The Male Lead's Sickly Aide Is My Type - Chapter 29
Translator and Editor: Nana and Nabi
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Chapter 29
A week had passed since then, and Carinne received an unexpected letter from someone.
Being quite bored and in need of some excitement, she had no reason to refuse the invitation to meet. She went to the designated meeting place on the agreed-upon day and unexpectedly encountered another person there.
“Archen!”
He was wearing the tie pin she had given him. The silver tie pin was gleaming like grains of sand on a beach, stuck in his navy blue tie.
“You wore what I gave you!”
“Yes, it’s not bad at all.”
“Right? My eyes never deceive me!”
As Carinne happily jumped around, he chuckled lightly. He seemed genuinely delighted, with a faint smile on his face.
‘…How many times has Archen smiled now?’
She tried to recall, not being able to remember the exact number. Still, she felt that she no longer needed to meticulously collect his expressions or think about his every word. Archen had certainly become more familiar to her since their first meeting.
Carinne was confident that if she set her mind to it, she could elicit the words and expressions she wanted from him.
The meeting place was right in front of them.
“By the way, why do you think Marta called us? Do you happen to know?”
“I have no idea. Let’s wait and see.”
Archen shrugged as if he didn’t know either.
The unexpected person who sent the letter turned out to be Marta. She had sent her a brief note asking her to come to the Knight’s Training Camp. What kind of request could it be? Or perhaps she had something to discuss regarding the construction of a new building.
Well, they would find out when they met.
Shortly after, Marta entered the tent. She took off her helmet and opened her mouth upon seeing the two of them.
“Both of you came.”
“What did you call us for?”
Carinne asked.
“There’s something I need help with. Please have a seat first.”
There were two chairs inside the tent. Carinne sat down next to Archen.
“I’ve been asked by Marquis Ariella to catch the thief who stole the golden statue of the Holy Maiden from his estate.”
Marta began.
The statue of the Holy Maiden was stolen? What did that have to do with her?
While Carinne tilted her head in confusion, Marta continued calmly.
“More precisely, she asked me to catch the witch who turned the statue into a demon statue. The witch he suspected was Viscountess Lanton, his neighbor next door. The Marquis is convinced that Viscountess Lanton, with her dark magic, transformed the Holy Maiden statue into a demon statue.”
“…A witch?”
Carinne exclaimed.
She hadn’t realized that witches existed in this world. It was not even the medieval era, so why were witches popping up? Weren’t witches stories from the medieval era, along with bald monks and gloomy castles?
That was not the only thing she didn’t understand.
“How can she be so sure that Viscountess Lanton is a witch?”
“According to the Marquis’ words, the only people who knew the combination to the safe where the statue was kept were himself and Viscountess Lanton.”
“No, even if that’s true, there’s no evidence that Lady Lanton practiced dark magic. It might be just a thief.”
“….”
Although it was a reasonable doubt that anyone with a normal thought process could have, Marta’s gaze suddenly became elusive.
‘Did I say something wrong…?’
Archen, who had been observing them from the side, interjected.
“Is it because of the old saying?”
“Yes.”
Marta replied with a nod. She seemed to have expected that response as she looked at Archen with a face that said, ‘I knew it.’
Carinne felt like an outsider being left out.
“There is an old saying that witches cast spells on the Holy Maiden statue and turn it into a demon statue. So, whenever the Holy Maiden statue is stolen, it is believed that there is a witch nearby.”
Archen explained, but Carinne still had her doubts. To blindly label someone as a witch based on just an old saying…
Marta seemed to have noticed her perplexity and added further explanation.
“Once again, according to the Marquis’ words, the only people who knew the combination to the safe where the statue was kept were himself and Viscountess Lanton. He claims that during a time when he had a close relationship with Viscountess Lanton, he revealed the combination to her. Of course, Viscountess Lanton denies ever hearing the combination or having any personal encounters with Marquis Ariella.”
“Hmm…”
Their testimonies contradicted each other. It was a situation where one couldn’t simply believe one side’s testimony.
“So, this Marquis and Viscountess Lanton, they both lost their spouses and live alone?”
“Viscountess Lanton does live alone, that’s correct, but Marquis Ariella does not. The Marquis lives with his wife.”
“What? What’s with that…”
So, the man named Ariella, even though he had a wife, was involved with another woman and confidently presented it to Marta as evidence.
Carinne instantly sided with Viscountess Lanton.
“I’m not sure about Viscountess Lanton being the culprit.”
Marquis Ariella’s true nature was glaringly obvious. He must’ve held a grudge and wanted to frame Viscountess Lanton because she was involved with someone else. Witches and all that nonsense… he was just talking nonsense.
“As you said, there is no concrete evidence at the moment to believe the Marquis’ words. I hope you can investigate whether his claims are true or if there might be another culprit.”
“Isn’t that the job of the Knights?”
Archen responded to Marta’s words.
“I am looking into it, but I have limited resources. I’m not asking for one-sided help. How far are you willing to collaborate?”
