Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 184: Arc 4, Act I, - 29: The Reason to Treason
"About ten hours ago now, Cravolta City Penitentiary brought an affinity-lock. It is a shame we lost some information with the professor, but I suppose there is no major loss.
However, the countess has been under surveillance until and after the affinity-lock arrived; the guards have been warned of illusions nevertheless.
Other than those ten hours ago, no one has spoken to the count or countess. Count Keya is kept in a separate cell and I hoped to interrogate the countess with the detective."
"You have good instincts kid," Fumeko marched forward past Feyan, arms swinging.
"I, I am four years older than- anyhow," Feyan shook his head, "Now that the princess is here, this should go a little smoother."
"Ahem, are you a detective Daiyu?" Fumeko cocked her head to the side. "I did pull the plug on the countess’s plan and saved everyone from being poisoned~"
Daiyu’s eyes glazed over, "Alright Detective Humble, lead the way."
"Meko, Daiyu’s better at knowing people who’re lying, you might wanna let her handle it," Jotou advised.
"Really?" Fumeko scoffed.
"Tell me a truth and a lie, go on," Daiyu crossed her arms, standing on the same step as Fumeko—halting Feyan and the other three behind.
Fumeko furrowed her brows. Had her detective instincts been challenged? Would she deny this test? Never! "I’ve been to Luxinor before; I’m colourblind," she wore a half-cocked grin.
Daiyu had already tapped her foot, before she frowned and tilted her head, "Nice try, both lies."
Fumeko’s face shattered, "You! Did you tell her something!?" she faced the blonde, then pointed to Asobi; then Hotaru.
"No," all three synced.
"Dammit!"
"Happy now? If you wanna ask the questions go ahead, but I’m the one making conclusions," Daiyu followed the steps as Feyan continued leading them down again.
"I can’t believe it..." Fumeko muttered.
"How would we have told her anything? Both of them were lies," Asobi cracked the case.
"At least someone has sense," Daiyu smirked.
"Hey!" Fumeko’s voice bounced off the walls, "You’re-you’re, worse than Jotou!"
"Don’t drag me into this," Jotou replied.
Daiyu’s eyes widened as she placed a hand on her own chest, "That is an insult to, to my soul; how dare you young lady!"
"Zap."
"Ow!" Daiyu flinched away to the wall of the stairs.
"My lady!"
Jotou’s eyes glazed over as she brought the little sparks on her finger away from Daiyu. "HA! That’s what you get!" Fumeko cheered.
"You, bitch!" Daiyu glared.
"What’re you gonna do? Cause an earthquake while we’re underground?" Jotou stuck her tongue out. Daiyu stuck her tongue out in response.
"Children," Hotaru smiled, shaking her head.
"Who you callin’ children?" both Jotou and Daiyu turned.
"Asobi obviously."
"Yay! Wait, is that an insult?"
"Twit," Fumeko muttered.
"Would you all, please, stop making such a RACKET!" a voice echoed through the doors at the end of the stairs, causing all six of them to turn.
"It appears we have reached our destination..." Feyan winced an eye.
"Honestly! I can hear you coming from a hundred kilometres out!"
The guard opened the door up to a series of six doors all shut and guarded. They approached the fourth door as the woman guarding it opened up the locks.
They entered through into a dull grey room, half of it taken up by the bars of a cell and the other with a table and a chair for a guard to sit.
The guard stood up and bowed to the princess, before leaving the room to the six of them. The countess got up from her thin bed, still in the blood-red dress from last night’s dinner.
Her breakfast sat half-eaten on some old rickety table. Her auburn hair was dishevelled before she combed it all onto her right shoulder with her fingers; though now bits of white and ash brown revealed itself in her strands.
Bags under her eyes, all her jewellery removed—except one new piece which was prominent around her neck. A black and bright purple collar, that had two prongs behind her head.
One shorter prong went up the back of the neck till it poked lightly into her hair; the other prong went down the nape of her neck and seemed to go beneath her dress—presumably down her spine.
