Would it be possible to be so amazed even if the sky and earth turned upside down in one night?
No, if heaven and earth had turned upside down, one would have been even more surprised, but even in this case the situation was quite amazing.
- Murderer? On you?
- Yes, last night.
Attempted murder in Pales? Not during a holiday, but at a time when at most only the nightly entertainment of aristocrats takes place? Is the criminal really Adi Grimaldi...
- Adi killed him.
Apparently not.
“He is now injured and will not be able to perform his duties for some time.”
- How seriously injured?
- Poisoned.
- Poison... Will he die?
- Not that serious.
Bert answered.
“And he shouldn’t die.”
- Right. After all, he is the only child of Count Grimaldi.
Roy nodded.
Spencer Grimaldi can no longer have children. Some call it a curse, but the king - then still a prince - took his place at the knight's tournament and, falling from his horse, damaged his testicles. At the time, Adi Grimaldi was in his wife's womb, and they did not expect the child to be a twin.
When Spencer Grimaldi's twins were born - a symbol of bad omen, a kind of curse - no one knows what he was thinking, but he announced a curse that fell on his children. And he didn’t adopt anyone. Those who knew Spencer Grimaldi would probably find this strange.
Even Roy, who didn't know him very well, found it strange.
Adrina Grimaldi is dead, but Adrian Grimaldi is alive, so is everything okay? But if Adrian also dies, the line of the Counts of Grimaldi will end. Of course, if you look, there will be nephews or other side branches, but raising such a person from scratch will not be easy.
“If they find out that he was poisoned, they won’t let it go so easily.”
At Bert’s words, Roy began to think: who won’t leave it so easily - the Duke or Adi?
-...Then a message.
“First we need him to wake up in order to pass it on.”
“It would be good for him to wake up safely.”
“Joel is looking after him, so everything will be okay.”
“Is Joel the servant who helped you and explained everything you needed while you served the Duke?”
- Yes. Servant and healer rolled into one.
More precisely, a healer-magician, but that wasn’t worth talking about yet. If they go to the estate together, from that moment on they will have to owe him a lot.
- Wait. Or find someone else for a while until Adi comes.
-...In this Palesa.
- Is there a suitable person?
At Bert's words, Roy mentally went through his comrades. The Second Order of Knights doesn't think too well of Woodpecker. If they had a better reputation, everyone would line up, but now, if you start looking for a new person...
Is there anyone suitable?
- If not, can you handle it together for a few days?
- Quite.
It's better to do it together than listen to complaints.
“Then we’ll do that.” I myself don’t want to invite new people unnecessarily. The Duke has changed his quarters, so we will have to move too.
- Understood. Then Adrian...
— The servant will carry his things. He can't move.
So serious? If the poison is weak, he will quickly come to his senses, but since he was poisoned by the killer...
- Then where is Adi now?
- In the room next to the Duke's chambers.
- What?
— In the side room near the bedroom.
He knew the location. Just a place, just a place! Isn't it too meaningful? Perhaps noticing Roy's suspicious and doubtful face, Bert added:
- He shouldn’t die, so I’m keeping an eye on him. What will you do with your things? Will you let the servants carry it or will you do it yourself?
- I’ll carry it myself.
“Then I’ll say so.”
* * *The new residence turned out to be a little tidier than the previous one. She didn't seem to suit the Duke's tastes. Apparently, that's why he used the previous one. However, since both were on the same floor, this did not bring much change.
The Duke was sitting on the sofa in the reception room and reading a newspaper. When Roy entered and bowed, Julius put down the newspaper and said: “I’m late.”
- I beg your pardon, your lordship.
- Nothing. Bert must have told you everything.
- Adrian Grimaldi...
Julius looked at Roy. The look seemed to ask if they were close. You can’t call them either close or distant. But since he suffered while defending the Duke...
- He won’t die.
“I heard you keep it with you.”
- Because he can’t die.
-......
“I placed it in the room next to the bedroom, so if you want to take a look, please.”
- How dare I......
- Let's go.
Julius said this and stood up. Will he really pull it off? Roy was surprised, but Julius went to the inner chambers without any hesitation.
After passing through several side rooms and corridors, they reached a bedroom decorated in snow-white tones. If a killer had gotten in here, it would have been a terrible sight.
