Miss Charlotte’s Case Journal - Chapter 19

That alone had been enough for that fool to move exactly as she wished. Of course, she’d expected that since he had no money, he’d leave some kind of proof behind. But who would’ve guessed it would be his seal? He was so stupid it was almost laughable—almost.

“I didn’t think he’d leave his seal. Robert might be an idiot, but I never imagined he’d be that thoughtless. Well, it worked out well for me. It made it easy to identify who bought the poison, didn’t it?”

Lucy shrugged casually and added, “It worked out for you too.”

Charlotte clenched her fists tightly. The hands resting on her lap trembled. Worked out? What the hell did she mean by that?

“How… why….”

When Charlotte stammered out the question, Lucy fell silent for a moment. Then, with a graceful motion, she lifted her teacup, took a sip, and savored the aroma. The sweet liquid slid down her throat, and a pleasant warmth spread through her body.

Lucy said slowly, “Well, aren’t there too many reasons? He had an affair with a maid, gave me a venereal disease, forced me to take medicine for the rest of my life, and on top of that, even fathered a bastard child. Tell me, Charlotte, do you see any reason I shouldn’t take revenge for all that?”

“There were other ways! You could’ve just divorced him!”

“Divorce?”

Lucy laughed as though she’d just heard the funniest thing in the world. Her hand slammed against the table until it turned red.

Wiping the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, she said, “Charlotte, just because you’ve been away from society for a while doesn’t mean you’re not a noble anymore, does it? How on earth could I have divorced him?”

“….”

“I only did what I could. Who could possibly blame me for that?”

“You killed someone!”

“Me? Charlotte, sure, I might’ve set the stage… but I wasn’t the one who poisoned his drink. It was Robert. You know that, don’t you?”

It was true. Lucy hadn’t poisoned her husband. She hadn’t. But….

“I only gave Robert a little push. If he’d had even the slightest gratitude toward his brother, if he’d felt any debt to the man who supported him, do you really think he’d have gone through with it just because I nudged him a little? That was all on that fool. No one can blame me for that.”

“What if… I report you?”

Lucy let out a sharp, ringing laugh. Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as though her throat was tightening.

“How would you prove it?”

“….”

“No, I should rephrase that. Not ‘how,’ but ‘what’ would you prove? That I wanted revenge on my husband? That I provoked Robert, who already wanted him dead? That I gave that coward, who’d never have dared to act if there was any chance he’d be accused, the perfect chance to pin it all on me?”

There was no way to refute it. Proving Lucy had arranged the circumstances would be difficult enough, but even if she somehow managed to, it still wouldn’t be enough to accuse her of murder.

“What about Miss May… what did you do with her?”

Charlotte’s voice came out hoarse, trembling. Lucy leaned back against the sofa and shrugged.

“Who knows? I kicked her out of the mansion, at least. Without a letter of recommendation, and with a child in her belly, no other household would hire her.”

“Miss May must’ve had syphilis too. She needs medicine, and a proper environment to raise her child.”

“That sounds like you’re saying I should take responsibility for her. May got her wages and even a severance payment. Tell me, Charlotte, what kind of household sends off a maid who slept with her master and still gives her severance pay? I even let her keep the jewelry my husband gave her. So tell me, what more mercy should I show?”

“You know how expensive Salvarsan is. That kind of money won’t last two years. And she has to think about the baby too. The child will be born infected with syphilis….”

“That’s none of my concern. She never should’ve gotten involved with a married man in the first place.”

In the end, Charlotte could only leave the mansion with weary, unsteady steps. For some reason, she felt like crying. Where had their radiant youth gone? Her friend’s face, so completely changed, and the bond between them, now severed in the worst possible way, all stabbed sharply at her heart.

With her head hanging low, Charlotte couldn’t see ahead. A dark shadow stretched at her feet. Slowly, she lifted her gaze.

“….”

Sir Lau stood before her, blocking her path, saying nothing. A heavy silence hung between them. Charlotte slowly studied him. His neatly combed hair, unwrinkled clothes, and shoes that gleamed brightly. He looked more like a young nobleman than a knight.

“You’ve changed your appearance.”

“…It’s my day off today. I don’t wear training clothes even on days like this.”

