Chapter 27: Twist on a Twist (5)

“Do you know the exact contents of the will?”

“Hold on.”

More paper rustling came through the receiver.

“The newspaper only printed the key sentence used in court… is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Alright… Ahem. ‘I wish to entrust the care of my daughter to that learned and trustworthy woman, until the day my daughter comes of age’.”

That’s incredibly clear. No wonder she won. I nodded to myself. And you can tell he was genuinely concerned for his daughter. At least this isn’t one of those tragic setups where the father blames the child for the mother’s death and avoids her, pained every time he sees her growing resemblance to his late wife. Thank goodness.

“Was the cause of Sir Aubert’s death ever reported in the papers?”

“The newspapers just said it was sudden. But there was no investigation, and no official cause listed… usually that means suicide.”

Now that sounded like a real detective.

“Then, um… about Rose Aubert. If she’s been shut away, was there any record of schooling or anything?”

“Nothing I could find. Oh, but there are quite a few records of hiring tutors.”

I imagine after this body’s mother passed away, her father became overprotective out of worry. Hmm… thinking about it that way, it makes sense that the stepmother turned out just as overbearing when she took over. No wonder they ended up remarrying, they’re a perfect match.

“And the same goes for the daughter Madame brought with her. At least since she entered the household, there’s been no record of her attending school. I thought you might be curious.”

So it’s the same on that end too. That probably explains why Geryl felt awkward around strangers.

Honestly… no matter how worried they were, keeping them cooped up inside the house like this isn’t healthy. Letting them live like shut-ins should be their decision once they’re adults. They should’ve at least been sent to school. It makes me feel weird, like I’m the only one enjoying the perks of transmigrating here.

Anyway, let’s just wrap this up with a light question out of curiosity.

“Is there any mention of Rose Aubert having a fiancé?”

“A fiancé?”

The detective’s voice was filled with confusion. Sounds like this is news to him.

“Well… I’ve heard that rich folks still hold on to such old-fashioned customs, but at least around here, there’s no known engagement involving Rose Aubert.”

Looks like the whole family really did withdraw from society after the death of this body’s father. Even so, my stepmother kept working all that time… she must have been tight-lipped about everything.

“Should I look into that for the second report?”

“Mm, yes. That would be helpful.”

Sorry, dear fiancé. I’m not doubting your character. I just want to know what kind of family the Moore’s are. Last time was a bit too shocking. I’m not exactly thrilled about being in one of those stories where the heroine ends up marrying the only heir of a villainous noble house…

“That works for me. Then, if you give me a list of things you’d like investigated for the second round, I can dig into a couple of them in more detail within three days, assuming you want a quick turnaround like now.”

“Hmm…”

What should I go with?

I’ve already requested info on my stepmother and the maid Sunset, Hessa White, since they’re the most important. Let’s try to dig up something more forward-looking for the rest.

“First, I’d like to know how the Aubert family lived before they moved here.”

In a romance-fantasy setting, it’s entirely possible the protagonist’s family has an unusual lineage or hidden connections. Maybe their family had fairy blood and that’s why a rose fairy gardener looks after the estate. Could be fun to find out.

“All right. And?”

“And the history and current real estate value of the Aubert mansion.”

“…Excuse me?”

That one’s purely for my own interest. But I feel no shame. I need an accurate estimate to avoid getting ripped off if I ever consider investing later. The young detective sounded a bit taken aback.

“Miss, are you planning to acquire the Aubert estate or something?”

“Oh, not necessarily… I’m just keeping my options open.”

That’s a safe answer, right?

Though the detective sounded unconvinced, he agreed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That’s it, I’ve officially dipped my toes into real estate! But at the same time, I was starting to feel pretty drained.

When you read about these kinds of scenes, they usually breeze by with just a few lines of dialogue and a cut to the protagonist reading a scroll full of information. But listening to all this over the phone takes real focus, and it’s kind of exhausting.

Besides, I think I might forget some of it, so I’d probably need a physical copy.

“Could I possibly get a written version of the first report?”

The detective readily agreed.

“Honestly, this kind of info is best read alongside the collected data and audio recordings. Are you free this evening? I know a good restaurant.”

“You mean good as in the food?”

I could hear the detective laughing heartily on the other end.

“Of course! It’s not as fancy as the place we went last time, but it’s a great spot. The owner’s cooking is excellent.”

Wait, could this be one of those plot twists where the friendly innkeeper or chef turns out to be a retired master of some kind?

“Since I’m getting paid for the extra request, I’ll cover the meal. How about it?”

Whoa, that was sudden. Is this the ‘supporting male lead focus arc’? Not that I have any plans to let him into that role. Still, today’s been a bit of a mess, so relaxing and meeting tomorrow might actually be a good idea. I raised the phone to agree… 

And then I heard a sound from outside.

“…Miss Rose? Rose?”

Oh no. The fiancé!

I hurriedly spoke into the phone.

“Ah, sorry, something just came up, so I can’t stay on the call. Would lunch tomorrow work?”

“That’s fine. Lunch it is. How about noon?”

The detective sent over the restaurant’s location, down a side street near the town entrance. Got it.

“Okay. See you then.”

“You won’t be disappointed.”

Sounds like it must be pretty good. I smacked my lips and quickly ended the call, then turned around and headed for the door. I flung it open. 

And there he was. My fiancé, standing right on the other side, hand on the doorknob just like mine. Looks like we opened it at the exact same time!

Wow. That felt straight out of a romance fantasy.

“There you are. Rose, are you all right? I saw the police taking Madame away at the front gate.”

My fiancé was slightly out of breath, a worried smile on his face. His hair was damp around his forehead, and his clothes were a bit disheveled. He must have come rushing to find me. Ugh. That’s kind of touching.

Then, he let go of the doorknob and suddenly grabbed my hand! He gently brushed his thumb over the back of it, like he was trying to comfort me. The smooth texture of his glove glided across my skin.

Whoa.

I mean, I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it… but somehow it felt a little too intimate? Like, is this a signal? Or am I just imagining things because my brain’s in the gutter?

“The servants said you weren’t in your room, and I was worried. This must be a terrible shock…”

“Yes, well… I’m all right.”

Honestly, even I don’t know what I’m saying. Words are just spilling out of my mouth. My brain is chaos.

“Still, I hope you won’t let this incident weigh too heavily on you. Think of it as everything falling back into place.”

“Right. It’s best to stay calm.”

Wait, is this the suspension bridge effect? Did his emotional attachment deepen from the adrenaline of rushing here worried about me? Is this it? Did I just win him over?

He took another step closer. Whoa. His skin’s flawless, no pores at all. It’s like looking at a perfectly retouched celebrity hologram.

“You must be exhausted, mentally and physically… I’d like to bring you back to the main house as soon as possible. I’m very concerned as there may still be accomplices out there.”

Gasp. No way! Not yet. I still need the results of the investigation, and there’s so much left to do here. That sobered me up quick.