Chapter 193
Crown Prince Gueuze was deeply financially entangled with Verdic Evans. The crown prince required more flexible funds than other nobles, and Verdic had no reason to refuse him. Gueuze, despite his flaws, was exactly the type of man Verdic appreciated.
Gueuze had loaned large sums of money from Verdic, helping him pass numerous documents and laws. With the current king aging, much authority already lay with Gueuze. The final decisions were still made by the king, but Gueuzes influence was undeniable. The old king was merely holding out to pass the throne to Prince Lewis, against the odds.
Verdic was aware of Gueuzes hobbies.
Only a few knew of them: some direct nobles, a handful of servants, and people like Verdic who provided him with money.
Verdic had supplied him with countless funds and women, including some who wouldnt be missed if they disappeared. He ensured these transactions were discreet, involving several intermediaries. Once in Gueuzes hands, neither the money nor the women ever seemed to leave the palace.
To most, like the current king or Marquis Penceir, Gueuzes excesses were abhorrent. But to Verdic, they were a welcome weakness. Gueuzes scandals, though worrying to his immediate circle, didnt seem so severe to Verdic.
Enjoying murder or being a sexual deviant wasnt a significant problem. While most deviants couldnt hide their nature, Gueuze at least knew how to conceal it. His victims were often foreigners, prostitutes, or catamites. If he found their appearance appealing, hed turn them into objects of pleasure.
To Verdic, this was irrelevant.
Gueuze maintained a reasonably good relationship with Verdic. Most royals and nobles wouldve liked to trample him for his money, but Gueuze at least reciprocated the financial favors.
Thats why Verdic wanted to deny the truth.
It couldnt be Gueuze.
Why would he kill his daughter?
Holding a pen, Verdic felt at a loss. He didnt know whom to speak to or consult. But he needed to sort things out.
Isella had vanished without taking anything or leaving with anyone. Who had taken her? Verdic had thought it was Raymonds doing, given his motives and behavior.
But the discovered body was unmistakably Gueuzes handiwork. He had two methods for dealing with corpses: either gutting the abdomen and groin in a brutally standard fashion or turning them into decorative objects.
Although the methods varied, his penchant for stitching, knots, and adornments was evident. He believed an artists characteristics should be visible in their art. In either case, he never severely damaged the face.
So why was the face removed this time? It seemed almost as if it was done to avoid detection.
God damn it.
Verdic cursed, gripping the pen tightly. He had seen enough corpses to recognize Gueuzes work. Verdic had even facilitated that mans perversions.
He never once considered that his own actions could impact his daughter, Isella. He always wanted to give her the best. That was his way of livingit was his duty to his daughter.
He couldnt believe that Crown Prince Gueuze would do such a thing to Isella, to treat him in this manner. The crown prince knew he was desperately searching for his daughter. How could he
Crack.
The pen nib shattered on the paper, ink spreading like blood.
Verdic couldnt stop his bitter laughter.
Why would Crown Prince Gueuze show favor to him alone? In the eyes of the royalty, he was just a moneybag.
* * *
Inspector Albert sighed. His father, the superintendent, had repeatedly advised extreme caution. The nation was in turmoil.
Prince Lewis had died.
The king was in a comatose state due to the shock.
Crown Prince Gueuze was about to become the King.
Verdic Evans business was widely known to be entangled with Crown Prince Gueuze. People thought Verdic would be more successful now, but in reality, he faced a higher risk of being discarded.
Once the hunt is over, the hunting dogs are often the first to be consumed.
Never speak the name of the suspected perpetrator. You must extract yourself from this case. Stall for time until things settle.
I understand, Father.
Albert changed the location where the body was found and the name of the informant in the records.
In truth, the one who made the report was a close ally of Crown Prince Gueuze.
Soon after, the maid from Isellas residence, who was supposed to meet with Verdic, disappeared as well.
Disappearances were becoming alarmingly common in the capital.
* * *
Raymond stood by the window, looking down outside. It must be Verdic and his entourage leaving. Karen had asked if he wouldnt go and see them off, but Raymond just smiled lightly and said nothing.
Yet now, there was no trace of a smile on his face as he gazed out the window.
Nor was there any hatred, anger, relief, or emptiness.
It was the face of someone who had just done what needed to be done. More akin to a tree or a stone than a person.
Death is too easy a revenge, isnt it?
When he said this, his words seem to be intoxicated with a sinister joy. It was as though he wanted to share that pleasure with Carynne.
But in reality, he didnt look joyful at all. Thats why she found it difficult to talk to him.
They have all left now.
However, Raymonds face began to regain its vitality as soon as he turned towards Carynne. The darkness disappeared, and his face started to glow again. Life began to swirl around him.
But Carynne had seen his face just moments before and felt a nagging discomfort, like a misprinted page in a book. It was not a major issue, and it didnt hinder understanding the content, but it was persistently troubling.
Thats right.
Carynne looked up at Raymond. He seemed a bit thinner. But his face still wore an unchanged smile. The face looking down at her was, as always, that of a young man in love.
And so, she smiled back.
Towards this man who had done everything for her.
If she had sympathized with Verdic, then compassion would have been the worlds most annoying luxury.
Lets smile.
As if there was nothing to be unsettled by in this world.
* * *
Once Verdic was gone, Carynne and Raymond reverted to their routine of being alone together. Carynne had thought that with Verdic gone, the two of them would get along better.
However, that wasnt the case.
Gradually, that sense of unease accumulated.
There were many reasons, but what bothered Carynne the most was the guilt festering inside her.
For Carynne, there was only one person who mattered.
Raymond Saytes was the only one for her, and she affirmed everything about him. He would do the same for her. They were the only real people in this fiction-like world.
Raymond had always tried his best, even during the moments of those one hundred years when he still couldnt remember, even when Carynne was on the brink of execution.
She had seen Raymonds face for a hundred years.
From the moment they were reunited in that tower, she could perceive the passage of time in that facein those eyes.
It was something that couldnt be hidden by mere movements or manners. How could one possibly stop the emotions and tears overflowing from those eyes?
Even if their story repeated like a never-ending novel, the beginning was always with Carynne. Raymond was caught up in it. She knew that the reason he regained his memory, the reason for his transformation, was because of her.
Raymond had changed.
No matter how much he spoke of love, recited revenge, or acted cautiously, she couldnt deny that he had fundamentally changed.
Of course, this didnt mean Carynne didnt love Raymond. How could she not love him? His change was because of her, so how could it not be dear to her?
But this realization only increased the growing unease within her.
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