TFJB 26

Chapter  26

Earlier that afternoon, I had approached Kin, saying he seemed to have a chronic problem and that I could cure his headaches. It was just an excuse to create a reason to visit his office late at night.

“Nighttime, when the energy of the stars is strongest, is when it works best. Let’s see if my ability really works.”

As expected, the moment I cast the bait, I hooked a big fish.

“Now, please lie down comfortably here on this chair.”

I laid Kin down on the large sofa. He looked skeptical, but still obediently followed my instructions.

“Like this…?”

“Yes. Just stay comfortable like that. Close your eyes.”

I covered his eyes with a dark-colored handkerchief and plopped down beside the sofa he was lying on.

Then I lit the scented candles I had brought, one by one.

“What’s that smell?”

“It’s an incense that drives away evil energy.”

No. In reality, it was a sleep-inducing fragrance that naturally made you drowsy when inhaled in a relaxed state.

I began to hum softly.

“Mm-hm, hm, hm-hm….”

Kin asked again.

“What song are you singing?”

“It’s a hymn to the stars. It’s a sacred song, so please don’t interrupt.”

No. It was a lullaby from my hometown.

“That doesn’t sound like it.”

“I don’t know what song you’re confusing it with, but you’re mistaken.”

There was no way Kin, who was from Bitrician in the Zodiac, would know a Saint Pedro Mountain lullaby.

Soft, repetitive sounds help you fall asleep.

It was ridiculous that I, of all people, was daring to sing a lullaby to put the king of criminals to sleep, but somehow I had a hunch it would work.

As I gently hummed the tune, a faint old memory beckoned to me.

In a dark, cramped house, the sound of a childish lullaby echoed. Soon, a large hand rested on top of my head.

“Ash.”

…Ah. Mom and Dad.

No one is born an orphan. I had parents once, too. We were dirt poor, but we were a warm family.

“You even sing lullabies, and you’re still so young, Ash, yet you take such good care of your little sibling.”

“When I listen to the lullabies you sing, Ash, I start getting sleepy myself. You feel the same, don’t you, kid?”

Mom, as if worried about someone, spoke toward somewhere. But the reply that came back was cold.

“…I don’t know.”

“Hahaha, you can pretend you don’t, but we all know. Right?”

“…….”

At the constant lack of response, Dad clicked his tongue in concern.

“Kid, since you came here, you haven’t smiled properly even once. You’re so young, yet your face is already full of worries. What should we do with you?”

In my memory, I glared at someone—no, at a boy. Then I mouthed the words.

“Hey, Mom and Dad are worried about you! Loosen up that face and come over here and sleep!”

I don’t remember what the boy replied. I immediately started singing a lullaby again for my little sibling.

Some time later, when I looked back, I vaguely remembered only that the stubborn black-haired boy had fallen asleep quietly together with my sibling.

That kid really had a nasty personality. His name was… Hin, I think.

While I was shrugging my shoulders—

“…What are you thinking about so hard?”

I flinched in shock at the sudden intrusion of an uninvited voice into my recollection.

“Ah, that startled me! M-Master. You’re not asleep yet… I mean, your headache isn’t gone yet?”

“It didn’t work. There’s no more time to waste.”

When Kin tried to sit up abruptly, I pressed my palm firmly against his chest and pushed him back down.

“Ah, we’re not done yet! Let’s try the final method before giving up!”

Honestly… this was my last resort, the one I really didn’t want to use, but I had no choice.

That was…

“Hey, why are you groping my chest?”

At Kin’s question, I answered with a sigh.

“…This is the act of tapping the heart area to spread energy.”

I mean, I was lying through my teeth here too, but honestly—how in the world had you lived your life to think that patting someone’s chest to help them relax and sleep was groping?

I had no choice but to keep singing the lullaby nonstop while patting Kin’s chest.

And as time passed—

“Um, Master. Are you asleep?”

I whispered into Kin’s ear.

“….”

Finally!

There was no response from Kin. Hff, hff. His softened breathing brushed calmly against my ear.

Yes! I did it! My arm’s about to fall off!

I gently thumped my stiff arm and carefully stood up.

“Now then… where would the map be?”

I tiptoed to the bookshelf and searched for the atlas of the Ashen Citadel.

There was ink that only appeared under the starlight of the Red Foxglove Flower.

And this marked the secret passages that led in and out of the citadel.

Here it is!

The book with the full map of the citadel was slotted into the bookshelf right beside Kin’s desk.

I quickly went over to the window and carefully opened the storage-page section of the map book.

—Rustle.

When it caught the starlight, information that couldn’t be seen under the sun appeared vividly on the map.

And when I saw the existence of a secret passage slowly revealed by the starlight, I jumped up and down in delight.

“See? There’s no such thing as a perfect sealed room!”

Just as I expected, there was a hidden door here too, connecting to the outside. It seemed to be magically concealed, and it wasn’t far from the place where the freak’s finger had been found.

“So the evidence was right under our noses, and we couldn’t find it?”

Alright, good. The first task was done. I glanced back.

Please just keep sleeping like that, okay?

With a nervous heart, I opened the page that showed my room. Since my room was just a guest room, it was drawn small on the map of that same floor.

If there’s something, it’d be nice if it were near my room.

Well… it’s not like I’m planning to run away, but wouldn’t it be good to secure at least one emergency exit, just in case?

And my wish came true.

“Huh—this is!”

I slapped a hand over my mouth.

There was a secret passage in my room!

My heart started pounding.

I bent forward to examine the map more closely—

—Knock knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Oh my god!”

Caught in the middle of something suspicious, I jumped in fright, snapped the map book shut, and shoved it back into the bookshelf.

Fortunately, Kin seemed to be a heavy sleeper. He didn’t wake up at all and kept breathing softly.

“Phew.”

I let out a sigh of relief. I almost fainted from shock. My whole body was trembling.

—Knock knock knock.

No matter what, the knocking continued. I frowned and glared at the door.

“Ugh, seriously, which crazy bastard comes looking for their boss at this hour of the night?”

After a brief hesitation, I cracked open the wooden door.

Standing outside was Obal, one of Kin’s close aides whose face I recognized from passing encounters.

Obal frowned as if he’d seen something unpleasant.

“You’re… the astrologer. Why are you here?”

“I had some business related to the investigation.”

“Where is my lord? I heard he went into his office.”

“The Master is asleep.”

“…What?”

Obal made a strange face, as if he’d just heard something unbelievable.

Honestly, shouldn’t I be the one making that face?

You come here at this hour and expected him to be awake?

“He must’ve been tired—he fell asleep during the ritual. He’s sleeping deeply, so I couldn’t wake him. If it’s urgent, why don’t you go in and take care of it yourself? If not, how about coming back in the morning, Mr. Obal?”

Obal stared at me with a strange look, then turned away.

“Then I’ll visit my lord in the morning.”

“That works. Bye.”

I watched him until he disappeared around the corner, then closed the door.

“Alright, then. Let’s go finish checking that map again…”

But my wish was not to be fulfilled.

Every time I tried to take out the map book—every time I tried to open it—there came another knock.

—Knock.

—Knock, knock.

—Knock knock knock.

…….