29 1.28 a clue

"Get yourself together, Kazu. Anything that falls out of his mouth could be a lie. Don't let your guard down," Blake sighed as he cupped both of his cheeks in his small hands.

Glancing up towards Flora, he saw how much she had improved these past few days. The colour finally came back to her cheeks and lips as she no longer broke in a cold sweat. It was all thanks to Blake's biological mother, Aliyah Robenhouse. She found the perfect cure after a few days of being cooped up in the clinic with the old physician.

"Flora, when you wake up, I'll show you some more magic tricks. So… please wake up soon," Blake sighed, dropping his head onto the bed right next to Flora's arm as he watched his little sister tenderly.

'I can't believe I'm treating the girl who killed the owner of this body in the original novel so tenderly. I guess… since nothing has happened yet, this is okay…' Blake thought, holding Flora's hand softly in his.

….

A knock from the door echoed through the room, making Blake jump in his seat before he turned towards the door and said a simple 'come in'. The head butler came in, holding a tray with a basin of warm water and a towel.

"Young master," Milford bowed respectfully towards Blake. Blake flashed a small smile and nodded as the butler walked towards Flora and wiped her down with the warm damp towel.

"How long will she be asleep for?" Blake asked, watching as Milford wiped Flora's face gently.

"Do not worry, young master. Lady Robenhouse is a very talented healer and pharmacist. The young miss will wake up soon," Milford said with a smile, patting Blake's head softly.

"Alright…" Blake nodded as his eyes wandered towards Flora's sleeping figure again.

'What's that?' he thought as he got closer to Flora as he examined the part that he saw. His eyebrows furrowed as he bit his bottom lip and looked back up at Milford.

'It was right under our noses all this time…' Blake let out a small laugh, slumping in his chair as he placed a hand on his forehead in realization.

*****

"Why'd you lie again?" Blake asked as he sat down on the ground in front of sir Okumura's cell.

"What do you mean, young master?" The former knight asked, a sigh coming out of his mouth as he glanced at Blake.

There, in Blake's hand was a handkerchief. One, that wasn't really that appealing, however, it had been engraved with the knight's initials. It doesn't make sense if a knight who initially had no spare time in his hands is embroidering something.

According to the other knights, only one woman had ever given sir Okumura an embroidered handkerchief. And it was Flora's nanny. The handkerchief had traces of vanenium, the small green spots on the corner of the handkerchief gave it away as Blake recognized the smell that came off the same bag that held the vanenium.

"Well, would you like to explain this?" Blake asked with a smile on his face.

A chill ran down the former knight's spine as the smile on Blake's face only got colder. The smile reached his eyes, but it didn't hold the same warm smile he usually displayed.

…

…

"I see. Wait here for your punishment. I will report this to my father," Blake said, putting the handkerchief back into a bag before he walked out of the dungeons.

"Yes, young master," Sir Okumura said, bowing his head.

***

"So, what did the knight say?" the duke asked as Blake climbed up into the sofa in the duke's study.

Blake relayed what sir Okumura had said to him the first time about being siblings with Flora's nanny. After, he continued with a new story that sir Okumura had just shared.

"'One of the nobles had paid both me and Flora's nanny to poison her in exchange for our lives,' was what he said," Blake relayed to the duke, taking a sip of tea from his cup.

"Which noble would do this? Do they not fear the consequences?" the duke asked with a sigh, slouching into his chair before glancing over to his son, Blake. "Do you have an idea who would do it?"

"Of course I do," Blake smiled, placing his cup down on the coffee table before flashing a smile at his father.

"Lure them here. Use whatever you can. I'll cover the expenses," the duke smiled, snapping his fingers and calling Milford over and whispering something in the old butler's ear.

Milford went away for a while and came back with a luxurious box in which he handed to the duke. The duke placed the box on the table, letting Blake see it clearly. It had an intricate gold design as the wooden box itself was dyed dark blue. The duke opened the box and revealed a gold medallion made to look like the family insignia.

"Take this and use all the resources you need," the duke said, handing the box over to Blake.

"As per your order, I shall bring the noble here as soon as possible," the young boy bowed respectfully with a mysterious smile on his smile.