Chapter 7 - Volume Finale

The Sterin domicile was as calm as Easter's last venture. He wasn't exactly ebullient to visit the manor, but it couldn't be helped. He hoped it would end today.

"Your Royal Highness," Nico Sterin bowed. An entourage of servants followed him.

Easter nodded at him. "Where is the Duke, Lord Sterin?"

"Ah- The Duke and Duchess are both out on business trips." He probably thought they were encumbrances.

"I see. Well, send them my regards."

"Your Highness, what brings you here to my estate?" From the corner of Easter's eye, he saw the puppet. The puppet's face paled when their eyes met. He was emaciated, thinner than before. After four days, he still hadn't been fed yet, but it didn't matter.

"I'm here to investigate a rumor of embezzlement." The rumor was fake, and it was more of blackmailing than embezzlement.

"Oh? I see. Come in, then." Nico's façade didn't drop. Easter walked past the Lord, a servant running up hastily to open the door for him. He frowned, eyeing the inside. It is an eclectic estate, with flowers of too many colors, the floor with different patterns and shapes. Honestly, it hurt Easter's eyes. He didn't expect the Sterin household to look like that, but he supposed the Duke had particular tastes.

"Tsk." Easter took in the estate. It looked the same as when he came as a spy, but now that he looked at it from a prince's eyes, it simply looked as if a toddler was trying to emulate a princess castle.

He headed directly towards the guest room hallway. The walls were bare there, a faded red color. The room towards the left, the second from the end. He saw Nico flinch a little when he opened the door.

"Ah- Your Highness?"

"Hmm?" The room was a mess. Chairs were strewn around, broken glass scattered on the ground. It was empirical to say it wasn't a place somebody would stay in.

He tried to act natural, narrowing his eyes at the glass. On the table, he picked up a letter, eliciting a small gasp from Nico, as his breath hitched. Easter tried not to smile.

"What were you saying, Lord Sterin?"

"...This room is under renovation, so I apologize for the mess." Easter chuckled slightly, reading the letter. It was Faith's will, although it seemed outdated.

"That's okay. You must have had quite a maddened guest."

"...Yes." After a while, Nico asked. "Your Highness, why did you choose this room?"

"Hmm, well it seemed the strangest to me. I suppose I was drawn to it first." He set down the letter, heading towards the closet. The door creaked open, and Easter couldn't hide him smile much longer. The puppet gasped, tumbling out.

"Oh? Who might this be?"

-

"This is ridiculous! You have no proof!" Osiris sighed, rubbing his head.

"Well, then let me ask you this. What was Elias doing with Elizabeth so late in the night?"

"He was simply conversing with Elizabeth about their relationship," Elias's lawyer replied, frowned. Elias shook where he sat, his white hair looking even whiter than before. His light blue eyes looked dull now. He glanced up and caught Osiris looking at him, and they held their stares for a moment, before he looked away.

Osiris faintly felt bad, since Elias wasn't guilty after all.

"And, what made Elias return without Elizabeth?"

"She said she simply needed time to think. Besides, how do you know, during those fifteen minutes, she met nobody else? An intruder could've killed her, or another member."

"The ballroom is one of the safest in the kingdom. Plus, according to witnesses, nobody left during that time."

Osiris rested his chin on his hand, leaning on the railing. He wondered if he would die if he jumped right now.

-

"Oh? Who is this?" Easter hid his smile behind a hand. "Is this a servant boy?" He grabbed the puppet by the arm, lifting him up to his feet. "He seems awfully thin, too." Easter looked at Nico. "Do you know who did this?"

Nico didn't seem too fazed at this question, but he hurriedly closed the doors. "Ah- perhaps a maid or servant did so. This place is under renovation, so nobody is allowed inside. Perhaps another servant took advantage of this. My deepest apologies, Your Highness." Easter, still holding onto the puppet's arm, tightened his grip. The puppet flinched a little.

"N-n-no," he whispered. Tears dripped from his eyes, his shoulder shaking. The puppet seemed to be good at acting. He hid behind Easter, wiping his tears away. "T-the Y-Young Lord... trapped me here... for four days..." His lips quivered when he spoke. Easter's eyes narrowed.

"Is that so?"

"That isn't true, Your Highness! He's just a little boy blabbing nonsense." Easter sighed.

"I digress," Easter replied. Nico sighed in relief, but then tensed up again as Easter reopened the closet. "what is this gaping hole in your closet?" Nico flinched.

"A-Ah, that just leads to some construction work." Easter chuckled, stepping into the closet. He was still holding the puppet's hand, pulling him in with him.

"Why do you look so flustered, then?"

The inside was a… a mess, to say the least. The puppet gasped, hiding behind Easter. Easter himself was briefly taken aback. From the last time he saw the body, it looked worse now. It was deteriorating, of course. It smelled awful. The smell of death and rotting flesh. The girl's skin was green, dark brown, her hands and arms falling off by threads. The little bits of her dress that were still attached were soiled with dried blood and flesh. Her stomach was open, her bones black and wet with gore. Inside, organs spilled out, red streams of blood, veins, a heart. A pile of fingers laid beside her, pale white and dark black.

"What is this?" Easter frowned.

"..." Nico didn't respond.

Easter's hand rested on the sword he had brought with him. His guards were outside.

Suddenly, Nico darted towards the entrance. Easter ran after him, not checking if the puppet was following.

They both burst out of the closet, and Nico pressed some button, the entrance in the closet slamming shut. Easter spun around. What kind of bullshit was this?

Inside, they heard something explode. The sound of sizzling.

Then, Easter's eyes widened. "Wait! The p-boy! It's still in there."

"Ah- that's just a servant boy. It won't matter," Nico laughed. Easter glared at him. "Your Highness, what happened? Why do you look so shocked?"

"You really think destroying the body will do anything?"

"Of course it will. You'd be delirious if you just said what you described," he mocked. Easter sighed. It's okay, he still had the photo.

But, the puppet was dead. Easter killed it.

It was okay, right? He didn't care about the puppet anyway. It was its fault it was too weak from starvation to run. It died by its own choice.

Easter left the estate with a dull taste in his mouth.

The puppet was a ten-year old boy, with a future in front of him, not some disposable object.

He killed the puppet.