The Secondary Suspicion

There was something Akari had been thinking about all morning a day after coming to this place. He had risen early, just moments after the sun itself peeked over the horizon, so he resided in the manor’s garden once more, becoming acquainted with the statue yard. Marianne accompanied him this time, as he sat by the fountain reading a book he had taken from his room.

He wasn’t really reading, but every now and then he would flick through the pages to make it seem so.

Ain, according to Akari’s general description he had written in a previous pitch script, was ‘an aloof person, who wasn’t too well versed with basic social skills. He could read, write and speak with the eloquence of a Duke—the manners of one too—yet lacked any warm technique when it came to communication.’

I don’t have to be Ain, right?

It wasn’t as if Salaeus or Marianne knew how Ain acted, in fact, would there be any difference if he was … a little nicer?

Of course, the most predominant trait of Ain’s personality was, in fact, his stoic attitude towards everything. The ability to remain completely unfazed by even the most disturbing or distressing of events that he may come across and stay composed. But that might prove difficult. Akari wasn’t Ain, he wasn’t some mindless, unconventionally, emotionless thing. He clearly hadn’t acted too calm when he first came alive, and it would’ve been suspicious if he was to display any sort of vivid expressions of his reputation in the long run, was to label him as ‘placid’.

There wasn’t any harm in smiling now and then. Was there?

“Perhaps we should head back inside now, Sir,” Marianne stepped forward.

As always, she approached Ain with relative calmness to his own. Her head was lowered to keep her eyes away from his, hands folded one over the other in front of her apron, and her distance from him even after approaching, was still somewhat removed. Graceful, is what Akari would’ve called her.

“Of course,” he sighed, rising from the fountain’s ledge and closing the book with a firm snap. “I’m sorry you had to accompany me so early in the day.” and then he smiled.

It wasn’t a big smile, just a small one; the kind you gave when a stranger complimented your outfit. Yet, for a subtle change in his expression, when he looked over to Marianne, he was taken aback by the look on her face instead.

Her freckled cheeks were lightly dusted by a soft coral red, almost mimicking the highlights of her vibrant hair. Her lips parted, only slightly, and her eyes widened in difference just a little more than what Akari was used to seeing. When she realised she had met Ain’s gaze, she slowly turned her head away and shut her mouth, blinking for a moment before turning down the path to walk away. She didn’t look back to see if he was following. Ain himself stood frozen, watching her leave as her steps had quickly been overcome by the rush of water from behind him.

Is she mad at me?

With that sudden stomping off, Akari initially guessed that he must have made her upset, but upon dwelling on the thought a little longer he slowly smiled to himself, letting out a small giggle in his hand. She must’ve been embarrassed, Akari surmised. I would too if a handsome guy smiled at me. He couldn’t blame her.

Swiftly, he thawed himself and left the garden as well, walking back to the front of the manor, only to be met by Salaeus standing by the doors with an unfamiliar figure beside him. Cloaked, covered head-to-toe, from where Ain stood, he couldn’t perceive exactly who it was. But upon noticing Ain, Salaeus’ expression turned from frozen-in-fear to enigmatically-jubilant.

“Oh! Ain, there you are!” he yelled grandly, raising his arms as the figure had quickly turned away and began walking down the steps and into the carriage by the gravel. They had vanished with a quickness akin to an ocean current’s pull, and once the carriage started driving off, Ain’s eyes followed it until it passed through the gates.

“Were you out with Marianne? Are you not cold?”

“I’m okay,”

The morning chill wasn’t anything concerning, not for Ain at least, he’d have to be in a blizzard to feel anything. It must’ve been because the magic that made him was still strongly embedded into his physical manifest, at least, that’s what Akari thought. He wasn’t good against the cold, so to feel that Ain’s entire physique was so unlike his own felt a little liberating. Taking life for granted.

“Who was that?” Ain asked softly, his head tilting a little to the side as he was clearly referring to that stranger Salaeus was just interacting with.

He had his own suspicions but wanted to gauge how Salaeus would respond, after all, secrecy was a token attribute of this specific character.

“Just some business from the capital,”

A vague lie, but one Ain would accept, Akari on the other hand, knew prying wasn’t going to help. Without another word, he moved on, slipping back into the manor, hoping to lose Salaeus’ attention in the process. He had been occupied with other things as of later, such as seamstresses visiting the estate now and again to get Ain’s attire prepared for the prince’s birthday celebration. He was even visited by a doctor to see if he was at risk for any illnesses in the coming days, but unsurprisingly, a statue that had magically come to life posed as anything but ill. But perhaps it was better that way.

For the past few days, he had gotten used to the manor and its many rooms and hallways, in less than three days, he had the east wing almost entirely memorised.

The west wing on the other hand, wasn’t so welcome to his curiosities. It was where Salaeus often roamed, since his study and bedroom were both there, Akari often avoided it. And if he wanted to do a little snooping around, he’d have to be very careful. Although, he wouldn’t know what he’d be looking for. Plans written foolishly on a piece of paper? Yeah right.

Salaeus as a character might’ve been cordial with Ain, but Akari can remember his traits are more so centred around his villainous plans. His grandeur is a schematic of his flamboyant tactics to make sure that there is a show at the end of it all. But there was something else Akari had to look out for.

The Crown Prince had a younger brother, Kaleth.

He hasn’t shown up yet, not to Ain at least, but he didn’t really make any appearance until the fourth chapter, after Ain is given to the prince. But Akari took into account that there were some things about this world that weren’t entirely bound to his manuscript, and or have been taken from a previously written one by Haruka. His insight could only take him so far, but he was suspicious of who Salaeus was taking to earlier by the front doors. No matter how fleeting the scene was, his mind would snap back to it.

Could it have been Kaleth, was his biggest guess yet, a rather brave one at that. Would the younger prince be so precarious to come to the grounds in a hood and cloak just to exchange a few words with the mage?

Well, Akari wasn’t sure how long they’d been speaking, since he only caught them in the act. He speculated that whilst Ain was outside with Marianne—most likely to keep an eye on him—they had met inside and were only seen when they were just leaving. Unfortunately, he couldn’t confirm or deny it, and it would forever be a simple assumption without proper evidence.