The servant, who was in the bedroom, jumped to his feet, apparently surprised by the arrival of Julius.
- Open the door.
Julius ordered. He opened the door to the side room.
The room was also snow-white. In this white room, a particularly pale Adrian lying there did not look out of place.
A northerner, Adi was already fair-skinned and fair-haired, but now, with only his head sticking out from under the blanket, he seemed even more fragile.
Looking at this, Roy thought he had a strange feeling. No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t look at all like Palesa’s mad dog.
- Adi.
Roy called him. Hair was visible, wet from cold sweat. Next to him, Julius clicked his tongue.
- Adrian.
When Roy called again, Adi slowly opened his eyes. The brown pupils, visible through the narrow eye slits, seemed especially transparent.
- Adi, are you okay?
Despite Roy's question, Adi's gaze was directed somewhere else. Roy felt the Duke's presence over his shoulder. Adrian also looked at the Duke.
- Adi.
Adrian said. At that moment, both Roy and Julius froze.
Stretching out his hand to the Duke, Adi said again: “Adi.” Crying voice. Perhaps because his voice was hoarse, it seemed especially thin. Julius approached the bed.
- Adi...
The narrow eyes filled with moisture, and tears rolled down the cheeks. Adi grabbed Julius's hand, as if snatching it, and began to call: Adi, Adi. Not understanding what was happening, Roy asked, “Your Grace?” Julius did not push Adi's hand away.
- He's calling his sister.
Julius said it.
— Adrina Grimaldi was also called Adi.
Can't be.
No matter how similar the names are, nicknames do not separate. Most likely, Adrina did not have a nickname at all. Maybe Adrian arbitrarily called her Adi, or maybe it was just their expression.
The souls of twins - aren't they one? Perhaps he gave his nickname to his own soul. What did Adrina call Adrian?
- Hurt.
Adi said this.
- It hurts, it’s hard.
Tears flow freely. For the first time he sees someone's weakness. I didn’t think that a grown man could cry like that and say that he was hurt. But strange, so strange...
Roy couldn't figure out what to call this feeling. In any case, it was strange. Like indigestion - as if the stomach or solar plexus was tightly blocked.
- Call the healer.
Julius said this and stood up. Adi grabbed his wrist tightly. The strength of the grip was so weak that it seemed that if you shook it, it would immediately weaken, and Julius did not dare push his hand away.
- Don't go.
Adi said this.
- Don't go, Adi.
These words are not addressed to him.
- I will protect you.
This is what Adrian says to his little sister.
“I’ll definitely get you out of here.”
Perhaps Adrina was as short as Julius himself. That's why Adi is confused.
- So don't die.
When he himself is on the verge of death.
- Don't go.
Having said this, Adi pulled Julius's hand and kissed the back of her hand. Smack, smack - touching her lips several times, she rubbed her face on the brush. No matter how childish this hand was, it was too large to be called a woman's. But Adrian, in his hazy state, did not seem to notice this.
- Don't leave me alone, Adi.
This innermost feeling was felt in its entirety.
- I only you...
How much Adrian loved his little sister.
For a moment, Julius felt jealous of the deceased Adrina. To have someone who loves you so much. She died cursed, but perhaps she was happy while she was alive, Julius thought.
After all, he himself had never experienced anything like this.
So he got a little angry.
Although the death of Adrien's little sister was not her fault, she left, leaving someone who cared for her so much.
If only this love was directed towards him.
If only he had received something like this in those childhood years.
Useless assumptions.
- Roy.
- Yes, Your Grace.
- Call Joel.
- I obey.
Roy answered and walked out, asking the servant, “Do you know where I can find a servant named Joel?” The servant nodded and said that he would escort him. As he did so, he glanced briefly at the side room.
Only Adrian and Julius Woodpecker remained inside.
There were soldiers outside, and no one here posed a threat to Julius. Having apparently decided that he could go away for a while, the servant suggested that Roy hurry up. Walking steps were heard.
Julius looked back. In an empty room where there was no one, he could allow himself to express his thoughts.
— There is no trace of guilt.
Julius said this, looking at Adi’s face.
- Idiot.
It is not clear to whom these words were addressed, but they simply burst out by themselves.