? —Viscount Gray Weatherwoods.
When Raphael looked at him with strange eyes, Jurian gave him a mysterious smile. —Do you remember what I told you before? That the viscount defeated my Jean in a duel? —Yes. —Jean is undoubtedly the best of all the swordsmen I've taught. If it weren't for her sword, it would be difficult for me to choose my successor between her and Gavroche. I'm going to tell you a secret. Teaching Jean often reminded me of Andert. Yes, it used to remind me of that reckless bastard's swordsmanship.
Reckless bastard. It was so accurate to say it that Raphael smiled unconsciously. —Is it because Miss Jean Berkley Gratton is a sword demon? —Am I the one who handles the sword or does she handle me? I think the answer to this question is very important for a swordsman. That question alters their focus and, ultimately, affects their results. This is a topic on which Jean and I often clash. That girl is bad at lying. She says she has taken all my teachings and assimilated them into her fencing, but the movement of her sword says otherwise. Jean has no qualms about letting herself be controlled by her sword.
Jurian was also getting older. He had become more talkative than before, especially when he talked about the successors he had chosen for the Berkley Gratten family. —As she deviates more and more from my teachings, I discovered that Jean's eyes are no longer fixed on me. The girl needs a new master who can help clear a new path for her sword. If there's someone who can seduce Jean with their swordsmanship in that way, then it must be someone similar to her, a sword demon too. Jean was defeated by Viscount Weatherwoods.
Jurian, who had been talking calmly, suddenly broke into a small laugh. Raphael was surprised to see his almost childish smile. It was the first time he had seen Jurian smile like that since the war. —Haha. Did you know? Viscount Weatherwoods' hands are as soft as a cat's palm, to the point where I couldn't imagine them ever holding a sword. Probably that's why he said with confidence that he had learned to use the sword, but...
Green eyes, of an unfathomable depth, flashed coldly. —What's the use of hiding the callouses, but doing nothing to hide the skeleton? His palms were deformed in a way that only happens to swordsmen who have been training for a long time. That was, without a doubt, the hand of a swordsman. To be more precise, only his left hand was the one that was deformed. Raphael, do you think I'm delirious?
Jurian didn't explain what he meant by his delirium, but Raphael understood it immediately: he wanted to imply that there was a connection between Viscount Weatherwoods and Andert. That fact made Raphael nervous. Weatherwoods… A left-handed swordsman with excellent skills who tried to hide them. A suspected sword demon. The intuition and insight of the sword master, known for his sixth sense.
But that alone was not enough to connect the viscount with Andert. No, it certainly was not enough. Left-handed swordsmen could be really rare, but if you searched the world thoroughly, wouldn't you find at least ten to twenty of them? Raphael recalled the image of Duke Jurian's back as he walked away. Delusional. Duke Jurian was not someone easily susceptible to emotional delusions.
His sense of reason was firmer and much colder than Raphael's. If there was no notable evidence, although he might doubt it, he didn't say it out loud. Which meant… Does Duke Jurian know that Daisy Fager is a survivor of Queen Island? The Southern Imperial Archipelago consisted of 19 islands. It was a large archipelago with more than 200,000 inhabitants, and Queen Island was the southernmost island of it.
I certainly said that Daisy Fager was a survivor of the Southern Imperial Archipelago, but I never mentioned that she was one from Queen Island. Raphael's eyes narrowed. All information on the Southern Imperial Archipelago, including Queen Island, was confidential and only the military had access to it. The man who attacked my messengers and intercepted them... was Duke Jurian.
Two of the messengers from Queen Island had been attacked when they were on their way to him. The culprit had been the sword master. Everything concerning Raphael was considered a confidential military secret. As he was the commander-in-chief of the imperial army, it was a natural thing. Duke Jurian was one of the few people who could secure the route by which messages were sent to him.
—Desherro. —Yes. —Investigate and verify if there is any connection between the terrorist incident at the Iregiel Villa and Duke Jurian Berkley-Gratten. Desherro, surprised, asked him cautiously: —Do you suspect him? —Yes. —Do you have any evidence? —No, it's just a feeling. Desherro didn't take Raphael's quite casual response lightly. This was because Raphael's animal intuition had never been wrong. —I'll find out his point of contact with the terrorists.
Raphael slowly leaned back in his chair. In his head, new plans rapidly began to form and were shot down one by one. His head was still cold, but his blood flowed hot enough to warm the rest of his body and his heart. As his gaze became crystalline, the fuzzy hairs on his skin stood up. Raphael exhaled a slow and languid sigh, as if to stop his instinct to run wild.
The echo of his heartbeat was heard. How long had it been since he was so excited? Raphael smiled with self-deprecation. —How stupid of me too. I can't believe I still have hopes after all. It had been only a few days since he decided he would try to shake it off. Andert. Are you really alive?
—Desherro, send a man to Midwinterre. Tell him to keep a close eye on Viscount Weatherwoods and Daisy Fager. Also, a new team of investigators must be sent to Queen Island. I will handle this matter myself. Desherro bowed his head with a serious expression. —I see. —I'm looking forward to meeting Viscount Weatherwoods. A deep smile formed on Raphael's mouth.