Chapter 86 : The Veil of Secrets and the Whispered Escape
Chapter 86 — The Veil of Secrets and the Whispered Escape
At last, Giltheon declared, with a knowing smile, that he possessed a method for every predicament—then vanished swiftly into the hidden passage of the guest chamber, leaving only the enigmatic words behind: “It is a trade secret.”
Old Mrs. Russell is a perilous figure, as my client warned me, he had said.
I repeated this warning to myself endlessly, yet who could remain unshaken in such a world? Throughout our exchange, Giltheon carried the subtle air that my father still drew breath somewhere beyond the veil.
Could I place my faith in his words?
He claimed to reject all manner of contract killings, yet how could I trust a man who would, for the right price, bend any law or conscience?
Still, the note he pressed into my hand refused to relinquish its hold on my mind.
With trembling fingers, I unfolded the second missive.
Herzburg, 7th arrondissement.
Red brick house, blue roof.
(Key enclosed separately)
The handwriting was unmistakably my father’s, identical to the first note. Could it be forged? Perhaps. Yet only he and I knew the sacred cipher: Miriam Camps.
Even if others were aware of our coded game, the odds of guessing this precise phrase were as slim as a bolt from the heavens.
Thus, without a shadow of doubt, my father had sent Giltheon.
Yet why, if true, did he not come to me himself? And why guide me to this place from afar?
I could hazard an answer for the first question—he had been poisoned. Or at least, an attempt had been made on his life.
Certainly, the culprit belonged to a rarefied realm of power.
But no link surfaced between my father and Herzburg.
Conflicted, my eyes rested on the empty space where Giltheon had disappeared.
“Uhm…” I murmured.
At that moment, Ahin stirred—her eyelids fluttering open. Her gaze was vacant as she rubbed her neck and asked with a groggy voice,
“Ma’am, I suppose I fell asleep. But why does my neck ache so?”
She flexed and rotated it carefully, showing no sign she suspected any foul play.
“Please tell the maid it was an unavoidable necessity, and that you regret it.”
“Ahin, you would never guess what happened. If I told you, you’d summon someone this instant.”
“I don’t need the reason. Still, striking a lady with one’s hand is against my iron code. This time, it was unavoidable.”
An unspoken rule even among those who tread the shadowed paths.
Yet, how could Giltheon relay this delicately? Ahin remained oblivious to the blow.
I offered a faint smile and spun a harmless tale.
“It must be from sleeping with your head leaning down. Next time, try resting it on something soft.”
“Oh! I will, ma’am. After all, you always know best.”
Ahin smiled, fixing her tousled hair, and my flimsy excuse held firm.
Outside, verdant fields and quaint hamlets drifted past the window.
I shivered, recalling the earlier exchange.
“I have completed my task. Now, the Duchess must choose. If you trust me, leap from the train window once it slows.”
“Excuse me? Leap? That’s madness!”
I had jumped upright so swiftly I struck my head against the ceiling—a foolish act flirting with death.
Yet Giltheon’s voice betrayed no hint of agitation.
“The landing spot is certain. When the train slows near Büttenburg, you’ll see the sign outside.”
A chill ran through me—was Giltheon commissioned to end my life? If so, he was an actor par excellence.
“I’m not telling you to jump just yet.”
I said this cautiously, and he nodded, as if conceding a point.
“You claim to be a problem solver, yet you can’t find a safer escape?”
“I know the Schultz family’s servants well. Infiltrating as the head of the agency was no easy feat.”
“It doesn’t seem so difficult.”
“Hmm… Regardless, escaping by train was the best chance to avoid capture.”
A few bruises might follow, but Giltheon’s calm face betrayed no concern.
He spoke of leaping from a moving train as though it were a trivial matter.
How could he suggest such a reckless act so casually?
“Father… or rather, does your client know you plan to flee like this?”
“Of course not. It’s a desperate gambit.”
His brazen honesty suggested a man who had long sold his conscience.
I pressed on.
“If you jump, you might die.”
Still serene, Giltheon answered:
“True. At least one bone will break if you jump.”
“I doubt you jest.”
“No jest here. Everything I’ve told you, Duchess, is designed to be believable.”
I frowned, struggling to decipher his cryptic tone.
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone will know the train was slowing then. So, if you do jump, it won’t seem odd.”
“Smart. But how do you plan to hide without leaping after me?”
Giltheon chuckled.
“Have you considered why this room was assigned to you? Besides the secret passage…”
He tapped the chair beneath me, the meaning clear.
There must be a hidden space.
Seeing my understanding, Giltheon explained:
“It would be unbearable to crouch in a chair for hours.”
“Don’t assume I’ll trust you blindly.”
“Good. Doubt keeps you alive. When the search spreads thin, emerge quietly—no one suspects you remain aboard.”
He laid out my path:
“Head straight to Würtenburg Station. No train logs will track you.”
“Understood.”
“Near the station, find a small vendor’s stall painted red. The owner, an elderly man with a bald crown, will have your keys.”
“And then?”
“Show him the notes. He’ll give you passage to Herzburg. We’ll send help to guarantee your safety.”
“Really? No ulterior motives?”
Giltheon’s voice softened.
“I risk death by Johannes Schultz’s hand for this. If my client wished you harm, I’d be dead already. I won’t endanger your life.”
Herzburg—the village of alchemists. Now nearly deserted, a ghostly hamlet where few new souls tread.
Why summon me there? Why alone?
I stared solemnly out the window, lost in thought.
Ahin broke my reverie.
“Ma’am, what weighs so heavily on your mind?”
“Huh?”
I turned to see her wide-eyed concern.
“Your face has darkened. Are you troubled?”
“Just pondering what to tell Old Mrs. Russell to appease her.”
“Don’t fret. Your words will surely convince her.”
“Thank you.”
Yet beneath this lay deeper guilt—fainting Ahin had cost me dearly.
“This young lady should awaken soon. Can she hide safely?”
“I’m still figuring out my position. Don’t make assumptions. I’ll handle it.”
The train slowed steadily; the Würtenburg sign emerged.
I listened to Ahin’s chatter, eyes fixed on the passing world.
Far off, a memory surfaced.
“The way to stun a person is simple. Press your fingers together and strike the nape swiftly with the palm.”
Though theory was known, I’d never tested it.
Regret filled my eyes as I gazed at Ahin, hoping she’d believe I’d leapt from the window.
“Ahin, I’m sorry. I’ll explain later.”
“Eh?”
“I must disembark here.”
Her puzzled expression widened, but before she could react, I raised my hand high.
Ahin’s assessment complete, I struck the back of her neck with firm precision.
A dull thud—her eyes fluttered closed.
I gently lowered her body beside me.
“Forgive me.”
The train slowed enough for pursuers to catch up.
If Ahin awoke, suspicion would fall upon her.
I withdrew a notebook, scribbling a note asking her to stay silent and assuring her safe return.
Then, I opened the seat beneath me.
A cramped space, just large enough for one.
I drew a deep breath and slipped silently beneath.