“You’ve changed a lot.”

Charlotte quietly met his eyes. She searched within them, trying to find traces of the ragged little boy she once knew. The dirty, shabby child who had nothing, but who came to her full of regret, asking for forgiveness.

“…Nothing stays the same forever.”

“If you knew that, then you shouldn’t have done something you couldn’t undo.”

Her voice, thick with emotion, caught in her throat. The pain made it hard to breathe. Gasping, Charlotte glared at him.

“I only helped the person I love get what she wanted.”

“You’re saying you stood by and let her commit murder because of love? You helped her do it?”

“In whatever way possible, not restraining her actions is the way I love her.”

Sir Lau’s voice was calm, but his eyes gleamed strangely. Slowly, he raised his hand and made the sign of the cross reverently.

“I only wish her to have everything she desires and to always be happy. If I can help her even slightly along that path, that alone is enough for me.”

“…Why did you take Miss May to the Bisset Pharmacy?”

“…Because I didn’t know she was pregnant.”

Sir Lau lowered his head slightly. His blond hair caught the sunlight and glimmered brilliantly. Charlotte frowned sharply.

“She’d begun her plan quite some time ago, but no matter how long she waited, Robert Turobe wouldn’t act. Such a fool, and yet so full of fear.”

“….”

“So I thought that girl might become a new piece in the game. If I’d known she was pregnant, I wouldn’t have done it. In that case, the baron never would’ve died.”

Charlotte said nothing more. She didn’t want to argue logic or raise her voice anymore. What good would it do? No matter what she said, these two would never change their minds. And she would never be able to prove anything….

Charlotte left the Turobe mansion without waiting for a carriage. She walked endlessly, past the village, past the train station. When she finally bought a ticket and was about to board the train, someone tugged at her sleeve.

“Miss, please buy an orange. They’re sweet and delicious.”

A small girl clutched a basket full of oranges in her tiny arms, trembling from the weight. Charlotte gazed quietly at the slightly shabby child’s face, then handed her a coin. The girl’s face lit up with a bright smile as she held out the basket.

“Thank you!”

Charlotte boarded the train with an orange in her hand. As soon as she sat down, her legs, strained from exhaustion, began to ache sharply. When she took off her shoes, she saw a blister on her heel. Wincing at the sting, Charlotte sighed and neatly set her shoes to the side.

It took two hours to reach Leaphor. By then, the sky had already darkened, and only the occasional gas lamp dimly lit the streets.

Even then, she didn’t think of hailing a carriage. Charlotte stepped slowly into the darkness. At that moment, a voice called out to her.

“Miss Charlotte?”

Henry hesitated for a moment, but when he recognized her face, he broke into a bright smile and approached her. His pale blue eyes were filled with delight.

“What a coincidence.”

“I trust that you’ll tell me everything before it’s too late. And for the sake of the nation and the public good, I believe you won’t turn away from what you must do, Miss Charlotte.”

For a moment, that voice flashed through Charlotte’s mind. She averted her gaze, avoiding his eyes, and murmured softly, her chest pricked with guilt.

“Yes, it is.”

If she’d told him the moment she realized something was wrong, would things have been different? Maybe other evidence could have surfaced. Her lips twisted miserably, but thankfully, it was too dark for anyone to notice.

“Were you out somewhere?”

“Just… went to see someone.”

“Hmm. Shall I escort you home? It’s quite late. Too late for a lady to be walking alone.”

Charlotte quietly looked into Henry’s eyes as he smiled gently at her. She could feel the trust he placed in her. That made her heart ache. For some reason, she felt tears coming, so she simply nodded. If she refused, she knew she’d end up crying once the inevitable conversation followed.

Instead, she pulled an orange from her pocket and offered it to him.

“Oh, a gift?”

Henry cheerfully peeled the orange with eager hands. He split off a piece, popped it into his mouth, and handed her one as well. Charlotte didn’t refuse.

The orange was just as the child had said, sweet and delicious. So sweet that the tip of her tongue stung. Charlotte secretly wiped away the tears welling in her eyes so Henry wouldn’t see. As they walked through the dark night streets, she wiped them again and again, each time they fell.