As she got up and walked over to the bars, her posture remained stiff, shifting her shoulder blades each before finding a comfortable position to stand in, "Hello, your majesty..."
"Countess," Daiyu glared, "I’m stripping of your title by the way Ms Keya."
"I believe the order has not been issued yet," a scowled face, restless and uncaring—her words were mere courtesy.
"It will be soon," Feyan knitted his brows.
"Ah, so many guests, what is a woman to do while held up behind bars," she glanced at everyone. "I presume this visit was for more than pleasantries."
"Why?" Daiyu squinted, "Why, even attempt something like this? I get it, I’m not the actual princess, but why to this extent? You really want to see me dead?"
The countess took a longwinded sigh before facing them again, "If it were not for that brunette detective, it would have succeeded; in putting you out of your misery at least."
Daiyu tapped her foot subtly, at every word. The countess spoke still with a velvety tone, slow and clear without a quake.
"Well, at least you speak the truth now instead of hiding your true intentions; did you really resent me that much?" Daiyu folded her arms.
The countess blinked a few times, tightening her lips together. Her fingers tapped along her arms, each of them curling in tension, "I was a childhood friend of the king; ’your father’ let’s say.
I heard news of his death, including his wife and daughter... Now, how would you feel," she glared up, "if your goddaughter died and comes back as a walking corpse with someone else in it?" a light smile followed.
Daiyu’s eyes shifted away whilst Jotou’s remained, perhaps now more intently; Feyan shared the blonde’s gaze. "Her fate ended. You can’t blame Daiyu for something uncontrolled by her; she didn’t choose this," Hotaru rebuked.
"Can I not!?" her voice cracked, nearly letting a tear loose from her eye. "She returns, speaking with no memory of her past, but still with the same voice, that I had heard for hours, days, months!
I believe my resentment for you is well justified," the countess continuously glared at Daiyu, then to the feet that kept tapping on the floor.
Daiyu’s heart tensed and she could not bear to look back, "I’m, not saying your point’s invalid." She glanced up, "But I’m here now and you decided to kill me."
"I have no regrets for what I did. Do what you will, cut my head off if it would make you feel better."
Daiyu’s fist clenched and shook, "UFF!" she huffed in a growl.
"Why did you do it then? Just out of hatred? Or are you some traitor working for Trailon?" Fumeko walked up to the bars.
"Ha," the countess could not stifle the laugh. "You believe any of this is related to the Regimes? Oh~ perhaps you are not as clever as I thought."
Fumeko grumbled, "It would’ve definitely help the Regimes if the main monarch was gone, I don’t think I’m that off the trail."
"Hmm... Perhaps," the countess shrugged, "However, I hate to admit that this has no relation to Trailon nor any of the Regimes. I detest them as much as anyone in Cravolta does."
"Can’t trust a word out of your mouth," Fumeko leered.
"She’s telling the truth Fumeko," Daiyu held the bridge of her nose.
"Surely you cannot be this stupid," Hotaru’s ears pricked as her eyes narrowed, "Even if you detest Daiyu as much as you say, killing her in a time like this would have no benefit.
If you’re truly against the Regimes, then you would’ve known the poisoning of the current monarch would cause catastrophe and embolden Trailon to attack."
"Oh my mind runs a lot more political than yours dear ex-lawyer. With the Tamara bloodline gone, there would be no doubt a question of who’d be the next monarch—or at the very least, leader.
I believe that opportunity would have directly fallen onto one of the archdukes or archduchesses; or my husband and I, knowing our close connection to the previous monarch. It would have been child’s play to convince the council."
"How did you intend to do it then? Surely the poisoning would have been tracked back down to you, unless all those hidden traitors were meant to cover it up," Feyan questioned.
Jotou pondered, "With some of the council there no less."
"Ah well, there are, or should I say, were, a large number of guards and staff in the people who held disdain for the princess."
"After I’ve been so nice to them? I didn’t even raise my voice at one for months," Daiyu tapped her foot a little less subtly, enraged by every word of the countess’s being true.
