Demon Prince's Forsaken Bride-Chapter 67: Back Then (2)

The innkeeper smiled at Lareina sheepishly, inching closer to the little girl who stood at the door, ’’You are a benefactor to us but I disrespected you again and again by doubting your capabilities yesterday. Yet, only because of you, I could get to the bottom of my brother’s death,’’ Speaking of this, the man’s voice became forlorn, ’’My brother was a foolish man but he was rather kind. He had no enmity with anyone. Who could have known he would be dealt with such a hard blow by someone he trusted? That bitch.... if not for the fact that she is dead, I wanted the officials to torment her to death...’’

’’It’s unfortunate,’’ Lareina paused for a brief moment before asking the innkeeper, ’’But she was just a maid and your brother treated her well. Have you never wondered why she killed him with such an insidious plot?"

’’That woman has always pretended to be kind and caring. Only after her death did the officials flip her room upside down and discover all the things that she had stolen from my brother, from small trinkets to soul crystals. She wanted to run away with everything... that whore dared to harbor such thoughts...’’ Speaking of this, the innkeeper clenched his fists, visibly enraged.

The girl standing next to her father seemed to have witnessed enough of her father’s anger regarding this matter so she remained unfazed.

’’Little girl, who else from your family is here?" Lareina regretted her question the moment those words slipped from her mouth as both the father and daughter turned downcast.

’’My mother is dead. Now uncle is gone too. It is just me and my father.’’

The innkeeper sighed, ’’My wife died at the hands of the ghosts.’’

Lareina had yet to see the ghosts that people had been talking about so much. But so far, all the troubles had been caused by the beings alive.

If they had not been here last night, then the death of the local guide would never have been uncovered to be a part of conspiracy. They would have written it off on the ghost’s head as well.

So, she could not tell with certainty if the innkeeper’s wife was indeed killed by the ghosts. But if the innkeeper believed it so strongly, then it justified his strong reaction against humans and ghosts alike.

Lareina rubbed the little girl’s head, ’’Being without a mother at a young age... is hard,’’ her gaze then trailed off to the innkeeper’s little finger that was held by the girl tightly, ’’But it is good that she has a father who cares for her.’’

The girl blinked her eyes.

’’Go go go, play with your friends,’’ The innkeeper urged the girl who excitedly ran away. Once the girl was at a distance, he turned to Lareina, only to find her looking in the direction of his daughter, ’’She is a handful at times but she takes after me a lot so it only feels like I am raising another me. It is a bittersweet feeling as it makes me think of my late parents and wife who put up with me.’’

Lareina snapped out of her daze and looked at the man.

’’Lady Expert...’’

’’No need to address me in such a manner. I am afraid I am unworthy of it,’’ Lareina politely raised a hand.

’’You are truly humble. You have opened my eyes, My Lady,’’ The man bowed, ’’Earlier, I sent the kid away because I felt like there was something you wanted to talk about but you were hesitating.... Is it related to my brother’s case?"

Lareina looked at the man in mild surprise. She had not expected her thoughts to be seen through like that.

’’Don’t just frivolously guess my Lady’s thoughts like that,’’ Rosie, who was standing in the back, spoke up.

’’Ah, I apologize,’’ the man cupped his fist and bowed immediately.

Lareina helped him up by his shoulders, ’’You said that the maid was planning to run away after stealing things but she had no reason to. Your brother must have treated her well for her to have access to his things and secondly, they were lovers. Why would she want to throw away the good life that she had and run away?"

’’I still find it hard to believe they were lovers. They never revealed it. How did you know it, My Lady?"

Lareina remained silent in face of that question. How was she supposed to reveal that she had no evidence for it? It was merely an intuition from the way that maid had looked at the corpse. She started crying and acting later but the look in those eyes as she glanced at the corpse, the longing for a lost lover, the sadness, the heartache, it was all too familiar to Lareina. Back then, didn’t she also...

When she remained quiet, the innkeeper, based on his deep faith in her, surmised that Lareina must have some evidence of her own, ’’Now that you put it like that, it is indeed hard to guess. If not for you being there to uncover her true face, we would never have doubted her. After all, she has served my brother for years with utmost devotion, never once neglecting him in the slightest. Alas, all women have minds that are like bottomless pools. One can never guess what witchery goes in there...’’ The innkeeper trailed off, feeling a chill in the air.

When he looked up, he found Lareina looking at him with a soft smile on her face. The smile was creepily familiar to him. Hasn’t she been smiling like that when she solved the case last night and threatened to paint him the murderer a couple of times as well?

He aptly straightened, ’’Of course, other than you, My Lady. The rest of them are evil but you, My Lady, are different from those bunch. How can I dare to take your name in the same breath as those...?"

He felt another chill when Lareina spoke in a composed voice...