I (Nass) looked for the same letter or handwriting but couldn’t find any more.
Was it because Count Dundress read it and then discarded it because it was a secret content?
It was high-quality paper. The handwriting was neat, and the ink was definitely high-quality ink.
Furthermore, the scope to find some clue will be reduced drastically if the sender wrote the letter using informal language.
But the sender seems a male nobleman with higher age and title than the 32-year-old Earl of Dundress.
A person who had to choose a remote place to meet, so it was not natural to meet and talk, the usual Count Dundress, who did not openly interact with anyone.
The person was worthy of sneaking out of the count and brutally killing him.
Before I knew it, the tip of a pen was in my mouth.
I took out my notebook, transcribed the letter’s contents, and handed the letter to Stein.
“I think he’s the one who’s supposed to meet the Count that day, do you have any idea?”
Stein meticulously read the letter and looked at the stationery(paper), then shook his head.
“Well. It’s not the SS’s job to look after the count’s friendship. Is this guy the culprit?”
“There’s a possibility. “
“I’ll have to find someone who can speak openly about the Count of Dundress from among those who may have a grudge against the Count or would benefit from his disappearance.”
“It must have come from a high-ranking aristocratic family who didn’t normally interact with the count.”
“Why did you think so?” – Stain.
“It’s like you’re talking about something secret? If you’ve been close, you’ll naturally set up a place and talk in a place where you won’t be suspected. So, it’s highly likely that you’re one of those people who didn’t get close to Count Dundress.”
“Then, there are only a handful of people who are worthy of suspicion.”
“Yes?”
At Stein’s assertion, I lifted my head and looked at him.
It was hard to know where to start because Stein didn’t know much about the Count’s friendship, but I was happy to say that he said that there are only a handful of suspects.
“The Count of Dundres has been favored by His Majesty the Emperor, and a line of people has been trying to build friendships with him. He was also an active socialite, so he must have had a good relationship with most of the nobles. There are too many close acquaintances with the Count, but vice versa.”
“Who and what kind of persons are they?”
“It will be Duke Serafel, Marquis Chow, Marquis Gulil, Earl of Nobleport, Count of Hendrey or so.”
The names of great giants poured out of Stein’s mouth.
It was said that these people who did not get close to the Earl were a huge noble family who did not even need the favor of the Emperor’s lover.
Now it’s driving me crazy. If one of them is the culprit, it means that I will be involved in big trouble.
I had an ominous feeling that if I got caught up in the wrong way, I wouldn’t be able to get promoted or anything, and I wouldn’t be able to live in Kildea.
I sighed heavily and asked Stein.
“Can I get a document or a letter to verify their handwriting?”
“Of course. I will send my men to the palace to bring it.”
“Thank you. Please bring it to the Ministry of Justice.”
“All right.”
After asking Stein, I summoned some of the Count’s servants and asked if they knew the letter’s source, but all of them said they did not know.
I asked the Countess to give it to her, just in case, but the butler, who went to her, said with a hard face that he asked when the Count’s body would be returned.
Just in case, I sent the butler to ask if the Countess knows about the letter, but the butler who went to came back with a stiff expression on his face and asked when we would return the Count’s body.
I was done with the autopsy, and I replied that they could receive the body, but seeing the butler’s face, who had already seen the body’s condition, harden, even more, Stain, and I returned to the Ministry of Justice.
*****
As I was organizing my investigation today, Stein’s subordinates showed up with some papers.
I apologized to Stein and asked help from one of my fellow investigators, a handwriting appraisal expert. His Majesty ordered a single investigation, but in this case, it was right to seek the cooperation of professional experts, and Stein agreed.
What Stein’s subordinates brought was the long chest by order of the Emperor.
When I compared the five papers with the letter I brought one by one, I found that one was written in similar handwriting at first glance.
For verification, I masked out who the document owner was and showed only the text to a colleague, who also was certain and said that the handwriting was the same.
And I got a headache when I saw the signature line at the bottom of the document.
The Marquis of Cayde Devan Gulil.
I am going crazy. I also went to the victim, Count Dundress’s residence, but now it was time to break into the Marquis and investigate the Marquis Gulil as a murder suspect.
If I follow the procedure, I should immediately summon the Marquis Gullil and search the mansion.
But I couldn’t even think of it, so I was just staring at Stain, and he opened his mouth with a perplexed face.
“Your Majesty has ordered us to assist Miss Nass in her investigation, but Marquis Gullil is a difficult person to touch. I will report to his majesty first and tell you if it is something I can handle.”
There was nothing I could do but nod my head at his words.
I wouldn’t be able to get past the main gate of the Marquis Gulil by myself.
No, let alone walk through the front door. The moment I say I am here to catch Marquis Gullil, the murder suspect, I’ll be taken by the Marquis soldiers.
Even if the SS unit commander weren’t reckless, it would be ridiculous to have the rank of an investigator like me at the Ministry of Police. I don’t know how I got involved in this.
“That’s it for today. Take a rest. I’ll take you home.”
“No. I can take a public carriage on the way back. Mr. Stein, you worked hard today.”
“Miss Nasu did a great job too. If you insist to go on your own, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I greeted the kind and polite Stein until the end, and I went home.
When I got home, the hunger I had forgotten came over, but I didn’t want to move, so I washed up and crawled into bed.