"A lot of people admire the monarchs and royals religiously. Much of them aspire to work in the palace even. To see, in their eyes, a pretender on the throne; do I need to spell it out?"
Everyone remained silent... "As for the poison, it’s from prinspick; a flower from the desert. The poison does no immediate harm and only takes effect after hours without a single symptom.
You would’ve died in your sleep and the poison is untraceable on a corpse. One of the staff recommended it."
"Who?" Fumeko leaned forward.
"I believe they are now a bloody corpse who faced a blade known for its thunder," the countess glanced to Jotou with a grin. "I collected everyone that despised the princess for weeks.
The invisible guards were there if things went awry and yes, to cover it up, but retreat was a better option in the moment."
"I, feel a little woozy," Asobi held her head.
"Go sit down," Hotaru ushered her to the chair. With everything on the table, their interrogation was a, disappointing success... "Then you’re pleading guilty for everything?" Hotaru cocked a brow.
"Precisely," she shrugged.
"Well... then I believe our work here is done then, is it not?" Feyan turned.
"Hold on," Jotou looked at the countess, "What did you want to privately chat with me about?"
"Oh that?" the countess uncrossed her arms and smirked, "It has nothing to do with this. I do believe it should still be private however."
"Spill it, now," Daiyu growled.
Jotou shifted her head, "What she said."
"Alright..." she hummed to the blonde, "My husband and I were hoping for you to be our concubine~"
Everyone’s faces froze for a second or two... "What’s that?" Asobi glanced up, still holding her head.
"Nothing Sobi, nothing," Hotaru’s ears bristled and the fur on her tail rose as she glared to the countess.
Jotou began to blush before turning her head completely to Daiyu, "Daiyu?"
Daiyu was holding the bridge of her nose, "I wish she was lying..."
"Not the right way to go about it considering you were going to poison me and my friends," Jotou took a breath and steadied her head.
"Don’t entertain her!" Fumeko turned back.
"Am not."
The countess chuckled, "Believe me, I’m aware. There is no point in lying in the presence of her majesty is there?"
Daiyu faced up... She knows that Daiyu can detect the truth? Daiyu turned to Feyan, unsettled by the countess knowing that, "I think now, our job here’s done.
Have Arabella come down with some guards for any interrogations, but she hasn’t said a single lie, so, only if Ara wants."
Feyan wiped his face that had turned red, "I know she will believe your word princess. If I may ask, what do you intend to do with her and the count?"
"She seems to be the mastermind behind it all," Fumeko added.
"True..." Daiyu shook her head, "What do you think concubine?"
"Don’t call me that," Jotou glared. She turned to the countess, "Killing her wouldn’t do anything. Let her stay in this dungeon for the rest of her life and think on what’s she’s done. Maybe she’ll regret it one day."
"I agree," Hotaru voiced, "Let it be an example to anyone else who tries to do anything like this again." The countess seemed unfazed to any of their words.
"Then I’m with them Feyan," Daiyu sighed.
"It will be arranged," Feyan turned. "Goodbye countess," he began walking out while checking his clipboard, "Now, the matter of the professor..."
Daiyu turned to follow as Feyan went on. "Ngh..." Jotou felt a pain piercing in her side.
Asobi whined with her head on the table, her hat falling off. "Ugh," Hotaru’s ears flickered before she held the side of her head.
Fumeko turned around to walk only to feel a mild headache creeping up on her. Before all four let out low groans of sudden pain.
Jotou held onto the table, Hotaru doing the same as Fumeko walked forward, "The hell is happening!?" she exclaimed.
"What’s going on?" Daiyu turned, rushing to grab Jotou up whilst the countess tilted her head with a curious glance.
"I, I feel like my energy just, dropped and it hurts..." Jotou replied. "Gah..."
"It’s the same for me; and a headache," Hotaru grimaced more. Fumeko shuddered before grabbing Jotou by the coat whilst Asobi lied on the table whining louder...