It sounded familiar, it was as if Marta was repeating her previous words exactly.
“Well, no matter how I think about it, it seems like asking for one-sided help.”
Carinne pretended to be hesitant.
Even though she was tempted to play detective, she didn’t want to appear too eager to accept the request, as it wouldn’t befit her as a noblewoman. Marta quickly responded, as if she knew Carinne would react that way.
“If you help, I promise to repay you in some way later.”
‘Ah, there you have it.’
If Carinne could use Marta to manipulate the king as she pleased, she would have a good card in her hand.
“Then, all right. I can’t guarantee anything, but I’ll give it a try.”
Just in case, there should be an exit strategy. After saying that, Carinne looked at Archen, who was sitting next to her, expecting him to refuse.
‘Well, nothing can be done.’
It would be a dopamine rush to be with him, but that was all. Catching the culprit was a simple task that she could do alone.
“That’s fine.”
“…Huh?”
“Why are you surprised?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
What was going on? He didn’t seem bothered or annoyed. With a very casual expression, it seemed like he hadn’t noticed anything strange in the current situation.
Marta glanced at Carinne, who was looking at Archen, with a mischievous look.
“I’ve already mentioned it. You’ll be able to freely meet Viscountess Lanton, Marquis Ariella, and the staff of each mansion.”
“Ah…”
Somehow, she felt like she had been tricked. Marta knew that she would accept her proposal.
“Alright then. I’ll go to Viscountess Lanton’s mansion first.”
She felt a little sulky, but since she had decided to do it, she made up her mind to visit Viscountess Lanton’s mansion and start the investigation.
‘Besides, I’m not alone, am I?’
Carinne had a genius mage by her side. With him, solving mysteries would be as easy as chewing gum.
“I have training to attend to, so I have to go. See you next time.”
As Marta said her piece and left the tent, helmet in hand, only Carinne and Archen remained inside the tent.
“Do you have any guesses?”
It was a question she asked with a hint of anticipation. The author of the novel used the word ‘genius’ when describing him. There were surprising achievements he had shown during the previous trial as well.
“Well, I’m not sure.”
‘Oh, really…?’
Still, he seemed genuinely unaware.
“You really don’t know anything?”
“No.”
He didn’t even pretend to think. Hopefully, he wasn’t doing this on purpose.
Perhaps noticing Carinne’s hesitation, Archen explained.
“I’m not knowledgeable in that area. Interpreting ancient languages is different from deduction, isn’t it?”
That was true. Interpreting ancient languages was quite different from solving cases. He wouldn’t have learned the art of political maneuvering or trap-setting at the academy, so it was natural for him to be lacking in deduction skills.
On the other hand, if there had been exams on the subject, he would have done well. Those exams would have been based on comprehension and memorization. In short, he was perfect in rote learning.
“What are you thinking?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
She quickly composed herself and acted nonchalant.
“Since we don’t have much information, we should start by meeting Viscountess Lanton.”
The so-called interviews with key individuals. Finding conflicting testimonies, catching liars, and uncovering hidden truths. As they gathered clues one by one, the truth of the case would be revealed…!
‘Even if we try, how complicated could this case be?’
Carinne didn’t realize it yet, but this was not a case that could be solved simply through deduction.
On the way back from the interview at Lanton mansion, Carinne recalled the words of Viscountess Lanton.
She had mentioned losing her husband just two years after their marriage and then retreating to a provincial estate for recovery before returning to the capital this year. It seemed that around that time, Marquis Ariella had taken an interest in her.
“But I swear, I never met Marquis Ariella privately. It’s true that he confessed his feelings to me, but I clearly rejected him!”
Lady Lanton seemed frustrated as she brought over a bowl of cold water and drank it hastily.
“Other than that, we exchanged greetings a few times at social gatherings. Oh, I received a few love letters too. But I never read them and burned them right away. I didn’t want to see his face. Let me emphasize, Marquis Ariella is not my type.”
Even after the necessary questions and answers were over, Viscountess Lanton spent a full two hours lamenting her unjust feelings. After calming down the Viscountess, who was pounding her chest in frustration, Carinne and Archen left the mansion.
“If Lady Lanton didn’t cast a spell on the Maiden statue, then Viscount Ariella must have it. That’s the key we need to find.”
After exchanging their opinions, she realized that Archen shared the same thoughts. It was highly likely that Marquis Ariella had swapped the statue with a devil statue in order to frame Viscountess Lanton as a witch.
But how could they find out where Marquis Ariella had hidden the statue?
It was obvious that searching the mansion would not be allowed by him, and even if they forced their way in with Marta’s help, he could have moved the statue to another location.
“First, let’s hear what the Marquis has to say.”
Regardless of who the culprit turned out to be, they needed to listen to both sides. Moreover, there were some questions she wanted to ask.
The Marquis’ mansion was right next door.
Carinne and Archen headed towards his mansion together.
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Zepelim
Carinne holmes pronta!
Obrigada pela tradução
Mangagirl4
He definitely agreed to spend time with her ahh I love it!!