Chapter 25: Twist on a Twist (3)

Speaking of assigned attendants, that reminded me of someone. On a whim, I asked the attendant what Sunset was doing. They looked puzzled.

“There is no maid by the name of Sunset.”

Ah, right. Sunset was just a nickname. I silently scolded my past self for never asking her real name and gave the most detailed description I could: around my age, black hair, stiff way of speaking, bob cut, etc., etc.

At that, the attendant’s expression changed.

“That maid… she was identified as one of the suspects during questioning and is no longer at this estate.”

Gasp. So it really was her?!

No, stay calm. I suspected Sunset from the beginning based on the circumstances. The police probably did, too. That doesn’t mean she’s definitely the culprit. They said she was one of the suspects. That means there are several.

“How many people did they take in?”

“Since individuals from various departments were involved, I don’t know the exact number.”

“Who would know?”

“Probably… Mrs. Perkins would. She’s the head housekeeper.”

Of course. As the head housekeeper, she’d know everything. I should go and ask her about what happened. When I heard she was by the front entrance, I headed straight there. I was expecting some kind of lockdown-level alert.

And then I saw something I couldn’t believe.

“Emma Zauer.”

A group of uniformed officers came pouring through the entrance. One of the larger officers called for my stepmother in a solemn voice. When she finally emerged, her face was filled with shock.

“You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Rose Aubert.”

What??

“And for the murder of Russell Aubert five years ago.”

Excuse me?!

Even as I reeled, the fangirl part of my brain screamed.

I knew it! This isn’t a fluffy healing story about the protagonist being pampered but a mystery game! I told you the mystery wouldn’t get solved that easily!

Of course, my conscience immediately slapped that thought into the psychological waste bin marked ‘Disqualified at Three Strikes.’ Please, now is not the time to geek out!

* * *

Workplace Guidelines

13. 13. The number of house staff may change depending on need. Discrepancies in headcount during morning roll call are normal. No questions will be taken regarding this.

— — — 

The entrance was a boiling pot of shock and dread. For the record, I was the shock. Geryl was the dread.

“…!”

Geryl burst out a beat too late, and as soon as he saw the officers surrounding the foyer, his gaze locked on our stepmother. He must have heard them call her name from inside.

She seemed to be in a panic, but was still trying to put up some kind of defense.

“I… I didn’t do it. I swear I didn’t…!”

Then she spun around and looked straight at me. Gasp, how am I supposed to respond to that?

“Rose, my dear Rose… This mother of yours would never do such a thing. Never!”

“Yes, Madam. You can explain at the station.”

“Wait, please wait…!”

She took a step back, resisting the officer trying to cuff her, and asked again.

“On what grounds are you arresting me?! What on earth…”

“There’s a witness.”

“…What?”

“House staff testified that they witnessed your crimes. They said they’d been too afraid to speak because of your threats and manipulation, but they finally confessed at the station.”

The officer bluntly revealed the existence of the witness. Just as expected from the law enforcement of a wild fantasy pseudo-modern setting, no regard for witness protection whatsoever.

But seriously, what is this sudden plot twist? Why does it feel like we’ve jumped to the scene right before the villain gets their comeuppance? This morning it was still a family healing story!

Wait. Is this one of those arcs where a major supporting character is falsely accused, and only the protagonist believes in their innocence, leading to a bonding experience as they uncover the truth together?

Please let me opt out! At this rate, I’m going to end up with an ulcer!

“I… I wasn’t even in the estate when Rose was poisoned!”

“Which is why you had me do it.”

Then, a girl around my age with a bob cut stepped forward from behind the officer.

Wait, isn’t that Sunset?

She was wearing a light gray skirt instead of her uniform. Facing my stepmother head-on, she began to speak.

“The madam ordered me to put a suspicious powder into the lady’s tea. She told me it was a sleeping aid.”

I knew it! Something was in the tea! But it was on the madam’s orders?!

“That really was a sleeping powder!”

“I felt uneasy and didn’t want to do it, but I was afraid of being fired.”

Despite the stepmother’s sharp denial, Sunset continued calmly. The police officer crossed his arms.

“Enough resistance. If you’re truly innocent, you’ll have the chance to prove it in an investigation.”

“Rose, I swear it was just a sleeping powder. You seemed so stressed lately, your memory’s been off, too, so I thought it would help you get some rest. I didn’t tell you because I thought it would only stress you out more.”

She ignored the officer and desperately addressed me. God, what do I do? Who am I supposed to believe? Everyone’s acting suspicious, yet somehow they all make sense. My eyes darted around in panic as a cold sweat trickled down my spine.

Then, an unexpected figure stepped between me and her.

Geryl.

My stepbrother stood squarely in front of me as if to block my view of our stepmother. I could only see his slender back, but his intentions were clear.

Gasp, this is one of those romance tropes! The male lead stepping in to shield the heroine from a distressing interaction!

“You…”

I heard my stepmother mumble in disbelief. One of the officers clicked his tongue.

“Let’s not drag this out. There are additional charges beyond the poisoning.”

He gestured to the other officers blocking the door. Probably telling them to escort her out by force. The stepmother must’ve realized this, too, because she shouted frantically. 

“Regarding Lord Aubert, there’s clear evidence that it wasn’t me! He took his own life, there’s proof!”

So my father died by suicide… good to know?

“What evidence?”

“It’s in the study! I can bring it right now. Please, just give me a moment…!”

“What floor? Hey, follow her.”

The large officer called over a few others near the door. They formed a circle around her and began leading her upstairs. Geryl gave me a subtle nod before following them up. Ugh, should I follow them too? I hesitated but ultimately chose a different path.

I slowly approached Sunset, who stood nearby with her hands folded in front of her. If her testimony was true, she must’ve been through a lot. I felt a little guilty for having doubted her.

“Um… Sunset?”

She looked at me, then glanced around nervously before answering.

“Were you speaking to me, miss?”

“Of course. I called you Sunset.”

“…”

She looked a bit conflicted.

“I’m sorry, miss, but my name isn’t Sunset. I believe you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

Okay, what the heck is this shady nonsense? I literally just apologized for suspecting you five seconds ago.

“But you told me to call you Sunset…”

“My name is Hessa White. And… I sincerely apologize for any trouble I’ve caused you. I’ve resigned from my post at this estate effective immediately. Thank you for your kindness during my time here.”

Is she seriously quitting this messed-up job by pulling a dramatic ‘you’ll regret this’ move on her way out? Really?

I stared at the girl, Hessa White, apparently, bowing deeply before me, and my brain just shut down. And then things got even worse.

My stepmother was being dragged back down the stairs by the officers.

“No! It was there! I’m sure of it! It was right there…!”

“We searched thoroughly and found nothing! We’ll conduct a separate investigation. Stop wasting our time!”

“This can’t be, it can’t…”

Suddenly, she turned to me with wild eyes.

“Rose.”

I don’t know what happened in that study, but she looked like a completely different person now. Her eyes were terrifying.

“Don’t trust anyone. No one. Ever!”

With that, the officers dragged her out through the front door. Hessa White gave me another bow and hurried after them.

The door slammed shut behind them with a bang.

Silence fell over the mansion. And I was left standing there, completely dazed.

Well. Normally at this point in the story, you’d get a perspective shift to another character so the readers can learn what’s really going on. But since I’ve been fully inserted into this world, I can’t read anything anymore, can I?