Gunmage
Chapter 155: Of vermin and secrets

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Of vermin and secrets

Lugh needed to find Jeane the maid before he made his next move and questioned Isolde. He needed to confirm something.

However, the woman proved more elusive than he expected.

It was as if she had never even existed.

He stopped a maid in her tracks, catching her by surprise in the hallway.

"Where’s Jeane?"

She recoiled slightly, half in fear, half in something approaching admiration.

"Who ar—"

"Where’s Jeane."

He repeated, this time with patient, icy calm.

The young maid quickly composed herself. She’d never seen this person before, but judging by the color of his hair, flaxen, almost golden, he had to be one of the young masters who had come for the ball.

His eye color, however, gave her pause. Black sclera red pupils, it was strange and unnatural. But there were many things this family kept hidden, and she had long since learned not to ask questions.

"I don’t know who Jeane is"

She replied softly.

Lugh turned on his heel and walked away, not sparing her a second glance.

Hmmm.

It seemed the regular staff didn’t know anything about her. Which meant he’d have to ask one of Isolde’s shadows.

As for where he could find those secretive agents? That answer was easy. Some of them were always keeping tabs on him—a futile effort, but an effort nonetheless.

And now, with him strutting openly through the manor, unhidden by any concealment magic, they were likely being extra diligent.

The Mawglass pulsed in the socket, its glow faint but insistent. It pierced through all illusions and falsehood, and before long, it led him to one of them.

The woman had only blinked.

In the next moment, Lugh had appeared in front of her like a phantom from the mist.

She tried to move, instincts honed from years of training kicking in, but he pushed her against the wall with his forearm. Her illusion cracked and shattered, like fragile pottery.

"W-what—?"

"Don’t struggle. I only want to ask you a question."

His voice was calm.

She steadied herself immediately. Her training snapping into place.

"Yes?"

"Where is Jeane?"

"Jeane?"

"Old lady. White hair. Has been in service since before Isolde got married."

She resisted a chuckle, though it sounded strained.

"All of us have been in service since before the lady got married... but I think I know who you’re talking about."

She sounded light-hearted, but deep down, the shock still hadn’t faded. How easily he had found her, how cleanly he dispelled her veil—had he known all along that they’d been watching him?

Her partner, stationed nearby, still hadn’t revealed herself. Instead, she remained cloaked, observing the encounter silently.

"As for where she is?"

The pinned woman continued,

"I honestly don’t know."

He tightened his grip.

"Hey—! I’m telling the truth, you crazy kid!"

"You’re lying"

Lugh said flatly.

"Do you have any proof?"

She retorted, her voice wobbling despite herself.

His glare turned lethal.

"OK, OK! I’ll tell you. She’s always by the lady’s side."

Lugh released his grip without another word.

Then in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

The door beside her creaked open. A red-haired woman stepped out, her arms crossed with amusement.

"Unbelievable. I can’t believe you got bullied by a child."

"S-shut up!"

Lugh didn’t need directions to reach Isolde. He’d kept countless furry eyes on her all night.

The manor’s rodent infestation wasn’t going away anytime soon.

He barged into a lavish room lined with oil portraits and a long polished table, only to find Isolde in the middle of a tense standoff with the older members of the Von Heim family.

They turned as one to face the rude intruder—and lo and behold, it was Lugh, the bastard. The very subject of their heated debate.

Silence fell like a dropped curtain.

Selaphiel, the Von Heim elf, wasn’t present. The others watched as Lugh scanned the room with indifferent detachment.

His eyes passed over Isolde’s figure briefly before locking onto something beside her, a bookshelf.

"Jeane!"

He called out.

"Who the hell is Jeane?"

Edrin barked.

Lugh ignored him.

"Jeane, I can see you by the bookshelf. Come out now."

Isolde flinched. How did he know the name of her most trusted shadow?

Still no response.

Lugh calmly drew his revolver, its barrel gleaming under the chandelier light, and aimed.

"Wait, wait!"

A voice not belonging to any of the faces present rang out.

From the bookshelf, the old lady emerged.

To the room’s collective shock, a person had stood among them undetected. They had heard of House Caldreth’s infamous shadows, but few realized they could be this invisible—hidden in plain sight.

How many more were there?

More importantly, how had Lugh known exactly where she was?

There were no easy answers to those questions.

Several in the room, previously set on confronting Isolde directly, now thought twice. In fact, Lugh suspected more than a few would be sleeping with one eye open tonight.

He spoke, not to the room, which he ignored like stale air, but to the old maid.

"This is about the matter we discussed earlier. Come with me."

Then he turned and walked out.

Isolde gave her shadow a sharp, assessing look. Suspicion flickered behind her half-lidded gaze.

Jeane responded with a brittle smile.

"I’m sorry, milady. I’ll be right back."

"Take your time"

Isolde replied, voice dry.

"But be sure to explain everything to me later... in great detail."

Jeane gave a small, weary sigh.

"Yes, milady."

She courteously followed Lugh out. The door clicked shut behind her, immediately unleashing a storm of hushed argument within the room.

Jeane stared down at the cause of all this, Lugh. Or rather, stared at him, since she was only a few inches taller.

"What questions do you have? Last time, you stormed off without giving me a chance to explain"

She began, trying to set the pace of the conversation. Trying to regain some control.

Lugh answered with brutal honesty.

"You lied. I left. There was nothing to explain."

His voice was icy.

She had no idea how he’d known she wasn’t telling the truth. Worse still, she had no time to figure it out.

"OK, the young lady might have been involved in your mother’s death but—"

"Stop."

He cut her off coldly.

"I’ll hear the reason straight from her mouth. That’s not what I came to ask you today."

She blinked, caught off guard.

"Then what did you come to ask of me?"

Lugh exhaled, as if releasing the weight of something heavy but invisible.

"Why—"