Gunmage
Chapter 109: A house that hunts itself

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: A house that hunts itself

"That doesn’t make any sense,"

Isolde refuted sharply, her tone laced with disbelief.

"The Church... the Church fought against those strange people. If not for them, the attackers would have escaped."

"No, they wouldn’t have"

He replied smoothly, his voice calm, too calm.

"The Royal Guards were bound to get involved. Once they do, there’s nowhere to hide."

"I still don’t understand. What would the Church stand to gain by attacking me?"

He gave a half-shrug, his eyes unreadable.

"Well, that’s a question you’ll have to ask yourself."

"Huh?"

Her brows furrowed, more confused than ever.

"Think about it. From our perspective—from my father’s point of view—you were simply trying to eliminate the surveillance on you. Give yourself a window to plot some grand scheme."

She nodded, slowly, almost reluctantly, as he continued.

"If what you’re saying is true—and you really don’t have any ties to the Church—then all our assumptions collapse. But from our side, we already ’know’ the truth. Or at least, we think we do. If that truth is false, then it’s up to you to prove it... not us."

He took another sip of brandy, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames in the hearth. The warmth of the fire didn’t quite match the cold logic in his voice.

Isolde’s expression was clouded, unreadable.

The situation had become a nightmare, one where fiction spun by paranoid minds seemed far more plausible than what truly happened.

Her thoughts drifted. How was she supposed to uncover the actual conflict?

The Church hadn’t acted out of malice.

They’d responded as they always did, stepping in to police events with mystical causes. A self-appointed role meant to rival the enforcers, whose duty this had always been.

They hadn’t attacked her ambushers because they were assassins. They attacked because those men had used their abilities to incite a riot, one that claimed the lives of innocent believers and citizens.

At least, that was the conclusion she had come to. It was one born from an uneasy fusion of Edrin’s cynical views and the intelligence she’d been gathering in secret over the past few months.

Still, no common thread emerged.

All she truly knew was that some hidden faction wanted to fracture the Von Heim family.

But that... that narrowed down nothing.

"Ah... I see."

She exhaled and massaged her temple with her hand.

"Thank you for the information."

She rose to leave, but his voice halted her.

"Don’t I get a reward for my services?"

Her brow creased.

"Reward?"

"Yeah. For instance... a kiss?"

Her eyes went frosty.

"I’m the wife of your late elder brother"

She said, her voice carrying like thunder.

"Please refrain from such vulgar jokes in the future."

She turned on her heel, ready to leave.

"I’m not joking, though"

He retorted, still seated, still smirking.

"Love has no limits, Isolde. One day... you’ll be mine."

Magical energy crackled along her fingers, wild and seething. A wave of pressure washed through the room like a sudden gust before a magical storm.

"No need to get so angry"

He said, completely unfazed.

"It will happen... whether you like it or not."

She no longer listened. Her steps were brisk and purposeful as she stormed through the hallway. It took all of her willpower not to give the command. One command, and it would be over.

One whispered word, and her shadows would bring his head to her on a silver platter.

But she couldn’t. If Edrin died under this manor’s roof, chaos would erupt.

She exhaled through her nose, controlled and tight, and turned toward her room.

From a darkened corner, a mouse stirred.

Lugh’s main body had stopped working, focused entirely on what he had just witnessed. His chin rested on his palm, gaze distant.

That was... unexpected.

Edrin, pursuing his own brother’s widow. It wasn’t a pleasant thought, and Lugh wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

Movement caught his attention, Edrin stood and exited the study.

Lugh shifted his focus, piloting the small white mouse from the shadows, tailing him silently.

The man turned a corner.

So did Lugh.

And there—waiting—was a cat.

Elegant white fur. Black-tipped paws. Golden eyes that gleamed with ruthless intelligence.

’You have got to be kidding me’

Then came the motion. A blur of white and gold lunged toward him.

The chase began.

The mouse darted forward, not in panic but in calculation. Lugh had already identified the floor patterns and obstacle layout.

He made a hard left, skimming under a low table, and flicked his tail at the last second to distract the predator.

The cat hesitated, then lunged again.

Up the leg of a chair, off a sideboard, through a gap behind a curtain. Lugh maneuvered with feints, sudden stops, and sharp turns, forcing the cat to overshoot or second-guess its own pounce.

Still, the feline was fast. Almost too fast.

Lugh sprinted along the bannister, then launched off, catching a tapestry mid-fall and sliding down its length.

The cat followed, misjudging the edge, landing awkwardly. Lugh took the chance.

Down a corridor. Through a cracked door. Under a drawer. Then—outside.

He slipped through a vent and descended the outer wall, claws clicking rapidly against the cold stone. His speed bordered on reckless, but it got him out fast.

Almost too fast to notice the two guards nearby, leaning against the stone railing, deep in quiet conversation.

"...By the way, do you know any of those assigned to the kitchen?"

"I don’t know yet"

The other replied, distracted.

"But the boss says they’re all in place. Doesn’t really concern us. Why do you ask?"

There was a chuckle. Nervous and forced.

"Oh, uh, no particular reason."

The first guard eyed him.

Then kept eyeing him.

"What? I’m serious. I just wanted to know. Honest."

The look didn’t go away.

"...Okay, okay, fine. Well, there’s this kitchen maid I’ve been seeing."

"Oh hell, man. We haven’t even been here two weeks."

"I know, I know. I just... I don’t want her caught up in anything. She’s got younger siblings to care for."

"Get it together"

The other snapped.

"Don’t mess this up. We have a mission. Stick to the mission."

"Jeez. Lighten up, man. I’m not gonna screw anything up."

"Good."

Back in his candlelit room, Lugh leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing.